Sen. Chuck Schumer is shrugging off criticism that he’s endured his “toughest year” amid criticism of his management of the Senate Democratic caucus.
The Senate minority chief from Brooklyn mentioned “it goes with the territory” to be a lightning rod for harsh assaults from numerous factions inside his personal get together, to not point out President Trump, Republicans and constituents.
President Donald Trump. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Photographs)
Whereas conceding he endured some difficult political challenges throughout Trump’s first yr again in energy, Schumer urged 2025 wasn’t all that a lot worse than different years, pointing to marathon efforts to push former President Biden’s agenda previous the end line over resistance from moderates like then-Sen. Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia)
“Every year is tough in different ways,” Schumer mentioned. “In 2022 it was so tough getting things done, sitting in a room with Joe Manchin for 10 days.”
He sounded a assured notice that he retains the help of the Democratic Senate caucus, regardless of sniping from some quarters and jostling for place from bold colleagues who could hope to finally succeed him.
“It’s always worked out, my whole career,” Schumer mentioned.
Schumer didn’t focus on whether or not he plans to run for a sixth time period in 2028, a call that might usually be anticipated to be introduced solely after the 2026 midterms. He additionally declined to touch upon his refusal to endorse Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani.
The most important complications have come over Schumer’s shifting method to Trump and the way a lot resistance to mount towards the president’s aggressive right-wing second-term coverage agenda.
Schumer was hit with intense criticism in March when he supplied sufficient votes to let Trump’s Republican allies in Congress move a stopgap spending invoice and avert a authorities shutdown.
Within the fall, he reversed course when confronted with an analogous dilemma and refused to play ball with the GOP, triggering the painful 43-day shutdown. He additionally took warmth when a handful of reasonable Democratic senators broke ranks to finish the standoff and reopen the federal government with none significant victories.
Schumer says the shutdown uncovered Republicans’ politically damaging “intransigence” on well being care by spotlighting their refusal to increase Reasonably priced Care Act tax credit that would have averted looming skyrocketing insurance coverage premiums for greater than 20 million Individuals.
“They know they’re drowning in it with the public,” Schumer mentioned. “They’re paralyzed.”
Democrats are laying the groundwork to make well being and the economic system the centerpieces of a scorched-earth marketing campaign aimed toward retaking management of Congress in subsequent yr’s midterms.
Schumer insisted Democrats have an opportunity to flip the 4 Republican-held Senate seats they would wish to win management of the higher chamber and pushed again towards claims he’s bungling the race by favoring some reasonable candidates over progressives.
“In each state, our North Star is to do what needs to be done to win the seat,” he mentioned.
