WASHINGTON -โค A growing rift within the Democratic Party โขis surfacing as a number of Senate Democrats and progressiveโ activists publicly criticize โขthe โrecent deal to avertโฃ a โgovernment shutdown, โฃarguing leadership failedโ to secure favorable terms and โฃis out of touch with the party’s base. The deal, reached โto fund the government forโ sixโ weeks, has ignited โcalls for โคa change inโค Senate leadership, specifically targeting โSenate Majority Leader Chuck โขSchumer.
Progressive Change Campaign Committee chiefโข Adam Green urged supporters on โMonday toโ support candidatesโฃ who will challenge Schumer’s leadership, stating, “The โฃbest way to unify the Democratic Party and win big in 2026โ is to make clear that the โฃnew generation of Democratic senatorsโ we elect will NOT be following Chuck Schumer downโฃ a losing path.”
Senate candidate Graham Platner, โrunning for the Democratic nomination in Maine to challenge Republican โคSen. Susan Collins, echoed those sentiments, telling Our Revolution activists on a Monday conference โขcall that the deal demonstratedโ Schumer’s “inability to rise to this moment.”
The discontentโ comes amid a โbroader trend of questioning established democratic leadership. President Joe Biden, 81, faced pressure to step aside beforeโฃ seeking reelection, andโค former Speaker โNancy Pelosi, 85, recently retired from the House. While Biden and Pelosi were creditedโ with passing “notable legislation” despite narrow Democratic majorities, Schumer โhasโ received less โขrecognitionโฃ from party activists and is now facing criticism for failing โto maintain caucus unity during the shutdown negotiations.
Despite the criticism,some Democrats,like sen.โค Dick Durbin, argue the shutdownโค fight yieldedโ a positive outcome by forcing a Senate vote on healthcare โขfunding in December, which they believe will hold Republicans accountable. “We get ourโ day in courtโ in December,” Durbin insisted.
However, others, like Mitchell, view the outcome as a setback, โขsignaling a need for a more assertive opposition party and focusing on primary challenges in 2026. “We don’t take any pride โคin the capitulationโค of our friends inside the Democratic Party,” Mitchell said. “But the storyโฃ writes itself for why we need a fighting opposition party right now.”
