The Senate's fight over passing the nation's new $1.1 trillion spending bill exposed the open rift between the factions of the Republican Party and showed the "huge differences" in the party as it heads to taking over its majority role in just a few weeks, New York Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer said Sunday.
"The big news today was the open fight between [incoming Senate Majority Leader] Mitch McConnell and [Texas Sen.] Ted Cruz," Schumer told CNN "State of the Union" host Candy Crowley. "On the floor of the Senate, we saw the soul of the Republican Party being debated."
One one side, Cruz was "pushing his so-called Constitutional point of order, which risks shutting down the government," said Schumer. "Five feet away from him was Mitch McConnell imploring senators to vote the other way and the vote was, unfortunately, 50/50 on the Republican side."
Schumer said that makes him worry "a great deal." He believes half the Republican senators are still willing to risk another government shutdown.
Cruz helped Democrats get nominees confirmed through his actions, the New Yorker claimed, and "embarrassed" McConnell, who had gone home on Friday night, saying "see you on Monday."
Meanwhile, "the chasm in the Republican Party is huge," Schumer said, and will become worse as the race for the 2016 nomination gets closer, because there will be presidential candidates in the Senate "pulling things to the right."
He said he is also concerned about the tea party's influence, because "when they're in the majority, the tea party will feel its oats. We want to work with Republicans to help the middle class but I'm worried the tea party will pull them much too far over."
Schumer admitted there are differences among Democrats, but claimed they are "small compared to the huge chasm of Republicans." House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi fought against the new budget bill, disagreeing with President Barack Obama.
"I think that what happened in the House, I thought Nancy Pelosi handled it extremely well," said Schumer. "She knew the government couldn't be shut down. But she also knew that she had to show that Democrats are needed, and so she provided a veto proof, a veto-sustainable group to say no."
Looking ahead to 2016, Schumer said he hasn't dared to ask presumptive nominee Hillary Clinton if she's running, but he thinks she is.
"I'll bet she'll be a great candidate, I'll bet she'll win by a large majority and Democrats can help the middle class whose incomes have been declining in 15 years, in a united way."
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