As the new year approaches, the 115th U. S. Congress will look to its new leaders to set the coming agenda. Democrats have tapped Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to be the Senate minority leader, with Dick Durbin, D-Ill., continuing to serve as whip. Schumer will be in charge of setting the agenda for Democrats and going toe-to-toe with the Trump administration. Traditionally, the Senate leader creates the party line in the Senate. The Whip makes sure the rest of the party toes that line. This year, Patty Murray, D-Wash., will join Schumer and Durbin in her new role as Assistant Democratic Leader, making her the third-highest Democratic leader in the Senate.

Democrats need to address a host of questions and concerns leading into Donald Trump’s inauguration. Namely, will they take an obstructionist approach, as Republican leadership has done under President Obama? Will Schumer be able to work with Trump and his administration? How does Schumer plan on moving forward following the results of the election? Most importantly, regarding the future of the Democratic Party, how progressive is leadership willing to go to appease the young voters flocking to Bernie Sanders and his vision of America? Those voters do, after all, represent the future of the party.

The coming months are sure to be a test of Democratic leadership as we build up to the first 100 days of Trump’s presidency. So far, Schumer has shown a deft political hand as minority leader. By creating the new position of assistant democratic leader, and making whip an official designation, Schumer has avoided infighting between Murray and Durbin. Contention brews within the party as leadership grasps at the reins, still reeling in the wake of November 8th. But for now, solidarity has prevailed. Now the Senate leadership must turn to 2017 and prepare itself and the party for what is sure to be a contentious year.

While none of these leaders are ideal for a progressive, they have championed some progressive causes. All three senators’ voting histories and high ratings by unions, agencies, and organizations representing the progressive left reveal them to be pro-labor, pro-environment, and pro-civil rights. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren endorsed Schumer for the leadership position before he was nominated, and Senator Schumer seems to be on-board with the progressive plans for the Democratic Party. In a recent interview, Schumer sang the praises of Bernie’s ideas and goals. He said he wants progressives to shed the idea that he will only represent the establishment. He stated that he is for free college education, for a major hike in the minimum wage, for a much more progressive economic stance, and for green initiatives. These statements all seemed rather unspecific, but if Schumer was to stop the bleeding left from the election wounds, he had better follow through.

Despite what he says, Senator Schumer must remember his most populous and prosperous constituency, New York City. With that baggage comes Wall Street and Schumer’s relationship with those that helped bring the world to its knees in 2008. But Schumer can defend himself from critics who say he will not work against Wall Street’s wishes. When Warren called on Schumer and Durbin to create the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in the wake of the financial meltdown, they were able to add the agency to the Dodd-Frank bill. The CFPB has since been a champion for the people, returning nearly $12 billion in five year to consumers harmed by companies in the banking or financial industries. Through regulations, the agency is estimated to have saved American families $16 billion in credit card fees alone. This is the Schumer progressives can get behind.

If the Democratic leadership acknowledges that there is a serious need for change, there is hope for a progressive Senate agenda going forward. A shift towards progressive policy could bring back the base and the votes for the Democrats in the next election, allowing for progressive reform. But first, Senate leadership must signal its intention to move back to the left and reject the neoliberal ideology. If Schumer is simply posturing, he weakens the future of his party.

Millennials are, by far, the most progressive generation in history. The trend transcends all traditional barriers. Men, women, white, person of color, earning less than $30,000, earning more than $100,000, Democrat, Republican, it does not matter. Across the spectrum, our zeitgeist lies in much more progressive views than the generations before us. If the Democratic leadership wants to build favor with future Democrats, it would be wise to create and implement a progressive agenda. Not only to combat President-elect Trump, but also to pivot towards the future. Or else, the modern party of the left will be left behind.