Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat from Maryland, said Congress could use a government shutdown deadline to pressure President Donald Trump to end the war in Iran. He made the remarks Thursday, after announcing he would challenge Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York for the Senate Democrats’ incoming majority leader post.
Asked several times in an MS NOW interview how his leadership would differ from Schumer’s, Van Hollen pointed to the war and the cost of living.
“I believe we need to be firm,” he said, arguing that voters had made clear they wanted the conflict to end and prices to come down. Congress should not wait until January, he added, when it could act on Dec. 11. “We need to answer the call of the American people, end the war, bring down prices, do it now. Not a penny, not a penny to fuel this war.”
Congress must approve government funding by Dec. 11 to avoid a shutdown. Interviewer Jen Psaki asked whether Trump would be forced to end the war, since Congress could not do so on its own.
Van Hollen said the president would have to decide whether to shut down federal agencies to keep the war going and prices high, or respond to public demands. He added that Trump could ignore those demands and allow the government to close.
Schumer’s office and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Van Hollen announced his leadership challenge after Democrats won back the Senate in the 2026 midterm elections. In a statement, he said voters had called for change—not only from Trump’s policies, but also from a status quo he described as failing working people. He said Democrats needed new leadership to meet the moment.
Van Hollen, 67, has served in Congress for 23 years, first in the House and then in the Senate, where he arrived in 2017. Schumer, 75, has been in Congress since 1981.
Republican strategist Liz Mair said using a funding deadline to pressure the Pentagon could be an effective legislative tactic, but questioned the potential political cost for Democrats. She also wondered whether progressives were right to place so much confidence in Van Hollen as a possible leader.
His challenge comes amid growing opposition to Schumer among Senate Democrats. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan have said they would not support Schumer. Several incoming senators, including Adam Hamilton of Kansas, Peggy Flanagan and Abdul El-Sayed, have also publicly rejected him for the leadership role.
Asked about his priorities for his first 100 days as leader, Van Hollen cited restoring Medicaid funding, extending Affordable Care Act tax credits and bringing back food and nutrition programs. He also criticized Schumer for backing moderate candidates in Democratic primaries.
