Spending Bill Backlash and the Future of the Democratic Party
Ben Wikler, Washington Director at MoveOn.org, discusses the backlash Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is facing in the wake of his decision to vote for government funding without a fix on DACA.
Wikler says he believes Democrats have the upper hand if February 8th comes and another shutdown happens. We also talk about the future of the party and what it means for the midterm elections in 2018 and the general election in 2020. Wikler speculates about whether Democratic voters will be divided, similar to how Congressional Democrats were divided over the spending deal.
With a government shutdown five days away, Congress is moving into crisis mode as Speaker Kevin McCarthy faces an insurgency from hard-right Republicans eager to slash spending even if it means curtailing federal services for millions of Americans.
Rep. Andy Kim of New Jersey announced on Saturday that he will run against Sen. Robert Menendez in the state’s Democratic primary for Senate next year, saying he feels compelled to run against the three-term senator after he and his wife were indicted on sweeping corruption charges.