Democratic leadership questions loom over Congress' return

Schumer facing unit to measurement down

Schumer facing unit to measurement down aft enactment for GOP backing bill 02:23

Washington — Congress returns Monday from a weeklong recess arsenic the fallout continues from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's move to assistance Republicans beforehand a arguable spending measure earlier this period to avoid a authorities shutdown. 

As lawmakers near Washington pursuing galore weeks successful session, a recess that Democrats initially hoped would beryllium marked by a amusement of unit against the Trump medication and Republican power of Washington was punctuated by handwringing implicit the party's absorption — and questions astir its leadership. 

Democrats remained mum arsenic they near Washington successful the aftermath of the tense backing fight. And astatine municipality halls from Colorado to California, Democrats sidestepped questions astir Schumer's determination and his enactment of the precocious enclosure much broadly, previewing a messy instrumentality to Washington arsenic the enactment contends with its divisions.

Sen. Michael Bennet, a Colorado Democrat, dodged a question astir Schumer being replaced arsenic person past week, earlier pivoting to erstwhile President Joe Biden and urging that "it's important for radical to know, you know, erstwhile it's clip to go."

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) walks successful Statuary Hall astatine the U.S. Capitol connected March 14, 2025 successful Washington, DC.  Tasos Katopodis / Getty Images

"We're going to person conversations I'm definite successful the foreseeable aboriginal astir each the Democratic leadership," Bennet said astatine a municipality hallway successful Golden, Colorado. 

Rep. Glenn Ivey of Maryland became the archetypal Democratic lawmaker to openly telephone for caller Senate enactment astatine a municipality hallway past week, saying that though helium respects Schumer and his agelong tenure successful Washington, "it whitethorn beryllium clip for the Senate Democrats to prime caller enactment arsenic we determination forward." Rep. Delia Ramirez followed suit astatine a municipality hallway successful Chicago past week. And progressive younker groups joined successful connected the criticism, urging Schumer successful a missive obtained by CBS News to "fight for america oregon measurement aside."

Still, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who initially opted not to remark erstwhile asked whether helium was assured successful Schumer's leadership, weighed successful with enactment for Schumer past week. And Speaker Emerita   Nancy Pelosi echoed the assurance successful Schumer's leadership, though she delivered a stinging rebuke.

"I myself don't springiness distant thing for nothing," Pelosi said. "And I deliberation that's what happened the different day."

Schumer had initially signaled that his caucus would combat backmost against a partisan measurement to support the authorities funded aft the House passed the measurement successful a constrictive ballot that came arsenic a astonishment to some. But a time later, Schumer reluctantly pledged to beforehand the continuing resolution, delivering 1 of the Democratic votes indispensable to propel the measurement to passage. 

The New York Democrat has stood by his decision, portion arguing that helium remains the "best person for the Senate." He told "CBS Mornings" past week that arsenic atrocious arsenic the founding measure was, "a shutdown is 10 times worse." On Sunday, helium said connected NBC's "Meet the Press" that he's not stepping down. 

The backlash against Schumer has travel arsenic Democrats contend with the party's absorption and attack much broadly aft the 2024 elections delivered bruising defeats up and down the ballot. 

Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont autarkic who caucuses with Democrats, shifted the blasted distant from Schumer, saying connected CNN past week that though "no 1 is successful the caucus" is much captious of the number person than helium is, "it's not Schumer… it's the Democratic party."

Later successful the week, Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez held a rally successful Las Vegas. In an interrogation with CBS News astatine the rally, the Vermont autarkic said the "Democratic enactment has not been the benignant of enactment we request to correspond the moving people of this state successful truthful galore ways."

"There is nary crushed wherefore we person monolithic income and wealthiness inequality, wherefore we're the lone large state connected world not to warrant healthcare to each people," Sanders added.

Across a fig of municipality halls past week, constituents turned the absorption from imaginable threats to Medicaid nether GOP power of Washington to disapproval of the Democratic Party itself. 

During a municipality hallway held by Democratic Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego successful Arizona past week, 1 constituent questioned the party's wide messaging strategy, suggesting they should get "dirtier" with their attack against Republicans.

"They combat dirtier and we are not consenting to get successful the mud with them," the constituent said. "Maybe it's clip we commencement getting a small spot dirtier with our messaging."

Nidia Cavazos, Jaala Brown contributed.