John Fetterman wants GOP to kill filibuster to end shutdown, won’t hear Dems ‘clutching pearls’

WASHINGTON, DC: Sen John Fetterman raised eyebrows as he went against the party line once again this week.

With the federal government now in its third week of shutdown chaos, the Pennsylvania Democrat urged Republicans to pull the so-called “nuclear option”,  scrapping the Senate filibuster for spending bills, to get the lights back on.

The hoodie-wearing senator had a blunt message for his fellow Democrats. “I don’t want to hear any Democrat clutching their pearls about the filibuster. We all ran on it," he declared. 

John Fetterman calls out 'political theater'

Fetterman’s patience seems to have officially worn thin, with the Senate failing for the eleventh time to reopen the government.

“There are no winners here. It’s not getting better every day here. People are going to start to get really hungry, and I’ve been fully, fully committed to fund SNAP [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program], open up the government,” said Fetterman, noting that people “need to eat.” He added, “This is just bad political theater. Open it up."

The senator didn’t flinch when a reporter asked whether he’d support killing the filibuster to make that happen.

“Carve it out for that, absolutely,” he said without hesitation. “We ran on killing the filibuster and now we love it,” he said, taking a jab at Democrats who suddenly discovered affection for Senate tradition once it worked in their favor. "Carve it out so we can move on. I support it because it makes it more difficult to shut the government down in the future, and that’s where it’s entirely appropriate.”

The senator also likened the situation to the movie Groundhog Day. “It’s ‘Groundhog Day’ and it’s not entertaining. That’s a great movie, but this is s*****. It’s embarrassing,” he quipped.

Currently, Senate rules require 60 votes to end a filibuster and move legislation to a final vote, which then needs just a simple majority to pass. It’s a procedural chokehold that’s stalled countless bills, and Fetterman wants it gone, at least for spending measures.

Back in January 2022, when Democrats held the Senate majority, every one of them voted to scrap the filibuster except Joe Manchin (D-WVa) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz). The effort failed because of those two holdouts.

In August 2024, then–Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) teased that Democrats might take another run at ending the filibuster if they held onto their majority. However, they didn’t get there.  

GOP delays Obamacare fight as John Fetterman vows to ‘follow the truth’

A group of GOP lawmakers reportedly sent a note to Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La) pledging to tackle expiring Obamacare subsidies, the very issue Democrats are holding onto amid the shutdown. However, they agreed to do so only after the government reopens.

“We also firmly believe that the government funding debate is not the time or place to address healthcare issues,” the Republicans wrote. “Using the shutdown as leverage to force that debate only prolongs the harm and distracts from the immediate task of reopening the government. Once the government is reopened, however, we should immediately turn our focus to the growing crisis of healthcare affordability and the looming expiration of the enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits.”

Earlier this month, Fetterman appeared at a NewsNation town hall with Bill O’Reilly, who pressed him on why he still wears the blue jersey despite his rogue voting record.

“Why are you a Democrat, though? I don’t say that to be a wise guy,” O’Reilly asked, pointing out Fetterman’s support for Israel and his skepticism toward “wild” spending. Fetterman shot back, “I really believe in calling balls and strikes, and I want to follow the truth.”

When O’Reilly suggested the senator could always go independent, Fetterman shrugged it off. “Those are some independent thoughts, but overall, I mean, you have to pick one side, Republican, Democrat, that’s always been my party,” he said, noting that his pro-Israel stance was an “isolating” experience. 

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