Democrats are using what little power they have in the Senate as a government shutdown nears to hold the Trump administration to account for some of its abuse of power. Specifically, they are trying to force the executive branch to let the legislative branch do its job, demanding, in exchange for their votes to avert a shutdown, it stop seizing from senators their power to set spending levels. The White House’s response? Threatening to conduct mass firings of federal workers unless Democrats cave and help Republicans pass a stopgap measure to keep the government open without concessions.