Veteran Democrats privately believed Chuck Schumer’s decision on the shutdown was inevitable. Others were ready for the top Senate Democrat to lead them into their first big battle against President Donald Trump — and instead have been left fuming.

A federal judge ordered the federal government to rehire thousands of employees dismissed from six agencies, saying the Trump administration’s justification for firing the probationary workers had been a “sham.

The bill, passed by House earlier this week, will likely need eight Senate Democrats to vote in favor to clear the 60 vote procedural vote threshold. Up until Thursday Schumer and other Democrats indi