Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries declined to answer questions about their priorities in Congress after Democrats won majorities in both chambers in Tuesday’s elections.
Schumer was asked twice whether Democrats would move to end the Senate filibuster, a possibility some party members have raised if they regained control of the chamber. President Donald Trump has repeatedly urged Senate Republicans to scrap the rule to pass the SAVE America Act, warning that Democrats could do the same if they had the chance.
At a Wednesday morning press conference, Schumer also sidestepped questions about his plans for the Senate majority. He said he expected to be re-elected as majority leader by the Democratic caucus, despite some newly elected Democrats expressing reservations. He then turned to the party’s election gains and what he called a “generational remake of the Senate map.”
Jeffries, meanwhile, was asked whether House Democrats would investigate Elon Musk as part of potential inquiries into alleged corruption in the Trump administration. He gave a thumbs-up when approached but did not answer the question.
Musk has drawn attention from Democratic lawmakers over his time leading the Department of Government Efficiency, his companies’ federal contracts worth billions of dollars, and his reported role in cutting internet access to Ukraine’s military.
Democrats are also divided over whether Jeffries should become Speaker of the House. A petition calling for a different leader has gathered more than 550,000 signatures, arguing that the party needs a speaker who represents Democratic voters rather than its establishment.
With some incoming lawmakers hesitant or unwilling to support Schumer and Jeffries, the question of who will lead Democrats in each chamber remains unsettled.
