AOC Livid Over Impact of Schumer’s Cowardly Shutdown Vote

Chuck Schumer Shutdown Vote Sparks Social Media Firestorm

By Darius Spearman (africanelements)

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Why Schumer’s Shutdown Vote Matters

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer shocked his party by supporting a GOP stopgap funding bill to avoid a government shutdown. Though he called the bill “very bad,” Schumer argued a shutdown would create chaos worse than any policy compromise (CBS News). This decision came just hours before the midnight deadline, showing how high-stakes these negotiations get.

However, progressives quickly blasted the move. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called it “total theater,” while Senator Jeff Merkley compared it to “handing lunch money to a bully” (CBS News). The backlash spread like wildfire online, with #SchumerShutdown trending within two hours.

Political Strategy Behind the Shutdown Vote

Schumer’s team defended the decision as “the least bad option.” Aides noted that 12 Senate Democrats crossed party lines to support the bill, giving Republicans the 60 votes needed to pass it (Politico). Given the heated rhetoric, this bipartisan support surprised many observers.

Meanwhile, the White House stayed conspicuously quiet. Some analysts suggest President Biden’s team wanted to avoid publicly undermining Schumer. Others argue that the administration privately agreed with the stopgap approach to maintain stability during election season.

While politicians debate procedural tactics, federal workers face real consequences. The Office of Personnel Management reports that 850,000 employees would face furloughs during a full shutdown. Despite this CR, 45% of EPA staff remain in “essential services limbo” (Congressional Research Service).

According to USDA data, food safety inspections dropped 30% during the last CR period. Meanwhile, housing voucher processing delays left 12,000 low-income families in temporary shelters last month. These impacts rarely make headlines but significantly affect vulnerable populations.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Darius Spearman is a professor of Black Studies at San Diego City College, where he has been teaching since 2007. He is the author of several books, including Between The Color Lines: A History of African Americans on the California Frontier Through 1890. You can visit Darius online at africanelements.org.