Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) wants Republicans to stop embracing former President Donald Trump and work with the Senate Democrats on bipartisan initiatives going forward in the aftermath of the midterm elections.
In an interview with the New York Times, Schumer said he would like the Republicans to work with Democrats in the Senate in an attempt to appeal to Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).
“I’m going to reach out to McConnell, and I want to say to the non-MAGA Republicans, ‘Work with us; we want to get some things done here,’” Schumer told Times on Monday.“What gives us the opening is that they know embracing Trump and MAGA is a failure. Not all Republicans know it, but a large number do.”
Schumer told the publication that he was “sincere” even though McConnell and the Republicans would likely decline the offer. He also explained that the midterm elections unexpectedly helped the Democrats pad their majority and that they would go on to try and pass legislation on climate change, gun safety, and prescription drug costs.
He also acknowledged that Democrats would not be able to get everything they want if they are to reach a compromise with Republicans and work across the aisle, saying, “I’m going to say to my party, ‘We are not going to get everything we want; we’re going to have to compromise.’” He also added that “It is a lot better to accomplish something than to just make a mark.”
On the other hand, McConnell, on Monday, said that the close election results across the country show how close the political divide is and appreciated that the Republicans would end up having a very narrow majority in the House.
“It appears the likeliest outcome would mean the American people have put a stop to two years of Democrats’ disastrous one-party government,” he said while claiming the House needs to be “reinforcements” in counting the Democrats’ radical policies.
“If Washington Democrats do not want to pivot to sanity and common sense… if they will not help us address the ways their policies are hurting families, they will encounter stiff resistance from the sizable Senate Republican conference that half the country elected to be their voice,” he added.
Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), who plans on running against McConnell when his party elects the leadership in the Senate, criticized him for siding with Democrats too many times this past year, which allowed them to achieve victories to help on the campaign trail.
“The Republican leadership caved in on the debt ceiling, caved in on a gun bill, caved in on a fake infrastructure bill, and then we make it difficult for our candidates,” Scott said Sunday on Fox News. “We have to start coming together as a caucus, not vote with the Democrats.”
Jacob Bliss is a reporter for Breitbart News. Write to him at jbliss@breitbart.com or follow him on Twitter @JacobMBliss.
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