Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer has announced that he will not resign from his position despite pressure from some within his party after voting to advance a Republican-backed spending bill that helped avert a government shutdown.
In an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” aired Sunday, Schumer firmly stated, “I’m not stepping down.” He acknowledged that voting for the bill, supported by Republican President Donald Trump, would cause significant controversy but maintained that he made the decision based on his belief in what was best for the country and his party.
Schumer explained, “I did it out of pure conviction as to what a leader should do and what was right for America and my party. People disagree.”
The Democrats were faced with a tough decision last week: either allowing the passage of a bill they felt gave Trump too much control over spending or risking a funding lapse. After Schumer declared his intention to vote for the bill, 10 other Democrats joined him in breaking the party’s filibuster to allow the legislation to pass.
Schumer’s decision has led to backlash from some Democrats and progressive activists, who have protested outside his office and demanded his resignation. Many have called for him to face a primary challenge, with some suggesting that New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez could be a potential challenger.
The backlash led Schumer to delay his book tour last week amid a series of planned progressive protests.
Schumer isn’t up for reelection until 2028. He acknowledged that the spending bill, which funds the government until September, was “certainly bad.” However, he argued that voting against it would have been “15 or 20 times worse.” He described his decision as “a vote of principle,” emphasizing that as a leader, sometimes tough choices are necessary to prevent a potential greater crisis.
In an interview aired on ABC’s “This Week,” Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders criticized Schumer and other Senate Democratic leaders. However, Sanders ended the interview abruptly when asked about the possibility of Ocasio-Cortez running for the Senate.
Rep. Ro Khanna, a prominent progressive from California, expressed on CNN’s “State of the Union” that there is significant anger and disappointment among many after Senate Democrats supported the GOP-backed spending bill. He criticized Senate Democrats for not negotiating for any concessions in exchange for their support, such as limiting government spending or opposing job cuts pushed by billionaire Elon Musk on behalf of former President Trump.
When asked if he would support Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez challenging Schumer in the 2028 Democratic Senate primary, Khanna said that decision would be up to Ocasio-Cortez herself. However, he emphasized that the American people are frustrated with the old political establishment and that there needs to be a “renewal” in leadership.
