(Crankers) Sen. John Fetterman made headlines when he torched his own party and he was 110% right about it all!
He isn’t usually the Democrat making headlines for siding with Republicans, but that’s exactly what happened when he helped advance a funding bill that ultimately ended the 42-day government shutdown. And he didn’t mince words about why he did it.
Speaking to reporters after the vote, Fetterman said he believed Democrats had “crossed a line” by letting the shutdown drag on while millions of Americans were stuck dealing with the fallout. According to him, the situation wasn’t just another round of political brinkmanship — it was harming real people, especially low-income families relying on SNAP benefits and federal workers missing paychecks.
Fetterman described the shutdown as a point where his own party’s strategy stopped looking like hard-nosed negotiating and started looking like unnecessary harm. He said, “This was a red line for me,” pointing to families who were about to lose food assistance and essential services. He also added that, at some point, “you have to put country over party,” explaining why he sided with Republicans to move the funding bill forward.
His comments came as frustration mounted nationwide. SNAP benefits were running out, federal agencies were cutting back operations, and a growing number of lawmakers from both parties were feeling pressure to end the standoff. Fetterman said Democrats “put politics over country” by continuing to stall, which he argued goes against the values the party claims to stand for.
The shutdown was eventually resolved with bipartisan support — and Fetterman’s vote played a part in pushing the Senate toward a deal. His decision drew mixed reactions inside the party, but he stood by it, saying he wasn’t willing to keep the government closed when everyday Americans were getting hit the hardest.
In short: Fetterman broke with Democrats because he believed the shutdown had gone too far, the political fight had stopped making sense, and real-world consequences had become unacceptable. Whether his criticism sparks deeper debate inside the party remains to be seen, but for now, he’s made it clear he’s willing to call out his own side when he thinks they’ve “crossed a line.”
Watch the video of Fetterman calling out Democrats: