The Democratic Party appears to have been hijacked by its most radical wing. After two weeks of a government shutdown, Democrats are still refusing to support a clean continuing resolution put forward by Republicans. But at least one Democrat is showing some common sense: Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA).
Back in March, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) joined Republicans to pass a clean continuing resolution and prevent a government shutdown. He did the right thing. At the time, Schumer argued that while he opposed the Republicans’ proposals, a shutdown would hurt everyday Americans. That decision triggered harsh criticism from the left wing of his party, which accused him of lacking the backbone to stand up to the GOP.
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Seven months later, Schumer now seems unwilling to face another round of criticism from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and the more extreme voices in his party. He has chosen to vote against the Republicans’ clean continuing resolution. The same Schumer who, in March, showed real political maturity is now handing the party over to the radicals. Meanwhile, one Democratic senator still reminds us of a better era — when moderates were the ones steering the party.
Over the past few months, Fetterman has drawn attention from both sides of the aisle. While he supports policies that don’t sit well with Republicans, such as large subsidies, higher taxes on the wealthy, expansive government-funded healthcare, and relatively open immigration, he hasn’t hesitated to push back against the more extreme ideas within his own party.
Now, as thousands of people feel the consequences of the government shutdown, Fetterman appears to be the only Democrat not playing political games but actually working for his constituents. In a post on his X account, Fetterman explained why he voted with Republicans to keep the government open: “My vote was our country over my party. Together, we must find a better way forward.”
This should be an easy decision for the party establishment. The Republicans’ continuing resolution neither removes nor adds anything. It simply extends government funding for seven weeks to allow proper negotiations on the key issues. Moreover, recent polls show that most of the public rejects the position the Democratic Party is taking. According to a New York Times and Siena poll, 65% say Democrats should not shut down the government, even if their demands are not met.
Voting with the Republicans is just the latest in a series of positions taken by Fetterman that should be standard among Democrats because they simply make sense. For example, even though his stance on immigration fundamentally opposes that of the Republicans, the Pennsylvania senator has criticized attacks on Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and acknowledged the work of all law enforcement.
Fetterman has also spoken out against violent protests, warning that defending car burnings and property destruction causes his party to lose its “moral high ground.”
This past weekend, following the historic agreement between Israel and Hamas, Fetterman once again took the right stance, criticizing members of his own party who failed to celebrate the deal and insisting that this major achievement by President Donald Trump should be welcomed by everyone, regardless of political affiliation.
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It would be foolish to expect this kind of common sense from politicians such as Ocasio-Cortez. But in recent months, it seems the entire Democratic Party has come to accept the most radical positions as normal, stances that were once confined to just a few extreme Congress members.
For the good of the country and to restore dignity to politics, Schumer should stop following Ocasio-Cortez’s bad example, regain some common sense, and act a bit more like Fetterman.
Vanessa Vallejo (@vanessavallej0) is an economist and political analyst for various Hispanic media outlets.