Fourteen Members Say Senate Leader Is “Out of Touch,” And The List Continues To Grow, Deepening Party Civil War
Saturday, November 15, 2025, 9:30 A.M. ET. 4 Minute Read, By Jennifer Hodges, Political Editor: Englebrook Independent News,
WASHINGTON, DC.- In an extraordinary public rebuke of their own Senate leadership, fourteen U.S. House Democrats on Thursday called for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to step down, saying he has become “out of touch with the Democratic base” and is no longer capable of unifying a party increasingly divided between its centrist establishment and its growing far-left wing.
The coordinated demand, delivered in a signed letter circulated among Democratic offices and later confirmed by senior staff, represents one of the most significant intraparty challenges to Schumer’s authority in his nearly three decades in Senate leadership. It also underscores the deepening ideological rift inside the Democratic Party, which continues to struggle with identity, direction, and discipline as its progressive faction grows louder and more unwilling to compromise.
The fourteen Democrats who signed the letter are:
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ), Chuy Garcia (D-IL), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), Jimmy Gomez (D-CA), Maxine Dexter (D-OR), Glenn Ivey (D-MD), Delia Ramirez (D-IL), Ro Khanna (D-CA), Mike Levin (D-CA), Seth Moulton (D-MA), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), and Shri Thanedor (D-MI), and the list continues to grow.
Their message was blunt: Schumer’s leadership “no longer reflects the priorities and urgency of the modern Democratic electorate,” and his approach to negotiations with Republicans is “timid, outdated, and insufficient to meet the moment.”
A Party At War With Itself;
Democratic officials privately acknowledged Thursday that the moment was “inevitable.” The party has been increasingly torn between pragmatists who believe Democrats must moderate to win national elections, and far-left activists who insist the party should embrace aggressive, uncompromising policy demands even at the cost of political backlash.
Schumer, 74, has struggled to manage these competing forces. His critics say he has been too willing to cut deals with Republicans to keep government funding flowing, too hesitant to rally the caucus around progressive priorities, and too focused on maintaining Washington’s institutional norms at a time when much of the left wants to abandon them entirely.
“The frustration with Schumer has been building for years,” said a senior Democratic aide familiar with the discussions. “This is not about one vote or one deadline. It’s about a belief among progressives that the party’s old guard is holding them back.”
The Democratic Party, once the self-described big tent of moderate liberals, union Democrats, minority voters, and suburban centrists, now finds itself increasingly dominated by an uncompromising progressive bloc that critics, including many within the party, argue is pushing Democrats further into ideological territory far removed from the country’s political center.
A Leadership Crisis With 2026 Looming;
The timing of the revolt could not be more problematic for Democrats. With the 2026 midterms less than a year away and President Trump continuing to reshape the national political landscape, party officials are concerned the public spectacle of intraparty infighting threatens to further weaken Democrats’ national image.
Republicans were quick to seize on the division. “Democrats aren’t governing, they’re fighting each other,” said one GOP strategist. “If they can’t even agree on their own leaders, why should voters trust them to run the country?”
Some centrist Democrats, speaking anonymously, expressed frustration with the fourteen House members, arguing the public attack on Schumer exposes Democrats as directionless at a time when voters are demanding competence and stability.
“It’s political self-sabotage,” said one House Democrat who did not sign the letter. “This makes us look chaotic and unable to govern.”
Schumer’s Office Responds;
Schumer has not indicated whether he intends to step down, and his office pushed back late Thursday, calling the letter “a misguided and unproductive distraction” and defending the senator’s work navigating a narrowly divided Senate.
Privately, Schumer allies said the demand is unlikely to force his resignation but acknowledged that his influence has been weakened and may be further challenged if more Democrats join the chorus.
A Party Losing Its Way;
The situation reflects a broader question confronting Democrats nationwide: whether the party will continue shifting leftward under the influence of activist-driven lawmakers, or attempt to reclaim a more centrist approach that historically delivered its electoral victories.
For now, the Democratic Party appears locked in a public-facing civil war, one that critics argue is transforming the party into something increasingly ideological, uncompromising, and unable to govern with discipline or unity. The letter from the fourteen House members is not just a challenge to Schumer; it is a warning sign of a party wrestling with identity, strategy, and future relevance.
Editor’s Note;
This report was written by Jennifer Hodges, Political Editor, for Englebrook Independent News and is based on publicly available congressional statements, verified communications from Democratic offices, and interviews with Capitol Hill staff familiar with ongoing internal disputes. All information has been independently reviewed for accuracy prior to publication.
