Sen. Jeff Merkley spoke to more than 1,000 Oregon residents at a town hall in Ashland on Sunday about the current state of the federal government under President Trump.
In a town hall that often felt like a rally, Merkley criticized Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for supporting a budget bill on Friday in defiance of the party.
Merkley called it a mistake to wait until later to force a government shutdown.
“That’s always a losing argument against a tyrant," he said. "You have to confront them early and fiercely."
Merkley did not directly say whether a change in Senate leadership is needed, saying that could be addressed in the future.
He said a shutdown would have been blamed on the president and forced bipartisan cooperation.
Trump and Republicans were largely blamed for the longest government shutdown in U.S. history between 2018 and 2019, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll.
Many residents who spoke urged Merkley to do more to use the little power he has to highlight the effects of firing government workers by the Trump administration.
“This is a hill I'm ready to die on to make sure my grandchildren grow up in a country that is free and recognizes everyone's rights,” said local resident Patty Snow.
Merkley encouraged people to start protesting in great numbers to apply pressure on the administration.
“If there aren't masses of people in the Capitol in April or May ... that's going to be a problem,” he said. “Because the message to Trump and to the courts and to moderate folks who may help end this tyranny is going to be the people have accepted it.”
Merkley said he is worried that the bill approved on Friday gives Trump broad powers to dismantle the government even further and that a shutdown would have hurt Trump's public image more.
“A normal spending bill has tables that say how money will be distributed around the country," Merkley said. "Those tables were not in the House Republican plan."
He said this means that Trump can use federal funding to reward red states and punish blue states.
Merkley said when the funding question comes up again in the fall, he thinks he will be on the winning side.
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