As Democratic voters have increasingly shouted for their elected officials to more forcefully push back on President Trump ahead of his first 100 days in office, Massachusetts state senators seem to have gotten the message.
A group of Democratic state senators, including Senate President Karen Spilka, took to the floor during an informal session Monday to address the sweeping changes and upending of political norms unleashed by Trump, criticizing his approach to the law and his actions in areas such as immigration, health care, and LGBTQ rights. Some also demanded the state’s all-Democrat congressional delegation do more to fight the president.
Spilka, in her most forceful criticism of the Trump administration yet, said the United States is being “forcefully remade” into an “unchecked authoritarian regime” and joined the chorus of left-leaning voters calling on Congress to stop his administration’s actions.
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“As someone who lost family members to the Holocaust, I do not say this lightly, but what we are experiencing in America today is starting to feel like Europe in the 1930s,” Spilka said in her 20-minute speech. “It’s not just terrifying, it is enraging — this is not who we are.”
“We must demand more from our elected representatives in Congress to act as the check on unfettered executive power that the Constitution demands of them,” she later added.
Massachusetts state lawmakers have slowly become more vocal in opposing the administration as their constituents have protested changes, including severe federal funding cuts, economic turbulence due to new trade policies, and rollbacks to environmental and LGBTQ protections.
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The state Senate this month announced a “Response 2025″ initiative intended to figure out how to respond to Trump at the state level. So far, they have endorsed a bill seeking to protect those who obtain procedures such as gender-affirming care and abortions in the state and held a hearing on climate policy. But so far, they have not passed any policies pushing back on the Trump administration or filling federal gaps.
The 13 Democratic senators who spoke Monday especially criticized Trump’s approach to the law as his administration has sought efforts to detain and deport immigrants en masse. They named several local immigrants who have been detained by the Trump administration, such as Rümeysa Öztürk, the Tufts University doctoral student who was seized on the street in Somerville after writing a pro-Palestinian op-ed.
“What we are facing is a capricious, vengeful, and cruel administration that has co-opted federal law enforcement agents and openly defied our courts — the exact opposite of the law and order that Trump and his supporters have proclaimed to actually care about so much," Spilka said.
Several touched on other issues. Senator Adam Gomez of Springfield highlighted how efforts to roll back funding for public health research may “jeopardize ongoing research into life-saving treatments.” Senator Sal DiDomenico of Everett spoke of the Trump administration’s efforts to roll back transgender rights, saying his administration is “trying to erase people who are living in our country.” And Senator Jacob Oliveira of Ludlow called it “cruelty, plain and simple” for the federal government to try and dismantle the Department of Education.
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What the Legislature can do to push back on Trump’s “firehose of law-defying, antidemocratic and truly, breathtakingly unbelievable actions” is limited, Spilka said. While she and others urged Congress to rein in his administration, it remains controlled by Republicans who endorse Trump’s agenda.
Some senators noted opportunities where the state can step in, such as passing already-filed bills to protect immigrants without legal documentation or crafting legislation to shield judges and others targeted by Trump. Senator Barry Finegold of Andover also called to increase funding for the attorney general’s office as she wages more than a dozen legal fights against the Trump administration, something the Massachusetts House did in its budget proposal this month.
The remarks Monday were also intended to reassure residents concerned about the administration’s actions, said Senator Lydia Edwards of East Boston.
“We hold up this mirror today and make a recommitment to our constituents: We will not forget you, we will fight, and we do this knowing that we are facing abnormal times and an acute, horrific oppression,” Edwards said.
Anjali Huynh can be reached at anjali.huynh@globe.com.
