Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., reside just a few blocks from one another as you traverse from Prospect Heights to Park Slope in Brooklyn.
But political observers suspect there’s practically a bridge of political distance spanning between the two Brooklyn Democrats now. Schumer decided to help Republicans break a filibuster and forestall a government shutdown last week. Schumer’s decision triggered howls of derision from House Democrats who were practically unified in their opposition to the GOP spending package. Schumer and nine other Democrats voted to break the filibuster. That sent many Democrats into a fit of apoplexy.
Distance and geography helps us understand this perceived chasm between Schumer and Jeffries.
It’s a solid 40 miles from the Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg, Va., to the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC. After the House voted to approve the emergency spending bill last Tuesday, Democrats high-tailed it to Leesburg for their annual issues retreat. Jeffries and other Democratic leaders held a press conference on the first day. Other Democrats spoke at nine news conference on the succeeding days.
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But back on Capitol Hill last Friday, Jeffries and other Democratic leaders would speed back from Leesburg for a news conference just before the vote to break a filibuster on the spending measure.
Schumer asserted that sidestepping a government shutdown was the lesser of two evils. He argued that a shutdown would further empower President Trump and Elon Musk to slash the federal workforce and shutter departments.
Jeffries wasn’t buying it. And he needed to signal to House Democrats about what side he was on.
A notable rift recently opened between House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., after the latter’s decision to help Republicans break a filibuster and forestall a government shutdown. (Getty Images)
“House Democrats remain strongly opposed to the partisan Republican spending bill that will hurt families, hurt veterans, hurt seniors, and hurt the American people,” said Jeffries. “It is a false choice that Donald Trump, Elon Musk and House Republicans have been presenting.”
Schumer and Jeffries spoke after the top Democrat in the Senate announced he would reluctantly vote to break a filibuster – and bring several Democratic colleagues along with him. Republicans control the Senate. But they only have 53 votes. Sixty votes are necessary to crush a filibuster. That’s where Democrats come in.
And Schumer relented.
“Is it time for new leadership in the Senate,” asked Chase Williams of Fox Business to Jeffries at the hastily arranged House Democratic leadership news conference on Capitol Hill.
“Next question,” replied Jeffries.
Another reporter tried a different approach.
Jeffries has remained mum on whether he maintains faith in Schumer to act in the Democratic Party’s interest. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)
“Have you lost confidence in him, the fact that you guys see this so differently,” asked the reporter.
“Next question,” echoed Jeffries.
What’s unsaid is often what speaks the loudest in politics. That’s what was so striking about Jeffries’ identical responses when asked about his fellow Brooklynite. Again, Jeffries seethed about the bill and how Schumer caved to the Republicans. Otherwise, he and other Democratic leaders wouldn’t have hustled back to Capitol Hill from suburban Virginia to blast the legislation.
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Yours truly wanted to follow up after the press conference, given Jeffries’ direct reticence about Schumer.
“Why were you afraid to say anything about Schumer when you were asked?” I questioned Jeffries as he walked out of the House Radio/TV Gallery studio.
Jeffries demeanor is usually cooler than a swirled Mister Softee cone under a shade tree in Prospect Park in August. But after my question, Jeffries stopped in his tracks and flashed a hint of anger.
The usually calm, collected Jeffries seems unusually testy when asked about the state of his relationship with his Senate counterpart. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
“Don’t characterize! No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No,” admonished Jeffries,
“But my question was, why are you afraid to say anything?” I interjected.
“Do not characterize my remarks. I’m not afraid about anything. Anything!” said Jeffries.
“You went to another question,” I noted.
“I said I was very clear that we look forward to working with every single one of our Senate Democratic colleagues. Every single one of them who pushed back against the Trump administration. Every single one of them. It’s very clear,” said Jeffries.
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So Jeffries had the fine line to walk. Incinerate the interim spending bill. Show rank-and-file Democrats how unhappy he was with what the Senate was doing. Yet be careful about what he says about Schumer.
But as we said, what’s unsaid often speaks the loudest. Jeffries demonstrated his displeasure. But frankly, Jeffries didn’t have to say much. Just returning to the Capitol said everything. And doing so right after getting an earful from House Democrats about Schumer’s maneuver may have scored Jeffries some points.
So, back to the questions at the House Democratic leadership press conference…
Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., opposed the interim spending bill, but was torn because of the sheer volume of federal workers comprising his constituency. (Reuters)
“Is it time for new leadership in the Senate?” And, has Jeffries “lost confidence” in Schumer?
The second interrogative is not as important. Democrats nationally – if not Senate Democrats – will determine what they want to do with Schumer. If anything.
Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., opposed the interim spending bill. Warner was torn because he represents so many federal workers in northern Virginia.
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“Are you going to issue a statement on Schumer’s leadership?” asked one reporter of Warner after the vote to fund the government.
“Is Leader Schumer the right leader in this moment,” asked another.
“I have faith in Chuck Schumer,” replied Warner.
Scribes asked similar questions of Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., following the vote.
“We also need to figure out how to use our leverage,” said Heinrich.
Democrats might not be able to stop President Trump’s “big, beautiful” spending plan from clearing Congress – equally undesirable for them, however, is shouldering blame for a government shutdown. (AP/Getty Images)
In other words, some Democrats believed the interim spending bill was an inflection point. They might not be able to stop President Trump and Congressional Republicans from approving the “big, beautiful bill” to slash spending and cut taxes. But they could have shuttered the government by filibustering the spending plan because it failed to reflect any major Democratic priorities. They needed to stand up.
“Leader Schumer has been very effective in a lot of battles. But these are new times,” said Heinrich. “Second guessing Leader Schumer out here isn’t going to accomplish the kind of unity that we’re going to need to be able to stand up the President. So we’ll have that conversation inside the caucus.”
The Senate is out until next week now. That might cool some of the tensions. But it also may exacerbate them. Schumer was supposed to go on a tour this week, promoting his book “Antisemitism in America.” Appearances in Baltimore and Washington are now canceled “due to security concerns.”
Regardless, it’s possible that dissonance about Schumer’s leadership may have overshadowed anything he could say about antisemitism in his forthcoming book.
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Some Democrats are calling on Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.. to primary Schumer if he runs for another term in 2028.
Should Senate Democrats try to oust Schumer? Good luck with that. In the House of Representatives, the full membership elects the Speaker. He or she is the Constitutional officer of the legislative branch of government. In the Senate, the positions of Majority and Minority Leader are determined by their respective party caucuses or conferences – behind closed doors. Therefore, there’s no “motion to vacate the chair” like in the House. The real power of the Majority Leader stems from the custom of the Senate recognizing the Majority Leader first – ahead of the 99 others.
The Senate has only removed one party leader in recent memory. And that wasn’t even done formally on the floor. The administration of President George W. Bush and other Republicans pounced on former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss. Lott made remarks suggesting the nation would have been better off with late Sen. Strom Thurmond, R-S.C., and some of his racist policies had he won the presidency.
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Truth be told, some Republicans were just looking for a reason to dump Lott. And so Lott departed in favor of former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn.
It’s possible the spending bill filibuster vote may have Democrats now looking to dump Schumer. There is a growing chasm now between Schumer and liberal Democrats.
Democrats wage internal warfare – while Republicans appear unified behind President Trump. And the distance between some Democrats now is a lot wider than a few blocks in Brooklyn.
