Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) was the sole Democrat to vote against his party in Wednesday’s vote to reopen the government as the partial shutdown stretches into its 41st day.
“The only thing we’re doing is we’re punishing people,” Fetterman said on NewsNation’s CUOMO Wednesday night.
The 41-day shutdown is close to breaking the longest shutdown record in U.S. history, which was 43 days from Oct. 1, 2025, to Nov. 12, 2025. The Department of Homeland Security budget standoff is leaving Transportation Security Administration workers without pay.
“All we’ve done is we’ve punished TSA and other employees under DHS … made us less safe and creating mass chaos in our air traffic system across America,” Fetterman said.
“These poor people are getting ground up. People are missing their flights. You’re standing in line for four hours longer than the flights that they’re even waiting for.”
Funding expired at midnight on Feb. 13, triggering a Senate clash as Democrats protested Immigration and Customs Enforcement funding. But Fetterman argued the shutdown isn’t producing its intended effect.
Fetterman called out his party, saying, “Democrats have no leverage. And we’ve never had that, because ICE already had the money they needed from the Big Beautiful Bill.”
“End this shutdown. It is truly absurd. It’s like we demand a seat at the table about war powers – we can’t even reopen our godd*** airports.”
JOHN FETTERMAN’S UNAPOLOGETIC MAVERICK MANTRA: ‘MY VOTE IS NOT FOR SALE’
A continuing resolution vote has not been scheduled yet as negotiations continue.
“We got to work together,” Fetterman said.