Democratic lawmaker: Schumer 'should be replaced'
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) is calling on Senate Democrats to replace Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) as leader after eight members of the Senate Democratic caucus voted late Sunday to begin the process of reopening the federal government.
Khanna, a progressive Democrat who represents Silicon Valley, argued on social media that if Schumer can’t keep his caucus unified against a government funding bill that doesn’t extend enhanced health insurance subsidies, then he shouldn’t lead Senate Democrats.
“Senator Schumer is no longer effective and should be replaced. If you can’t lead the fight to stop healthcare premiums from skyrocketing for Americans, what will you fight for?” Khanna wrote on X.
Progressive Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) also took a shot at Schumer, noting that the Democratic leader did not endorse the party’s nominee for mayor in New York, Zohran Mamdani, a self-described Democratic socialist.
“Don’t endorse or say who you voted for in NYC despite there being a Dem candidate. Get Dem Senators to negotiate a terrible “deal” that does nothing real about healthcare. Screw over a national political party. Profile of scourge? Next,” Pocan posted on X.
Schumer and Senate Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) have led the messaging effort for Democrats during the shutdown, repeatedly warning that Democrats had to take a stand against a clean continuing resolution passed by the House because it didn’t extend the insurance subsidies under the Affordable Care Act.
Those arguments were persuasive for the vast majority of Democratic senators for most of the 41-day government shutdown but on Sunday five more Democrats joined three of their colleagues from the caucus in voting for a House-passed bill to reopen federal departments and agencies.
Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) joined Sens. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Angus King (I-Maine), an independent who caucuses with Democrats, in voting for the House bill.
Democrats had previously rejected it 14 times on the Senate floor.
Shaheen told reporters after the vote that it became clear after the shutdown dragged on for weeks that Republicans were not going to agree to add language to a government funding bill, even if the standoff lasted for weeks longer.
She pushed back against calls from House Democrats such as Khanna to oust Schumer.
“When I talk to my constituents in New Hampshire, you know what they say to me? They say, ‘Why can’t you all just work together to address the problems that are facing this country?’’ Shaheen told reporters.
“We put the Senate back on a path to start doing that today and we’re going to continue to work that way,” she said.