Schumer Threatens To Shut Govt Down Amid Fury From Base
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, will have to deal with a political test this fall when Congress meets again. Lawmakers will be debating a new funding bill to keep the government open.
With President Donald Trump in his second term, Democratic voters across the country are getting more and more upset with what they see as Congress’s weak response to his plan. Democrats in Congress don’t have a majority in either the House or the Senate, so they can’t stop his plans from going through. However, people have asked them to take stronger action.
In March, Schumer got a lot of negative feedback from Democrats when he didn’t block a stopgap bill led by Republicans that was meant to keep the government open. Schumer and eight other Democrats voted for a motion to allow discussion on the bill, but in the end, they voted against passing it. Democratic critics say that vote, on the other hand, let it get past the filibuster and become law.
They have until October 1 to pass a set of bills that will pay the government until the end of fiscal year (FY) 2026. Republicans have narrow majorities in both houses, with a 219-212 edge in the House and a 53-47 edge in the Senate.
This is a problem for both parties. For example, Republican leaders will have to find a way to please both moderates in split districts and conservatives who support the “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) movement.
However, Democrats like Schumer will be put to the test as they try to please Democratic voters while also working with Republicans to get some changes made to the bills.
IIn March, Democrats from all factions were frustrated that Schumer and other Democrats were advancing the spending bill despite Republicans not taking any actions to secure his support, which critics claimed would result in cuts to important programs. Democrats have asked Schumer to run for office again or step down as party leader, but he has refused to do either.
Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, also a New York Democrat, sent a letter to GOP leadership urging a meeting to “discuss the need to avert a painful, unnecessary lapse in government funding and to address the healthcare crisis Republicans have triggered in America.”
This comes as Democrats are in serious trouble.
The Democratic Party is grappling with a stunning collapse in voter registrations as Republicans surge nationwide, fueled by President Trump’s expanding political coalition.
According to a New York Times analysis of registration data from L2, a nonpartisan firm that tracks voter rolls, more new voters registered as Republicans than Democrats for the first time since 2018.
The shift comes after the 2024 election, when Trump expanded his reach among men, younger voters, and Latinos, reshaping traditional assumptions about partisan loyalties.
The data paints a sobering picture for Democrats. “Of the 30 states that track voter registration by political party, Democrats lost ground to Republicans in every single one between the 2020 and 2024 elections — and often by a lot,” the Times report said.
The net effect was a 4.5 million-voter swing: Democrats shed about 2.1 million registrants, while Republicans gained 2.4 million.
Even in states long considered reliably Democratic, the erosion has been evident. California, one of the largest blue states where voters declare party affiliation, saw significant Democratic losses.
By contrast, many Republican-led states such as Texas do not track partisan registration, meaning the overall national picture may underestimate GOP strength.
Still, the available numbers show a dramatic narrowing of the Democratic advantage. In the 30 states and Washington, D.C., that require voters to register by party, Democrats’ 11-point lead over Republicans in 2020 fell to just over six points in 2024.
Michael Pruser, director of data science for Decision Desk HQ, told the Times the trend has been relentless. “I don’t want to say, ‘The death cycle of the Democratic Party,’ but there seems to be no end to this,” Pruser said. “There is no silver lining or cavalry coming across the hill. This is month after month, year after year.”
The Republican gains have been particularly notable in swing states where partisan registration data is available.
Thune Breaks With Trump, Backs Cornyn After Paxton Endorsement
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Tuesday he will continue supporting Sen. John Cornyn despite President Donald Trump endorsing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in one of the most closely watched Republican Senate primaries of the 2026 cycle.
Speaking to reporters following Trump’s endorsement announcement, Thune praised Cornyn as “a principled conservative” and an “effective senator” for Texas, signaling a rare split between Senate Republican leadership and the president.
“Cornyn is a principled conservative. He is a very effective senator for the state of Texas,” Thune said.
“None of us can control what the president does. That doesn’t change the way I feel. I will continue to be supportive of Senator Cornyn in his re-election,” Thune added.
The comments came just hours after Trump formally endorsed Paxton on Truth Social, delivering a major boost to the Texas attorney general as he seeks to unseat Cornyn in the Republican runoff election.
In his endorsement, Trump criticized Cornyn for insufficient loyalty during politically difficult periods of his presidency.
“Ken Paxton has been a warrior for Texas values and for our America First agenda,” Trump wrote. He added that Cornyn “was not supportive of me when times were tough.”
The endorsement immediately intensified an already bitter and nationally significant Republican primary battle that has exposed growing tensions inside the GOP between establishment Senate Republicans and Trump-aligned populists.
Early voting in the runoff began Monday and continues through Friday, with Election Day set for May 26.
Despite the internal divisions, Thune expressed confidence Republicans would retain control of the Senate in November.
“I’m very confident we’ll hang on — and maybe even expand the majority of the United States Senate,” Thune said.
Republicans currently hold a six-seat Senate majority. Democrats would need a net gain of four seats to retake control of the chamber.
Several races, including contests in Maine, Michigan, and North Carolina, are currently viewed as highly competitive.
The Texas race has become particularly important because Democrats believe a bruising Republican runoff could weaken the eventual GOP nominee heading into the general election against Democratic candidate James Talarico.
Recent polling has suggested an unusually competitive general election environment in Texas. One survey released Monday reportedly showed both Cornyn and Paxton running roughly even with Talarico in hypothetical head-to-head matchups.
That possibility has alarmed some Republicans, particularly moderates concerned that Paxton’s legal controversies and polarizing political image could jeopardize a seat long considered safely Republican.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski openly criticized Trump’s endorsement Tuesday, warning it could backfire politically.
“I was supremely disappointed,” Murkowski said. “How does that help strengthen the president’s hand when we lose a state like Texas?”
Paxton has remained a dominant figure among Texas conservatives despite years of legal and political controversies, including securities fraud charges that were later resolved and an impeachment battle in the Texas legislature from which he was ultimately acquitted by the state Senate.
Trump allies have framed the race as a test of loyalty to the president and the broader America First movement, while Cornyn supporters argue the longtime senator offers stability, fundraising strength, and legislative experience critical for maintaining Republican control of the Senate.
Cornyn, who has served in the Senate since 2002 and previously chaired the National Republican Senatorial Committee, has longstanding ties to GOP leadership and donor networks in Washington. But critics on the right have increasingly portrayed him as part of the party establishment out of step with the Republican base.
Paxton has sought to capitalize on that frustration, presenting himself as a fighter aligned more closely with Trump’s populist agenda on immigration, election integrity, and federal power.
The runoff has also become a broader proxy battle over the future direction of Senate Republicans after Trump’s sweeping victories reshaped the party.
