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Democratic Party fractures in government shutdown fight, with anger running high

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Democratic Party fractures in government shutdown fight, with anger running high
News

News

Democratic Party fractures in government shutdown fight, with anger running high

2025-03-15 11:55 Last Updated At:12:00

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Democratic Party was fracturing Friday as a torrent of frustration and anger was unleashed at Senate Democrats, led by Sen. Chuck Schumer, who faced what they saw as an awful choice: shut the government down or consent to a Republican funding bill that allows President Donald Trump to continue slashing the federal government.

After Schumer announced that he would reluctantly support the bill, he bore the brunt of that anger, including a protest at his office, calls from progressives that he be primaried in 2028 and suggestions that the Democratic Party would soon be looking for new leaders.

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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., confers with Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., right, as Democrats hold a hearing on Republican threats to Medicaid, at the Capitol, in Washington, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., confers with Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., right, as Democrats hold a hearing on Republican threats to Medicaid, at the Capitol, in Washington, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., speaks to reporters after a Senate policy luncheon on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., speaks to reporters after a Senate policy luncheon on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.,, left, and Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., arrive as Senate Democrats gather behind closed doors to mount a last-ditch protest over a Republican-led spending bill that already passed the House, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, March 13, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.,, left, and Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., arrive as Senate Democrats gather behind closed doors to mount a last-ditch protest over a Republican-led spending bill that already passed the House, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, March 13, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., arrives as Senate Democrats gather behind closed doors to mount a last-ditch protest over a Republican-led spending bill that already passed the House, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, March 13, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., arrives as Senate Democrats gather behind closed doors to mount a last-ditch protest over a Republican-led spending bill that already passed the House, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, March 13, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., left, walks with Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., as Senate Democrats gather behind closed doors to mount a last-ditch protest over a Republican-led spending bill that already passed the House, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, March 13, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., left, walks with Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., as Senate Democrats gather behind closed doors to mount a last-ditch protest over a Republican-led spending bill that already passed the House, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, March 13, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., listens as President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (Win McNamee/Pool Photo via AP)

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., listens as President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (Win McNamee/Pool Photo via AP)

Nine other members of the Democratic Caucus — a contingent of mostly swing-state and retiring senators — eventually joined Schumer in voting to advance the Republican funding proposal, providing crucial support to bring it to a final vote. It passed late Friday with Sens. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Angus King of Maine voting with Republicans in favor.

Since their election losses, Democrats have been hunkered against a barrage of Trump's early actions in office, locked out of legislative power and left searching for a plan to regain political momentum. But as Schumer let pass one of the rare moments when the party might regain leverage in Washington, the Democratic Party erupted in a moment of anger that had been building for months.

Many in the party felt the New York Democrat was not showing sufficient fight, arguing that a government shutdown would have forced Trump and Republicans to the negotiating table. Yet for Schumer, who has led Senate Democrats since Trump took office in 2016, the choice ultimately came down to preventing a shutdown that he believed would only hand Trump more power and leave his party with the blame for disruptions to government services.

"A shutdown would allow DOGE to shift into overdrive,” Schumer warned on the Senate floor Friday, referring to the Department of Government Efficiency effort led by Elon Musk.

Schumer voted no on the final vote for the funding bill, which only needed a simple majority to pass. Nonetheless, House Democrats released a stream of angry statements and social media posts aimed at Schumer.

Democratic Rep. Troy Carter of Louisiana shared a photo of Trump and Schumer engaged in conversation with the caption, “A picture is worth a thousand words!”

Even in the Senate, hardly any Democrats were speaking up in support of Schumer's strategy Friday. It was a remarkable turn for the longtime Democratic leader, leaving him standing practically alone.

Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, his longtime ally and partner in funding fights of the past, said in a statement, “Let’s be clear: neither is a good option for the American people. But this false choice that some are buying instead of fighting is unacceptable.”

Pelosi added that the senators should listen to the women who lead appropriations for Democrats, Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut and Sen. Patty Murray of Washington. They had proposed a 30-day stopgap plan instead of the Republican proposal that provides funding until September. The Republican bill will trim $13 billion in non-defense spending from the levels in the 2024 budget year and increase defense spending by $6 billion.

As House Democrats, who almost all voted against the bill earlier this week, concluded a retreat in northern Virginia Friday, they also called for their Senate colleagues to show more fight. House Democratic leadership rushed back to the Capitol to hold a news conference and urge senators to reject the bill.

“We do not want to shutdown the government. But we are not afraid of a government funding showdown,” Jeffries said.

He also repeatedly declined to answer questions about whether he had confidence in Schumer.

Other Democrats, such as Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who is seen as a potential presidential candidate in 2028 and also visited the Democratic retreat, called for a broader movement. He mentioned the recent 60th anniversary of peaceful civil rights protests in Selma, Alabama, and argued that Democrats need to find “collective courage.”

“When those individuals marched, there wasn’t one voice," Beshear said. "There was a collective courage of that group that changed the world. That day opened up the eyes of the country to what was really going on.”

Some were ready to start marching.

“We’re ready to get out of this building and head back to the Capitol at any moment and prevent the government from shutting down," said Rep. Greg Casar of Texas, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

“Now is the moment for Democrats to draw a line in the stand and say that we stand very firmly on the side of working class people and against the ultra-rich that are trying to corrupt our government for themselves,” he added.

Meanwhile, some of the nation’s most influential progressive groups warned of serious political consequences for Senate Democrats and predicted a fierce backlash when members of Congress return home next week.

Ezra Levin, co-founder of Indivisible, which has organized hundreds of protests across the nation, said that nearly 8 in 10 of the group’s activists support primary challenges against “Senate Dems who cave on the GOP bill.”

He wrote on social media that the vast majority of those Democratic activists plan to express their anger at town halls or other public events next week. MoveOn, another progressive group that claims nearly 10 million members nationwide, predicted that its activists would also demand answers from Democratic officials in the coming days

“Clearing the way for Donald Trump and Elon Musk to gut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid is unacceptable. It’s past time for Democrats to fight and stop acting like it’s business as usual,” said Joel Payne, a spokesperson for MoveOn.

Senate Democrats were also mostly unwilling to speak up to defend Schumer's move. Sen. Raphael Warnock, a Georgia Democrat, even suggested that the party should be looking for new leaders in the coming years.

“I think come '26, '28, we’ll get some new leadership,” he said. His office later said Warnock was answering the question broadly.

Mostly, though, senators just lamented that they had been jammed by a Republican Party that has found a new sense of unity under Trump. For years, House Republicans have not been able to muster votes for government funding on their own, forcing them into bipartisan negotiations. This time, they passed the bill on party lines and left Washington.

“We’re stuck with two bad choices presented by a unified Republican front," said Sen. Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat.

He voted against the bill, yet said of Schumer's decision: “These are tough, tough calls."

Associated Press writer Leah Askarinam in Washington contributed. Peoples reported from New York and Brown reported from Leesburg, Va.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., confers with Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., right, as Democrats hold a hearing on Republican threats to Medicaid, at the Capitol, in Washington, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., confers with Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., right, as Democrats hold a hearing on Republican threats to Medicaid, at the Capitol, in Washington, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., speaks to reporters after a Senate policy luncheon on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., speaks to reporters after a Senate policy luncheon on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.,, left, and Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., arrive as Senate Democrats gather behind closed doors to mount a last-ditch protest over a Republican-led spending bill that already passed the House, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, March 13, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.,, left, and Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., arrive as Senate Democrats gather behind closed doors to mount a last-ditch protest over a Republican-led spending bill that already passed the House, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, March 13, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., arrives as Senate Democrats gather behind closed doors to mount a last-ditch protest over a Republican-led spending bill that already passed the House, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, March 13, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., arrives as Senate Democrats gather behind closed doors to mount a last-ditch protest over a Republican-led spending bill that already passed the House, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, March 13, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., left, walks with Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., as Senate Democrats gather behind closed doors to mount a last-ditch protest over a Republican-led spending bill that already passed the House, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, March 13, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., left, walks with Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., as Senate Democrats gather behind closed doors to mount a last-ditch protest over a Republican-led spending bill that already passed the House, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, March 13, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., listens as President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (Win McNamee/Pool Photo via AP)

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., listens as President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (Win McNamee/Pool Photo via AP)

NEW YORK (AP) — Zuby Ejiofor scored a career-high 33 points, a St. John's record in the Big East Tournament, and the sixth-ranked Red Storm pulled away from No. 25 Marquette 79-63 on Friday night to reach the conference championship game for the first time in 25 years.

Big East Player of the Year RJ Luis Jr. added 13 points and Ejiofor grabbed nine rebounds as the top-seeded Red Storm (29-4) wiped out an early 15-point deficit. They advanced to play No. 2 seed Creighton, a 71-62 semifinal winner over third-seeded UConn, on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.

Kadary Richmond had 12 points, 10 rebounds and six assists for St. John's, which has won eight straight — and 18 of 19 since the new year. In the program's second season under 72-year-old Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino, the Johnnies are one win from their fourth Big East Tournament title and first since 2000.

Kam Jones had 24 points for the fifth-seeded Golden Eagles (23-10), who lost all three matchups with the Red Storm this season and fell to 1-6 against them at the Big East Tournament.

Marquette: A lack of strength down low was a problem against Ejiofor and St. John’s all season, but the Golden Eagles will be happy to face someone outside the Big East when they enter the NCAA Tournament.

St. John’s: Making a strong bid for a No. 2 seed in the NCAAs, the Red Storm improved to 20-0 at home, including 11-0 at MSG — the program’s most wins at The Garden since compiling 13 in 1958-59. The last time the Johnnies finished unbeaten at home was the 1931-32 season.

St. John’s trailed by three early in the second half before Aaron Scott drained a 3-pointer, and a foul on Chase Ross was upgraded to a flagrant 1 following a replay review. That led to two free throws by Ejiofor at the start of a 16-3 spurt that gave the Red Storm a 10-point lead with 14 minutes left. Scott finished with 11 points.

Marquette opened 5 for 10 on 3-pointers, then missed 12 straight. By the time David Joplin ended the skid with 11:42 left, the Golden Eagles had gone from up 10 to down 10 before he connected.

St. John’s split two regular-season games with Creighton, which is 0-4 in Big East championship games.

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St. John's's Deivon Smith (5) drives past Marquette's Kam Jones (1) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals of the Big East tournament Friday, March 14, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

St. John's's Deivon Smith (5) drives past Marquette's Kam Jones (1) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals of the Big East tournament Friday, March 14, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

St. John's's Kadary Richmond (1) shoots over Marquette's Chase Ross (2) and David Joplin (23) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals of the Big East tournament Friday, March 14, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

St. John's's Kadary Richmond (1) shoots over Marquette's Chase Ross (2) and David Joplin (23) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals of the Big East tournament Friday, March 14, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Marquette's Royce Parham, left, defends St. John's's RJ Luis Jr. (12) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals of the Big East tournament Friday, March 14, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Marquette's Royce Parham, left, defends St. John's's RJ Luis Jr. (12) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals of the Big East tournament Friday, March 14, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Marquette head coach Shaka Smart argues for a call during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against the St. John's in the semifinals of the Big East tournament Friday, March 14, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Marquette head coach Shaka Smart argues for a call during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against the St. John's in the semifinals of the Big East tournament Friday, March 14, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

St. John's head coach Rick Pitino calls out to his team during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against the Marquette in the semifinals of the Big East tournament Friday, March 14, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

St. John's head coach Rick Pitino calls out to his team during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against the Marquette in the semifinals of the Big East tournament Friday, March 14, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

St. John's's Deivon Smith (5) drives past Marquette's Kam Jones (1) and David Joplin (23) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals of the Big East tournament Friday, March 14, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

St. John's's Deivon Smith (5) drives past Marquette's Kam Jones (1) and David Joplin (23) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals of the Big East tournament Friday, March 14, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

St. John's's Aaron Scott (0) celebrates with Simeon Wilcher and Zuby Ejiofor (24) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against the Marquette in the semifinals of the Big East tournament Friday, March 14, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

St. John's's Aaron Scott (0) celebrates with Simeon Wilcher and Zuby Ejiofor (24) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against the Marquette in the semifinals of the Big East tournament Friday, March 14, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

St. John's's Kadary Richmond (1) shoots over Marquette's Royce Parham (13) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals of the Big East tournament Friday, March 14, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

St. John's's Kadary Richmond (1) shoots over Marquette's Royce Parham (13) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals of the Big East tournament Friday, March 14, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

St. John's's RJ Luis Jr. (12) drives past Marquette's Damarius Owens (10) and Chase Ross during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals of the Big East tournament Friday, March 14, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

St. John's's RJ Luis Jr. (12) drives past Marquette's Damarius Owens (10) and Chase Ross during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals of the Big East tournament Friday, March 14, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

St. John's's Aaron Scott (0) celebrates after making a three-point shot during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against the Marquette in the semifinals of the Big East tournament Friday, March 14, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

St. John's's Aaron Scott (0) celebrates after making a three-point shot during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against the Marquette in the semifinals of the Big East tournament Friday, March 14, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

St. John's's Kadary Richmond (1) celebrates after RJ Luis Jr. (12) scored during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against the Marquette in the semifinals of the Big East tournament Friday, March 14, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

St. John's's Kadary Richmond (1) celebrates after RJ Luis Jr. (12) scored during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against the Marquette in the semifinals of the Big East tournament Friday, March 14, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

St. John's's Zuby Ejiofor (24) looks to pass during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against the Marquette in the semifinals of the Big East tournament Friday, March 14, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

St. John's's Zuby Ejiofor (24) looks to pass during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against the Marquette in the semifinals of the Big East tournament Friday, March 14, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

St. John's's Zuby Ejiofor (24) shoots over Marquette's Ben Gold (12) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals of the Big East tournament Friday, March 14, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

St. John's's Zuby Ejiofor (24) shoots over Marquette's Ben Gold (12) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals of the Big East tournament Friday, March 14, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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