Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., took control of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s post-election press conference Wednesday to criticize Democratic leadership for failing to back progressive candidates in New York and Maine.
“Well, the party leadership did not support [mayoral candidate Zohran] Mamdani in New York,” Sanders said from the Senate podium. “Party leadership is not supporting [Senate hopeful Graham] Platner in Maine. And I think he’s going to win… I think there is a growing understanding that leadership and defending the status quo and the inequalities that exist in America, is not where the American people are.”
According to Fox News, Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist, won the New York City mayoral race, and Democrat Mikie Sherrill secured the governorship in New Jersey.
California’s Proposition 50 also passed, and Democrats maintained control of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court as Justices Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty, and David Wecht won their retention races.
Before Sanders’ comments, Schumer, D-N.Y., addressed reporters and blasted Republicans over the ongoing government shutdown, now in its 36th day—the longest in U.S. history.
“Last night, Republicans felt the political repercussions [of the Trump administration’s policies],” Schumer said. “It should serve as nothing short of a five-alarm fire to the Republicans. Their high-cost house is burning, and they’ve only got themselves to blame. As loudly and clearly as could possibly be done, from one end of the country to the other, the American people said enough is enough.”
Schumer said he and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries had called on President Donald Trump to meet with them to discuss healthcare.
“Last night was a really good night for Democrats and our fight to lower costs, improve health care and reach a better future for our country,” Schumer said. “But more importantly than that, last night was a great night for American families that are struggling now to make ends meet, because the election showed that Democrats’ control of the Senate is much closer than the people and the prognosticators realize. The more Republicans double down on raising costs and bowing down to Trump, the more their Senate majority is at risk.”
He added, “When Leader Jeffries and I met with Donald Trump in the White House a month or so back, we told him this was going to happen. We warned him that if he didn’t do something, working with us to address the health care needs of America, and instead insisting on no negotiation with Democrats, that was a recipe for disaster for the country, and it would come back to haunt them.”
Democratic leaders continue pressing Republicans to address rising health insurance premiums following the expiration of Affordable Care Act subsidies, while funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) remains lapsed.
Several GOP-backed stopgap bills have been introduced, including one blocked Tuesday, but Congress has yet to reach a deal.
