Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., is working behind the scenes with progressive activists to prepare for a government shutdown fight, signaling a shift in strategy as Democrats brace for a high-stakes clash with President Donald Trump and Republicans.
Over the past two months, Schumer’s office has held weekly calls and strategy sessions with liberal groups, including MoveOn, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, and major unions, according to Axios. Activists have pressed Schumer to take a harder line than earlier this year, after he recently backed GOP efforts to fund the government and faced intense criticism from his base.
"There has been more proactive communication from leadership to… I would just call it the outside ecosystem," said Joel Payne, MoveOn’s chief communications officer. "The battle lines that the grassroots of the party is drawing for the grasstops leadership is, hey, you got to be willing to fight."
The coordination reflects Democrats’ efforts to avoid another rift with the party’s activist wing, which still harbors resentment over Schumer’s March vote to advance a Republican-backed funding bill. That move sparked speculation that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez could challenge him in a 2028 primary election. A poll released at the time showed her leading him in a hypothetical matchup.
Schumer, who secured reelection in 2022 without a progressive challenger, has since moved to repair ties with the far left. His team has set up a war room email list that shares talking points and social media material with activists, urging them to highlight the stakes of Medicaid cuts and expiring Affordable Care Act tax credits.
"Democrats do NOT want a shutdown," one war room memo read, even as activists pressed Schumer to resist compromise with Republicans. A senior leader at a Democratic-aligned group said the effort is being run "like a campaign," with messaging, influencers, and "storytellers" recruited to amplify the party line.
But mistrust remains.
"You can either be a part of this movement or be irrelevant to it," a top grassroots organizer said they told Schumer’s team, pointing to next month’s nationwide No Kings protest as leverage.
Meanwhile, outside pressure on Schumer is mounting. The liberal Progress Action Fund is launching a six-figure ad campaign urging him to block Republican funding measures. The ads will run on social media, D.C. cable, and MSNBC.
Schumer must appease progressives while avoiding blame for a potential shutdown. With party tensions high and the GOP standing firm on the budget, the conflict is set.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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