Rep. Emmer calls Schumer ‘scared old man’ over government shutdown

House Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., shredded Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., for failing to get his party to vote to end the ongoing federal government shutdown.

During an interview with the “Ruthless” podcast, Emmer said Schumer won’t agree to end the shutdown because he’s “scared” of losing his power to the progressive wing of the Democratic Party.

“This is a scared old man. This is an aging athlete, past his prime, who is desperately afraid of losing his leadership position before he announces he is not running in another election,” Emmer told the hosts.

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The current shutdown, which hit day 37 on Thursday, is the longest one in U.S. history. 

Schumer sounded emboldened to continue the shutdown this week after Democrats had a successful election night on Tuesday, winning races across the country, including the closely watched governor’s races in New Jersey and Virginia. Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani also delighted progressives with his decisive victory in the New York City mayoral race.

“Donald Trump clearly is feeling pressure to bring this shutdown to an end. Well, I have good news for the president. Meet with Democrats, reopen the government,” Schumer said on Thursday.

Fox News Digital reached out to his office for additional comment.

Democrats have demanded that any spending bill be paired with an extension of enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies set to expire at the end of 2025.

Republican leadership has balked at those demands. A recent Republican Study Committee (RSC) statement said, “Congress should reject any extension of the wasteful COVID-era subsidies that fuel fraud and drive up costs.”

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Following the Democratic Party’s election victories this week, some Senate Democrats have floated an off-ramp from the shutdown and are considering an offer from Republicans.

Holmes described the stalemate, saying, “So, we’ve spent a month arguing about nothing in particular. I mean a CR that they refused to pass that, you know, basically was authored initially by Democrats — which they refused to pass. And now you’ve found yourself in a situation the day after Election Day, where they’re like, ‘Oh, let’s talk.’” 

“Yeah, I think they’re full of you-know-what,” Emmer replied.

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Republican critics have said that Schumer has been unwilling to come to a deal because he fears upsetting powerful progressives in his party like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., who has been floated as a possible primary challenger to Schumer if he runs again in 2028.

Emmer suggested on the podcast that appeasing progressives was Schumer’s primary reason for keeping the shutdown going.