WASHINGTON - A growing rift within the Democratic Party is surfacing as a number of Senate Democrats and progressive activists publicly criticize the recent deal to avert a government shutdown, arguing leadership failed to secure favorable terms and is out of touch with the party’s base. The deal, reached to fund the government for six weeks, has ignited calls for a change in Senate leadership, specifically targeting Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
Progressive Change Campaign Committee chief Adam Green urged supporters on Monday to support candidates who will challenge Schumer’s leadership, stating, “The best way to unify the Democratic Party and win big in 2026 is to make clear that the new generation of Democratic senators we elect will NOT be following Chuck Schumer down a losing path.”
Senate candidate Graham Platner, running for the Democratic nomination in Maine to challenge Republican Sen. Susan Collins, echoed those sentiments, telling Our Revolution activists on a Monday conference call that the deal demonstrated Schumer’s “inability to rise to this moment.”
The discontent comes amid a broader trend of questioning established democratic leadership. President Joe Biden, 81, faced pressure to step aside before seeking reelection, and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, 85, recently retired from the House. While Biden and Pelosi were credited with passing “notable legislation” despite narrow Democratic majorities, Schumer has received less recognition from party activists and is now facing criticism for failing to maintain caucus unity during the shutdown negotiations.
Despite the criticism,some Democrats,like sen. Dick Durbin, argue the shutdown fight yielded a positive outcome by forcing a Senate vote on healthcare funding in December, which they believe will hold Republicans accountable. “We get our day in court in December,” Durbin insisted.
However, others, like Mitchell, view the outcome as a setback, signaling a need for a more assertive opposition party and focusing on primary challenges in 2026. “We don’t take any pride in the capitulation of our friends inside the Democratic Party,” Mitchell said. “But the story writes itself for why we need a fighting opposition party right now.”