Hakeem Jeffries and House Democrats are ready to seize on the first big leverage point of President Donald Trump’s second term, lining up against a bill to avert a government shutdown this week.

Senate Democrats are leery of blocking a House Republican-drafted six-month government funding bill, fearing a government shutdown may backfire on them politically by giving Elon Musk and the Trump administration more leverage to force federal workers into retirement.

House Republicans passed a bill to fund the government through the end of September 2025. The measure now heads to the Senate, where Democrats face a "stark" choice.