Sen. Fetterman Apologizes for Senate Democrats’ Role in Ongoing Government Shutdown
Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) apologized Thursday on behalf of Senate Democrats for the failure to pass legislation to end the ongoing government shutdown.
In an interview with CNN’s Manu Raju, Fetterman expressed frustration over federal workers remaining unpaid and the impact on families who rely on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. He noted that the funding lapse could leave millions struggling to put food on the table.
“And like I said, to all of the viewers, I’m apologizing that we can’t even get our s— together and just open up our government,” Fetterman said, according to the New York Post.
The shutdown has entered its fourth week, with Republicans and Democrats in the Senate deadlocked over spending legislation for the new fiscal year. SNAP funding, scheduled for distribution on Nov. 1, is now at risk, potentially affecting around 42 million Americans, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Fetterman shared that he expects to see the impact personally when he returns to Pennsylvania. His wife, Giselle, runs a local Free Store distributing food three times a week, and he has already noticed longer lines. “Now, I will encounter people that have no SNAP benefits starting on Saturday, and I don’t have an explanation for them,” he said.
Apologizing on behalf of Senate Democrats, Fetterman called the situation “an absolute failure” and highlighted the struggle parents face when basic benefits disappear.
The Pennsylvania Democrat, who has consistently supported continuing resolutions to fund and reopen the government, criticized his party for failing to reach an agreement with Senate Republicans. “If a Democrat — you know, we’re not allowed to just open this up, I mean, then our party has bigger problems than I thought we might have already. It’s like, that’s not controversial. Pay everybody,” he said.
Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) posted a video criticizing President Donald Trump for the shutdown’s effects on SNAP. Schumer said Trump is “manufacturing a hunger crisis to bludgeon the American people so he doesn’t have to fix healthcare.”
Republican leaders have said they are open to negotiating new subsidies for Obamacare but only after a clean continuing resolution to reopen the government is passed.
As the standoff continues, federal workers remain unpaid, SNAP benefits are at risk, and families across the country are feeling the effects of a shutdown that shows no immediate resolution.
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