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Schumer in 2013: 'A President Deserves His Choices to Run the Executive Branch'

February 9, 2017

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) is probably now regretting comments he made back in 2013 about presidents filling out their administrations.

"Just about everyone in America–Democrat, Republican, liberal, conservative–believe that once you elect a president, he deserve his choices to run the executive branch," Schumer said at a press conference in 2013.

He went on to criticize Republicans for trying to block the federal government from functioning properly.

"But a new tactic has been introduced to try to paralyze the executive branch the way they paralyze the legislative branches, because they really don't want the government to function," Schumer said.

Former President Barack Obama, a Democrat, was in the White House at the time.

Four years later, however, with Donald Trump as president and the Republicans controlling the White House and both houses of Congress, Schumer is doing what he previously criticized.

The Senate's top Democrat has said that Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Judge Neil Gorsuch, needs 60 votes to be confirmed and suggested a filibuster could happen. Several other Senate Democrats have already vowed to oppose Gorsuch and filibuster his confirmation if possible.

Schumer also promised days after Trump was sworn in as president to vote against many of his Cabinet nominees. He recently called on Republicans and Democrats alike to do what they can to resist many of Trump's policies.