Several high-profile Democrats have criticized Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) for his decision to join Republicans in voting for a continuing resolution to keep the federal government operating. “I believe that’s a tremendous mistake,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., told CNN’s Jake Tapper Thursday in response to Schumer’s decision. “It is almost unthinkable why Senate Democrats would vote to hand the few pieces of leverage that we have away for free when we’ve been sent here to protect Social Security, protect Medicaid and protect Medicare.”
The left-wing lawmaker was among several prominent Democrats who lashed out at Schumer after he chose to support a House-approved government funding bill that averted a government shutdown. Sen. Angus King, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) were the only Democrats in the Senate to support the bill. In contrast, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) was the sole Republican senator to vote against the legislation, which passed 54 to 46.
Schumer, the most prominent Democrat among the three who backed the bill, is now facing significant backlash for his decision, including criticism from some longtime allies. “Let’s be clear: neither is a good option for the American people. But this false choice that some are buying instead of fighting is unacceptable,” former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said of the decision, according to Fox News.
Anne Caprara, the chief of staff for Democratic Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, urged Democrats to unite in resistance against President Donald Trump on social media. “The fight going on in the Democratic Party right now is not between hard left, left and moderate. It’s between those who want to fight and those who want to cave,” Caprara said in the post. “Misread this at your own peril.”
Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a fellow New York Democrat, declined to answer repeated questions about his confidence in Schumer during a Friday press conference where he urged Senate Democrats to vote against the continuing resolution. “We do not want to shut down the government. But we are not afraid of a government funding showdown,” Jeffries said without acknowledging that if the GOP spending bill hadn’t passed, it would have been the fault of Democrats and the government would have shut down.
On television, Democratic allies also criticized Schumer’s decision. CNN political commentator Van Jones argued that the Democratic Party needed to do more to counter President Trump. “We want some alpha energy. And that’s not what we’re seeing. This party is tired of watching Donald Trump and Elon Musk run over this party, run over this country, run over the Constitution,” Jones said during a Friday appearance on the network. “And if you only have one opportunity to take a stand, and you don’t take it, it’s very difficult.”