Virginia Senator Tim Kaine has come to the defense of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, pushing back against mounting calls from House Democrats for the New York lawmaker to step down following the contentious vote to reopen the federal government.
Democratic Infighting Erupts Over Shutdown Resolution
The political firestorm ignited after eight Senate Democrats, including Kaine, broke ranks to support the Republican spending bill that ended the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. The legislation notably excluded vital health care subsidies that Democrats had demanded throughout the shutdown period.
More than a dozen House Democrats have publicly called for Schumer's removal as minority leader, despite the fact that Schumer himself did not vote for the GOP bill. The internal criticism centers on what they describe as Schumer's lack of effective leadership during the critical negotiations.
Representative Ro Khanna of California voiced sharp criticism on NBC's "Meet the Press," stating "The question is what is the future of Democratic leadership? Who is going to be effective? And most Democrats around the country just don't think that person is Chuck Schumer."
Kaine Fires Back at House Critics
In a separate appearance on the same NBC program, Kaine delivered a strong rebuttal to his House colleagues, suggesting they should focus on their own chamber's leadership rather than interfering with Senate matters.
"I don't tell Ro Khanna or AOC or anybody else who you should pick as your House leader, because I got a full-time job being a senator," Kaine declared. "I don't need to freelance opinions about House leadership. They should focus on their own leadership and let senators do what we need to do to keep this country moving forward."
The Virginia Democrat emphasized his independence in voting decisions, stating he does not "need a permission slip from" Schumer to determine his legislative positions. He also highlighted Schumer's legislative achievements under the Biden administration as evidence of effective leadership.
Growing Calls for Leadership Change
The eight Senate Democrats facing internal party criticism for their vote with Republicans include:
- Catherine Cortez Masto (New Mexico)
- Dick Durbin (Illinois)
- John Fetterman (Pennsylvania)
- Maggie Hassan (New Hampshire)
- Tim Kaine (Virginia)
- Angus King (Independent-Maine)
- Jacky Rosen (Nevada)
- Jeanne Shaheen (New Hampshire)
Khanna identified several senators he believes would make ideal Democratic leaders, including Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy, who has been openly critical of colleagues who voted with Republicans.
Murphy told ABC's "This Week" that "We can't continue to operate like this in a Democratic Senate. This is not the first time that a small group of Democrats have crossed over to support Republican measures that give Donald Trump more power."
The Connecticut senator warned that Democrats risk losing the democracy if they continue to allow Republicans to "cleave off 10 or 12 or 15 of us," indicating that difficult conversations await the Democratic caucus about their future direction and unity.
A spokesperson for Schumer's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the growing leadership challenge.
