 Simons, who died in May, was no ordinary donor. His family contributed $25 million to Democrats in a 2022 record show. In the past, he had said that he helped Schumer craft legislation and called the New York Democrat a pretty good friend of mine, according to a 2020 oral history interview with the American Institute of Physics. A spokesperson for Schumer said the Senate leader did not speak with Simons about the negotiations. Yeah, well, Simons is dead, so, you know, so it's Schumer's word we have to take.