Hakeem Jeffries Gives Full-Throated Defense of Schumer When Quizzed By Progressive Podcaster On Whether He Should Still Be Leader

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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) praised Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on Monday’s episode of the progressive Parnas Perspective, opting not to through the Senate Minority Leader under the bus as many Democrats have following the vote that paved the way for the end of the government shutdown.

On Sunday night, Schumer derided the eight senate Democrats who defected to vote for the continuing resolution and pave the way to reopen the government.

Still, local Democrats like Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CN), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) all expressed their frustrations with having nothing to show after a 40-day shutdown that saw the end of food subsidies and pay for federal workers.

Podcaster Aaron Parnas asked Jeffries if he thought Schumer should remain as minority leader since he failed to keep his caucus unified.

Jeffries answered unequivocally, “Yes.”

“I think that Sen. Schumer has held the line during this seven-week fight, held Senate Democrats together, and continues to strongly oppose this effort by Republicans to enact a spending bill that doesn’t meet the needs of the American people as it relates to extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits,” Jeffries said, continuing. “He voted to no on the procedural bill that was before the Senate, and it’s my expectation that he will continue to hold the line and vote no, and join us in our fight in the House. And, also, I should point out, stay in this fight as we’re moving forward together.”

Parnas follow-up, asking, if Jeffries or his team were in contact with the eight Senate Democrats or if he was surprised by their defection.

Jeffries explained that New Hampshire Democrat Jean Shaheen threw the majority of the Senate Democrats out of unity when she decided to broker her own deal.

“It appeared that, led by the senior senator from New Hampshire, that there had been ongoing negotiations to try to get to a resolution. I have not had any conversations with her, I don’t know her. I’m confused as to why she made the decision to take this approach in the face of overwhelming public sentiment that Democrats are on the right side of this fight.”

Jeffries added, “But we can’t let a handful of random senators sort of take us off track to the fight we’re waging to lower the high cost of living.