Blumenthal declines to endorse Schumer to lead U.S. Senate
Sen. Richard Blumenthal told reporters that "we need to have a conversation about leadership in the Senate." He is the highest-profile Democrat to withhold an endorsement for Schumer to become Senate Majority Leader.
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As Democrats prepare to take control of Congress, Sen. Richard Blumenthal became the latest to withhold support for Chuck Schumer to lead the U.S. Senate.
Blumenthal is the highest-profile senator to break ranks with Schumer, as potential rivals consider challenging the New York Democrat for Senate Majority Leader.
“WE NEED NEW ENERGY AND IDEAS”
Blumenthal is a longtime ally of Schumer’s, but on Monday he told reporters in Hartford it may be time for someone new in charge.
“We need to have a conversation about leadership in the Senate,” Blumenthal said.
After last week’s historic “Blue Tsunami,” Schumer was confident in becoming the next Senate Majority Leader, one of the most powerful posts in Washington.
“The issue is not me,” Schumer said. “I’ll be reelected as majority leader.”
But so far, at least 12 Democratic senators have publicly stated they’re not ready to back Schumer yet.
“We need a conversation about leadership going forward because we need new energy and ideas,” Blumenthal said on Monday.
“OTHER OPTIONS”
Much of the opposition comes from newly elected Democrats who flipped up to nine Senate seats last week.
“Whether it’s fair or not, Chuck Schumer is seen as a more divisive figure by many people, and I think we need somebody who’s going to bring us together,” Sen.-Elect Adam Hamilton (D-Kansas) told CNN.
So far, no one has officially challenged Schumer for the Majority Leader job, although senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) have not ruled out a run.
“I am for Chris Van Hollen. If he decides he wants to be Senate Majority Leader, I think he’d be amazing at the job,” said Sen.-Elect Adbul El-Sayed (D-Mich.). “The question for us is, ‘Alright, who are the other options here?’ And who is going to get us to a point where we are passing legislation, putting it on the President's desk and forcing him to make a decision, so that we can talk about what we did with the mandate that we had?”
Blumenthal isn’t sure anyone else will step up to replace Schumer given his power and influence.
“I expect that Chuck Schumer will be reelected as Leader because no one has come forth willing to take the position, but we need a conservation about leadership,” he said.
Schumer also has the backing of fellow New Yorker Hakeem Jeffries, in line to become to first Black U.S. House Speaker despite some opposition within his own caucus.
“Chuck Schumer was the quarterback of a team effort led by Senate Democrats and incredible candidates who ran all across the country,” Jeffries said on Monday.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Democrats will select a new leader in a secret ballot next month. Schumer needs 29 votes to retain the post.
