{"id":6708,"date":"2025-11-14T13:19:31","date_gmt":"2025-11-14T18:19:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/?p=6708"},"modified":"2025-11-14T13:19:32","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T18:19:32","slug":"senate-democrats-turn-on-schumer-will-the-revolt-oust-the-minority-leader","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/?p=6708","title":{"rendered":"Senate Democrats Turn on Schumer: Will the Revolt Oust the Minority Leader?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Chuck Schumer is the Senate Minority Leader and a Democrat from New York. For years he has been at the center of his party\u2019s strategy in the Senate, helping drive major bills like the CHIPS Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and bipartisan infrastructure legislation. He is 74, has led Senate Democrats through multiple showdowns with Republicans, and is already looking ahead to the 2026 midterms and the chance to reclaim the majority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now he is facing the most serious internal revolt of his leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The immediate spark is the end of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. Eight members of the Democratic caucus joined Republicans to pass a continuing resolution that reopened much of the government until January 30 but left out an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies. Those subsidies were supposed to be Democrats\u2019 nonnegotiable demand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Schumer voted against the deal, but many in his party say that is not enough. They argue that he either quietly blessed the negotiations or failed to keep his caucus united when it mattered most. Either way, they say, it is a failure of leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why Critics Say Schumer Should Step Down<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The anger at Schumer comes from several directions but revolves around the same theme. In their eyes, Democrats were winning the shutdown fight, Republicans and President Trump were shouldering the blame, and polls showed strong public support for protecting ACA subsidies. Then Democrats blinked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Progressive writer David Dayen summed up the frustration by saying Democrats had the ability to block Trump\u2019s power grab but chose to settle for a weak deal that lets the administration still dismantle agencies and withhold funds. He argued that Schumer was \u201cin constant contact\u201d with the eight Democrats negotiating the deal and either misled the public about his role or simply could not control his own caucus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For many critics, that is the core of the case against him. A leader who cannot hold the line on healthcare, after calling ACA subsidies a \u201clife or death\u201d provision, has lost credibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Democrats Demanding Schumer\u2019s Ouster<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>A growing group of House Democrats and Senate hopefuls are publicly calling for Schumer to step down. None of them sit in his Senate caucus, but their attacks are loud and coordinated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are the key voices and what they are saying:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Rep. Ro Khanna (California)<\/strong><br>Khanna has become one of the most prominent critics. He told CBS that \u201cthis deal would never have happened if he had not blessed it\u201d and argued that senators themselves said Schumer was kept in the loop the whole time. Khanna said Schumer \u201cis not meeting the moment\u201d and is \u201cout of touch with where the party\u2019s base is.\u201d On X he wrote that Schumer is \u201cno longer effective and should be replaced,\u201d asking, \u201cIf you can\u2019t lead the fight to stop healthcare premiums from skyrocketing for Americans, what will you fight for?\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Rep. Delia Ramirez (Illinois)<\/strong><br>Ramirez called the vote to reopen the government \u201can indefensible leadership failure.\u201d On Facebook she wrote, \u201c8 democrats caving to empty promises is an indefensible leadership failure. For the sake of our country, Schumer needs to resign.\u201d She frames the issue as a betrayal of working families who expected Democrats to hold firm on health care.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Rep. Mike Levin (California)<\/strong><br>Levin bluntly argued that Schumer is not rising to the moment. \u201cChuck Schumer has not met this moment and Senate Democrats would be wise to move on from his leadership,\u201d he posted on X.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Rep. Rashida Tlaib (Michigan)<\/strong><br>Tlaib, long critical of Schumer on other issues, said he \u201chas failed to meet this moment and is out of touch with the American people.\u201d She insisted that Democrats need leaders who \u201cfight and deliver for working people\u201d and declared that Schumer should step down.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Rep. Glenn Ivey (Maryland)<\/strong><br>Ivey was one of the earliest Democrats to speak out. Back in March, he said, \u201cI respect Chuck Schumer. I think he had a great, long-standing career. But I\u2019m afraid that it may be time for the Senate Democrats to get a new leader.\u201d He argued that with Hakeem Jeffries holding the House caucus together, Democrats need \u201cthe right leadership in the Senate\u201d to match that unity and push back against Republicans.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Rep. Seth Moulton (Massachusetts)<\/strong><br>Moulton is also running in a Senate primary and has used the issue to draw a sharp contrast. He accused Schumer of sending the wrong message to Donald Trump by caving on the shutdown and said it shows \u201cwhy we need new leadership.\u201d On X he wrote that if Schumer were effective, \u201che would have united his caucus to vote \u2018No\u2019 tonight and hold the line on healthcare.\u201d He has even challenged Sen. Ed Markey not to vote for Schumer in future leadership elections.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Rep. Mark Pocan (Wisconsin)<\/strong><br>Pocan blasted Schumer\u2019s overall strategy, accusing him of allowing a \u201cterrible \u2018deal\u2019 that does nothing real about healthcare\u201d and \u201cscrewing over a national political party.\u201d His criticism ties the shutdown compromise to broader frustrations with Democratic leadership choices.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Rep. Ayanna Pressley (Massachusetts)<\/strong><br>Pressley did not use Schumer\u2019s name directly when asked about leadership, but her meaning was clear. She said Democrats are in an \u201cunprecedented moment\u201d that \u201cdemands new leadership, a different approach.\u201d She added she was \u201cvery disappointed in the eight Democrats that did not hold the line,\u201d hinting that top leadership also shares responsibility.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Rep. Shri Thanedar (Michigan)<\/strong><br>Thanedar cited a poll from Our Revolution of 3,500 progressive voters in which 90 percent said Schumer should step aside and 92 percent said they would back a primary challenger. He concluded, \u201cIt\u2019s time for Schumer to go.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Senate hopefuls Graham Platner and Mallory McMorrow (Maine)<\/strong><br>Running in tight primaries, both have used Schumer as a foil. Platner said, \u201cThis happened because Chuck Schumer failed in his job yet again.\u201d McMorrow declared, \u201cThe old way of doing things is not working. We need new leaders in the Senate.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Together, these critics paint a picture of a leader who, in their view, caves under pressure, fails to protect core priorities, and misreads an energized progressive base.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who Is MoveOn.org and What Are They Saying?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>MoveOn.org is a major progressive organizing network that runs petitions, mobilizes volunteers, and supports campaigns through MoveOn Civic Action and MoveOn Political Action. On its petition platform, activists launched a campaign titled \u201cStep Down as Minority Leader!\u201d directed at Chuck Schumer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The petition argues that Trump and Republicans are \u201cdoubling health care premiums, weaponizing our military against us, and ripping food away from children.\u201d It says Democrats need leaders \u201cwho won\u2019t cave, who won\u2019t back down, and who will serve as a forceful opposition party.\u201d In its view, \u201cChuck Schumer is not that leader.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The petition claims that renewed calls for Schumer to step down followed the \u201cdisastrous decision\u201d of eight Democratic senators to vote to reopen the government without winning any concessions on the issues that sparked the shutdown. It says Democrats had clear public support and that polls \u201cshowed that Americans supported Democrats for driving a hard bargain to protect ACA subsidies\u201d while blaming Republicans and Trump for the shutdown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the petition, by accepting the deal, Schumer and Senate Democrats \u201csold the American people out\u201d and \u201csent a message to Trump that his bullying, abuse, and cruelty will go unchecked.\u201d It concludes that \u201cSchumer must step down\u201d so new leadership can \u201clisten to and deliver for the people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The petition has gathered tens of thousands of signatures, along with sharply worded comments from signers who call Schumer \u201cfeckless\u201d and accuse him of betraying the progressive movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is There Enough Support to Force Schumer Out?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite the noise, there is an important reality check. So far, none of the Democrats calling for Schumer\u2019s ouster are members of his Senate caucus. Inside the Senate, the mood is very different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Reports from multiple Democratic sources say there is \u201cno appetite for an immediate Schumer ouster.\u201d Under Senate Democratic caucus rules, it takes only a single senator to trigger a leadership vote by proposing changes to party rules, but no one has done so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Key senators are frustrated with the shutdown outcome but cautious about blaming Schumer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Sen. Chris Murphy said Schumer \u201cdid not want this to happen\u201d and \u201cpressed hard for it not to end like this,\u201d but admitted, \u201cHe did not succeed.\u201d Murphy argued that the deeper problem is a recurring pattern where \u201cthe minority of members are reaching deals with Republicans,\u201d something any leader would struggle to control.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sen. Dick Durbin, Schumer\u2019s longtime deputy, actually voted for the deal. He said Schumer gave the eight senators \u201cneither a blessing or a curse\u201d and called the situation \u201ca hard assignment\u201d that Schumer \u201chandled well.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, one of the central negotiators, said Schumer did not try to dissuade her and that she believed more time would not change the outcome. She and others judged that another day or week of shutdown \u201cwas not going to make a difference.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Other senators are more cryptic. Sen. Elizabeth Warren said Democrats \u201cdid not hold the line\u201d and that the party needs to be more effective in fighting to lower family costs. Sen. Chris Van Hollen said Democrats must \u201cfigure out a better strategy going forward\u201d but declined to talk about Schumer directly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the same time, Schumer has important allies. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries was asked if Schumer was effective and should keep his job. His answer was, \u201cYes and yes,\u201d adding that Schumer had waged a \u201cvaliant fight on behalf of the American people.\u201d Freshman Sen. Ruben Gallego said this was \u201ca decision made by eight people\u201d and stated plainly, \u201cI have confidence in him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even Sen. Bernie Sanders, who called Schumer part of the \u201cestablishment\u201d and said he could make the case that Schumer \u201chas done a lot of bad things,\u201d still questioned who could realistically replace him and did not endorse removing him now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All of this suggests that, at least in the short term, the votes are not there in the Senate to push Schumer out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Schumer Is Defending Himself<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Publicly and privately, Schumer is trying to project calm. He insists he will not step down and is focused on winning back the majority in 2026. He has declined to say whether he will run for another Senate term in 2028, which has only fueled speculation about his long-term future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In defending his handling of the shutdown, Schumer argues that allowing it to continue would have been worse. He has said that a prolonged shutdown would have unleashed greater damage by giving the executive branch more unilateral power and allowing Donald Trump to make sweeping federal cuts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Behind the scenes, Schumer\u2019s allies say he repeatedly urged Democratic negotiators to hold out for more concessions and told them he could not support the deal they were shaping. He met with both centrists and progressives, argued that Democrats were winning the shutdown fight, and claimed that cracks were starting to appear among Republicans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yet eight Democrats, plus Independent Angus King, went ahead anyway. Schumer did not vote for the deal, but he did not or could not stop them. That is the line that even sympathetic senators acknowledge. As Murphy put it, \u201cHe did not succeed. Let\u2019s not sugarcoat that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Schumer seems to view the current backlash as part of the price of leadership. He is far from the first party leader to face rebellion from his base. Republicans saw years of conservative anger aimed at Mitch McConnell, who still held onto his position and defeated a leadership challenge. Schumer appears to be betting that he can do the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The struggle over Chuck Schumer is about much more than one man. It highlights deep strategic questions for Democrats in the era of Donald Trump.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First, it shows the growing power and impatience of the party\u2019s progressive wing. Grassroots groups, online petitions, and primary challengers are no longer satisfied with symbolic fights. They want leaders who are willing to keep the government shut, if necessary, to secure concrete wins on health care and to block what they see as an aggressive right wing agenda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Second, it exposes the divide between activists and elected senators. Outside the chamber, activists see little difference between Schumer voting no on the deal and Schumer failing to stop it. Inside the chamber, senators see a complex, months-long negotiation in which different factions calculated risk differently and leadership could not command total discipline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Third, it raises the question of succession. Even critics like Bernie Sanders point out that there is no clear consensus alternative to Schumer. Many senators still see him as the person who recruited them, helped run campaigns, and knows how to manage the internal politics of the caucus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For now, the bottom line is clear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The calls for Chuck Schumer to step down are loud, emotional, and growing among House progressives, activists, and Senate hopefuls. MoveOn and other groups are channeling grassroots anger into petitions and pressure campaigns. But inside the Senate, where the actual leadership vote would happen, there is no organized revolt and no challenger waiting in the wings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Schumer has survived one shutdown revolt and is trying to weather another. Whether this storm ends his leadership will depend less on today\u2019s angry statements and more on what happens in January, in the 2026 midterms, and in the continuing battle over health care and the direction of the Democratic Party itself.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Chuck Schumer is the Senate Minority Leader and a Democrat from New York. For years he has been at the center of his party\u2019s strategy in the Senate, helping drive major bills like the CHIPS Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and bipartisan infrastructure legislation. He is 74, has led Senate Democrats through multiple showdowns with Republicans, and is already looking ahead to the 2026 midterms and the chance to reclaim the majority. Now he is facing the most serious internal [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":6709,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6708","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/chuckschum3434435.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6708","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6708"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6708\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6710,"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6708\/revisions\/6710"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6709"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6708"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6708"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6708"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}