New York U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer was extremely loud about Congress’ Republican plans to fund the government until September. But that changed quite rapidly.
In Schumer’s room, seven Senate Democrats will join Republicans and reach the 60-vote threshold required to pass the budget at the midnight deadline on Saturday. On Wednesday, Schumer said the GOP didn’t have enough Democratic votes to pass the filibuster and advance the halting funding bill.
“Our caucus is united with clean (bills) that gives Congress time to negotiate bipartisan laws that can be passed, and we need to vote for it.”
But his opposition had evaporated by Thursday evening, saying, believing that “the possibility of closure will affect America much worse.” Schumer also said he believes the closure will give President Donald Trump and Elon Musk a free rein to gut the government.
“For Donald Trump, the shutdown will be a gift. It will be the best distraction he can seek from his awful agenda,” Schumer said.
As Democrats tried to continue uniting as opposition to Trump’s agenda, Schumer’s colleagues, who had almost indifferent opposition to legislation, met his face in a chilly reaction.
In his own New York Dellgation, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said the Democratic senator “is not affiliated with members who have acquired Trump-owned districts in some of the most challenging territory in the United States.
When asked if it was time for new leadership in the US Senate on Friday, Hakem Jeffries, Schumer’s Democratic counterpart and fellow New Yorker House Minority Leader, answered with “next question.” Jeffries reiterated that House Democrats continue to be opposed and that they are not “accused” in the GOP spending plan.
Schumer is in a tough position and his decision may be rooted in the fact that he was here before.
In 2018, the minority, Schumer led Senate Democrats to shut down the government. Because the Republican spending plan at the time did not include new protections for people with the Deferred Action for Infant Arrivals (DACA) initiative, and would prevent illegal immigrants who were removed here and taken here. The standoff was short, continuing just three days before Schumer cut off his contract to resume government, but still upset his caucus members.
Schumer’s position is that government closures are very unpopular and with minority Democrats in each sector of the government, there is not much leverage for them to wield.
Also, as the closure affects government workers, the closure may also confuse messages of sympathy for the slate of government workers who have been excluded from their work by Trump and Musk’s government efficiency.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
