How Senate Democrats Got Their Mojo Back

“It’s a little harder to make the argument that we’re feckless,” says Democratic Sen. Brian Schatz.

Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer confers with Sen. Brian Schatz.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer confers with Sen. Brian Schatz, who said the chamber’s Democrats have done a better job lately of resisting Republicans. J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Senate Democrats faced intense intraparty backlash last year after they worked with Republicans to fund the government without extracting concessions, such as an extension of lapsed federal health insurance subsidies.

Those tactics unleashed a wave of anger directed at Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and centrist members of his caucus, which has continued to reverberate in messy and contested Democratic Senate primaries across the country.

But now, many on the left are giving Senate Democrats credit for uniting over the past six months against congressional Republicans and President Donald Trump.