Democratic anger over 'Schumer surrender' shows party's deep divisions on how to take on Trump
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer finds himself sharply at odds with many members of his caucus, fellow Democrats in the House and liberal activists.
WASHINGTON — Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer faces a moment of turmoil after retreating from his initial threat to block a six-month government funding bill written by Republicans, a move that infuriated fellow Democrats in the House and liberal advocates — and raised questions about his effectiveness as party leader.
Schumer, who has served as the Democrats’ leader in the Senate for eight years, has typically managed to find consensus within his party. But he now finds himself on the defensive in one of the first major legislative fights of the second Trump administration, even drawing rebukes from longtime allies.
In an extraordinary move, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, of California, called on Senate Democrats to defy him and reject the GOP bill, while continuing to push for a shorter-term bill, known as a continuing resolution, or CR, to keep the government funded ahead of a midnight deadline.
“Democratic senators should listen to the women,” Pelosi said in a statement. “Appropriations leaders Rosa DeLauro and Patty Murray have eloquently presented the case that we must have a better choice: a four-week funding extension to keep [the] government open and negotiate a bipartisan agreement. America has experienced a Trump shutdown before — but this damaging legislation only makes matters worse.”
House Democratic leaders returned to Washington on Friday from a retreat in Leesburg, Virginia, to urge their Senate colleagues to vote against the funding bill. Asked if it was time for new leadership in the Senate, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Schumer's fellow New York Democrat, responded: "Next question."
Rating: 5