No Democrat in Washington will face higher expectations or more scrutiny over the next two years than Schumer. Liberals are already demanding that he and his caucus use the Senate’s supermajority rules to block Trump’s agenda and tamp down his popularity. But Schumer, a seasoned D.C. dealmaker, has made clear he’s not interested in blanket obstruction and signaled he will play ball with Trump when it can help the working class.

The core group of 10 senators includes Manchin and Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) at one end of the political spectrum, and Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) at the other, making the leadership table a potential hotbed of ideological tension. The 10 lawmakers will be involved in all crucial party meetings, senators said. Reid often limited such gatherings to his top four and occasionally would act unilaterally.

Elizabeth Warren will be joined by Sanders, the caucus’ new “chairman of outreach.” The 2016 presidential candidate argued in an interview that Democrats have “not been anywhere near as aggressive as they should be” in connecting with the grassroots.

“Obviously what happens inside the Beltway is enormously important and we have got to fight for progressive legislation here,” Sanders said. “But we are not gonna be successful unless we rally millions of people to demand that Congress start representing all Americans and not just the 1 percent.”