Hailing from Brooklyn, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries denied multiple times to support Schumer, also a Brooklynite, when asked on Friday. When he was asked at a press conference if it was time for new leadership in the Senate, Jeffries quickly responded, “Next question,” according to Axios. Asked also if he lost confidence in Schumer, he replied the same: “Next question.”
On Friday, Jeffries released a statement saying, in part, “Our party is not a cult, we are a coalition. On occasion, we may strongly disagree about a particular course of action. At all times, Democrats throughout the nation remain determined to make life better for everyday Americans and stop the damage being done by Donald Trump, Elon Musk and House Republicans.”
“The Republican leadership has deliberately cut Democrats out of the process, and we must not give in to Republican hostage-taking of our vulnerable seniors, veterans, and working-class families to advance their destructive funding bill,” dozens of House Democrats wrote in a letter to Senator Schumer on Friday. It was signed by several New York members, including AOC, Representative Paul Tonko from the Albany area, and Nydia Velázquez and Dan Goldman, representing parts of New York City.
“The GOP’s CR is a total abdication of Congress’ duty. It hands power to Trump & Musk to continue to destroy our government and slash vital programs while they enrich themselves,” Velázquez wrote on X on Friday afternoon. “Democrats must FIGHT BACK, not roll over.”
On early Friday morning, protestors took to Schumer’s Brooklyn residence, chanting, “Vote no or go.”
“We’ve been told for months that the Democrats are going to hold their fire until they have leverage and then to surrender that leverage— the only one that exists—feels like a real betrayal to his constituency and the country, ” said Shay O’Reilly, an organizer who helped plan the event, told THE CITY.
Chi Ossé, a New York City Council member from Brooklyn and growing figure in progressive politics, said on X that he would support a primary challenge against both Schumer and Gillibrand.
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“Trump and MAGA Republicans want to ransack government and steal health care from millions of families. The Senate Democrats willing to help them have lost the plot completely,” Maurice Mitchell, National Director of the New York-founded Working Families Party, wrote in a statement. “Working families deserve leaders who will fight for them, not wave the white flag at the first sign of conflict.”
Others applauded the senators’ choice to vote yes on the funding bill, including the president himself, who lauded Schumer in a Friday Truth Social post.
“Congratulations to Chuck Schumer for doing the right thing — Took “guts” and courage!” Trump wrote, adding, “really good and smart move.”
