Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) decision to advance a Republican spending bill set off a wave of anger on the Left and possibly opened the door for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) to try to topple the longtime Democratic powerhouse.
Schumer sided with Republicans on a vote to advance President Donald Trump’s government funding resolution Friday, splitting with fellow New Yorker and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), who led a boycott of the bill in favor of a short-term solution to avoid a government shutdown.
Schumer was joined by nine others in the Democratic caucus to move forward on a bill that Ocasio-Cortez lobbied hard to block: Sens. John Fetterman (D-PA), Angus King (I-VT), Dick Durbin, (D-IL), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Gary Peters (D-MI), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH).
Schumer’s decision enraged many Democrats, both House and Senate, further raising a push for Ocasio-Cortez to primary the senator next cycle. The 35-year-old congresswoman has established herself as a strong progressive voice for the Democratic Party and is a near-constant presence in political news cycles.
Schumer, 74, has long been a fixture in New York politics, starting out in the New York State Assembly in 1975, he went on to serve in the House for New York’s 9th Congressional District, to later rising to leader of the upper chamber’s Democratic caucus. The senator has been a household name for many New Yorkers for decades. He’s up for reelection in 2028.
Schumer justified backing the GOP spending bill to fund the government through Sept. 30 by saying a government shutdown would be hard on federal workers and would empower Trump even more to make cuts.
“In a shutdown, American families would be hurt in ways they almost have never been,” Schumer said.
Ocasio-Cortez has been a leading voice in the Democratic Party since she was elected, also drawing a lot of attention from the GOP. She was an original member of the “Squad,” a progressive left-wing group in the House Democratic Party. Since being elected in 2018, when she knocked out a well-established New York politician, Rep. Joe Crowley, she has dominated social media in left wing politics, creating a nationwide name for herself.
The congresswoman has shown signs of wanting to move up on the totem pole, as she ran to be the ranking member of the powerful House Oversight Committee but ultimately failed.
Democrat strategist Hank Sheinkopf described her as “fresh” and “new” compared to Schumer, praising both New York Democrats for their ability to fundraise, a necessary talent in an election.
Ocasio-Cortez was one of the top fundraisers in the House, out of both Democrats and Republicans, raising over $15 million last cycle.
“In a primary, her progressive politics may, in fact, work. You know, the trick is to win downstate New York,” Sheinkopf told the Washington Examiner.
“So Democratic primary with a changing electorate, where Schumer is older, she’s younger. You know, wouldn’t be the first time an incumbent was knocked off because of age alone,” he continued.
CNN reported the congresswoman mobilizing Democrats against Schumer as they were gathered at the yearly House Democratic retreat. House Democrats are privately encouraging her to primary Schumer.
Democratic consultant and influencer Sammy Kanter told the Washington Examiner that Ocasio-Cortez was someone in the 2024 election who could bring in split-ticket voters, leading her to “a position where she could potentially win that Senate seat.”
“I think that put her in that position and when you have Democrats pissed off at what Schumer is doing, I mean, truly a perfect storm,” she continued.
Ocasio-Cortez was one of the first Democrats to speak out against Schumer, “I believe that’s a tremendous mistake,” she said on CNN. The New Yorker made many posts to X on the issue.
“I hope Senate Democrats understand there is nothing clever about setting up a fake failed 30 day CR first to turn around & vote for cloture on the GOP spending bill,” she wrote.
“Those games won’t fool anyone. It won’t trick voters, it won’t trick House members. People will not forget it,” she continued.
House leadership held a press conference Friday to further push their firm stance against the GOP government funding bill, creating a wedge between the two chambers’ Democratic leadership. Schumer’s and Ocasio-Cortez’s offices did not respond for comments.
Many Democrats argued the spending bill only supports Trump’s agenda, which they are fiercely trying to push back against. Some of them wanted Democratic lawmakers to negotiate language that would bar Trump adviser Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency from cutting congressionally appropriated funds.
Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) also released a statement condemning Schumer, saying, “Democratic senators should listen to the women.” Ocasio-Cortez retweeted the statement, showing her alignment with the former party leader.