Last week, as part of our regular “Leader Look,” we reviewed the performances of Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune. This week, we’re looking at House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Let’s get to it.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries: House Democrats had a tough week – which means Jeffries had a tough week.
Despite pleas for restraint from Jeffries and other top party leaders, roughly a dozen House Democrats held up signs slamming President Donald Trump during his Tuesday address to a joint session of Congress. Some booed and hissed. Even worse, Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) was removed from the chamber after yelling at Trump and refusing to stop. By Thursday, the House censured Green over his behavior, with 10 Democrats crossing the aisle to vote with Republicans on the resolution.
The House Freedom Caucus now wants to strip Green’s committee assignments. And Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) floated a resolution Thursday night demanding retaliation against Democrats who sang “We Shall Overcome” during Green’s censure. Jeffries responded by calling Ogles “a complete and total fraud.” The New York Democrat also slammed Republicans as “malignant clowns.” Yeah, it’s going like that.
Earlier on Thursday, Jeffries and party leaders brought in some of the most vocal rank-and-file Democrats – including Reps. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) and Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) – to berate them for their recent behavior. The members-only meeting was called by Jeffries, we’re told.
Tuesday’s debacle, as well as the ongoing clashes between progressives and moderates inside the House Democratic Caucus, isn’t Jeffries’ fault, of course. But it is his problem. And it shows little sign of cooling off right now.
Dismayed by Trump’s success in appealing to some traditional Democratic constituencies last November, moderates pledged to seek common ground with the incoming president at the start of this Congress. Jeffries and his top lieutenants took a cautious stance.
But Trump’s executive orders and DOGE blitz has infuriated the Democratic base, who have demanded dramatic responses to every Trumpian outrage. The problem for Jeffries is that he’s the House minority leader. No matter how much noise House Democrats make, they’ll always lose if Republicans stick together.
The irony here is that by January 2027, Jeffries could be speaker, which would make him the most powerful Democrat in the country. Jeffries is closer to becoming speaker than Schumer is to being majority leader.
Jeffries faces a key moment next week. Johnson is trying to pass a long-term continuing resolution with only GOP votes to avoid a government shutdown after March 14. Jeffries and Democrats have signaled they have no intention of helping out here. The burden is on Johnson and Republicans to prove they can govern. This isn’t a comfortable position for many House Democrats, who loathe shutdowns, but it’s a test of unity for the caucus.
The normally low-key Jeffries has also dramatically stepped up his public outreach. From ABC’s “Good Morning America” to Stephen A. Smith to Jon Stewart, Jeffries has been working the TV, podcast and online interview circuit.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer: Schumer’s Senate Democrats are showing a lot more unity and cohesion than their colleagues across the Capitol. For one thing, they didn’t exhibit any of the disruptive behavior we saw from House Democrats.
The first few weeks of the 119th Congress were rough for Schumer, full of internal disputes over how to counter Trump and Republicans on the Senate floor. Schumer has acknowledged these challenges.
But in an interview Thursday afternoon, Schumer touted alignment on messaging and strategy among progressives, moderates and outside activist groups. Schumer joined a Zoom call with organizations like Indivisible last week, some of whom were complaining about his early moves in January.
Schumer is zeroing in on potential GOP cuts to Medicaid and Social Security which he said would pay for tax cuts for Trump’s “billionaire club.” The New York Democrat said Democratic efforts will help drive down Trump’s poll numbers.
“We have our strategy. It’s not just a message. It’s things that really appeal to the American people,” Schumer said. “It unifies our caucus completely. Bernie Sanders is happy with it. [John] Fetterman is happy with it. So we’re all united on that. And it’s very good for our activists.”
Senate Democrats still have a difficult 2026 map that’s only gotten even more precarious due to recent retirements. However, Schumer believes that if Trump’s poll numbers fall enough, that “will really change the whole political dynamic not only for 2026.”
Schumer’s more immediate consideration is government funding, with the March 14 deadline just a week away. If the House sends the Senate a long-term CR, this would put Senate Democrats in a tough position. They’d essentially be choosing between a shutdown and a six-month stopgap bill, which Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the top Democratic appropriator, has said would only enable Elon Musk and DOGE.
“They have the presidency, the House, the Senate,” Schumer said. “It’s their responsibility to fund the government. It has to be done in a bipartisan way.”
We don’t expect Democrats to force a shutdown, but the vote will likely divide the caucus. Yet Schumer insists Democrats are unified “on the major issues and how we get there.”
