Sen. Chuck Schumer is not the leader Democrats need
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Chuck Schumer was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1998.
The Democratic Party needs to move on from the leadership of United States Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).
The election of President Donald Trump kindled a chaotic political scene. Moving forward, Senate Democrats need a leader willing to do whatever it takes to reverse the damage Republicans have caused in the past two years alongside Trump. Schumer is not that leader.
Republicans have been playing hardball, and the response from the Democratic Party has been to fight fire with civility. Andres Victoria, president of Syracuse University’s College Democrats group, agrees.
“I don’t think we should be playing dirty, I don’t think we should stoop to their level,” Victoria said. “We need to be better than that.”
But the past two years have seen the country deteriorate.
Schumer was recently asked about reinstating the 60-vote threshold for Supreme Court nominees, if Democrats were to take control of the Senate. The 51-vote threshold was established for Supreme Court nominees in 2017, and the Republican Party used the rule to confirm Justice Neil Gorsuch and Justice Brett Kavanaugh. When asked by the Washington Examiner whether he would restore the previous threshold, Schumer said he would have to “look at it.”
Schumer isn’t right for the future. He’s not willing to do whatever it takes to reinstate the values of the Democratic Party.
Recently, Schumer made a deal with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to allow Senate Democrats to campaign for the upcoming elections. That seemed like a win, until Senate Republicans confirmed 15 federal judges to lifetime appointments.
Like clockwork, the Republicans used the recess agreement to a significant advantage.
The leader for the future Democratic Party needs to play hardball. And yes, they may have to utilize some of the same exact tactics used by the Republican Party and McConnell. Schumer has committed his life to public service, but he is simply not the Senate leader Democrats need.
Nick Turner is a senior political science and policy studies major. His column appears weekly. He can be reached at nturner@syr.edu.
Published on October 24, 2018 at 6:37 pm
