Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman maintained his consistent break from party lines Saturday, once again criticizing fellow Democrats for the ongoing partial government shutdown that has paralyzed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Speaking on “The Big Weekend Show,” Fetterman reaffirmed his position as the only Democrat to vote against the funding halt, a stance he has held despite the party’s push for new restrictions on federal law enforcement.
The shutdown has forced “emergency measures” across the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Fetterman, who travels through airports weekly, noted that the impact on rank-and-file workers remains his primary concern.
“I ask all those TSA agents, and I said, ‘Hey, do you like not to get paid for your work?’ I haven’t met one saying, ‘No, it’s no problem,’” he stated, arguing that the funding gap simply punishes workers without achieving policy goals.
READ: Pennsylvania Sen. Fetterman Draws Line In The Sand Over SAVE Act As Senate Filibuster Loom
The legislative deadlock is tied to Democratic demands for ICE reforms following the January shooting deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good during a federal operation in Minnesota.
However, Fetterman argued that the strategy is fundamentally flawed because ICE currently retains its funding.
“It doesn’t push or force ICE to do any of those kinds of reforms that people think are necessary now,” Fetterman said, suggesting the move makes the country less safe while failing to leverage the desired changes.
Refusing to align with the party’s broader strategy, Fetterman characterized the resistance to funding as a byproduct of a “toxic” political environment where agreeing with the opposition is shunned.
He framed his continued defiance as a choice to prioritize labor and national security over partisan optics. “I’m going to put those union workers over it,” Fetterman said, “or America’s security over what the base might demand.”
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