Democrats in Congress have finally unburdened themselves from the state of disarray plaguing their party since losing the 2024 election—by uniting in outrage against one of them their own. Democratic politicians and activists are livid after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) said he would support passage of a Republican-backed funding bill to avoid a government shutdown.
Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives released a blistering statement in response to Schumer's announcement. "The far-right Republican funding bill will unleash havoc on everyday Americans," they wrote. "House Democrats will not be complicit." The six-month funding measure narrowly passed the GOP-controlled House earlier this week. Congressman Jared Golden of Maine was the only Democrat who voted in favor. Senators have until the end of the day on Friday to approve the measure before funding runs out.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) vowed to mobilize her social media fans in an effort to force a government shutdown, slamming Schumer for his decision to "completely roll over and give up on protecting the Constitution." There was a "deep sense of outrage and betrayal" among her Democratic colleagues in the House, she told reporters on Thursday. Some of them are so "infuriated" by Schumer's actions, according to CNN, they've started urging AOC to run against him in the Democratic primary when he comes up for reelection in 2028. One House Democrat said they had "never seen people so mad." House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries declined to answer on Friday when asked if it was time for "new leadership" in the Senate. "Next question," he said.
Schumer's colleagues in the Senate were similarly aggrieved. A number of them released statements Thursday denouncing the Republican plan to keep the government open. Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware called it a "dirty deal." Andy Kim of New Jersey called it a "disaster" for democracy. Mark Kelly of Arizona slammed Schumer for refusing to "stand up" for what is right for the country. Jon Ossoff of Georgia suggested the Democratic leader was failing to fulfill his obligation to uphold the Constitution. Ruben Gallego of Arizona accused Schumer of endorsing a "grab bag of extreme policies" that would harm American families. Michael Bennet of Colorado lashed out during a private meeting, attacking leadership for having "no strategy, no plan, and no message."
On Friday, former speaker Nancy Pelosi urged Democratic senators to "listen to the women" and defy Schumer by blocking the bill, which needed eight Democratic votes to pass. It got them, with 10 Senate Democrats voting to end a filibuster and avoid a government shutdown. It was a remarkable display of party unity—between the House and the Senate, only 11 of 260 Democrats—a whopping 96 percent—voted in favor of the funding measure.
In a vehement statement, Pelosi blasted Schumer for his "unacceptable" refusal to "fight back." She praised Sen. Patty Murray (D., Wash.) and Rep. Rose DeLauro (D., Conn.) for proposing a better alternative and denounced the GOP funding measure as a "devastating assault on the well-being of working families" that would be "worse" than a government shutdown.
The anger was most pronounced among partisan activists. Jim Acosta, the former CNN host, argued Schumer was taking a "serious gamble that risks alienating not just the liberal base of the party, but outraged Americans from all political stripes." Rick Wilson, co-founder of the Democrat-aligned Lincoln Project, said Schumer was acting like a "GOP sleeper agent." Reed Galen, another Lincoln Project co-founder, agreed. "Call Chuck Schumer anything you want," he wrote. "But don't call him a leader." Allison Gill, a former bureaucrat and liberal activist, was incensed. "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" she fumed. "WHAT THE FUCK, CHUCK?"
Pass the Torch, a Democratic political action committee formed in 2024 to pressure then-president Joe Biden to drop out of the race, called on Schumer to resign after "betraying Democrats and the Constitution by supporting the GOP's radical budget proposal." The group accused the Democratic leader of "enabling" President Donald Trump's "fascist takeover of our democracy." Liberal activist Ron Filipkowski concurred. "It is time for new leadership," he wrote. "[Schumer] isn’t the person for this moment in history, and the longer he clings to power the worse off we all are." Some Democrats complained that Schumer had shown "more energy" in his efforts to persuade Biden to drop his reelection bid than he had in trying to thwart Trump's agenda. "Fuck that," wrote some guy named José, a self-described "Hillarybot" and "Democratic Party bootlicker."
Trump, as he is wont to do, poured fuel on the fire by congratulating Schumer for showing "courage" and "doing the right thing." Backing the GOP funding bill, Trump said, was a "really good and smart move by Senator Schumer."
Updated 5:35 p.m.: This piece was updated to reflect the filibuster-ending vote.