Chuck Schumer has a problem, and it isn’t just President Donald Trump. The Senate Minority Leader is caught in a political vise of his own making, squeezed between a White House demanding clean funding legislation and his own party threatening to hold the government hostage over free healthcare for illegal immigrants and gender transition procedures for minors.
Now, with his caucus teetering on the brink of mutiny, Schumer appears to be losing control. As the government hurtles toward a shutdown at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, his grip on Democrats is slipping faster than he can find a Republican to blame.
The current mess started when Schumer quietly floated the idea of passing a seven-to-ten-day funding package to buy Democrats time to negotiate with Republicans and Trump on restoring Obamacare subsidies and other progressive wish-list items. That might have been a sensible tactical retreat, except that House Democrats actually want to shut down the government. One House Democrat told Axios that if Schumer "really tries to go down this route, there will be open mutiny among House Dems."
Schumer turned around at a Monday news conference and publicly rejected the exact same short-term funding concept when reporters asked about it. Nothing says strong leadership quite like proposing something behind closed doors and then running away from it when the cameras turn on.
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The real problem for Schumer is that this isn’t his first rodeo with disappointing his base. Back in March, he faced a similar crisis when he decided to provide the votes needed to pass a Republican-backed stopgap spending bill to avert a government shutdown. That decision infuriated the Democratic base so thoroughly that Schumer’s political stock tanked. He had to postpone a scheduled book tour, but that wasn’t even the worst of his problems. His approval ratings in the Democratic Party tanked, and his political career may be in jeopardy with serious talks of a primary challenge getting louder.
What Schumer faces is a classic lose-lose scenario. He can cave to the radical left-wing base and risk a shutdown that could hurt vulnerable Americans and hand Trump a political weapon, or he can work with Republicans to keep the government open and face another round of progressive fury that could end his political career in a 2028 primary. The pressure from House Democrats and the Senate Democratic caucus on Schumer to adopt a firm approach is substantial, with considerable backlash from the far left base still fresh from March.
Congress faces a Tuesday midnight deadline to avert the shutdown, and Schumer's ability to control his caucus and navigate this crisis will tell us whether he still has what it takes to lead Senate Democrats, or whether the party has already moved on without him, and if he might as well start planning his retirement.
The rebellion against Schumer’s proposal offers a glimpse into the kind of fierce resistance Senate Democrats will face from their own party if they dare to compromise. Democrats, particularly on the far left, are demanding that their leaders stand firm and allow a government shutdown rather than give ground without significant concessions. And caught in the middle is Chuck Schumer, who has completely lost control of his caucus.
Schumer’s caucus is in open revolt, and the radical left is calling the shots. This is what happens when Democrats care more about far-left ideology than governing. PJ Media remains a critical voice exposing the chaos within the Democratic Party. Join PJ Media VIP today with the promo code FIGHT for 60% off and help us keep shining a light on the dysfunction destroying America. Support fearless conservative journalism that puts America First.
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