DEPEW, N.Y. — It's business as usual for Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, who held several press conferences across the state Tuesday. The Democrat appears to have little concern about recent polls that shows his approval rating down.
"The polls go up and down. Over my years in politics I have found if you do your job, everything works out OK," Schumer said. "I do my job."
Schumer is touting that work he's doing including a bipartisan budget deal he believes has congressional support. He said he doesn't expect another threat of a government shutdown.
"Senator McConnell and I came up with a good budget for the first time that really helps the middle class and will help Western New York," he said.
Meanwhile, on the same day Florida state legislators voted down an attempt to revive a bill banning assault rifles, Schumer commended the survivors of the Parkland shooting who are lobbying at the state and federal level for reform.
"I'd say to the young people in Florida, ‘you've seen this terrible tragedy. It's very good that instead of cursing the darkness, you're trying to do something good to prevent future tragedies,’" he said.
On the topic of Parkland and gun control, the senator pivoted to the issues with mental illness. He's been highly critical of the White House budget proposal to cut funding to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
"We're not doing enough to stop those who have real mental illness from getting guns. We don't do enough checking. There's not enough resources. We need all of that," Schumer said.
Finally, Schumer expressed his continued support for Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who charged 13 Russian nationals Friday with conspiracy to defraud the United States connected to alleged interference in the 2016 election.
"The Russians interfering in our elections is outrageous and I don't care what party you are, what philosophy you are. To have a foreign power and a bad guy like Putin try to mess up our elections gets at what we're all about, which is Democracy," he said.