WASHINGTON (TNND) -- Just hours before the Senate failed to vote on a continuing resolution which would end the government shutdown -- now on its ninth day -- Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer expressed that "every day gets better" for his party.
Schumer shared with Punchbowl News that he thinks the Democratic Party has the upper hand over Republicans in this shutdown because it was expected for Democrats to cave and pass the House's "clean" continuing resolution measure. While three Democratic Senators have jumped ship and voted with Republicans on the first day; there have been no other defections.
"It's because we've thought about this long in advance and we knew that health care would be the focal point on Sept. 30 and we prepared for it," Schumer told Punchbowl News. "Their whole theory was -- threaten us, bamboozle us, and we would submit in a day or two."
Schumer said that Republican leaders are "feeling the heat." During his cabinet meeting on Thursday, President Donald Trump threatened to permanently cut government programs which are popular among Democrats. Trump has also been threatening for days that he would be enacting mass lay-offs on furloughed government workers as well as not granting them back pay. However, Trump has yet to follow through with any of his threats.
"Every time they try something, it doesn't quite work," Schumer said. "Even the threat of shutting things -- 'We're gonna close this, we're gonna close that.' It's [reflecting] at least as negative on them as it is on us. I think more so on them."
At the heart of the government shut down is Democrats are seeking to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies set to expire by the end of the year. Schumer said that Democrats' cause is sinking in with voters, suggesting that a growing number of them putting blame on Republicans for the government shutdown not coming to an end. Polling conducted by Economist/ YouGov shows that 64% of Americans say GOP or both parties are equally to blame, and 53% say Democrats or both parties are to blame.
"Even the pain that's caused -- the data we have seen and just talking to people, they blame Trump," Schumer said. "When things are actually shut down, they blame Trump. When things aren't happening, they blame Trump. Because he's in charge. You don't need a political science PhD to understand they control everything."
Schumer's Thursday morning comments caught blowback from the White House and top Republican leadership.
Trump suggested during his cabinet meeting that Schumer is losing influence over his party to far left Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). Trump said Schumer would likely retire before he'd have to run for reelection in 2028.
Meanwhile Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) blasted Schumer on the Senate floor.
"Democrats couldn't care less whether military families miss a paycheck tomorrow," Thune wrote on X. " But we're only a handful of votes away from ensuring that our troops are paid fully and on time."