Chuck Schumer votes ‘no’ on shutdown deal, accuses Trump of taking 'American people hostage'

WASHINGTON, DC: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has explained his decision to vote against the continuing resolution aimed at ending the lengthy government shutdown. 

Blaming the Republicans for creating a healthcare crisis, the Democrat said, "It is severe, urgent, and devastating for American families.”

Schumer added that he cannot support a continuing resolution that fails to address the crisis. 

Chuck Schumer calls out GOP leadership

Highlighting months of inaction, Chuck Schumer stated, "Democrats had asked to meet in the summer and throughout the shutdown, yet Republicans continued to say no.'"

He stressed, "Republican leaders refused to even discuss the issue, let alone negotiate it."

Calling for executive intervention, Schumer added, "Democrats had asked President Trump to step in to deliver lower healthcare costs for Americans."

He further criticized the president’s actions, saying, “Trump has taken the American people hostage, from cutting off food aid to hungry families and vets and seniors and kids, to manufacturing flight cancellations, to cutting off home heating aid while he builds a million-dollar ballroom with gold-plated toilets.”

Emphasizing his stance, Schumer declared, “Therefore, I must vote no.”

Highlighting the crisis, he said, “This healthcare crisis is so severe, so urgent, so devastating for families back home, that I cannot in good faith support this CR that fails to address the healthcare crisis.”

Chuck Schumer says he will continue fighting for healthcare

Reinforcing the ongoing fight, Chuck Schumer added, “But let me be clear: however this vote turns out, this fight will and must continue. Democrats must fight because millions of families will lose healthcare coverage. We must fight because children who are dying of cancer will not get healthcare coverage.”

Stressing the personal impact, he further said, “We must fight because a senior citizen cannot afford to pay $25,000 a year just for health insurance. We must fight to keep millions from financial ruin.”

Holding the Republican leadership accountable, Schumer said, “And make no mistake about it, the American people know who is inflicting this healthcare trauma on them: Donald Trump and the Republicans.”

He warned of the consequences: “Americans will remember Republican intransigence every time they make a sky-high payment on health insurance.”

Outlining continued action, he said, “We are going to fight legislatively, fight back home, fight in the courts, and bring this fight in the elections. Healthcare costs made a major impact on the 2025 election, and they will certainly have an even greater impact on the 2026 election.”

He concluded his remarks by stressing, "We will not give up this fight. We will deliver for the American people.”

While Schumer voted no, eight Democratic senators voted with Republicans on Sunday, November 9, to secure the 60 votes needed to move forward with the deal.