What Democratic Senate wins in Georgia mean for New York

Likely U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer could make a big difference in the state’s pandemic recovery.

Senator Chuck Schumer

Senator Chuck Schumer Phil Pasquini/Shutterstock

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer could become the most powerful person in the Senate now that Democrats appear likely to win two runoff elections in Georgia. “For too long, much-needed help has been stalled or diluted by a Republican-led Senate and President Trump,” Schumer said in a Wednesday morning statement. “That will change with a Democratic Senate, Democratic House and a Democratic president.”

The ascendance of Schumer to majority leader could mean billions of dollars in new federal aid to address the economic damage wrought by the pandemic. It also provides an additional dose of political energy for state Democrats as they convene Wednesday for the first day of the 2021 state legislative session. “It’s really feeling like this country is about to get a fresh start,” first-term state Sen. Samra Brouk tweeted Wednesday of the effects that progressive organizing in Georgia has had on the Empire State. “Buckle up,” Schumer added this morning, when he reportedly spoke with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

The 2021 legislative session looks likely to be a contentious one for the governor and legislative leaders. The state faces a multibillion-dollar budget deficit. Millions of people are hurting from the struggling economy. Vital infrastructure like the New York City subway system seemingly is either on the brink of historic decay or revival. Republican legislators meanwhile are picking a fight with Democrats over the emergency powers the Legislature granted the governor at the beginning of the pandemic while progressive legislators and activists are pushing for new taxes on the wealthy. Cuomo and legislative leaders have until the April 1 state budget deadline to figure out all of that.

The governor has argued that negotiating tax increases should wait until after it becomes clear whether additional aid is coming from a Democratically controlled White House and Congress. More federal money would also mean less new revenue would be needed to close the budget deficit while funding political priorities like public schools and health care. Cuomo has said he would start unveiling his budget plans next week. “I have to rewrite the State of the State,” Cuomo said Wednesday of the effect that the Georgia election results will have on his own budget plans. He now has less than a week left to ponder how his ability to address the budget deficit depends on Schumer. “They have to make it right,” Cuomo added of outstanding congressional requests, such as a repeal of a cap on state and local tax deductions.

Dealing with a fellow Democrat undoubtedly beats having to work with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican who Cuomo has accused of waging economic war on the Empire State. “It’s been devastating for the state,” Cuomo said Wednesday. “They have used New York as a political piñata.” Yet, Schumer has been a longtime rival of the governor’s for the political spotlight. “Gonna need a live shot of Andrew Cuomo realizing he’s going to have to treat Chuck Schumer with reverence,” Ben Max of Gotham Gazette tweeted Wednesday on what lays ahead for a governor who will likely not be as powerful in state politics as he was earlier in the pandemic. Even as minority leader, Schumer recently was an important part in saving the Metropolitan Transportation Authority from fiscal ruin by negotiating billions in new aid. Schumer is now talking big about what Democrats can do on other issues like climate change and the ongoing response to the pandemic that continues to push hospitals across the country to their limits.

He is hardly the only state Democrat feeling optimistic. “America is about to find out just how much better things get when you put a Brooklynite in charge!” as unusually “pumped” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted Wednesday morning. Schumer is the one best positioned to validate the idea that slender Democratic majorities in the U.S. Senate and House can save the Empire State from the monthslong specter of a doomsday budget, just as the coronavirus pandemic would seemingly begin drawing to a close.

Becoming Senate majority leader might make fellow Democrats forget all the grief Schumer was getting weeks ago for failing to lead his party to a clear majority in November. But new power also means expectations are higher than ever of what Schumer should be able to get done. “We get to say goodbye to Mitch because we won Georgia,” state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said in her opening remarks of the 2021 legislative session. “Chuck, we need you.”

NEXT STORY: The (Public) Match Game

X
This website uses cookies to enhance user experience and to analyze performance and traffic on our website. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. Learn More / Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Accept Cookies
X
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Do Not Sell My Personal Information

When you visit our website, we store cookies on your browser to collect information. The information collected might relate to you, your preferences or your device, and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to and to provide a more personalized web experience. However, you can choose not to allow certain types of cookies, which may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings according to your preference. You cannot opt-out of our First Party Strictly Necessary Cookies as they are deployed in order to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting the cookie banner and remembering your settings, to log into your account, to redirect you when you log out, etc.). For more information about the First and Third Party Cookies used please follow this link.

Allow All Cookies

Manage Consent Preferences

Strictly Necessary Cookies - Always Active

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data, Targeting & Social Media Cookies

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act, you have the right to opt-out of the sale of your personal information to third parties. These cookies collect information for analytics and to personalize your experience with targeted ads. You may exercise your right to opt out of the sale of personal information by using this toggle switch. If you opt out we will not be able to offer you personalised ads and will not hand over your personal information to any third parties. Additionally, you may contact our legal department for further clarification about your rights as a California consumer by using this Exercise My Rights link

If you have enabled privacy controls on your browser (such as a plugin), we have to take that as a valid request to opt-out. Therefore we would not be able to track your activity through the web. This may affect our ability to personalize ads according to your preferences.

Targeting cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.

Social media cookies are set by a range of social media services that we have added to the site to enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They are capable of tracking your browser across other sites and building up a profile of your interests. This may impact the content and messages you see on other websites you visit. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to use or see these sharing tools.

If you want to opt out of all of our lead reports and lists, please submit a privacy request at our Do Not Sell page.

Save Settings
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Cookie List

A cookie is a small piece of data (text file) that a website – when visited by a user – asks your browser to store on your device in order to remember information about you, such as your language preference or login information. Those cookies are set by us and called first-party cookies. We also use third-party cookies – which are cookies from a domain different than the domain of the website you are visiting – for our advertising and marketing efforts. More specifically, we use cookies and other tracking technologies for the following purposes:

Strictly Necessary Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Functional Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Performance Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Social Media Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Targeting Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.