By Jon Hochschartner
After Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced his intention to help break a potential filibuster of the Republican spending bill, America’s fascist president, Donald Trump, took to Truth Social to praise his old friend: “Congratulations to Chuck Schumer for doing the right thing,” he wrote. “This could lead to something big for the USA, a whole new direction and beginning.”
Schumer’s stance justifiably angered the Democratic base, as it gave away all leverage the anti-fascist coalition has for the foreseeable future to stop Trump’s illegal power grab. The minority leader defended himself from progressive criticism, saying he had the overwhelming support of his caucus, which I actually don’t doubt, despite the fact only nine other Democratic senators voted with him.
I’m no expert in Senate procedure, but it’s my understanding any member of the body could have denied the bill unanimous consent, forcing a debate which would give the opposition time to mobilize against the legislation. No Democratic-aligned senator did that, including various liberal darlings. It’s hard to avoid the conclusion this was all carefully-coordinated political theater.
In other words, Democrats who were retiring or not immediately up for reelection supported the Republican bill, knowing it would anger their progressive base. These senators provided cover for other Democrats to vote against the legislation. Perhaps this is overly cynical, but I don’t think so. Any senators who genuinely object to Schumer’s stance should publicly call for new minority leadership.
The progressive base must assume any Democrat who doesn’t do this actually supports Schumer’s handling of the showdown. They should be primaried by Democrats willing to take the fight to fascist Republicans seeking to establish an authoritarian state. We urgently need a Tea Party-like movement from the left, which will sweep all the accommodationist Democrats from office.
The Democratic coalition has a wide variety of policy goals. For instance, I’d like to see a massive infusion of federal funding into cultivated-meat research. The new protein is grown from livestock cells, without slaughter. The emerging technology is the most promising means of reducing nonhuman suffering and premature death. However, none of our goals can be achieved under a fascist government.
In order to save American democracy, we need a fighting opposition party. Building such an organization will mean replacing the Democratic organization root and branch. There are only a handful of incumbents worth saving, in my view, and even they could benefit from left-wing primary challengers pushing them to fight harder. Frankly, the current era requires vicious partisans.
A good place to start, however, is launching credible primary challenges against any national Democratic politician who supports keeping Schumer as Senate minority leader. While I’ve had many criticisms of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, to his credit, he held his caucus together, in opposition to the Republican spending bill. Schumer betrayed the anti-fascist coalition he purportedly represents.
At the risk of surrendering independent thought to negative polarization, if Trump is praising the actions of a nominal opposition leader, that leader has almost certainly failed at doing his or her job. We have to primary Schumer and other Democrats who voted for the Republican legislation. But we also have to primary Democrats who won’t publicly call for a change in Senate minority leadership.
Jon Hochschartner lives in Connecticut. He is the author of a number of books, including The Animals’ Freedom Fighter: A Biography of Ronnie Lee, Founder of the Animal Liberation Front. Visit his blog at SlaughterFreeAmerica.Substack.com.
