WASHINGTON — Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer led his caucus, and the country, into a record-breaking government shutdown and voted against reopening when a small group of his members defected. But there are still calls for him to step aside from Democrats who think he should have fought harder.
It's a now-familiar position for the Democratic leader, who was pilloried by the liberal base in March when he voted with Republicans to keep the government open. This time, he's getting blowback for the actions of the moderate senators in his caucus who allowed the shutdown to end without the extension of health care subsidies that Democrats had demanded for more than six weeks.
“The American people asked us over and over to fight for health care and to lower our costs overall,” said Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who declined to say if she still had confidence in Schumer. “Obviously that broke apart at the end. Our job is to deliver for the American people. We need to do that more effectively.”
No senator has explicitly called for his resignation as leader, and his job appears safe despite the criticism from outside. But it's been a tough year for Schumer as the unexpected, overwhelming anger from base voters at his March vote has turned more of a spotlight on his leadership, and as he and his party have struggled to counter President Donald Trump. And he could face new challenges ahead as riled up voters demand results even though Democrats have little power.
“It’s an impossible job,” said Vermont Sen. Peter Welch, who like Schumer voted against reopening the government. “In my view, he did it well.”
Welch said he doesn't blame Schumer for the small group of moderates who broke the stalemate and voted with Republicans to reopen, sending the bill to the House. He says he believes Democrats succeeded in elevating the issue of the health care subsidies that expire at the end of the year as Republicans refused to negotiate on the issue.
“We have to remember that the leader is one of many,” Welch said. “He’s first among equals, but there’s independent agency for senators.”
Schumer has not yet publicly responded to the criticism, instead trying to keep the focus on Republicans.
“Americans will remember Republican intransigence every time they make a sky-high payment on health insurance,” he said on the Senate floor just before the final Senate vote on Monday.
Criticism as the shutdown nears an end
Democrats inside and outside the Senate were furious on Sunday when the moderate senators broke ranks. Senate Majority leader John Thune, R-S.D., promised a mid-December vote on extension of the subsidies, but there is no guaranteed outcome.
Democratic Rep. Mike Levin, D-Calif., posted on X that “Chuck Schumer has not met this moment and Senate Democrats would be wise to move on from his leadership.” Mallory McMorrow, a Michigan state senator and U.S. Senate candidate, told the AP she would not support Schumer remaining in his role if elected next year.
“We need new leadership,” McMorrow said, adding that it’s “a new moment.”
Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, one of the most vocal Democrats pushing his colleagues to keep the shutdown going, said that Schumer had tried but “didn’t succeed.”
After the final vote on Monday, several Senate Democrats declined to comment on Schumer’s role in the shutdown’s end or whether he should remain as leader.
“I’m not going to get into that right now,” said Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland.
New Mexico Sen. Martin Heinrich and New Jersey Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester also declined to comment.
Schumer is still 'solid in the caucus'
Schumer, who is known for frequently dialing up the members of his caucus on his flip phone, worked hard to recover his image after the March vote, talking to senators individually and hearing them out in meetings. And when the time came, he voted with the majority of his caucus to shut down the government and made demands on health care — an issue that Democrats believe is a weakness for Republicans.
While it’s unclear how the year’s saga will affect Schumer’s political future — he’s up for re-election in 2028 — his Senate colleagues appear to have little interest in an ouster.
“He handled a very tough situation very well,” said Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat and among the small group who switched their votes to reopen the government. “I think he’s solid in the caucus.”
Welch said that even though Democrats won big in last week’s elections, “we get into the Capitol and the reality of us having 47 votes doesn’t change, and that puts some limitations on what we can accomplish.”
That’s “a dilemma that any leader faces,” he said.
Schumer has also repaired his relationship with House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, who in March had declined to express confidence in his New York colleague.
Aware that the Sept. 30 funding deadline was approaching, Schumer and Jeffries appeared several times together and said they were united in pushing for the health care subsidies. After the Senate vote on Monday, Jeffries said he’s still supportive of Schumer and focused his ire on Republicans instead.
“Donald Trump and the Republican Party own the toxic mess they have created in our country and the American people know it,” Jeffries said.
Health care fight ahead
Schumer's next test will be the health care vote promised by Thune. The COVID-era subsidies for coverage in the marketplaces created by the Affordable Care Act expire on Jan. 1, threatening sharp premium increases for millions of Americans. A bipartisan agreement on extending the tax credits is likely to be a steep climb as Republicans have demanded changes or an overhaul of the ACA.
Colorado Sen. John Hickenlooper says the caucus is united on that issue, and “let’s keep our eye on the ball.”
“It’s not about whether Schumer did a good job or a bad job,” Hickenlooper said Monday. “We’ve got to stay focused on this health care issue.”
New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, who led the negotiations among moderates and was one of the five who switched their votes, said Democrats need to focus on Republicans instead.
“It’s President Trump, it’s Speaker Johnson, it’s the Republican majorities that have failed to address health care,” Shaheen said. “That’s what we need to stay focused on.”
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Associated Press writer Joey Cappelletti contributed to this report.
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