Summary

Democratic divisions intensified as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Nancy Pelosi sharply criticized Chuck Schumer for supporting a Republican-led funding bill to avoid a government shutdown.

AOC called Schumer’s decision a “betrayal,” urging Senate Democrats to reject the legislation backed by Trump and Elon Musk. Pelosi called the bill a “devastating assault” on working families.

Schumer defended his stance, arguing a shutdown would empower Trump and Musk further.

The controversy sparked suggestions among Democrats that AOC might challenge Schumer in a primary.

  • @Plurrbear@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    As she should, and Every. Single. Member! Do better “America” or should I say “The illegal 1% trash”.

    “Public servants cannot and will not use their public status to increase their own personal wealth”

    SAID NO GOVERNMENT MEMBER EVER! They are not “for the people” they have more money than most will see and clearly they only care about themselves! Fuck ALL OF THE GOVERNMENT MEMBERS and actually clean the fucking swamp from greed and idiocracy! We deserve better!

    • @CitricBase@lemmy.world
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      433 months ago

      Primary Schumer, of course, but his term is up in 2028. AOC herself might be more focused on a separate race that particular year.

        • @grue@lemmy.world
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          103 months ago

          I’m genuinely not sure that’s realistic.

          You’re just saying that because an AOC win would conclusively disprove the DNC’s mantra that Hillary and Kamala lost because of misogyny and not neoliberalism, so they’ll be desperate to stop her from becoming the candidate.

          • @gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works
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            63 months ago

            I would love it if she did win and disproved it. I’m just cautious of assuming that it’s a slam dunk. And I am also very cognizant that she is a conservative boogeyman, and that she’s made a LOT of staunch enemies in the DNC establishment (I hope that last bit won’t matter as much in 28, but who knows)

            • @aesthelete@lemmy.world
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              3 months ago

              DNC establishment candidates are proven losers IMO. Only Biden won as a DNC establishment candidate in the last 20 years. The rest of the milquetoast horseshit from the DNC has lost national elections regularly and thoroughly.

              Obama won despite the DNC, not because of it, and he largely sat outside of its apparatus for his entire two terms. John Kerry was garbage. HRC was garbage. Harris would’ve been somewhat exciting if she’d been 2020 Harris, but instead she was a DNC robot candidate that had flipped all of her progressive positions to appease the DNC apparatus…with predictable results.

        • @formulaBonk@lemm.ee
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          33 months ago

          In 28 the chance of fair elections is less than zero. I don’t imagine anything than every state being declared red regardless of outcome and of course nobody doing anything about it.

        • rigatti
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          333 months ago

          He’ll be 78 in 2028. He probably will bow out of politics by then to turn things over to a younger generation.

          Wait, who am I kidding?

      • @earphone843@sh.itjust.works
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        53 months ago

        I hope it’s as VP, though. I would love for her to run for president, but the country isn’t close to mature enough for that to happen.

        Waltz would be the perfect choice.

        • @spacequetzal@lemm.ee
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          53 months ago

          “AOC is amazing, but…”

          I have never understood this rhetoric.

          She is more than qualified, has enough experience where she is out there educating her colleagues & the public about governmental processes and barriers, AND she speaks in a way that resonates with the working class AND younger generations.

          Her Among Us Twitch stream was a brilliant way to connect with her younger constituents and made her approachable.

          She does the same thing Bernie does, going out to rural America and speaking with the working class voters that feel unheard and abandoned.

          At Congress, she ain’t fucking scared to speak truth to power.

          And most important, she has demonstrated that she is impossible to buy.

          This whole rhetoric that because she’s a woman Americans won’t vote for her:

          No. Hilary is a crook and she still won the popular vote. If the electoral college wasn’t a thing, she would have been president.

          Kamala came in way too fucking late thanks to Biden. But even so, her policies were still pandering to corporations and the rich, although it is undeniable she would have been vastly superior to Trump which is why she got my vote.

          Whether America is ready for a female president or not is not the issue.

          America needs someone who will be strong against corporate interests and bring forth universal healthcare.

          • @aesthelete@lemmy.world
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            3 months ago

            Kamala came in way too fucking late thanks to Biden. But even so, her policies were still pandering to corporations and the rich, although it is undeniable she would have been vastly superior to Trump which is why she got my vote.

            I think what’s been proven is that the US will not vote overwhelmingly for a DNC robo-woman candidate.

            It’s still America. There are people who voted for two terms of Obama and then flipped to Trump. Hell, there are some people who voted for Biden in 2020 and then Trump in 2024.

            Perhaps most voters in the country have absolutely zero fixed values or do any meaningful analysis into who they are voting for. It’s vibes-based and perhaps always has been.

            All that said, I don’t think it’s been proven or disproven that the US will not vote for a woman candidate that aligns with the country’s “vibes” at the moment so to speak.

            The data doesn’t look very good for America will vote overwhelmingly for a woman for president based upon the limited results we have so far…but they did vote to send Harris into the east wing before she had been thoroughly unmasked as a corporate drone…so that’s something positive.

            It easily could be that the American electorate is just way more misogynist than it is racist. 🤷 We’ll never know without running a reasonably charismatic woman candidate with non-corporate drone policies though.

          • @earphone843@sh.itjust.works
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            33 months ago

            It’s because a large portion of America is both sexist and racist. She should be a no brainer to win, but Trump should have been a no brainer to lose.

            • @GiuseppeAndTheYeti@midwest.social
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              3 months ago

              I don’t understand why people are so fucking thick to not understand this. If we’re so lucky to have a fair and free election in 2028, we can’t risk global stability to prove the DNC wrong by relying on a notoriously racist and misogynistic population of voters to choose a female person of color. Despite being one of the most qualified and intelligent members of congress, an AOC ticket is doomed to fail by her demonization by mainstream media and social media manipulation and propaganda.

              • @Devmapall@lemm.ee
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                13 months ago

                Yeah it sucks but it’s the truth. I live by Chicago and a shocking amount of people I interact with drop racist or misogynistic comments without a thought around me because I’m a white guy.

                Most comments I’ve heard about AOC are either who or that she’s dumb. I’ve asked two people why she’s dumb and they couldn’t give me a solid reason.

                Anyway I guess my point is anecdotally this lines up with a lot of interactions I’ve had in the last few years

              • @WoodScientist@sh.itjust.works
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                03 months ago

                This kind of electability politics is exactly what gets us one feckless candidate after another. We’re too scared to support all we actually believe in, and we end up with candidates that can’t rally popular support.

                • @GiuseppeAndTheYeti@midwest.social
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                  03 months ago

                  Listen to the fucking poll results. Good god. Joe Biden was even more milquetoast than Harris and he garnered 9 million more votes. Harris is left of Biden. That’s a fact. So the only reasonable explanation is that either Harris didn’t have enough campaign time (I think a few months is plenty) or older voting Americans don’t want to vote for a woman/POC.

                  By your logic, since she’s more left leaning than Joe, she should have been able to garner more popular support but that didn’t happen. 16+ years down the road if Dems can hold the office for that long AND have shored up protections for social programs AND removed blanket immunity from the executive branch, I have absolutely no problem with AOC. But until they’re able to gain a more stable foothold in the current political climate, you’re just going prematurely kill their one shot at a presidential run. That’s all you typically get is one chance. If Trump loses in 2016, he doesn’t come back in 20 and 24.

            • @spacequetzal@lemm.ee
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              13 months ago

              We can’t pander to the worst of us.

              You’d be shocked at how well people respond to someone genuine like AOC, especially because voters on all sides recognize her name and her spirit, especially because she makes healthcare access & relief her focus.

              • @earphone843@sh.itjust.works
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                3 months ago

                You have to be pragmatic, though. There’s a time and place to push for progress, and this isn’t either. You need to stop the house from burning down before you can renovate it.

                If 2028 even happens, it’ll be a fight to reclaim the country. That means the person with the best chance of winning needs to run. AOC is not that person this year.

                You have to remember that the vast majority citizens aren’t anywhere near as informed on anything related to politics as the people here are. This is by design thanks to mass media. You have to field a person that appeals to the most people, and a Hispanic woman doesn’t do that.

                It’s really fucking stupid that things are this way, but people are really fucking stupid. Tim Waltz is a very likable old white man, and that’s what will win an election.

    • @Xanza@lemm.ee
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      13 months ago

      It’s a great idea. And I hope she does. But his seat doesn’t expire isn’t until 2029.

  • @ryper@lemmy.ca
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    93 months ago

    The Republicans need at least 7 Democrats to side with them on cloture. Schumer is just going to embarrass himself if he votes for cloture and enough Dems hold out for it to fail.

    • @Xanza@lemm.ee
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      53 months ago

      This would ultimately be the best case scenario, which is why I don’t think it’ll happen. I highly suspect that they’ll get the votes they need to pass the CR–which is incredibly unfortunate.

    • @Gerudo@lemm.ee
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      63 months ago

      Honestly, I hope it happens. He needs to own this shit all by himself. Get fucked Chuck.

  • @ceenote@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    Cloture is by no means a certainty yet: If your senator hasn’t stated their position yet, there’s still time to call them. With any luck, this will be the beginning of the end for Cowardly Chuck’s leadership.

    Edit: specifically saying “Vote no on cloture” tells them you’re highly engaged and highly likely to vote.

    • @MegaUltraChicken@lemmy.world
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      63 months ago

      I finally got someone on the phone at Hickenlooper’s office this morning. They’re saying he’s now committing to voting no on cloture, which he wouldn’t confirm at his town hall a couple days ago, so this is absolutely accurate. Getting engaged works people. You just gotta make sure they’re more afraid of us than they are of the Oligarchs, and our advantage is numbers. Overwhelm them.

  • @MithranArkanere@lemmy.world
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    363 months ago

    Apparently it’s only “compromise” when it aligns with corporate interests. When it’s about the benefit of the people, it somehow becomes “extremism”.

  • @psiderman@lemmy.world
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    03 months ago

    The only silver lining here is the remote possibility of progressive Democrats breaking out to form their own party. At least then the US will have a legitimate opposition party.

  • @Sovereign@lemm.ee
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    03 months ago

    Wasn’t this a CR for the dem’s own spending bill…? So its the same bill the dems had right?

    • @burgerpocalyse@lemmy.world
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      13 months ago

      the bill has funds for departments and agencies that dont exist anymore and it would give the administration a giant pile of free money with no strings attached

  • @Maggoty@lemmy.world
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    303 months ago

    Schumer’s argument is shit. They’re going to go after government agencies with or without the funding bill. With the finding bill they get to choose. Without it they have to shut down everything. Passing that bill means they get more maneuvering room, not less.

    • Kühlschrank
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      173 months ago

      And with a shutdown the Dems would get to shout about ‘the GOP shutdown’ for however long it lasts which would also help to galvanize the public against MAGA.

  • @conditional_soup@lemm.ee
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    33 months ago

    I saw that Schiff and Padilla opposed cloture and the GOP spending bill. Called their offices to vocalize my support.

  • @dhork@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    What’s still not clear to me is what the plan is if the CR is not passed. Republicans control the overall agenda in Congress. What I fear would happen is Republicans would start to fund the government bit by bit, starting with the bits they like the most.

    Then in 3 months, when the Department of Education and other things are still not funded, Republicans can say “See! Democrats wouldn’t let us open it. It’s all AOC’s fault!”, and the public would buy it.

    If there were a clear path to a better deal by shutting down the government, I’d be all for it. Go ahead, downvote me if you want, but I’m more interested in knowing how I’m wrong about this. If your response is “we need to stop this because it’s awful”, that’s fine, but how does stopping it lead to something better?

    • @salacious_coaster@infosec.pub
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      93 months ago

      Voting no on this CR is not voting for a shutdown. It’s voting for a different CR. Voting yes is giving up without a fight and giving Trump whatever he wants. This is the first chance since the election for the Democrats to oppose Trump through official channels, and Schumer rolled over immediately. If they do nothing now, we already have a one-party autocracy.

      Appeasing fascists is a time-tested losing strategy. If the choice is between shutdown and give Trump whatever he wants, I think the answer should be clear. Trump is already speed running a federal collapse. Might as well deny him the damage he would do in the interim.

    • @Zaktor@sopuli.xyz
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      23 months ago

      If they wanted a shutdown, they have every ability to make that happen. If a couple of House Republicans opposed it, it would have failed to pass. They didn’t because people are going to blame Republicans for it (or at least were before Schumer mucked up the story).

      And they can’t fund it bit by but. The executive can decide how to allocate remaining funds and order some people to work without pay, but turning stuff back on for the long term takes Congress and the Republicans have a single budget vote this year that can be Republican-only.

      Finally, if this was the end conclusion of The Adult In The Room, all of it was true before the House voted. This isn’t the end game of a serious thinker, this is Schumer blowing up the game after his colleagues have already taken the risk of voting no across the board. He should be fired for that alone.

  • @BostonSamurai@lemm.ee
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    03 months ago

    Dems need to stop pretending Schumer is the only problem, any other dem in his position would have done the same thing including AOC. The party is rotten to the core it’s just a revolving door of sycophants who server wall st and capital. The party is working as intended. Notice how Dems never have power to make actual change, never have the backbone to oppose republicans, and when they have majorities they never use their power for actual progress or at the very least codifying laws like roe v wade ect. They are there to act like an opposition party not actually be one. The working class is perpetually screwed.

    • Triple Iris
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      3 months ago

      I will never again take AOC or any other “squad” member seriously as long as they proudly call themselves Democrats. Go independent like Bernie or start another party. Until then, if they want to keep giving themselves the same label as Schumer or Fetterman, I’m going to lump them in the same batch of assholes and idiots.

        • @Z3k3@lemmy.world
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          13 months ago

          Its funny I have suddenly seen the leave the party thing pop up in multiple places at the exact same time.

          Beginning to think it’s AstroTurf to get the noise people out of the way and into 3rd party oblivion

  • theprogressivist
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    1663 months ago

    Challenge him. He’s has no business being a party leader if he’s as spineless as the Republicans who pushed this bill.

    • @usernamesAreTricky@lemmy.ml
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      553 months ago

      She would have to be in the senate to take over senate leadership in the short term. For his seat itself, there’s been house members - including moderates - starting to support the idea her primarying him when his term is up in 2028

      Several members — including moderates — have begun voicing support for a primary challenge to Schumer, floating Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) as possible candidates, three House Democrats said.

      https://www.axios.com/2025/03/14/house-democrats-angry-chuck-schumer-shutdown

    • @PolydoreSmith@lemmy.world
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      123 months ago

      Spinelessness is the chief defining quality of the entire Democratic Party. There are very few individual exceptions and those people need to start a new party. The US needs a real progressive party. The establishment Dems have made it very clear they won’t support a true progressive candidate, so what’s the point of bending the knee to these fuckers any longer?

      • @formulaBonk@lemm.ee
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        53 months ago

        And honestly now is the time to do it. I have absolutely zero faith we will have honest elections in the next couple decades so splitting the funding between neo lib corpocrats and an actual progressive party for the people will not affect the crooked elections under trump since they won’t win anyway. The time for progress is NOW