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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer faces a backlash over his leadership from within his Democratic Party after eight members of the Senate Democratic Caucus joined Republicans on Sunday to vote to advance a deal aimed at ending the 40-day government shutdown despite Schumer's objections. Newsweek emailed Schumer's office for a comment on Sunday evening. Why It Matters The 40-day government shutdown, the longest ever, has created multiple crises across the country, with airlines canceling flights, federal workers going without pay, and food assistance programs becoming entangled in legal disputes. More than two dozen states are warning of "catastrophic operational disruptions." Seven Democratic senators and one Democrat-aligned independent voted with Republicans on Sunday to secure the 60 votes needed to pass the deal, which failed to address the key Democratic demand of extending the enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits expiring on January 1. Schumer was being criticized for failing to get Democrats to fall into line, underscoring growing tensions within the party over legislative strategy and leadership as it prepares for the run-up to midterm elections next year. What To Know Democrats have been demanding an extension of the ACA tax credits that make health insurance affordable for millions of Americans. Sunday’s deal only includes promises from Republicans to hold a vote on the expiring health care subsidies by mid-December. Schumer faced a backlash from within his party in March after he backed a Republican-led continuing resolution, a stopgap funding bill, that failed to include any restrictions on President Donald Trump and efforts by Elon Musk to dismantle federal agencies and overhaul government operations. Since then, there have been lingering concerns that Schumer would again be in favor of a compromise with the Republicans, despite his stated opposition to Sunday’s deal. “America is in the midst of a Republican-made health care crisis—a crisis so severe, so urgent, and so devastating for American families that I cannot support a continuing resolution that fails to address it. I am voting NO,” Schumer said before the vote. But that position has failed to stem criticism over what some within his party said was his failure to rally Democrats in opposition to the Republicans. Representative Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, called for Schumer to go. “Senator Schumer is no longer effective and should be replaced. If you can’t lead the fight to stop health care premiums from skyrocketing for Americans, what will you fight for?” Khanna said in a post on X. Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York also questioned the party leadership in a post on X: “People want us to hold the line for a reason. This is not a matter of appealing to a base. It’s about people’s lives. Working people want leaders whose word means something. There has been increasing speculation surrounding whether Ocasio-Cortez could challenge Schumer's seat in the 2028 Democratic primary. Representative Seth Moulton, a Massachusetts Democratic who is also eyeing a place in the Senate, called for new leaders in the party: “Tonight is another example of why we need new leadership. If Chuck Schumer were an effective leader, he would have united his caucus to vote ‘No’ tonight and hold the line on healthcare." What People Are Saying Adam Cochran, policy consultant and independent investigative journalist, said shortly before Sunday’s vote: “Schumer organized this, and then is voting no last second, and letting retiring Dems take the heat. If this goes through, that needs to be the end of Schumer leadership regardless of how he votes. He’s the minority leader, the buck stops at him.” Ron Filipkowski, editor-in-chief of the liberal news outlet MeidasTouch: “Please don’t think this beltway game of having retiring Dem senators vote yes while everyone else votes no is going to shield leadership from the end result. We see what is happening and can’t be fooled by those games.” James D. Boys, senior research fellow at University College London's Center on U.S. Politics, said on X: “Earlier in the year Schumer caved to Trump and was derided by the left of his party. Tonight he has been defied by a core group of his caucus after the longest shut down in U.S. history and is derided by the left of his party…. Different tactics, same result." What Happens Next The deal must be passed in the House and get the president’s signature.
