Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman is offering sharp advice to his party during the shutdown, now in its 23rd day: “Stop this crap” and reopen the government.
Fetterman criticized Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's decision to block legislation to pay essential federal workers and members of the U.S. military during a shutdown on Thursday. The Pennsylvania Democrat has become increasingly critical of his party's shutdown strategy as the pain of defunding becomes more visible to Americans. (CONNECTED: Democrats reject bipartisan bill to pay military members and 'essential' federal workers during shutdown)
“Just open it all up and just stop this crap,” Fetterman told reporters Thursday after a failed vote to ensure millions of federal workers would not miss paychecks at the start of a new pay period on Friday. “I don't care who wins, who loses, who blinks.”
“America is losing,” Fetterman added.
Fetterman was one of three Democrats support GOP legislation to pay federal workers who report to work during the shutdown and military personnel. The bill failed to pass the Senate's 60-vote threshold due to majority Democratic opposition.
Supplemental nutrition program (CLICK) helps feed more than 40 million Funding for Americans and its funding expires on November 1 unless new appropriations are made. More than 25 states, including Pennsylvania, warn they will freeze benefits by that date if the shutdowns extend.
“And now people are asking, 'Where's our SNAP program? Hey, where does our food come from?' Fetterman also said. “This is not a political game.”
But Senate Democrats show no signs of abandoning their hard-line tactics. Schumer has led nearly all Democratic lawmakers, notably Fetterman, dozens of times in blocking bipartisan legislation to reopen the government.
Democrats remain adamant that any government funding deal must include extending expiring Obamacare subsidies; and various partisan political demands.
Fetterman, however, agrees with Republicans that non-government funding policies should be discussed after the shutdown ends.
“Two million Pennsylvanians depend on SNAP, and more than 400,000 Pennsylvanians use these tax credits to make health insurance more affordable,” Fetterman said. “I'm willing to bet that the Venn diagram is essentially a circle, and that's a double whammy for people.”
“This is Sophia's choice for the Democrats. Hungry people and health insurance,” Fetterman continued, using a common expression for an incredibly difficult decision. “I want both, but I just strongly disagree about which tactic is appropriate.”
WASHINGTON, DC – FEBRUARY 2: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) speaks as Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) looks on during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on February 2, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Most Democrats explained their opposition by saying the measure empowered President Donald Trump and failed to ensure all federal workers were paid during the shutdown.
“If you let them decide who they're going to keep employed in the federal government and who they're going to pay, you're also giving them carte blanche as to who they're going to send home and who they're going to punish with back pay,” Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland said on the Senate floor Thursday. “If you just let them decide who gets paid and who doesn't, you're weaponizing this illegality, you're weaponizing the federal government.”
GOP legislators parried that Democrats are seeking to use unpaid federal workers in the fight for funding as “leverage” to accept policy concessions from Republicans.
The Senate is expected to vote next week on a bill introduced by Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz that would pay airport workers during the closure. A similar debate over whether to pay federal workers and military personnel during the government shutdown is likely to recur before the standoff comes to an end.
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