Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) on Wednesday labeled the ongoing federal government shutdown a “failure,” doubling down on his commitment to place the needs of his state’s residents and the nation’s essential workers above partisan fighting.
“Our government remains closed, and I think that’s a failure,” Fetterman stated, offering a forceful defense of his commitment to keeping the government operational. “And I’m the guy that’s going to consistently vote for our country over a party. I’m always going to vote for paying our military over the party. I’m always going to vote for paying the Capitol Police over my party.”
The Pennsylvania Democrat emphasized the direct impact of the stalemate on his constituents, pledging to protect crucial aid and benefits. “I’m going to continue to fight for the two million Pennsylvanians that depend on SNAP to feed themselves, and I’m also going to fight for the same 420,000 Pennsylvanians on those tax credits to make health insurance more affordable,” he continued. “My vote is going to remain firmly on keeping our government open, and I’m going to continue to fight for all of these Pennsylvanians that I’m honored to represent here.”
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Fetterman’s Wednesday remarks reinforce his dramatic plea on Tuesday, where he urged his Republican colleagues to use the procedural “nuclear option” and eliminate the Senate filibuster for spending bills. He argued that carving out the filibuster—the 60-vote rule needed to end debate on legislation—would expedite the reopening of the government and prevent future shutdowns.
“There are no winners here… People are going to start to get really hungry,” Fetterman had previously noted, dismissing the gridlock as “just bad political theater.”
His Tuesday call to “nuke” the filibuster for appropriations drew attention for challenging the unwritten rules of the Senate and daring the GOP to take a step many Democrats have historically resisted.
“Carve it out for that, absolutely,” he said, adding that the move would make it “more difficult to shut the government down in the future.” He even challenged his own party: “I don’t want to hear any Democrat clutching their pearls about the filibuster. We all ran on it.”
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The Senator, who has previously broken with his party on issues like Israel and immigration, continues to position himself as a pragmatic outsider focused on immediate results for Pennsylvanians, even if it means endorsing radical procedural shifts in the Senate.
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