WASHINGTON ― Senate Democrats will force Republicans to take tough votes this week aimed at reversing President Donald Trump’s cuts to popular government programs and his plans to lower taxes for the wealthy.

The Democratic plan involves seeking numerous amendments to a budget resolution Republicans are bringing to the Senate floor this week that calls for spending $325 billion on border security and energy development. Republicans will be under pressure to reject those amendments and pass the measure, which would unlock the first part of Trump’s legislative agenda.

The Democratic amendments will focus on three specific areas: Republican plans for tax cuts for the wealthy, how Republicans intend to pay for those tax cuts by slashing popular government programs like education, scientific research and Medicaid, and the Trump administration’s efforts to unilaterally eliminate government agencies and freeze congressionally approved spending.

“When they cut the government to smithereens or fire people or break the law, it’s all in service of tax breaks for their billionaire buddies,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told HuffPost in an exclusive interview at his Capitol Hill office on Tuesday, outlining the Democratic plan of attack this week.

Adopting a budget resolution is the first step Republicans must take to initiate a special “reconciliation” process allowing them to bypass a Democratic filibuster in the Senate. Senators can consider an unlimited number of amendments to the resolution in a so-called vote-a-rama, which can drag on for hours or days.

Already, some Republicans have voiced concern over the speed and scope of the Trump administration’s moves to lay off federal workers, which is being spearheaded by billionaire Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Over the weekend, Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah) called for more “compassion,” while Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said the elimination of federal workers needed to be more targeted.

“I think if there’s one thing I could change about the DOGE, it’s that it’s moving so fast, it’s not really factoring in the human element,” Curtis said, The Standard-Examiner reported. “That these are real lives, real people. They have kids.”

Democrats view the coming fights over Trump’s legislative agenda as a big opportunity to channel the energy in their party, put Republicans on the defensive and damage Trump’s political standing ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

The chaos DOGE is causing across government, for example, has already hurt Musk’s popularity among Americans: A YouGov/Economist poll released earlier this month found a mere 13% of Americans want Musk to have a lot of influence on Trump’s administration, while 25% want him to have a little influence and 46% want him to have no influence at all.

“This is just the opening round of a campaign that’s going to continue for a very long time,” Schumer told HuffPost on Tuesday, adding that Republicans will have a “much harder” time supporting cuts to popular programs than they did in voting to confirm Trump’s Cabinet nominees.

“These amendments are going to help us in 2026,” he predicted, referring to the 2026 midterm elections.