Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has unleashed a pointed critique of Senate Democrats for their role in ending a grueling 43-day government shutdown without securing key healthcare provisions.
The firebrand congresswoman didn’t mince words on Wednesday, holding not just Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) but a broader swath of Senate Democrats accountable for a deal that left Affordable Care Act tax credits on the cutting room floor.
Let’s rewind to how this unfolded: the shutdown, a 43-day slog, finally ended after a bipartisan agreement brokered by what Ocasio-Cortez called “eight Democrats who coordinated” with Republicans, according to Politico.
While the deal reopened the government, it conspicuously failed to extend those critical healthcare subsidies—a miss that has conservatives nodding in agreement with Ocasio-Cortez’s frustration, albeit for different reasons.
After all, when government overreach balloons costs for everyday Americans, shouldn’t the priority be fiscal restraint over piling on more subsidies?
Schumer, for his part, didn’t personally back or vote for this agreement, but critics argue he failed to keep his caucus in line or block the deal from moving forward.
Ocasio-Cortez made it clear she’s not just pointing fingers at one man, stating, “This problem is much bigger than Leader Schumer."
That’s a rare moment of clarity—perhaps the progressive agenda’s obsession with centralized solutions is starting to crack under the weight of its own contradictions.
She also took the Senate to task for dropping the ball on healthcare, saying, “We had a responsibility to deliver on healthcare subsidies, and the Senate failed to do that.”
Her dissatisfaction with the outcome was palpable when asked about confidence in Schumer’s leadership, to which she replied she “certainly disagreed with what just happened.”
Conservatives might smirk here—when even the left’s rising stars question their own leaders, isn’t it a sign the Democrat machine is running on fumes?
Adding fuel to the fire, at least five House Democrats have openly called for Schumer to step down as Senate leader, though no senators have echoed that sentiment yet.
Whispers of a potential primary challenge against Schumer in 2028 have bubbled up, with some House Democrats quietly backing Ocasio-Cortez for such a run, though she’s stayed mum on her plans.
This isn’t the first time she’s clashed with Schumer—earlier this year, she criticized him for supporting Republican efforts to keep the government open, showing a pattern of discord.
For now, the congresswoman’s focus seems to be on holding the Senate accountable, and while her progressive priorities may not align with conservative values, her call for responsibility in government dealings strikes a chord worth considering.
