Sen. John Fetterman (D–Pa.) is calling on Republicans to use the so-called “nuclear option” to end the filibuster for spending bills — an extraordinary step that would lower the Senate’s 60-vote threshold and allow Democrats to push through government funding without bipartisan support.
Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Fetterman lamented the ongoing government shutdown but directed his frustration not at his own party’s leadership, which has repeatedly blocked reopening votes, but instead urged Republicans to change the Senate’s rules entirely.
“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,” Fetterman said, insisting that people “need to eat.”
“This is just bad political theater. Open it up,” he added.
Fetterman went further, saying he would support Republicans ditching the filibuster altogether to fast-track government funding measures.
“Carve it out for that, absolutely,” he said. “We ran on that, we ran on killing the filibuster and now we love it. 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.”
“I don’t want to hear any Democrat clutching their pearls about the filibuster. We all ran on it,” Fetterman continued.
Fetterman’s comments come as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D–N.Y.) cast his 12th vote against Republican-led efforts to reopen the government on Wednesday— a move that has frustrated even some Democrats who initially supported a short-term continuing resolution to keep federal operations running.
Republicans have accused Schumer and his caucus of “holding the government hostage” to force through additional spending priorities and partisan policy riders, while refusing to take up clean funding bills that could end the shutdown immediately.
Fetterman, one of just three Democrats who voted to fund the government at the outset of the fight, has increasingly distanced himself from party leadership’s approach. (RELATED: Sen. John Fetterman Criticizes Democratic Response To Trump’s Joint Address)
The Nuclear Option To Reopen Government is a BAD ,BAD idea
YES
Fetterman is a senator let him introduce legislation to invoke the nuclear option. I am sure republicans will vote for it.