OAN Staff Blake Wolf
9:26 AM – Thursday, November 13, 2025
Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez slammed Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats, labeling the deal to end the government shutdown a “failure.”
On Wednesday, Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) criticized Schumer’s (D-N.Y.) leadership as well as the defectors who worked with Republicans to advance a stopgap spending bill without securing a guaranteed extension of Affordable Care Act enhanced tax subsidies, which are set to expire in December.
“There’s a lot of focus rightfully on Leader Schumer, but I do think that when it comes to the Senate, it is Senate Democrats that select their leadership,” Ocasio-Cortez stated. “And so I actually think this problem is much bigger than Leader Schumer.”
“You had eight Senate Democrats who coordinated…their own votes on this as well as you have two retiring members, many of them who are also up in several cycles from now, with the hope that people are going to forget this moment.”
When asked whether she still supports Schumer’s leadership, Ocasio-Cortez stated that she “certainly disagreed with what just happened.”
“We had a responsibility to develop, to deliver on healthcare subsidies, and the Senate failed to do that,” Ocasio-Cortez added.
Ocasio-Cortez’s comments come amid growing speculation about whether she plans to challenge Schumer in 2028—a question she declined to answer, while leaving the possibility open.
“That is years from now,” she responded. “I have to remind my own constituents, because they think that this election is this year.”
The Senate Democrats who voted to end the shutdown are:
- Henry Cuellar (D-Texas)
- Don Davis (D-N.C.)
- Jared Golden (D-Maine)
- Adam Gray (D-Calif.)
- Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.)
- Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.)
In return for their vote, Republicans agreed to hold a vote on extending Obamacare’s enhanced tax subsidies, although the vote has a small chance of passing in the GOP-controlled House.
Meanwhile, several other Democrats in the House slammed Schumer, calling on him to be replaced.
“Senator Schumer is no longer effective and should be replaced,” stated Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.). “If you can’t lead the fight to stop healthcare premiums from skyrocketing for Americans, what will you fight for?”
“Don’t endorse or say who you voted for in NYC despite there being a Dem candidate,” wrote Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), referencing Schumer’s refusal to endorse NYC mayoral-elect Zohran Mamdani.
“Get Dem Senators to negotiate a terrible ‘deal’ that does nothing real about healthcare. Screw over a national political party. Profile of scourge? Next,” he added.
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