Latest news with #BradSchneider
Fox News
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Dem lawmakers say their voters are threatening 'blood' and 'violence' over inability to hinder Trump: report
Democratic lawmakers say their voters are enraged at the lack of ability to counter President Donald Trump's agenda, with some saying they could resort to "violence," Axios reported Monday. The outlet says it spoke to over two dozen House Democrats to measure the temperature of the Democratic base. What it found was red-hot anger and a burgeoning desire to circumvent the rule of law, where explanations that Democrats simply don't hold enough power in Washington fall on deaf ears. "We've got people who are desperately wanting us to do something... no matter what we say, they want [more]," Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Ill., told the outlet. Most of the lawmakers spoke on condition of anonymity. Schneider's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. "Our own base is telling us that what we're doing is not good enough... [that] there needs to be blood to grab the attention of the press and the public," one such lawmaker said. Another said their constituents are convinced that "civility isn't working" and that they should prepare for "violence... to fight to protect our democracy." A third lawmaker described some of the messages from people online as "crazy ****," saying that some told them to "storm the White House and stuff like that." The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. Another lawmaker compared Democratic voters to the "Roman coliseum." "People just want more and more of this spectacle," the lawmaker said. Other constituents have insisted that lawmakers take on the risk themselves, with one lawmaker saying they were told they should be willing to get "shot." "What I have seen is a demand that we get ourselves arrested intentionally or allow ourselves to be victims of violence, and... a lot of times that's coming from economically very secure White people," another lawmaker said. A seventh lawmaker recounted a meeting they had with constituents that laid bare the desire for escalation. "I actually said in a meeting, 'When they light a fire, my thought is to grab an extinguisher,'" the lawmaker detailed. "And someone at the table said, 'Have you tried gasoline?'" they added.
Axios
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Democrats told to "get shot" for the anti-Trump resistance
At town halls in their districts and in one-on-one meetings with constituents and activists, Democratic members of Congress are facing a growing thrum of demands to break the rules, fight dirty — and not be afraid to get hurt. Why it matters: House Democrats told Axios they see a growing anger among their base that has, in some cases, morphed into a disregard for American institutions, political traditions and even the rule of law. "This idea that we're going to save every norm and that we're not going to play [Republicans'] game ... I don't think that's resonating with voters anymore," said one House Democrat. Another told Axios that a "sense of fear and despair and anger" among voters "puts us in a different position where ... we can't keep following norms of decorum." Axios spoke to more than two dozen House Democrats for this story, with many requesting anonymity to offer candid insights about their interactions with constituents and activists. Zoom out: For months, Democratic lawmakers have fumed that their base's demands to " fight harder" misunderstand the lack of legislative and investigative power afforded to the minority party in Congress. "We've got people who are desperately wanting us to do something ... no matter what we say, they want [more]," said Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.), the chair of the center-left New Democrat Coalition, told Axios. Liberal voters have angrily accosted Democrats at town halls for — in their view — not doing enough to counter President Trump's agenda. In response, some Democrats have tried to up the ante: Heckling Trump, mounting rogue impeachment attempts, and getting tackled by law enforcement and even indicted in their efforts to scrutinize the president's deportation campaign. What we're hearing: The grassroots wants more. "Some of them have suggested ... what we really need to do is be willing to get shot" when visiting ICE facilities or federal agencies, a third House Democrat told Axios. "Our own base is telling us that what we're doing is not good enough ... [that] there needs to be blood to grab the attention of the press and the public," the lawmaker said. A fourth House Democrat said constituents have told them "civility isn't working" and to prepare for "violence ... to fight to protect our democracy." A fifth House Democrat told Axios that "people online have sent me crazy s*** ... told me to storm the White House and stuff like that," though they added that "there's always people on the internet saying crazy stuff." Between the lines: While other Democratic lawmakers said their discussions haven't gone that far, nearly every one who spoke to Axios cited examples of voters' panic and fury fueling demands to adopt brute force tactics. A sixth House Democrat said that when they try to persuade voters to channel their frustration into a focus on winning back Congress in 2026, "people who are angry don't accept that. They're angry beyond things." "It's like ... the Roman coliseum. People just want more and more of this spectacle," said a seventh lawmaker. What they're saying: Schneider, like other Democrats, said Trump impeachment efforts have proven extremely popular with grassroots voters and that, even as he has tried to shoot them down as impractical, some simply find the idea "irresistible." Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), a high-profile progressive, said he believes "the most effective pushback to Trump's unconstitutional actions is to model a reverence for the Constitution and the rule of law." Zoom in: Many lawmakers said these voters tend to be white, well-educated and live in upscale suburban or urban neighborhoods. "What I have seen is a demand that we get ourselves arrested intentionally or allow ourselves to be victims of violence, and ... a lot of times that's coming from economically very secure white people," said an eighth House Democrat. "Not only would that be a gift to Donald Trump, not only would it make the job of Republicans in Congress easier if we were all mired in legal troubles ... [we are] a group that is disproportionately people of color, women, LGBTQ people — people who do not fare very well in prison." The bottom line: "The expectations aren't just unreal. They're dangerous," the eighth House Democrat said.
Chicago Tribune
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider said leaders he met with in Middle East don't want Iran to have a nuclear weapon
As Israel was bombing targets in Iran this week to neutralize its nuclear program and the Iranians were firing missiles at Israel, U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Highland Park, was in the Middle East listening to leaders in Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Saudi Arabia. Leading a bipartisan trip to the three countries sponsored by the N7 Initiative, Schneider said leaders from all three nations made it clear they do not want Iran to have a nuclear weapon, but they are hoping for a diplomatic solution. 'All three countries believe Iran having a nuclear weapon is an unacceptable existential threat to their countries as well as Qatar and Kuwait,' Schneider said. 'They do not want Iran to have a nuclear weapon. They are concerned about the fighting and hope to see a diplomatic solution.' Schneider and his colleagues — U.S. Reps. Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif, Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, and Don Bacon, R-Neb.— returned to Washington Thursday after cancelling plans to spend two days in Israel at the end of their trip to help promote the Abraham Accords. After meeting with leaders in the three Arab countries, the four congressmen were scheduled to leave for Israel. Schneider said with Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv closed, the quartet made plans to fly to Amman, Jordan, and travel to Israel by car. Since the trip was sponsored by N7 Initiative, which is a partnership between the Atlantic Council and the Jeffrey M. Talpins Foundation, Schneider said they needed the change in plans approved by the House committee overseeing such travel. The request was denied, shortening the trip. Though Israel, the UAE, and Bahrain are part of the Abraham Accords, Saudi Arabia has yet to join and normalize relations with Israel. Schneider said the Saudi government hopes to normalize relations with Israel, but it has its own conditions. 'They want to see Israel on an irreversible path to a two-state solution,' Schneider said, referring to Israel and the Palestinians living side by side in two independent countries.
Chicago Tribune
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
US Rep. Brad Schneider says Congressional trip to Middle East in flux after Israel attack on Iran
Less than 24 hours before U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Highland Park, and three of his Congressional colleagues were scheduled to leave on a trip to the Middle East, Israel launched a military attack on Iran's nuclear facilities. Though Schneider said the itinerary — Bahrain, Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) — 'is in flux,' the attack may present an opportunity not present when the journey was initially planned to further the goals of the Abraham Accords signed in 2020. Schneider and three other members of the U.S. Congress' Abraham Accords Caucus were scheduled to leave Friday from Washington for a 10-day trip to the four Middle East countries to meet with leaders of those nations. Initially, Schneider said the goal of the trip was to talk to Arab and Israeli leaders about ways to further progress which has already been made. With the Israeli air force now bombing Iran it gives them something else to discuss. 'Iran has long been a nemesis to its neighbors in the region,' Schneider said. 'It attacked an oil refinery in Saudi Arabia. This could be a propitious time to talk to the (Arab) leaders and hear what they have to say.' Joining Schneider are U.S. Reps. Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif., Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, and Don Bacon R-Neb. The trip is sponsored by the N7 Initiative, which is a partnership between the Atlantic Council and the Jeffrey M. Talpins Foundation. Believing the Abraham Accords, if adapted and strengthened, provide the 'most viable platform for regional stability and cooperation in the Middle East,' representatives of the N7 Initiative, according to the Atlantic Council website, arranged the trip to the Middle East to help further the goal. A co-chair of the Abraham Accords Caucus in Congress, consisting of both members of the Senate and House of Representatives, Schneider said the goal of the trip remains furthering the progress. Along with Israel, the UAE and Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan are member countries. 'These nations believe the Jews and Arabs belong in the same land and need to find a way to live there together,' Schneider said. 'The Abraham Accords are the first formal recognition of Israel in the region since Egypt and Jordan. Saudi Arabia has talked about normalizing relations with Israel.' At approximately 3 a.m. local time Friday, Israel launched air attacks on nuclear and military sites in Iran. Its main nuclear reactor in Natanz and a smaller enrichment facility were damaged. Israel used approximately 200 planes to hit around 100 targets. Iranian military officials were reported killed. Missile launchers and radar facilities were destroyed. Iran responded with drone attacks on Israel. Schneider said in a statement Friday that there is a lot of uncertainty about the impact of the attack. It could signal the start of a wider war with implications for the United States, its partners, and the global economy. 'One thing must be clear,' Schneider said in the statement. 'America stands with Israel. Iran's long record of malign behavior — its threats to wipe Israel off the map, its support for Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis — makes clear why Israel assessed that it could not wait. A nuclear-armed Iran would pose an unacceptable threat not only to Israel but to the entire world.' Friday's attack was not the first time Israel destroyed nuclear facilities in the Middle East. In 1981, the Israeli Air Force bombed a nuclear reactor in Iraq, and did the same thing to Syria in 2007. 'Later events proved the wisdom of Israel's actions and benefited the region and the world,' Schneider said in the statement. 'I am confident, with Iran on the brink of weaponization, the world will again be grateful that Israel acted to prevent catastrophe.'
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Move fast and fix things': New Democrats push to lead their party's revamp
Brad Schneider has a vision for how moderate Democrats can help their party climb out of the wilderness: 'Move fast and fix things.' The Illinois congressman chairs the House's New Democrat Coalition, whose 114 members look for ways to meet Republican colleagues in the middle. He took the job in November, just after voters handed complete control of Washington to Republicans amid deep-seated economic dissatisfaction. Now Schneider is pushing for a lead role as the party's center seeks to reorient Democrats away from the progressive surge of the last five years. He wants to provide a roadmap for how Democrats can coalesce around wedge issues like Israel's war in Gaza, immigration, the debt, and cryptocurrency so they can win back Congress in 2026. 'Elon Musk has a reputation: He wanted to move fast and break things,' Schneider told Semafor from his Capitol office on Monday. 'The New Dems are looking to move fast and fix things.' Eleanor Mueller: What's your vision for how New Democrats can unite the various corners of the Democratic Party? Brad Schneider: We are the center of how we move the party forward. There's a lot of consternation about a lack of a single voice or a single leader for the Democrats. But we have an incredible talent pool — not just the 114 New Dems, but the folks we have in governorships. We're talking about ideas and policies that will improve life for all Americans — actually lower costs, make it easier to get ahead, and address the issues that we are facing from infrastructure. We've been talking about immigration and ways to move that forward since as long as I've been in Congress; innovation and also America's role in the world. Our message is about moving the country forward together, all Americans, and doing it in a way that isn't promising castles and clouds like Bernie Sanders likes to do, but just saying, 'How do we build from the ground up, step by step, so that we're going to be better and stronger and move forward each and every day?' Republicans say that the rioters in Los Angeles are doing what Democrats want. Why are they wrong? LA was quiet and calm, and then ICE began raids by showing up, sometimes in the dark at night, sometimes wearing masks. It's not that transparent. I think there is broad agreement throughout the country that, if there are people in this country who shouldn't be here, who are a threat to their communities, we should be taking actions to make sure that that threat is removed. But a country of laws, a country that celebrates its foundation on the Constitution and its implementation of those laws, due process and transparency — that stuff that we should welcome in the light of day, without the mess. The authorities in California and Los Angeles were taking the appropriate actions. The administration and Republicans, they're using this to further their narrative, to throw gasoline on the fire, to try to spark more anxiety and more fear. We should all be very concerned. I know in my community, people are anxious, people are scared. I also know in my community, we had a town hall on Saturday, and the questions were about, 'How do we protect the Constitution? How do we uphold the rule of law?' Do you think non-citizens participating in the protests should be deported? No. The Constitution uses the word 'citizen' 22 times; the word 'person' 49 times. There's only three places where the two are linked. People in the United States have the right to free speech. I'll defend people's right to speak, even when I disagree to my core with what they're saying. That doesn't give them the right to commit acts of violence, to intimidate, harass, and threaten other people. When it crosses the line, there should be consequences for everybody. Speaking of free speech, we've seen a lot of daylight in the party when it comes to the war between Israel and Hamas. How do you see the caucus moving forward on it? I don't think there's any debate that this war is horrible. And then within that, there's a debate of how to get to the most expeditious end — I know, for me, that's getting the hostages released, Hamas relinquishing control of Gaza, abandoning its threat to Israel, and then working within the Abraham Accords. The debate's fine. But denying the legitimacy of Israel or calling for the destruction of the Palestinians, you've crossed the line on both sides. How do you see the party moving forward on digital assets, given that there are Democrats with real hesitations around Trump-affiliated digital assets and then others who say Congress needs to act? The fact that the corruption is transparent and out in the open doesn't make it any less corrupt. But Congress can't wish away what's happening out in the world — and crypto is happening. How can the New Democrats bring party leadership along for what you want to do? We all have a great relationship with leadership. Leader Jeffries has been unfairly criticized, in my view, for going out of his way to listen to his caucus. There's a lot of different perspectives. But New Dems are the core; we're the majority of the caucus at 114 members. We are in the trenches, fighting on the front lines, dealing with the concerns of people who say, 'I can go either way. I'm looking for someone who's going to show us a vision to take us down the road that will lead to a better life for me and my family.' How are you thinking about the four-person race for ranking member on House Oversight in the context of the larger conversation about how Democrats treat seniority? I want to make sure we have the best person who is leading in committee, who knows how Congress works — which is complicated and nuanced in the best of times — but who also reflects who we are as a country. So I think there's a mix. I think seniority is something that you consider, but should not be determinative. Do you think there need to be more structural changes to how Democrats select committee leaders? I have ideas I will share with you at this time in 18 months.
