35 Indivisible groups across Washington State call on Senator Chuck Schumer to step aside as Minority Leader
35 Washington Indivisible groups called on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to step aside after he broke with his caucus to advance a GOP funding bill without extracting any concessions from the Trump administration.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 17, 2025
Contact: Washington Indivisible Network | WashIndivisible@gmail.com
35 Indivisible groups across Washington State call on Senator Chuck Schumer to step aside as Minority Leader
[WASHINGTON]—Minority Leader Schumer, as chair of the Democratic Caucus in the Senate, broke with the vast majority of his caucus to allow a GOP funding bill to advance, without any restrictions on the ongoing efforts from Donald Trump and Elon Musk to dismantle the federal government. Washington Indivisible Network issues the following statement:
Under Senator Chuck Schumer’s Leadership, Senate Democrats just surrendered a rare moment of leverage to rein in the chaos and harm of Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and Congressional Republicans. By voting to advance the GOP government funding bill without demanding anything in return, Schumer handed more power to the extremists destroying the government. This was not just a strategic mistake – it was a demonstration that Schumer is not prepared to lead the Democratic opposition to fascism and protect our democracy. We thank him for his years of service, and call on him to step aside as minority leader.
Washington State Indivisible groups worked tirelessly to inform and advocate against the MAGA Budget. Congress has given the DOGE chainsaw the authority to shred vital government programs and services, such as Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, Veterans Administration, National Parks, and more.
We thank the Washington State Democratic delegation for their work in speaking out and voting against this disastrous bill: Representatives Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Rick Larsen (WA-02), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03), Emily Randall (WA-06), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Dr. Kim Schrier (WA-08), Adam Smith (WA-09), Marilyn Strickland (WA-10); and Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell. We particularly want to thank Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chair Patty Murray for her leadership in speaking out against the disastrous funding bill, negotiating in good faith with the committee, and leading the movement to vote against cloture in the Senate.
Representatives Dan Newhouse (WA-04) and Michael Baumgartner (WA-05) chose MAGA and billionaires over their own constituents. This budget hurts Washingtonians across party lines, raising costs on ordinary working families and slashing benefits for those who need help paying for essentials. More than 490,000 people in their districts receive benefits through SNAP, and more than 500,000 use Medicaid.
Washington Indivisible groups will continue to hold our elected officials accountable. We will continue to attend town halls, conduct office visits, write letters to the editor, and call our Representatives and Senators. We will also hold empty-chair town halls and ensure that even Representatives who will not meet with us are well covered by the media.
America is at a crossroads. We call on every Washingtonian to join us in defending democracy. All aspects of Washington’s well-being and future are in jeopardy through the reckless actions of Elon Musk, Donald Trump, and MAGA extremists.
We demand that Senator Schumer step aside and that the Senate choose a Minority Leader in the other Washington who works as hard as we do here to protect our freedoms and way of life. We do not come to this decision lightly – for the country or for our democracy. But the stakes are too high, and we need leaders who are willing to fight as hard as we are. Schumer must step aside so another Democrat who is willing to lead the opposition can step up to take his place.
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ABOUT WASHINGTON INDIVISIBLE NETWORK
Washington Indivisible Network represents more than 50 active groups, and more than 30,000 activists across the state of Washington. Find your local Indivisible group here.
Data source for SNAP https://www.fns.usda.gov/data-research/data-visualization/snap-community-characteristics-congressional-district-dashboard
Data source for Medicaid https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/congressional-district-interactive-map-medicaid-enrollment-by-eligibility-group/