When Chuck Schumer voted with Senate Republicans to pass the spending bill that would give President Trump significantly more discretion over the allocation of congressionally approved funds, after previously stating he would oppose it, it became undeniable that the Democratic Party needed to take a new direction. The 2024 election should have been a wake up call for Democrats that right-wing populism in the United States is a real threat to the future of our democracy and institutions and is here to stay. But it took Schumer voting for the Republican spending bill for Democrats to fully realize it.
Elected Democrats in the House, even moderate ones, have said that they would support Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez running against Schumer if he decides to seek reelection in 2028, with one saying they have “never seen people so mad.” Schumer defended his decision by claiming that “if the government had shut down, President Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and DOGE could cut anything they want by simply by saying it’s not essential.” Even if that is true, why should Democrats help pass a bill that gives Trump discretion to do the same thing anyway?
The leadership by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has been similarly questionable since Trump’s inauguration earlier this year. While he did vote against the spending bill and stated that the bill was an “attack on veterans, families, seniors and everyday Americans,” he also seems to be reluctant to push back against Trump. Before President Trump’s joint address to Congress, he tried to prevent congressional Democrats from disrupting the address. As a result, the president effectively used the address as a campaign rally and repeatedly downplayed the accomplishments of the Biden administration and congressional Democrats while throwing in a barrage of other lies and misleading claims.
If the Democratic Party continues to be complicit and give in to Trump’s demands without putting up a fight, Americans will suffer. MAGA Republicans and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency are putting millions of lives at risk by threatening massive budget cuts to government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. Congressional Democrats must fight against the MAGA agenda. Since their current leadership seems unwilling to take on that fight, it’s clear that Democrats need new leadership.
In a poll conducted by CNN and S.S.R.S., Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents were asked whether they thought Democratic Party leadership is taking the party in the “right direction or in the wrong direction,” only 48 percent said that they were taking the party in the right direction. In the same poll, they were asked who “best reflects the core values of the Democratic Party,” and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was the most frequent answer at 10 percent, beating former Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, who was at 9 percent. Democrats are hungry for change, and it’s time that happens. When talking about Schumer’s decision to vote for the Republican’s spending bill, Ocasio-Cortez said: “to see Senate Democrats even consider acquiescing to Elon Musk, I think it is a huge slap in the face and I think that there’s a wide sense of betrayal if things proceed as currently planned.” A.O.C. is one of the few leading Democrats willing to fight MAGA Republicans and their attempt to dismantle the institutions of the United States. She is the kind of leadership that Democrats need if they want to win.
The Zeitgeist aims to publish ideas worth discussing. The views presented are solely those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial board.
