The two leading Democrats in Congress are attempting to put their spectacular feud from last week behind them and are making amends.
During separate public appearances on Tuesday, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer emphasized their unity in opposing President Trump and the Republican legislative agenda. They zeroed in on the GOP’s intentions to pass a comprehensive domestic policy bill, which they both claimed would necessitate cuts to Americans’ health care.
“Had a good conversation about the path forward particularly as it relates to making sure we all speak with one voice,” Jeffries said at a central Brooklyn hospital with health care professionals, Medicaid consumers, and Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.).
Jeffries repeatedly responded, “Yes, I do,” when asked whether he supported Schumer’s leadership.
In two separate national TV appearances, Schumer reiterated that he would not resign as Senate Democratic leader and that he and Jeffries would remain in lockstep following last week’s shocking split over a funding measure drafted by Republicans.
During an appearance with “CBS Mornings,” Schumer stated, “We’re moving forward — Hakeem and I have a plan.” The two groups couldn’t be more different. We struggle every day against the Republican party, which is dominated by wealthy oligarchs who want to take advantage of the common American in order to secure tax cuts for themselves.
Jeffries had led his caucus in aggressively rejecting the Republican funding package, but Schumer decided to let it through anyway, preventing a federal shutdown. The two New Yorkers’ attempts to get in sync seemed calculated to cap a long weekend filled with recriminations.
When Jeffries avoided answering a question on Schumer’s leadership during a Friday press conference at the Capitol, tensions became even higher. As a result, Schumer became the target of ire from all quarters of the party. An activist organization in his home state even went so far as to claim that its members wanted his “head on a pike” due to the surrender.
In his Tuesday TV appearances, Schumer explained his choice at detail, stating that a government shutdown would have given Trump and Elon Musk much more ability to dismiss federal employees and dismantle agencies. On “The View” (ABC), he compared the GOP measure to chopping off an arm when asked to describe the decision between the two options.
“I fight more than anyone else, and no one wants to fight more than me,” Schumer remarked. “You must fight intelligently.”
The two men made their public appearances on Tuesday following a joint statement they issued on behalf of a “Medicaid Day of Action,” an event planned by congressional Democrats to draw attention to possible budget cuts to the federal health care program that House Republicans have just greenlit.
“We will not rest until we achieve victory,” they said.
Despite being in New York City on Tuesday, neither Jeffries nor Schumer made public appearances together, despite the fact that they met in person on Sunday night in Brooklyn, according to an anonymous source.
Jeffries made the following statement when asked about his absence from Schumer’s side: “I assume that he’s participating in other engagements throughout the state, but Senate Democrats have been very clear they’re partnering with House Democrats to stop these cuts from ever taking effect.” A
In addition, each leader stuck to his guns when it came to dealing with the financing scandal. It “would have been the greatest disaster… to put the government in the sole hands of evil, nasty, nihilistic people” like Trump and Musk, Schumer maintained, adding that a shutdown would have been even worse.
His reasoning was that he believed he had acted in a way a leader should. “I was prepared to take bullets because it was my job to warn people about dangers that lurked around corners, even when they couldn’t see them.”
Meanwhile, when questioned whether he could understand Schumer’s reasoning for coming to a different conclusion, Jeffries remained steadfast in his commitment to unite his members in opposition.
The political budget plan put out by Republicans was not discussed with Democrats, therefore House Democrats will continue to reject it, he stated.