Kaine Tells House Dems To Stay In Their Lane As Criticism Mounts Against Schumer

The Senate Democrat, one of eight who voted to reopen the government, went after his colleagues who are calling for Chuck Schumer to step down as leader.

Sen. Tim Kaine defended Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Sunday against growing calls ― including from some House Democrats ― for the New York lawmaker to step down after the controversial vote to reopen the government, with the Virginia Democrat telling his colleagues in the other chamber to essentially stay in their lane.

Democrats had made it clear that they would not vote for the GOP’s funding bill unless it included vital health care subsidies, an amendment that Republicans refused to include throughout the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.

Kaine was one of eight Democratic senators to side with Republicans on voting for the spending bill that didn’t include the health care demands, leaving many Democrats furious at the capitulation.

More than a dozen House Democrats have called for Schumer’s ouster over what they say is a lack of leadership, despite the lawmaker himself not voting for the GOP bill.

“The question is what is the future of Democratic leadership? Who is going to be effective? And most Democrats around the country just don’t think that person is Chuck Schumer,” Rep. Ro Khanna told NBC’s “Meet the Press.”