Chuck Schumer Still Talks To Trump. But He Doesnt See A Detente Coming
“Trump, when he ran ― and I’ve said this to him four times now ― when he ran, he ran anti-establishment against both the Democratic and Republican establishments. But he immediately, when he was elected president, made a deal with the hard-right and let them run the show,” said Schumer. “It would have made sense for them to have focused on infrastructure early. But here is what I think they’re afraid of. They are afraid of the hard-right. They have not made a decision that they will work with Democrats on anything.”
That Trump didn’t choose the middle path has been a relief to lawmakers and operatives within the Democratic Party, who, early in the administration worried that a controversial president would pad his resume and earn plaudits with unconventional governance. Several months in, however, Trump has been more inclined to pick fights than to find areas of agreement, a posture that Schumer said will only engender further opposition.
That’s true on health care reform, where the minority leader said Democrats would not bend to Trump’s demand for negotiations, lest he allow the law to fail and blame opponents for the ensuing mess.
“I don’t buy it,” Schumer said of the Trump gambit. “He’s in charge and we, I think, have had a very strong position and consistent from [liberal Sen.] Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) to [moderate] Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), which is drop repeal and we will work with you on improving it.” Schumer listed adding a public option for insurance coverage, negotiations over prescription drug prices, and empowering insurance commissioners as reforms Democrats would champion.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/chuck-schumer-trump_us_58fe6ad7e4b00fa7de16d7a9
