Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., announced Tuesday he won’t support Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to be majority leader for the next two years after Democrats’ big 2026 victories.
asserted
Schumer → announce → victories
“I personally have known Chuck Schumer for over 30 years, and I like Chuck.
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I → know → Chuck
[There’s] nobody who works harder than Chuck Schumer.
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who → ’ → Schumer
But in my view, the time is now for change, and I will not be supporting Chuck to be re-elected as the Democratic leader,” Sanders said at a news conference.
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Sanders → support → conference
Sanders, who is in line to chair the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, becomes a high-profile opponent with inside power and grassroots clout when it comes to Schumer’s staying on as leader.
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Schumer → chair → leader
Schumer has spent a decade as caucus leader and is vying for another two years after having led his party to a net pickup of at least seven Senate seats in the midterm elections, with Mississippi and Alaska still counting votes as two more prospects.
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Mississippi → spend → prospects
Senate Democrats won’t elect their new leadership until next month.
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Democrats → elect → month
The progressive wing of the party has been calling for Schumer to step aside, while some new Democratic senators haven’t committed to support him.
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senators → call → him
He’ll need a majority of the caucus to win another term as leader.
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He → need → leader
Standing next to Sanders at Tuesday’s news conference was Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., who has similarly called for a change of leadership without backing an alternative candidate.
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who → stand → candidate
“I am not actively seeking this job.
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I → seek → job
I am seeking change,” she said.
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she → seek → change
“I’ve been very consistent for a very long time that we need a new generation of leadership. ...
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we → need → leadership
It’s important to demonstrate that we’ve heard what people want from this last election.”
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people → ’ → election
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., whom grassroots progressive advocates are drafting to challenge Schumer, said Tuesday he’s still “actively listening” to colleagues about a potential run.
But he wouldn’t say whether he’ll jump in the race.
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he → draft → race
“We should not have a coronation,” Van Hollen told reporters in the Capitol.
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Hollen → have → Capitol
“We should not support anybody for leader without a very clear plan, and as you know, there are many people who think change is required.”
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change → support → plan
Until a challenger jumps in and gains traction, Schumer is the clear favorite to win and become majority leader.
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Schumer → jump → traction
Despite grumbling in his own caucus, Senate Republican leader John Thune of South Dakota was re-elected by his colleagues Tuesday after detractors failed to recruit an opponent.
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detractors → re → opponent
“Our caucus is really united in focusing on bringing down costs, on ending the corruption, on ending the chaos, on ending the war,” Schumer told reporters Tuesday afternoon.
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Schumer → unite → reporters
“We have great unity in our caucus, and I’ll be proud to lead it as majority leader.”
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I → have → leader
Some Democrats credit his role in the election victories and believe he deserves the post.
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he → credit → post
“When the manager takes you to the World Series, you give them another contract,” Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., told reporters.
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Gallego → take → reporters
“Chuck and I have had our differences, but at the end of the day, it’s time to unify.”
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it → have → day
Asked whether he’s supporting Schumer for majority leader, former and returning Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio replied simply: “Yes.”
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Brown → ask → Ohio
Sanders wouldn’t say when he was asked by NBC News whether he favors abolishing the filibuster for the upcoming two-year session, a cause that some on the left are pushing for.
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some → say → left
It would allow Democrats to pass most legislation without any Republican support, but the same power could be used against them the next time the GOP takes the majority.
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GOP → allow → majority
“That’s a very important question, and I haven’t reached an answer on it.
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I → ’ → it
I think there are a lot of reasons to support it, and that is the majority — we believe the majority rule, not necessarily having 40 people be able to deny what the majority wants,” Sanders said.
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Sanders → think → what
“I am worried about protecting minority rights, as well.”
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I → protect → rights
Sanders pointed to the “reconciliation” process, which allows the majority party to pass some legislation on its own, as long as it’s related to spending and taxes; Republicans used the process to pass President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill.”
“What I do believe, absolutely,” Sanders continued, “is that we can, with a major budget reconciliation bill, do a whole lot.”
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we → point → lot
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