The personal importance he has in this political moment cannot be underestimated: After leading Donald Trump’s presidency to lead a minority trampled by massive GOP tax cuts and three Conservative judges of the Supreme Court, Schumer wants next years re-election as one of a trio of Democratic leaders who could act with FDR’s New Deal.
That is if they can achieve their next, much more difficult legislative achievement by plunging more than $ 2 billion in new spending into the economy while reversing the Trump-era tax cuts. And Schumer is already selling the idea to his caucus and the American public.
Sustained and significant growth in jobs, wages and productivity “will change America,” Schumer said by telephone as he toured New York provinces this week. “America’s sunny optimism would return and the acidity in the country – because people are worried about their future – would disappear. ”
Of course, even with the seductive possibilities before them, Democrats were never easy to lead. Therefore, Schumer tries to maintain the momentum, because he always knows that the risk of a swamp is inside a swamp.
The Senate MP hinted that he might be able to avoid GOP filibusters several more times during this Congress, which would allow him to pass several substantive economic bills and rewire the majority’s power in the chamber. use. In whatever package he succeeds, it is certain that he includes his plan for electric vehicles, as well as his attempt to institute hawkish policies towards China that Schumer sought fruitlessly in the Trump era, which the potential GOP purchase as has a stand-alone.
A political knife-wielding and sometimes trader, as Schumer, majority leader, speaks in confidence in general, such as ‘failure is not an option’, to lament progressives and avoid confrontations with his moderates. The word ‘fat’ is never far from his mind, as he plans to have a slim majority that does not have the votes to change the filibuster, but is also united in delivering successes for Biden, such as Senator Joe Manchin (DW.Va.) state It.
Schumer was able to persuade Manchin to take a biased approach to Biden’s $ 1.9 billion coronavirus law after much drama in the eleventh hour. But its next round of legislation will be more difficult than the emergency Covid package, which has been turned around on a strict schedule due to the unemployment benefits that have lapsed.
“It’s going to be a big challenge. Everyone will have different opinions, “Schumer admitted. But the good thing about the Biden government is that they are very receptive to listening. “
Manchin has already panned the higher corporate tax rates, saying there are half a dozen Democrats who want to reform the broader proposal. Although Schumer has memorized the phone number of the White House, Ron Klain, and regularly talks to Biden and senior officials, democratic governments that helped build Schumer’s majority also want to have their say.
“Chuck does an excellent job of keeping a very diverse caucus together, you know, but we all have different ideas,” said Senator Mark Warner (D-Va.).
Sentris Warner said he had not yet had the opportunity to help shape Biden’s plans. But the majority leader’s fingerprints are all over the Democratic agenda. Schumer was among the Democrats urging Biden to sharpen his coronavirus spending bill with more money for venues, states and cities and public transportation – all important for New York, and for his smooth path to a fifth term.
And during the campaign last summer, Schumer began sending his bill for clean cars to the Biden campaign’s policy adviser. After Biden won the White House in November, Schumer continued his lobbying work to ensure that the president’s Build Back Better proposal contains important provisions to phase out cars with gas-powered cars, according to a source familiar with the interaction.
White House spokesman Andrew Bates called Schumer an extraordinary partner for Biden.
“Schumer is working tirelessly and competently with the full breadth of the diverse Democratic caucus on historic legislation to defeat the pandemic and turn our economy around,” Bates said. Biden “values their shared values and views their relationship as central to restoring trust in government.”
At the moment, Schumer’s legislation on China and electric cars seems popular enough to survive the next few weeks of negotiations – at least among Democrats.
‘There is never a guarantee; I’m going to work hard to see. And I was delighted that Biden’s government included both. And I think they have broad support, “said Schumer. On the China package, he adds, GOP senator “Todd Young is my sponsor, and he works hard on the Republican side, and we talk all the time.”
Young (R-Ind.) Has a different view of the situation and warns Schumer not to put their legislation in a reconciliation package. Schumer has congressional committees working on their China legislation and hopes to deliver a working product – and a floor vote – this spring. But if that fails, he could try to enforce the China Falcon Act unilaterally.
‘Taking a biased tax and spending proposal and adding a dual bill does not make it any less biased. While Senator Young was negotiating the law on the endless border, he kept warning that the addition of provisions that were not from China would put an end to any hope of Republican support. Even his own, “said a spokesman for Indianan Young.
As for electric cars, Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) complains that Biden’s package focuses more on it than on ‘traditional infrastructure’ such as roads and bridges. For Republicans, she said, it’s a ‘signal that it’s being used as a vehicle for parts of the Green New Deal, and as massive policy changes, rather than modernizing and rebuilding our infrastructure.’
For Schumer, this is exactly the point.
“I say yes. We need both. This bill does both. It has one of the largest traditional infrastructure financing [numbers] which we have seen for a long time, and it recognizes the new ‘race infrastructure’, he said. “The link between the two is work.”
Republicans are under the impression that Democrats will lose the House and Senate and rush to succeed as much as possible before a difficult midterm election for the majority party.
But Schumer is unwilling to see the current multi-trillion-dollar bid as the coda for the most fruitful period of legislation. In addition to his multiple shots over the passage of major legislation over the next 18 months, he has great work to do to return to court after McConnell turned the courts into a conservative powerhouse.
“We’re going to keep working until the middle term,” Schumer said. “We have a lot to do.”