Schumer to Boehner: 'Abandon the Tea Party'

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) called on Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) to abandon the Tea Party element of his conference in the name of passing a long-term budget deal for the rest of the fiscal year.

“In order to avoid a dead end on these budget talks he [Boehner] should abandon the Tea Party and work to find a bipartisan consensus,” Schumer said on the floor Wednesday afternoon. “It’s the only way out of this bind. “

Schumer noted Boehner would have been unable to pass the most recent three-week measure in the House without the support of Democrats after 54 conservative Republicans defected. Those Republicans voted against the bill because the measure lacked certain riders on issues like abortion, net neutrality and global warming and because they wanted deeper cuts.

“It was a very telling and troubling vote,” said Schumer. “Conservatives abandoned their party in droves … this was a bad moment. This was not supposed to happen.”

The House passed the measure Tuesday in a 271-158 vote. Republicans needed 29 Democratic votes to win passage.

The same measure will likely be voted on by the Senate later this week.