Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) on Sunday extended a cautious embrace of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) amid fallout from the leader shrinking away from a government shutdown fight with Republicans.
Appearing on NBC’s Meet the Press, Murphy said Schumer “certainly can lead this caucus.” Pressed by host Kristen Welker if he was the “best person,” Murphy initially dodged the question.
“He can lead this caucus, but we need to have a conversation inside the caucus about whether we are willing to stand up to Republicans,” he said.
Pressed a third time on whether Murphy retained confidence in Schumer, he responded: “I still support Sen. Schumer as leader. But I think the only way that we are going to be effective as a caucus is if we change our tactics, and we have to have a conversation inside our caucus to make sure that we are going to do that.”
Murphy is a younger member of the caucus but a veteran senator who’s emerged in President Donald Trump’s second term as a leading antagonist among Democrats. He joined the majority of the caucus last week in voting against a procedural motion for a stopgap Trump-backed funding measure that averted a government shutdown.
Schumer paved the way for he and nine other Senate Democrats to side with Republicans and help garner the necessary votes to clear a filibuster, a move that fractured the party, prompted fierce blowback against the Democratic leader, and raised questions among the caucus about whether he was best fit to continue in his role.
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Murphy suggested Democrats should present stronger roadblocks during daily legislative sessions, a power that the minority holds thanks to the 60-vote filibuster and arcane chamber rules that require the Senate to have agreement for virtually every item of business it conducts.
“We have opportunities as a caucus to stand up and meet this moment,” Murphy continued. “And I think the American people are demanding that we do that.”