On Friday, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer found himself in an unusual and uncomfortable predicament.
President Donald Trump was offering him rare praise, while former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and other prominent Democrats expressed frustration—or outright dismay—at his actions.
The uproar stemmed from Schumer’s decision to support a Republican-led measure aimed at preventing a looming government shutdown. The following day, he upheld his commitment, joining nine other Democrats and nearly all Republicans in clearing a crucial procedural vote. Had Democrats remained united in opposition, they could have blocked the funding bill from advancing.
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When the Senate ultimately passed the bill, it contained several provisions that infuriated liberals—cuts to non-military programs, increased border security funding, limits on Congress’s ability to roll back Trump-era tariffs, and strict new constraints on Washington, D.C.’s budget.
Schumer acknowledged the concerns but defended his choice, arguing that the alternative—a government shutdown—would hand Trump even greater power over federal operations.
“I believe this is the best way to limit the damage the Trump administration could inflict on the American people,” Schumer said Friday. “Allowing Donald Trump to wield even more control through a government shutdown would be the far worse outcome.”
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“Chuck Schumer has failed to rise to the occasion,” declared Pass the Torch, a Democratic group that previously spearheaded efforts to push Joe Biden out of the 2024 presidential race.
Meanwhile, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, still a formidable force within the Democratic caucus despite stepping down from leadership, dismissed Schumer’s stance as a false dilemma. She argued that lawmakers didn’t have to choose between a government shutdown and conceding to Republican demands.
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“We need a stronger, smarter strategy,” Pelosi insisted, advocating for a temporary funding extension paired with renewed bipartisan negotiations. She condemned the GOP-backed bill as a “reckless giveaway that undermines the economic security of working families across the country.”
