Schumer reelected as Senate majority leader

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) was reelected Thursday morning to serve another term as Senate majority leader, capping a successful two years for the veteran lawmaker, who was just reelected to a fifth Senate term.  

Senate Democrats also reelected the rest of Schumer’s leadership team, giving Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) another term as Senate Democratic whip, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) another term as Democratic Policy Committee chairwoman, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) another term as chairwoman the Democratic Steering Committee and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) as chairman of the Democratic Outreach Committee. 

“A great, diverse, hard-working, effective leadership team,” Schumer announced as he posed with his team for photos in the Senate’s Ohio Clock corridor after the Democratic caucus held its elections in the Mansfield Room just off the Senate floor.  

“We had a great unified meeting where we were both very glad about what we are able to accomplish in the last Congress and setting strong aspirations that we will accomplish as much in the next two years,” Schumer told reporters.  

Senate Democrats expanded their majority to 51 seats in the midterm elections after passing several major bills in the 117th Congress, including a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, legislation to address gun violence and a sweeping package to fight climate change and reform prescription drug pricing.  

The biggest change made to the Senate Democratic leadership structure is that Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) will take over as Senate president pro tempore, putting her third in line to the presidency and giving her access to a handsome Capitol office next to the Senate Appropriations Committee’s rooms and a large security detail.  

The current president pro tem, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), will retire from Congress at the end of the year.  

Murray’s previous leadership post of assistant Democratic leader will be eliminated.  

Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) will serve again as vice chairs of the Democratic caucus.

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) will serve another two years as vice chair of outreach, and Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) will continue as vice chairmen of policy and communications. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) will stay in her role as secretary of the conference.  

Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) has been appointed to the position of deputy Democratic conference chairman.  

Schumer has yet to announce who will serve as the new chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in the 2024 election cycle, when Democrats will have to defend 23 seats, including those belonging to Independent Sen. Angus King (Maine) and Sanders. 

“We’ll see,” Schumer said when asked about the timing of the campaign chairman’s selection.