Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) railed against House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) in a Sunday interview with ABC's "This Week."
Shortly before Schumer's ABC appearance, Boehner said the votes for a clean continuing resolution "are not in the House."
"Let me issue him a friendly challenge," Schumer responded. "Put it on the floor Monday or Tuesday. I would bet there are the votes to pass it."
Schumer explained that most House Democrats and 21 House Republicans have publicly said they'd vote in favor of a spending bill with no Obamacare provisions, and that there are "many more Republicans" who have said they would in private.
The Democratic senator said his party can't give in to a "hostage taking" like the one the Republican party presented.
"We could do the same thing on immigration," he said. "We believe strongly in immigration reform. We could say we're shutting down the government, we're not gonna raise the debt ceiling until you pass immigration reform. It would be governmental chaos."
Schumer said that Boehner has repeatedly given in to the influence of Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and tea party conservatives, and that eventually he'll have to develop the "strength to resist them." If he doesn't, Schumer warned, Boehner will face the wrath of Wall Street and "mainstream Republicans."
"As we get closer, the blame will fall on Speaker Boehner and the Republican party for this upcoming disaster," Schumer said. "They'll have to back off."
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