The Chronicle

Chuck Schumer, in many people’s eyes, has garnered a little bit more respect over the past two weeks.

As many still remember (and bitterly), he and members of his cadre broke from Democrat ranks earlier in this administration to avert a government shutdown. But his refusal to sell out his supposed morals this time has managed to salvage him a precariously good position among his own constituents.

The overexertion of executive authority during this second Trump term has not been looked on kindly by Democratic voters — and yet, up until now, when they looked at the legislative branch, they saw nothing. No meaningful reaction to any of the actions Trump has taken. There have been many press releases and conferences denouncing what is happening, but there’s been no real pushback. There’s been no change.

Now, in their defense, Republicans control the Supreme Court, the Presidency, and both houses of Congress. It’s not easy to make change in a super minority. But the utter lack of trying to do so is what irks many voters.

So to many, the government shutdown was necessary to leverage the small amount of power that Democrats do have in order to achieve much-vaunted goals. Repealing key provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill, Democrats are looking for an extension of key Obamacare subsidies, without which premiums could double by the end of the year — in their opinion, a worthy cause to die for. 

Republicans have immediately taken this opportunity to flame Democrats, blaming them outright for this shutdown. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise accused Democrats of throwing a “tantrum.” Many Republicans are of the opinion that this will pan out a lot worse for Democrats than for Republicans — they point out that if people look at the vote tallies, it’s not Republicans who are voting time after time against a shutdown. It’s Democrats.

They’re not wrong about this. As of yet, only three Democratic senators have broken from party ranks to avert a shutdown. Among them is John Fetterman (D-PA), who stated that shutdowns are “always wrong” — that the tack Democrats are taking is morally disingenuous and hurts the working people. In response, many Democrats would say that at the end of this, it’s not them who are going down in flames — it’s the Republicans who want to get rid of healthcare for many people. 

The outcome, in my opinion, depends wholly on whether Democrats are able to keep the spotlight on their reasons for holding the line. If the people aren’t made aware of why Democrats are keeping the government shut down, it becomes all too easy to pin this on them.

But reiterating that this is over serious cuts in healthcare — and continuing to show the people how Democrats are fighting for them, not for themselves — is the way to keep messaging on point and public opinion in their favor. And even making sure that people are aware that Democrats are doing something is important.

The entire Trump administration has been characterized by an overstepping of executive authority and a metaphorical “rolling over” of legislative authority. Democrats have perhaps gotten an even worse showing in the court of public opinion, as not only are they part of an impotent branch of government, but they aren’t even doing anything in that.

Holding firm on the shutdown may change public perception of Democrats — and with approval ratings hovering somewhere around 30 percent, that’s exactly what they need. 

So was this play by the Democrats a good idea? In my opinion, yes. After the averted shutdown in March, I personally lost respect for Chuck Schumer, specifically. He talked all this talk, but then wasn’t willing to back it up with action. Now, it seems, he is.

This is perhaps true for the entire Democrat leadership as a whole. Except for those secure in being a firebrand (such as Bernie Sanders or AOC), many had touted the virtues of bipartisanship and cooperation. And to be clear, that’s not a bad thing. But many (myself included) wanted a little bit more pushback from the Democrats who actually did something. Here’s the opportunity.

People always want to be a part of the winning team, but if they know they aren’t winning, they want to be part of a team they think can win. This is the first step.

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