Schumer stepped in it big time. And there’s no telling if he’ll ever recover.
Now Democrats are ready to throw Chuck Schumer overboard for this stunning betrayal.
Schumer Slammed as “Ineffective” by Party Insiders, Challengers
Progressive lawmakers and 2026 Senate candidates wasted no time torching the New York senator for failing to whip a unified no vote.
“Senator Schumer is no longer effective and should be replaced,” Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) wrote on X. “If you can’t lead the fight to stop healthcare premiums from skyrocketing for Americans, what will you fight for?”
Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), fresh off his primary launch against Sen. Ed Markey, added, “Tonight is another example of why we need new leadership. If @ChuckSchumer were an effective leader, he would have united his caucus to vote ‘No’ tonight and hold the line on healthcare.”
Democratic Senate hopefuls joined the pile-on.
“Chuck Schumer is not built for this moment,” wrote Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner.
“Chuck Schumer has failed us,” declared Iowa state Sen. Zach Wahls, running for the seat held by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa).
Defectors Face Family Firestorm, Progressive Backlash
The five Democrats who voted to invoke cloture were Minority Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.), Tim Kaine (Va.), Maggie Hassan (N.H.), Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.), and Jacky Rosen (Nev.).
In an extraordinary rebuke, Shaheen’s daughter Stefany Shaheen, a 2026 congressional candidate in New Hampshire, publicly rejected the agreement her mother helped broker.
“I cannot support this deal when Speaker Johnson refuses to even allow a vote to extend health care tax credits,” the younger Shaheen posted on X. “We need to both end this shutdown and extend the ACA tax credits. Otherwise, no deal.”
Deal Terms Trigger Outrage Despite Concessions
The package funds the government through Jan. 30, 2026, with full-year appropriations for veterans, military, and agriculture programs through Sept. 30, 2026.
In exchange for the five Democratic votes, Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) guaranteed a standalone Senate vote on extending enhanced Obamacare subsidies set to expire Dec. 31, though passage is not assured and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has not committed to bringing it to the floor.
The measure also mandates rehiring all federal workers laid off during the 35-day lapse and provides full back pay to the 800,000 employees who missed paychecks.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom called the vote “capitulation and a betrayal of working Americans.”
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said the deal “paves the way for devastating premium hikes” and declared, “Count me out.”
NYC Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani labeled it a plan that “dramatically hikes healthcare premiums and only exacerbates the affordability crisis.”
