Democrat Congresswoman Becca Balint took aim at Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer after his abrupt U-turn on the GOP-backed funding bill.
“The fact that the leader said one thing and then within 24 hours did an about face, it just looked pathetic,” the Vermont representative told MSNBC’s Katie Phang on Saturday.
Schumer made a dramatic reversal by helping Republicans pass their funding bill on Friday after initially opposing it alongside other members of his party.
“We were united,” Balint said. “This was a time to not blink. I think Schumer really missed the moment.”
She said Schumer’s about-face sent “the absolute wrong message” that Democrats are unwilling to fight. “That is why I was so furious, and I know that that is true across my caucus and the House.”
Only one House Democrat voted for the bill, which keeps the government open for six months, while nine Democratic senators joined Schumer in pushing through the legislation.
Schumer justified his reversal by claiming that preventing a government shutdown would “minimize the harm” that Trump could inflict.
“Under a shutdown, Trump and Elon Musk would have carte blanche to destroy vital government services at a significantly faster rate than they can right now," he said in a speech on the Senate floor.
Balint pushed back against his argument, saying the damage was already done. “We’re supposed to be a check on the system. We’re supposed to be the bulwark—can we please act like it?” she demanded.
Balint became a House Representative in 2023—more than 40 years after Schumer was first elected to Congress. She argued that Democrats can’t rely on the same strategies from two decades ago to counter Republicans, saying the GOP no longer respects checks and balances.
“We have to throw punches. We have to be able to go toe-to-toe and not blink. Because if we don’t, where is the stop? Where is the pressure for them to back down?” she said.
When asked by Phang if it’s time for new Democratic leadership, Balint said the decision was up to the people of New York, and reminded Schumer that he doesn’t own his seat.
