America is in the midst of a government shutdown, largely driven by the stubbornness of two New York Democrats: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Schumer’s shift is notable, given that just months ago he warned that even the threat of a shutdown would be catastrophic—a stance Republicans now use to paint him as obstructive.

Earlier this year, Schumer faced criticism from his left-wing base for supporting a government funding bill to avoid a shutdown. He defended his decision repeatedly, emphasizing that a shutdown would severely harm the country. Democratic senators such as Brian Schatz, Elizabeth Warren, Mark Warner, and Mark Kelly also warned shutdowns would hurt veterans, seniors, and federal workers.

Some Republicans believe Schumer is deliberately allowing the shutdown because he fears a primary challenge from progressive New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. When asked directly on MSNBC if she planned to challenge him, Ocasio-Cortez denied the claim, insisting the shutdown isn’t about her.

“This is so not about me,” she told MSNBC host Chris Hayes. Instead, she focused on protecting healthcare, saying, “I’m not going to tolerate 4 million uninsured Americans because Donald Trump decided kids shouldn’t have access to insurance.” She invited critics to negotiate with her directly rather than blaming her for the shutdown.

Ocasio-Cortez stressed that the priority should be ensuring Americans can afford vital treatments like insulin and chemotherapy—not political gamesmanship.