Democrats stick with Schumer as leader. Their strategy for countering Trump is far less certain

WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats reelected Chuck Schumer as party leader on Tuesday as the party moves into a deeply uncertain time, with no real consensus on a strategy as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office.

Schumer faced no opposition in the party leadership elections, in which Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin was also reelected to the No. 2 spot and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar became the new No. 3. In a statement, Schumer, of New York, said he was honored to move the party forward “during this crucial period for our country.”

“Our preference is to secure bipartisan solutions wherever possible and look for ways to collaborate with our Republican colleagues to help working families,” Schumer said. “However, our Republican colleagues should make no mistake about it, we will always stand up for our values.”

While Schumer remains popular with his colleagues, it is a bleak moment for Senate Democrats, who were hopeful they could hold the majority for the third election in a row. Instead they lost four seats and will be in the minority, 53-47, as Trump takes office.

Trump dialed in Tuesday with Senate Republicans as they began laying the groundwork for control of government.

The brief call was more celebratory than a prescriptive policy agenda, according to those attending the private GOP retreat, urging senators to confirm his Cabinet nominees as they launch an agenda of tax cuts, deportations and other priorities.

"It was a love fest," said Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo. “There was a real sense of unity in the room.”

Republicans want to notch an early accomplishment after Trump’s inauguration Jan. 20.

Incoming Senate Republican leader John Thune of South Dakota outlined a potential roadmap during the private retreat at the Library of Congress, detailing a potential strategy that would have senators working on an initial legislative package — energy, border security and defense priorities — that could be approved in the first 30 days of the new administration.

Next, he explained that the senators would turn to reviving the expiring tax cuts from Trump's first term.

The new Congress convenes Jan. 3, and the Senate expects to quickly begin holding confirmation hearings for Trump’s top Cabinet nominees.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., also addressed the GOP senators — noting his slim majority in the House. He “emphasized the need for unity heading into the first 100 days agenda,” his spokesman Taylor Haulsee said.

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Unlike eight years ago, when opposition to Trump’s narrow election win fueled enthusiasm in their party, Democratic lawmakers and many of their voters are exhausted and looking for answers.

So far, Democrats stayed relatively quiet on Trump’s nominees and plans for office. Schumer declined to comment on specifics of any nominees, instead allowing Republican reaction to dominate the conversation.

On Monday, Schumer wrote a public letter to Thune, asking him to resist Trump’s pressure to allow him to appoint some of his nominees without a Senate vote and to insist on full FBI background checks for all nominees. But he has said little else about Trump’s upcoming presidency.

While some have been more aggressive — Washington Sen. Patty Murray, a former chairwoman of the Senate Health, Labor, Education and Pensions Committee, said that Trump’s nomination of Robert Kennedy Jr. to lead the Health and Human Services Department is “dangerous” and “nothing short of disaster” — several Democratic senators say they are saving their strength and figuring out a focus.

“Everybody’s in kind of a wait-and-see mode right now,” said Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, part of Schumer’s leadership team. “Under the previous Trump administration, there was chaos all the time, all the time. And I do think it is important to pick your battles.”

It’s still unclear which battles they will pick, and Democrats have differing opinions on how to fight them.

Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz, who is also in Democratic leadership, says “anyone who has a grand strategy is full of crap” but thinks Democrats, for now, “need to keep things simple.”

“We need to talk about people, protect people, advocate for people,” he said. “Do not talk about protecting institutions. Do not talk about advocating for institutions. It’s a not just a rhetorical shift, but an attitudinal shift. We have to remind ourselves, that we’re not fighting for programs and projects and line items and agencies or norms. We’re fighting for people.”

Virginia Sen. Mark Warner said he’s spent a lot of time reflecting, and “I don’t think anyone can claim this was a policy election,” and Democrats need to look at cultural issues. Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman says Democrats just need to “pace ourselves” and avoid the “massive freakout” of Trump's last term.

Democrats should be preparing, says Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal. He says Schumer is picking his battles “very thoughtfully and strategically.”

“We’re thinking about how we protect against using the FBI, or the prosecutorial authority of the Justice Department for retribution against critics,” Blumenthal said. “How we elevate these issues in a way that American people understand them.”

Democrats know better now “the extraordinary challenges we’re going to face,” Blumenthal said.

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