Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) has sharply criticized Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (R-NY) for what he perceives as a lack of resistance to President Donald Trump and Elon Musk in the recent spending bill debate. Moskowitz, who voted against the continuing resolution (CR), argued that Senate Democrats should have put up more of a fight rather than acquiescing so easily.
Schumer came under fire after announcing his decision to support the CR, despite objections from within his party. He defended his stance by stating it would prevent Trump and Musk from using a government shutdown as a means to dismantle federal worker protections. However, Moskowitz told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer that his primary reason for opposing the bill was the exclusion of an amendment he proposed to safeguard Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid from potential budget cuts.
‘No one wants a government shutdown,’ Moskowitz emphasized. ‘But this wasn’t about bipartisanship—it was a partisan agreement where Senate Democrats didn’t negotiate or secure any of the changes we wanted.’ He criticized Schumer for not invoking cloture to delay the vote, as he believes such a move would have sent a stronger message. ’ Mitch McConnell wouldn’t have done that,’ Moskowitz pointed out, referencing the Republican leader’s previous hardline tactics.
Moskowitz acknowledged that Democrats are still open to making deals but questioned Schumer’s approach. ‘Why invoke cloture and then back down immediately?’ he asked, suggesting this sent a signal of weakness to Trump and his allies. He admitted some of Schumer’s concerns were valid but argued that this was a rare opportunity for Democrats to push their agenda before the next reconciliation window in 2021.
The debate highlights ongoing tensions within the Democratic caucus over how best to counter the administration’s policies while maintaining unity.