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During an interview appearance on CNN's State of the Union on Sunday, Senator John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat, called the ongoing government shutdown an "absolute fail," adding that it's "embarrassing." "We are hurting the very people that we fight for. And now we're getting nothing for them if we continue to keep our government shut down," he said. Newsweek has reached out to Fetterman for further comment by email Sunday. Why It Matters The ongoing federal government shutdown, which has entered its 33rd day, has directly jeopardized critical support for millions of Americans, with the lapse in funding endangering programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Affordable Care Act (ACA) health care subsidies. Fetterman has emerged as a notable Democratic voice calling to end the shutdown while criticizing both party leadership and the legislative stalemate. Fetterman's remarks have amplified calls for a path forward and draw attention to the growing impacts of prolonged government inaction, including food insecurity for families and workforce uncertainty for federal employees. What To Know The government shutdown began after Congress failed to agree on legislation to fund federal agencies. The discord has centered largely around Democratic demands for an extension of ACA health care subsidies and Republican efforts to pass a "clean" continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government operating. As a result, vital aid programs like SNAP lost funding on November 1, leaving millions in uncertainty. Fetterman, who has served in the Senate since 2023 and is known for his independent political style, has supported social safety net programs and has sometimes broken with party leadership. "I feel like the Democrats really need to own the shutdown," Fetterman told host Jake Tapper on Sunday. "I mean, we're shutting it down. I know why. They claim because they want to address the tax credits. And I fully support that." When asked by Tapper if any Republicans offered him any assurances that they will work with Democrats to prevent health care costs from rising if Democrats reopen the government, Fetterman said, "I do believe many Democrats realize and now Republicans realize that we have to address this and extend these tax credits." "I absolutely hope that we do. I fully support these things, but this is the wrong tactic," the senator said. "And right now, by doing this, our government shutdown, we're getting neither of those things, and they guarantee neither you're going to get your SNAP benefits, and you're not going to get those kind of tax credits that we all need. Reopen this thing, and we can find a way forward. That's the way democracy operates for right now." Fetterman also told Tapper that "federal workers have had to borrow more than a third of a billion dollars just to pay their own bills" amid the shutdown, adding that "these are the kinds of people why I am a Democrat, fighting for people like that." The senator also called out what he described as political showmanship on Friday, telling CNN's Manu Raju, "Americans are not leverage. This is not some sh***y gameshow about who’s winning or whatever. We have to be better than this and just open this up." Fetterman emphasized the tangible impacts on families, saying, "Imagine being a parent with a couple kids, and how you’re going to fill their refrigerator, and pack their lunches, and get on with their lives when the things that they depended on now is gone because we can’t even agree to open things up." The U.S. Senate has repeatedly failed to reach the 60-vote threshold necessary to advance the CR. President Donald Trump publicized his demand that Senate Republicans employ the "nuclear option" by eliminating the filibuster, but key Senate Republicans warned against this approach. Fetterman, meanwhile, urged Congress on Sunday to reopen the government and move forward to provide funding for the people who need the assistance. "It was wrong when the Republicans did it. It’s wrong now that we seem to be driving it," the senator said, later adding, "As a committed Democrat, I might disagree in some areas, much like shutting down our government or other areas now. But I'm going to push back and announce people that this is wrong." What People Are Saying Judge Indira Talwani of the U.S. District Court for Massachusetts said: “Right now, Congress has put money in an emergency fund for an emergency, and it’s hard for me to understand how this isn’t an emergency when there’s no money and a lot of people are needing their SNAP benefits." Dottie Rosenbaum, senior fellow and director of federal SNAP policy and the center-left think tank The Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, said in a report: "Under past shutdowns, during both Republican and Democratic administrations, SNAP benefits have always been provided using available funding sources to prevent a break in benefits. While it is not clear whether past administrations used the contingency reserve or instead used other available funding sources, making use of the contingency reserve unnecessary, the guidance documents from past shutdowns or near-shutdowns make it clear that the SNAP contingency reserve was available to cover regular SNAP benefits." House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, said earlier this week: "There has to be a preexisting appropriation for the contingency to be used, and Democrats blocked that appropriation when they rejected the clean continuing resolution. The best way for SNAP benefits to be paid on time is for the Democrats to end their shutdown." What Happens Next? The Senate has yet to break the deadlock required to pass legislation to reopen the government. On Friday, U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell in Providence, Rhode Island, ordered the government to fund SNAP using contingency funds. In Boston, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani also ruled that the USDA has to pay for SNAP, calling the suspension “unlawful.” Talwani ordered the federal government to advise the court by Monday as to whether they will use emergency reserve funds to provide reduced SNAP benefits for November or fully fund the program “using both contingency funds and additional available funds.”
