Fetterman Urges Democrats to ‘Own the Shutdown’ and Reopen Government

In a rare moment of honesty from the Left, Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) broke ranks over the ongoing government shutdown and called out his own party, urging Democrats to “own the shutdown” and get the government back open.

Appearing on CNN’s State of the Union, Fetterman faced a question about the 42 million Americans including two million in Pennsylvania alone who will not receive SNAP benefits this month due to the closure of the federal government. Instead of the usual finger-pointing at Republicans, Fetterman shocked many by putting the blame squarely on his own party.

“I feel like the Democrats really need to own the shutdown,” Fetterman said. “I mean, we’re shutting it down.”

Let that sink in. A sitting Democratic senator is openly admitting what Americans have known all along this shutdown is manufactured by the Democratic Party for political leverage and it’s the American people who are paying the price.

Here’s what’s really happening:

• SNAP benefits lapsed on November 1, cutting off food assistance to over 40 million Americans.

• Unions, airlines, and government employees are demanding action as operations grind to a halt.

• The Democrats refuse to pass a clean continuing resolution (CR) unless it includes expanded tax credits their political wishlist.

Fetterman acknowledged that he voted for every CR offered by his party but refused to keep backing tactics that result in “food insecurity” for millions. “All is solved by just reopen[ing] our government and the people are now paid,” he said a message that directly contradicts the Democratic leadership's current strategy of political hostage-taking.

Meanwhile, the Biden White House is busy blaming President Trump for not dipping into contingency funds for SNAP even though it’s Democrats who shut down the government in the first place.

It’s a pathetic game of political hot potato while working families go hungry, air travel becomes less safe, and vital federal services stall. Fetterman even warned about the rising risks in air travel due to staffing shortfalls, asking, “Do we really want to make flying less safe?”

This is what leadership failure looks like. The party that claims to be the champion of the working class has become its biggest enemy. Rather than negotiate or compromise, Democrats would rather starve families, burden the middle class, and weaponize essential services all in a desperate bid to gain leverage over the Trump administration.

Even when a Democrat like Fetterman dares to tell the truth, the media buries it. But Americans see it. And come 2026, they’ll remember exactly which party shut the lights off in Washington and left the country hanging.

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