Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said he still wants to work with President Trump, but warned that Democrats won’t sign on to policies that go against their values ahead of a budget showdown this week.
Schumer, speaking on MSNBC, said Democrats still want to work with Trump on trade and infrastructure, although Trump has yet to engage them in the policy-making process. With the government days away from a partial shutdown, Schumer warned Trump that Democrats are here to talk but won’t sell out their values to give him a political win.
“We are not going to oppose things because the name Trump is on it,” he said. “If we can meet him and keep our values, we’ll do it.”
Schumer added, “I’m always willing to talk to him but it’s gotta be something where he actually listens and moves in a direction. He can’t just assert what he wants.”
Schumer said he’s spoken with Trump a few times in recent weeks, despite Democrats being mostly shut out of the president’s policy-making maneuvers.
He said Senate Democrats sent Trump their infrastructure plan and have made overtures to him on trade, but have been left waiting for a response. Now with Trump set to unveil a tax reform plan this week, Schumer is not sure there’s a way for Democrats to support Trump’s latest proposal.
“If the vast majority of his tax cuts go toward the very wealthy then we won’t be able to work with him,” he said.
