Democratic Senator John Fetterman (PA) delivered a scathing rebuke of his own party on Sunday, telling CNN’s State of the Union that Democrats “really need to own” the ongoing government shutdown, which he labeled an “absolute fail” and “embarrassing.”
The Pennsylvania Senator criticized the tactic of keeping the government closed to pressure Congress into extending Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits, calling it the “wrong tactic” and one that is hurting the very people the party claims to fight for.
Fetterman painted a stark picture of the shutdown’s human cost, highlighting several concrete statistics:
- 42 Million Americans are at risk of losing their SNAP benefits as a result of the funding lapse, a situation the Senator called “deeply, deeply distressing.”
- Federal workers have already been forced to borrow more than a third of a billion dollars just to pay their own bills.
- In his home state of Pennsylvania, Fetterman noted that over 150,000 Pennsylvanians are projected to lose their health coverage if enhanced ACA premiums expire. He cited specific examples of projected premium hikes:
- Allegheny County (where he lives), average monthly healthcare costs are projected to rise 75 percent.
- Rural Juniata County prices are projected to jump a staggering 435 percent.
“We are the party that is fighting for working people,” Fetterman said. “And now, the four airlines are now saying, ‘we really have to stop this right now,’ and ‘why do we really want to make flying less safe…?'” He added, “I feel like we’re moving against our core values to keep our government shut down at this point.”
Tax Credits and Blame
While Fetterman stated he “fully support[s]” the extension of the expiring tax credits—and voted for every Continuing Resolution (CR) presented—he argued that shutting down the government has guaranteed that neither the tax credits nor a functioning government is achieved.
“It was wrong when the Republicans did it. It’s wrong. Now that we seem to be driving it,” Fetterman asserted, shifting blame for the shutdown’s continuation directly onto his own party. He argued that reopening the government is a straightforward solution that would immediately resolve the crisis for federal workers and those dependent on programs like SNAP, WIC, and Head Start.
A Look Ahead: NYC Mayoral Race and Socialism
The Senator also weighed in on the New York City mayoral race, where Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani is the Democratic nominee. Fetterman, who had previously dismissed Mamdani as “not even a Democrat,” doubled down on his ideological stance.
“Socialism is not the future of my party,” Fetterman declared, adding, “We all know how socialism works out. Ask anybody who’s lived under those kinds of systems all across the globe.” He avoided endorsing either Mamdani or independent candidate and former Governor Andrew Cuomo, stating, “that’s going to be New York’s voice.”
Fetterman concluded by reiterating his call for a way forward, saying, “We are hurting the very people that we fight for. And now we’re getting nothing for them if we continue to keep our government shut down.”
READ: “Cut The Sh-t”: Pennsylvania Sen. Fetterman Rips Democrats, Demands Government Reopen
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