Senators Bernie Sanders (left) and Chuck Schumer. Photo: US Senate.

JNS.org — US Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT), both Jewish, have been tapped for leading positions within the Democrat Party next year.

Schumer was unanimously elected as Senate minority leader by the Democrat caucus Wednesday morning and will succeed Harry Reid (D-NV), who is retiring when his term ends in January.

Meanwhile, Sanders — who challenged former secretary of state Hillary Clinton in the Democrat presidential primary earlier this year — was selected as chairman of outreach during the same closed-door caucus meeting. In this capacity, Sanders will be tasked with reaching out to blue-collar voters who supported President-elect Donald Trump, The Hill reported.

Sanders said he has a “heavy responsibility to help shape the priorities of the United States government.”

“I’m going to do everything that I can to make sure that the budget that leaves the United States Congress is a budget that represents the needs of working families and a shrinking middle class, and not billionaires,” he said.