Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer firmly stated that he has no intention of stepping down from his leadership role, despite facing significant pushback for his vote against blocking a GOP bill aimed at preventing a partial government shutdown. Schumer, who is 74, has been criticized by progressives after his shutdown vote earlier this month. However, he stands by his decision, asserting that he made it based on strong principles, and he responded sharply to critics like former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
“I’m not stepping down,” Schumer said during an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” which was pre-recorded and aired on Sunday. “I did it out of pure conviction as to what a leader should do and what the right thing for America and my party was. People disagree.”
Opponents, spanning both moderate and far-left factions of the party, have argued that the shutdown crisis represented a rare opportunity for Democrats to apply pressure and negotiate significant concessions from Republicans.
At noon on Sunday, progressives in New York City, organized by the Democratic Socialists of America’s local chapter, were scheduled to rally, demanding Schumer resign due to his handling of the shutdown situation. Similar demonstrations have cropped up in other parts of the country, particularly in Washington, DC, and New York. The veteran senator was forced to cancel his book tour last week in response to security concerns tied to the protests.
One of Schumer’s most vocal critics has been Pelosi, 84, who publicly remarked that she never “gives away anything for nothing.” In response, Schumer countered, “What we got, at the end of the day, is avoiding the horror of a shutdown.” He further explained, “There was no leverage point that we could’ve asked for things. They just would’ve said no.”
The GOP had passed a continuing resolution (CR) through the House to avert a partial shutdown, marking the first time they did so without requiring Democratic support. Almost every Democrat in the House, except for one, voted against it.
Though the GOP holds a 53-seat majority in the Senate, they lacked the necessary 60 votes to break a potential filibuster by Democrats, making it impossible to pass the stopgap measure without some Democratic defections. Schumer and nine other Democrats voted with Republicans.
Having navigated multiple government shutdowns in his 25 years in the Senate, Schumer felt his party was not in a position to secure any major wins in this instance. His primary argument for not blocking the GOP bill was that a partial shutdown would have allowed the Trump administration to implement even harsher cuts to government spending.
Many Democrats hoped to leverage the shutdown to rein in Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and secure other concessions from President Trump. However, Schumer believed that a partial shutdown would have only played into the hands of Republicans. He also dismissed the notion that his actions mirrored those of former President Joe Biden. “No, absolutely not. I did this out of conviction,” Schumer retorted when questioned about the comparison. “Our caucus is united in fighting Donald Trump every step of the way.”
Schumer also warned that the United States is on the brink of a constitutional crisis under President Trump, citing his unchecked use of executive power and frequent clashes with the judiciary. “Yes, I do,” Schumer affirmed when asked if he believed the country was heading toward a constitutional crisis. “And democracy is at risk. Look, Donald Trump is a lawless, angry man. He thinks he should be king. He thinks he should do whatever he wants, regardless of the law, and he thinks judges should just listen to him.”
He continued, “Now we have to fight that back in every single way. This is an extraordinary moment. It does require extraordinary action. If he defies the Supreme Court, then we are in uncharted territory that we haven’t been in for a very long time.”
Despite the backlash, Schumer does have supporters. David Paterson, former governor of New York and a state Democratic chair, defended Schumer’s actions on WABC radio’s “Cats Roundtable” with John Catsimatidis. “I think Sen. Schumer was right. He brought in the extra votes to get to 60, which the Senate needed to move … the budget. The Republicans were able to hold firm, and they got their two-vote margin in the House. Had [Schumer] not done it, then Democrats would have been blamed for shutting the government down and called irresponsible and more names than that,” Paterson said.
Schumer’s new book, Antisemitism in America: A Warning, was released last week, and he has been promoting it through interviews. In the book, Schumer reflects on his journey to becoming the highest-ranking Jewish official in US politics, though he believes that someone will eventually surpass him.
“I think that’s possible,” Schumer said when asked about the possibility of a Jewish person becoming president. “America in general, you know is, we’re a beautiful people. Glass ceilings are broken every day.”The post Defiant Chuck Schumer Hits Back At Nancy Pelosi, Vows ‘I’m Not Stepping Down’ first appeared on Matzav.com.