Aug 5, 2025 - Politics & Policy

Chuck Schumer's August battle plan

Stephen Neukam

Sen. Chuck Schumer in a suit and orange tie with glasses, next to a black poster titled "TRUMP'S TRADE WAR" listing goods' price increases: leather products, fresh produce, cars, computers, and electronics. — Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) at the U.S. Capitol on July 31. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer was in upstate New York on Tuesday to kick off a critical August recess that will have implications for whether he wins back his majority.

Why it matters: Schumer forced the GOP to leave town for the summer empty-handed last week. Now he'll try to build on that momentum.

On Tuesday, he was in Niagara to rail against the impact of tariffs on tourism; in Orleans to raise the alarm about job training program cuts; at a community hospital in Cayuga to talk about Medicaid cuts; and in Binghampton to hit the GOP on Social Security cuts.
The last six months have armed Schumer and Democrats with plenty of lines of attack against the GOP, especially a massive tax cuts package and widespread tariffs.
But they still have a hole to dig out of, with the party holding an approval rating of just 33%, according to a recent Wall Street Journal poll.

Between the lines: The itinerary is an example of what Schumer wants Democrats to do — hyper-localize national issues like Medicaid cuts and funding freezes to drive down support for the GOP.

Senate and House Democrats will also team up for national days of action this month, focusing on saving Social Security, the cost of living and health care.

Go deeper: "Nuclear option" lingers over Senate

Add Axios on Google

Chuck Schumer's August battle plan

What to read next