Fetterman Slams Democrats Over SNAP Crisis, Shutdown: ‘We’re Moving Against Our Core Values’
Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) took a blowtorch to his own party on Sunday, placing direct blame on Democrats for the government shutdown and the resulting crisis in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which left 42 million Americans in limbo.
Speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Fetterman did not hold back: “For me, fundamentally, it’s deeply, deeply distressing to know that 42 million Americans are going to lose their SNAP benefits.” He continued, “I feel like the Democrats really need to own the shutdown. I mean, we’re shutting it down.”
Fetterman is one of just three Democratic-caucusing senators who opposed a so-called “clean” stopgap funding bill that would have reopened the government without any policy riders. The others are Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Sen. Angus King (I-ME).
He made it clear that the shutdown was hurting working-class Americans the most—those who rely on food stamps, WIC, and Head Start programs. “This is an absolute fail,” Fetterman said. “It’s embarrassing, honestly, if we can’t even keep the lights on.”
Fetterman’s wife runs a free store that serves low-income families in Pennsylvania, giving him a close-up view of the growing pain. “Now people can’t count on their SNAP benefits, and now also WIC and Head Start,” he said. “These are the kinds of people why I’m a Democrat, fighting for people just like that.”
Democrats have tied funding the government to extending enhanced Obamacare subsidies and Medicaid expansions—issues that Fetterman supports in principle. But he blasted the current strategy as a failure, since neither goal has been achieved while millions are losing essential services.
“Right now, by doing this, our government shutdown, we’re getting neither of those things,” he said. “You’re not going to get your SNAP benefits, and you’re not going to get those tax credits that we all need.”
President Trump has asked his legal team to evaluate his options after two courts offered conflicting rulings on whether contingency funds can be used to temporarily backfill SNAP payments. One judge has allowed the Department of Agriculture to dip into limited reserves to keep benefits flowing temporarily.
Fetterman also called on Senate Democrats to consider the so-called “nuclear option”—eliminating the 60-vote filibuster threshold—to avoid gridlock on essential funding. “Reopen this thing, and we can find a way forward. That’s the way democracy operates for right now,” he said.