Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania has publicly criticized Democrats for their inconsistent stance on the filibuster during the ongoing government shutdown. Speaking on Capitol Hill on the 21st day of the shutdown, Fetterman remarked that Democrats ‘ran on killing the filibuster, and now we love it.’ This statement came in response to Republican senators’ proposals to eliminate the filibuster to expedite government reopening.
Fetterman, a member of the Democratic Party, pointed out that the party had previously campaigned on ending the filibuster, which is a procedural tool that allows a minority of senators to block legislation. However, he criticized Democrats for seemingly embracing the filibuster now, as they have stalled the passage of the funding bill in the Senate. ‘I don’t want to hear any Democrat clutching their pearls about the filibuster. We all ran on it. I ran on that in my … so, like, that’s, yeah,’ Fetterman said.
The ongoing government shutdown is a result of the Senate’s refusal to pass the House-passed funding bill in a timely manner. The House approved a continuing resolution extending fiscal year (FY) 2025 funding levels, providing a seven-week extension to give Congress time to negotiate a longer-term deal for FY 2026. However, the Senate has stalled on the bill, with at least several Democrats needed to reach the 60-vote threshold to break a filibuster.
With the government shutdown affecting essential services, including the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), Fetterman stressed the importance of reopening the government. He argued that Americans are ‘losing’ during the shutdown and emphasized the need to ‘open it back up.’
Meanwhile, House Republicans have continued to push for a final vote on the funding bill, while Senate Democrats have been resisting, citing procedural concerns. Some members of the Senate Democratic caucus have been voting with Republicans, but the current tally shows that at least five more Democrats are needed to hold a final vote. This deadlock underscores the deepening partisan divide over the government’s funding and operational procedures.