Democrat Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) has declared that he’s willing to “pay a price” within his own party if that’s what it takes to help reopen the federal government, which has now been shut down for more than four weeks.
Speaking on Hannity, Fetterman said his priority is keeping essential services running, even if it means breaking with Democratic Party leadership.
“I am always going to vote country over my party,” Fetterman told host Sean Hannity.
“And if I pay a price within my base, that’s something I am willing to do.”
Fetterman has been one of the few Democrats to openly criticize the ongoing shutdown, which began after Senate Democrats repeatedly blocked a continuing resolution passed by the Republican-led House last month.
“I’m not afraid to tell my truth, and if I’m going to pay a penalty, I’m not afraid of that,” he said.
“It’s wrong to shut our government down.”
Fetterman: “This Shutdown Is a Failure”
The Pennsylvania Democrat has been outspoken on social media about the crisis.
He is calling the 22-day-long shutdown a “failure” in a post to X on Wednesday.
Fetterman said he’s especially concerned about looming cuts to key programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides food assistance to low-income Americans.
“I refuse to vote to suspend SNAP for millions of Pennsylvanians in my state and across the entire nation,” he said.
“That’s going to be suspended because our government is shut down.
“I can’t ever vote for that kind of mass food insecurity.”
Roughly 42 million Americans, including millions of Pennsylvanians, rely on SNAP benefits to help purchase groceries.
If the shutdown continues, the program could face delays or temporary suspensions.
Rejecting “Extreme” Rhetoric
Fetterman also used his Hannity appearance to distance himself from what he described as “extreme rhetoric” coming from his own party, particularly Democrats who have labeled President Donald Trump a “fascist.”
“Extreme kinds of rhetoric make it easier for those extreme kinds of actions,” Fetterman said.
“I refuse to be a part of it and comparing people to Hitler and those things.
“If that’s what’s required to win, then I refuse to.”
The senator said the political climate in Washington, D.C., has become toxic and divisive.
“We’ve lost the plot,” he said.
“I refuse to call my fellow citizens fascists or Nazis or those things.
“If somebody wants to primary me or the party wants to vote me out, I’m going to go down being honest and telling you that this is wrong.”
“We All Need Each Other”
Fetterman urged both parties to return to decency and cooperation, saying that the tone of politics in America has eroded basic humanity.
“It’s just basic humanity, and we’re forgetting that we all need each other,” he said.
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Despite his differences with party leadership, Fetterman’s willingness to confront his own side publicly, particularly on a conservative platform.
It marks a rare moment of bipartisan candor amid one of the most politically charged shutdowns in U.S. history.
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