Chuck Schumer is nailing it with this move
If you’ve worked out at a gym, you may be familiar with spotting. Basically, a spotter is someone who monitors another person’s weightlifting or resistance training and stands ready to lend a helping hand. Metaphorically, this sounds quite a lot like what Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is doing with Congressional Republicans except they don’t exactly benefit.
As the Republican Party appears to grow more amoral by the minute, it becomes increasingly difficult to figure out what this dying, out-of-touch party stands for and why. Like a good spotter, Schumer watches as his GOP colleagues twist themselves into knots, then gracefully steps in at the right time to assist them in making total fools of themselves.
Schumer’s latest example has to do with the GOP’s incoherent and shifting position on crime. Following Donald Trump’s recent call to defund federal law enforcement agencies, Schumer wrote a letter on Tuesday to the Senate, labeling Trump’s proposal as a “baseless, self-serving broadside against the men and women who keep our nation safe.” He is calling on the Senate to “recommit” to the nation that “the United States is a nation of laws.”
To do so, Schumer proposes a “simple” resolution that would recognize federal law enforcement agency dedication to keeping us safe, condemn calls to defund the FBI and DOJ, and reject partisan attempts by Trump and his allies to “degrade public trust… for attempted political or legal benefit.”
Schumer’s resolution, which he is expected to formally introduce within weeks, is the right move for more than one reason. Not only does it aim to set the Senate straight on its policy on the heels of Trump’s outlandish remarks, but it puts Republican lawmakers in an uncomfortable position. They will need to choose whether they are “tough on crime,” as the GOP often likes to pride itself, or slavishly loyal to Trump.
In the meantime, House Republicans have talked about passing a resolution praising law enforcement but have failed to do so. A resolution entitled, “Expressing support for the Nation’s law enforcement agencies and condemning any efforts to defund or dismantle law enforcement agencies” was supposed to come up for a vote in January, according to a December press release from Rep. Steve Scalise. However, this resolution appears stalled in the House Judiciary Committee while Republicans obsess over defending Trump and condemning his recent indictment.
Congressional Republicans are wrong on policy and dysfunctional when it comes to governance. However, a deft leader like Schumer knows when and how to take appropriate action to keep Congress on the right track. As Congressional Republicans implode, Schumer is there to spot them, helping them along in their bizarre journey.
Ron Leshnower is a lawyer and the author of several books, including President Trump’s Month