Source: Kayla Bartkowski / Getty
Democratic Senator
Charles Schumer declared that he would vote with Republicans to avoid a federal shutdown, drawing anger from the public.
As the
federal government is on the brink of a shutdown, Senate Minority Leader Charles “Chuck” Schumer is facing serious backlash from the public and fellow Democrats for declaring he’d vote for a GOP spending bill to keep the government open. In an op-ed for
The New York Times, the New York senator explained that his decision didn’t come lightly as he sees a shutdown as a way for President Donald Trump and his ally, tech billionaire Elon Musk to use
DOGE to effectively get more control.
“For sure, the Republican bill is a terrible option,” Schumer wrote. “It is deeply partisan. It doesn’t address this country’s needs. But even if the White House says differently, Mr. Trump and Elon Musk want a shutdown. We should not give them one. The risk of allowing the president to take even more power via a government shutdown is a much worse path.” The spending bill to avert a federal shutdown needs 60 votes. The Republicans currently have the majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, but all Democrats except one – Representative Jared Golden of Maine – voted against the bill. Presently, Schumer and Pennslyvania Senator John Fetterman have openly declared their support for the continuing resolution, while several other Democrats have declared their opposition.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told the press that she was mobilizing other members to push Schumer to change his vote. Other Democrats have also begun to push her to primary Schumer, to which she offered no comment. Nancy Pelosi spoke out
against Schumer without naming him in a statement, saying “Democratic senators should listen to the women.”
Schumer’s choice has incurred ire from many on social media who are calling for him to step down from his post as Senate Minority Leader. Columnist Max Kennerly wrote online, They’re not ‘taking one for the team,’ they’re giving up leverage against Republicans so they can give Republicans a blank check to continue doing everything they’ve been doing — including wrecking the country illegally shutting down every part of the federal gov’t they don’t like.”
