Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania is breaking ranks with his party over the ongoing government shutdown, urging Democrats to “cut the sh*t” and immediately reopen the federal government as the funding lapse stretches into its 23rd day.
Fetterman criticized Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for blocking Republican-backed legislation that would have ensured pay for essential federal workers and members of the military. He said the shutdown has gone beyond political gamesmanship and is now causing real harm.
“Just open up the whole thing and just cut the shit,” Fetterman told reporters Thursday after Democrats filibustered the bill. “I don’t care about who’s winning, who’s losing, who’s going to blink. America loses.”
Fetterman was one of only three Democrats who voted in favor of advancing the GOP-authored measure, which failed to reach the 60 votes needed to proceed.
The stakes are growing for millions of Americans. Funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which serves more than 40 million people, is set to expire on Nov. 1 if the shutdown continues. States including Pennsylvania have warned they will be forced to freeze benefits.
“And now people are like, where’s our SNAP? Hey, where’s our food coming from?” Fetterman said. “That’s not a political game.”
Democratic leaders, led by Schumer, have refused to advance any funding legislation that does not include extensions of Obamacare subsidies and other policy demands. They argue that passing partial funding bills would give President Donald Trump too much discretion over which federal employees get paid during the shutdown.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland argued on the Senate floor that “if you allow them to decide who they’re going to keep on the job in the federal government and who they’re going to pay, you’re giving them also a blank check as to who they’re going to send home and who they’re going to punish by not paying. If you just let them decide who’s going to get paid and who’s not, you weaponize that illegality, you weaponize the federal government.”
Republicans counter that Democrats are intentionally using unpaid federal workers as leverage in their policy fight.
Fetterman said he agrees that health insurance subsidies and food aid are important priorities, but believes they should not be tied to reopening the government.
“Two million Pennsylvanians depend on SNAP and over 400,000 Pennsylvanians use those tax credits to make health insurance more affordable,” he said. “I’m willing to bet that Venn diagram is essentially a circle, and that’s a double whammy for people.”
Calling it “the Democrats’ Sophie’s Choice,” Fetterman added, “Hungry people, and health insurance. I want them both, but I just strongly disagree of what’s the appropriate tactic.”
The Senate is expected to vote next week on legislation introduced by Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas that would ensure airport workers continue to get paid during the shutdown, setting the stage for another clash over whether essential employees should receive pay before full government funding is restored.