Top Senate Democrat Schumer postpones book tour for security reasons

By Gabriella Borter

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer, who has faced backlash from his party since saying he would not block a Republican spending bill,  postponed public events planned for this week for security reasons, according to several venues where he had been scheduled to appear.

Schumer sparked anger over last week's decision not to block the Republican spending bill that most Democratic lawmakers said gave President Donald Trump too much power. 

It was not clear what prompted the cancellation of events in Baltimore and Washington where the New York Democrat was due to speak to promote his new book, "Antisemitism in America: A Warning."

A publicity firm handling the events did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

On social media, activists had been encouraging protesters to attend his events to express anger over his Friday vote that cleared the way for passage of the Republican spending bill, which averted a government shutdown.

A local chapter of the group Jewish Voice for Peace, which describes itself as a progressive Jewish anti-Zionist organization, had planned a rally outside Schumer's Baltimore event to demand that Schumer distance himself from certain pro-Israel organizations and legislation, according to their Instagram page.

Schumer's decision to side with Republicans last week outraged Democrats in Congress and across the country, and it highlighted the party's struggles as it is shut out of power in Washington. With Republicans in control of both chambers of Congress, Democrats have little hope of stopping Trump's aggressive downsizing of the government.

Many lawmakers felt Schumer gave away a rare piece of leverage when he voted with Republicans to advance the spending bill, which will cut spending by about $7 billion and does not halt Trump's campaign to slash the government. Republicans needed at least seven Democratic votes to advance the bill to a final vote. 

Schumer said a government shutdown would be a worst-case scenario that would make it easier for Trump to eliminate even more federal jobs. New York's other U.S. senator, Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand, also voted to limit debate on the bill, as did eight other Senate Democrats.

House Democrats immediately criticized Schumer when he announced his decision on Thursday, and in a stunning back-and-forth with reporters on Friday, House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries declined to answer questions about whether he still had confidence in Schumer's leadership.

Republican lawmakers have also scaled back in-person events since several faced angry confrontations with voters upset over Trump's downsizing. 

(Reporting by Gabriella Borter and Richard Cowan in Washington; editing by Andy Sullivan, Nick Zieminski and Matthew Lewis)