The decision by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to stop a government shutdown by saying he will vote for a Republican stopgap spending bill has inflamed his Democrat colleagues in the House.
"Our party needs more of a fighting spirit," Rep. Chris Deluzio, R-Pa., told The New York Times.
DeLuzo, 40, said he believes the younger generation of the party want a fight rather than capitulating to Republicans.
"Those of us who are a little younger or have come to the Congress more recently, we don't have the experience of some days of yore where things were more functional and the parties all got along," DeLuzo said.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is furious at Schumer, saying Democrats felt "outrage" and "betrayal" over his move. In an interview on CNN, Ocasio-Cortez declined to rule out primarying Schumer when he is up for reelection in 2028.
"I think it is a huge slap in the face and there is a wide sense of betrayal if things proceed as originally planned," Ocasio-Cortez told MSNBC.
Schumer has defended his decision by saying that voting for the continuing resolution was the best of a bad option.
"As bad as passing the continuing resolution would be, I believe a government shutdown is far worse," Schumer said.
House Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., was also highly critical of Senate Democrats who support the continuing resolution.
"Donald Trump and Elon Musk have offered the Congress a false choice between a government shutdown or a blank check that makes a devastating assault on the well-being of working families across America," Pelosi said in a statement. "But this false choice that some are buying instead of fighting is unacceptable.
"I am proud of my colleagues in the House Democratic Caucus for their overwhelming vote against this bill. Democratic senators should listen to the women."
Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
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