The NPR Network will be reporting live from Chicago throughout the week bringing you the latest on the Democratic National Convention.
An optimistic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters Tuesday he believes Democrats will keep control of the Senate and "may pick up a seat or two" with Vice President Harris at the top of the ticket.
"Man, we are so excited," Schumer told reporters, even beginning to sing the chorus of the Pointer Sisters song.
He said Harris could connect to middle class voters, calling her background as California attorney general an asset.
"The ability to really prosecute the case against Donald Trump gives us a feeling of real optimism," Schumer said.
The remarks mark a turn of fortunes for Democrats who were confronted with a lack of voter enthusiasm and flagging poll numbers when President Biden was at the top of the ticket. His poor debate performance against his Republican rival, former President Donald Trump, prompted frontline Democrats to distance themselves from Biden. His unexpected – and historic – departure from the race and Harris’ ascension to the top of the ticket buoyed Democrats across the country.
Schumer said Democratic incumbents and candidates are "running even further ahead than we expected at this point." He suggested Democrats had a chance to sweep control of the White House, Senate and House, saying about the House, "that often follows the presidency."
A challenging map for Democrats
He acknowledged that voters had shrugged at President Biden's efforts to run on his legislative accomplishments like the infrastructure law and the bill boosting investments in semiconductor production. But he said individual senators were connecting with voters in battleground states like Pennsylvania and Nevada by touting their ability to get millions for specific bridge projects or tech hubs.
"We're not going to win the rural counties," he said about these contests, "but we will decrease the margin by which Republicans win them."
Schumer said abortion would remain a "top-tier issue." He pointed to several states with Senate races where abortion rights were was on the ballot, including Florida, Arizona and Montana.
Schumer’s optimism notwithstanding, Senate Democrats face a challenging election map. They are defending 23 seats, many in deep-red or purple states. The GOP is expected to hold the 11 seats that are up this cycle. Schumer didn't say where he thought his party could actually pick up a seat. Democrats have a 51-49 majority in the Senate, but Republicans are expected to pick up the seat in West Virginia, made vacant by the retirement of Democratic. Sen. Joe Manchin.
Schumer noted Democrat Colin Allred who is running against Texas Sen. Ted Cruz was raising a lot of money, and Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, who is challenging Sen. Rick Scott in Florida had a "rags to riches story," and the race is “going to be a lot closer than people think."
Mike Berg, communications director for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, rejected Schumer's analysis.
“We are confident in our odds of retaking the majority," he said in a statement to NPR. "Chuck Schumer is lying when he says Florida and Texas are in play. Ted Cruz and Rick Scott are strong incumbents and Chuck Schumer knows it, which is why he is not spending a penny on either state."
Items on Democratic congressional agenda
Schumer said if Democrats retain control of the Senate, he hopes to address issues like voting rights, campaign finance reform and reproductive rights. He said Democrats could have the votes to change the Senate filibuster rules, but sidestepped details on whether changes would be temporary and targeted to a single issue like voting rights, or be structured more broadly, saying he would need to consult with members of his caucus.
He also said he’s “very seriously consider” Harris' embrace of a proposal to eliminate taxes on tips for service workers, an idea first floated by Trump. Schumer noted some in his party initially opposed the proposal.
He also Democrats could revisit the bipartisan immigration proposal crafted earlier this year by Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and Sen, James Lankford, R-Okla., alongside protections for Dreamers..
Asked how Harris should approach working with Congress if she wins, and what she could learn from Biden's struggles, Schumer said, "work in a bipartisan way." He added, "there's no better proof than 2020 to 2021 where we did so much bipartisan and we had the sort of, you know, one of the best legislative sessions in decades."
Schumer credited Harris with pushing housing issues when she served in the Senate and said that's an issue he would like to take up. If Democrats are able to push a reconciliation package to pass legislation to get around Senate rules to block fiscal legislation, he would like to undo the Trump tax cuts. He said he would like to increase the top tax rate to 39%.
He also said he would get rid of a cap on state and local income taxes — an issue that has been a priority for candidates in key congressional races in New York and California.
In terms of this year, Schumer said he would consider bringing up a railway safety bill that Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown has pushed, along with GOP Sen. JD Vance, now Trump's running mate. He noted he met with Vance about the issue before he became the vice presidential nominee, but he had not secured enough Republican votes needed to advance the bill.
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