The Senate minority leader ‘doesn’t want to face the music,’ says a Democratic operative who started a petition against Schumer
Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) is struggling to contain intraparty backlash over his decision to vote with Republicans to avert a government shutdown, as Democrats intensify calls for his resignation.
Schumer and his aides have recently reached out to Indivisible, an anti-Trump progressive organization, and other Democratic groups, individuals familiar with the conversations told Politico. Schumer’s team urged Indivisible’s New York leaders not to sign a statewide letter demanding his resignation, but they did so anyway on Monday. One source told Politico that Schumer’s talks with the organization were “tense and unproductive.” Schumer on Monday confirmed the meetings.
The Politico report comes less than a day after Schumer stopped all promotional events this week for an upcoming book, with a spokeswoman citing “security concerns.” Democratic activists had planned to protest his multi-city book tour over his vote to advance the Republican-proposed government funding bill.
Another progressive group, MoveOn, has also relayed “our members’ concerns about the lack of strategy and message around the Republican funding bill vote” to Schumer’s office, spokeswoman Britt Jacovich told Politico.
A petition to withhold donations to Senate Democrats until they oust Schumer as minority leader, meanwhile, has amassed around 25,000 signatures. The Democratic operative behind the petition, Charlotte Clymer, said that Schumer “doesn’t want to face the music over his caving to Trump and Elon Musk.”
Several House Democrats have even privately called on Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) to launch a primary challenge against Schumer. Some centrist Democrats are “so mad” at Schumer’s defection that they are “ready to write checks for AOC for Senate,” a Democratic lawmaker who spoke with Ocasio-Cortez told CNN.
