Chuck Schumer, the now Majority Leader, has criticized Minority Leader McConnell on Sunday for halting power-sharing talks as the Senate moves to deal with the “three important items on our agenda” — coronavirus relief, confirming Cabinet members and impeachment.
The Senate does not yet have an organizing resolution that gives the DNC control of the chamber. After the runoff elections in Georgia, the power in the Senate shifted to a 50-50 split between the two parties, with VP Kamala Harris being the tie-breaker.
“McConnell won’t dictate what we should do in the Senate and how we will proceed,” Schumer stated this Sunday. “McConnell is not the majority leader anymore, and in every Senate before, they have agreed on an organizing resolution, Republicans and Democrats, to go forward. McConnell is stalling. He will not control how we go forward.”
“We will continue on and declare an organizing resolution where Democrats are in control, not McConnell,” he said.
Schumer added that the impeachment proceedings would be “just” but reasserted that the trial needs to be fast in order to then deal with coronavirus relief, confirming his support for additional stimulus payments.
“Both the House managers and President Trump’s defense will receive time to create their legal briefs, as occurred in all previous impeachment trials,” Schumer added. “And during this time, it’s possible that the Senate can do other things, and the two most pressing issues we have are approving a number of Biden’s appointments and passing the coronavirus relief legislation in a strong and bold way that helps the people of New York and the rest of the country.”
“The Senate must and will complete all three agendas in the coming few weeks. The risks are too high to put off any of them,” Schumer added.
