Charles Schumer – a "stumbling block" for Donald Trump

Although the US government resumed operations after a three-day shutdown thanks to a temporary budget package until February 8th, a single refusal from Charles Schumer if no agreement is reached with Republicans in negotiations on the DACA immigration program could lead to another government shutdown. Since assuming the Democratic leader in the US Senate, Charles Schumer has repeatedly obstructed Donald Trump's policies, and this time is unlikely to be an exception.

The "most interesting person in Washington"

Charles Schumer – the Democratic minority leader in the U.S. Senate. Photo: AP.

When Donald Trump was elected President and began selecting top-level positions in the administration, much attention focused on the two figures considered the number one and number two in the White House: Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and Chief Strategist Steve Bannon. However, for those truly knowledgeable about politics in Washington, the most interesting figure was Charles Schumer – the Democratic leader in the U.S. Senate.

Charles Schumer assumed the Democratic leadership of the U.S. Senate in late 2016 after his predecessor, Harry Reid, retired. This was a time when the Democratic Party was receiving unfavorable news: they had lost their majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, and Donald Trump, not Hillary Clinton, was set to become the occupant of the White House after a close race. This alone made Schumer's position attractive: he would be the face of the Democratic Party in Washington and nationwide, and he would be the strategist leading the Democrats against Republican control in both the White House and Capitol Hill.

Charles Schumer's position is further enhanced by anecdotal evidence such as his close relationship with President Donald Trump and his potential willingness to compromise with the Republicans, or President Trump's public praise of their relationship, stating that he "likes Schumer more than Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan because neither of them wanted Donald Trump to win the election."

Therefore, people are waiting to see how Charles Schumer will handle his relationship with President Trump, Mitch McConnell, and Paul Ryan, and how he will lead the Democrats in regaining a majority in Congress in the midterm elections at the end of 2018. "I'm not afraid of Donald Trump. I'm not afraid of the Republicans" – Charles Schumer's pledge has truly made him the most noteworthy figure in Washington.

Dedicated to the Party and the people.

Many people described Charles Schumer as a man "dedicated to the party and the people." While this description might sound like a slogan, it perfectly reflects what Charles Schumer demonstrated throughout his political career.

Charles Schumer was born on November 23, 1950, in Brooklyn, New York, where his father owned a small business and his mother was a stay-at-home mother. He attended public school and graduated from James Madison High School before going to Harvard University, and later Harvard Law School.

After graduating from Harvard Law School in 1974, Schumer was immediately elected to the New York City Council, beginning his political career at a very young age of 24. In 1998, he was elected to the U.S. Senate. He began his first Senate term by declaring he would visit all 62 New York counties each year – a promise he continues to this day.

He is known as one of America's most elected and most prolific officials. Countless New Yorkers from all walks of life have had the opportunity to speak with him during his appearances at conferences, festivals, and public events. He is affectionately called a "tireless warrior" by New Yorkers, always ready to appear in hotspots to support the people.

Charles Schumer frequently sought to use government authority to support the public. He once called on the Food and Drug Administration to take action against sunscreen manufacturers whose products did not provide as much protection as advertised, and urged the Federal Aviation Administration to introduce more generous seating standards on commercial airlines.

For the Democratic Party, he played a prominent role in three areas: leading the policies the Democratic Party wanted to pursue, possessing impressive fundraising abilities, and being the most effective communicator of the party's activities to the public. During the 2016 election campaign, he raised $18.6 million through his campaigns and transferred the majority of this money to the Democratic Party's campaign committee and other colleagues.

Charles Schumer has obstructed many of President Donald Trump's policies. Photo: Getty.

Schumer was sometimes called the "Senator from Wall Street" because of his immense fundraising abilities. As the Senate Minority Leader, Schumer led Democrats in obstructing many of President Donald Trump's agendas, including repealing the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) and building the U.S.-Mexico border wall. Charles Schumer once stated, "Our job is to always keep the President and our Republican colleagues in check with the utmost responsibility"—and to this day, he remains a staunch defender of Democratic positions.

Budget battle

The Mexico border wall – Schumer's bargaining chip in the budget battle with Donald Trump. Photo: Reuters.

Since assuming the Democratic minority leader in the Senate under President Donald Trump, Charles Schumer has obstructed quite a few important presidential decisions.

When Donald Trump officially took over the White House in early 2017, Schumer led the Democrats in opposing most of Trump's cabinet nominees, including Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao – the wife of Senator Mitch McConnell – and calling for Attorney General Jeff Sessions' resignation over allegations of ties to the Russian ambassador to the U.S. Most recently, he worked to prevent President Trump's decision to eliminate the DACA program, which protects undocumented immigrants – a major cause of the budget battle between Republicans and Democrats that led to a three-day government shutdown.

Republican lawmakers accused their Democratic opponents of seeking leverage on immigration reform, despite the potential for a government shutdown. However, Charles Schumer countered that the Democrats had agreed to discuss Donald Trump's border wall project in Congress in exchange for the White House continuing to provide subsidies to undocumented immigrants. The government shutdown stemmed from President Trump's failure to seize this opportunity, not the Democrats' fault.

The Democrats conceded by voting to pass a temporary budget package, allowing the government to operate until February 8th, in exchange for the Republicans' commitment to bring the immigration issue to the Senate in early February. However, given Charles Schumer's consistently strong defense of the Democratic position, and President Donald Trump's equally aggressive stance on immigration control, analysts predict a fierce battle in Washington, and it remains uncertain whether a government shutdown will repeat itself on February 9th.