Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) announced Tuesday he would align with Senate Republicans to eliminate the legislative filibuster in an effort to resolve the ongoing government shutdown, marking a significant departure from his Democratic colleagues. The remarks came as the shutdown entered its third week, with critical programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) facing funding shortages.
Fetterman expressed frustration over the stalemate, stating, “There are no winners here. It’s not getting better every day here. People are going to start to get really hungry, and I’ve been fully, fully committed to fund SNAP, open up the government.” He also highlighted the financial strain on U.S. Capitol Police officers, who remain unpaid during the shutdown.
When asked about supporting a Republican proposal to bypass the 60-vote threshold for passing a funding measure, Fetterman responded, “Carve it out for that, absolutely,” referring to a temporary filibuster exception. He argued that ending the filibuster would make it harder to shut down the government in the future, calling it “entirely appropriate.”
Fetterman also criticized Democrats who have reversed their positions on the filibuster, asserting, “I don’t want to hear any Democrat clutching their pearls about the filibuster. We all ran on it.” His stance could shift momentum toward abolishing the procedural tool, despite skepticism from some Senate Republicans.
