Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania delivered a blunt rebuke to members of his own party on Saturday, criticizing their role in the ongoing partial government shutdown and warning that the political standoff is hurting federal workers and potentially weakening national security.
During an appearance on “The Big Weekend Show,” Fetterman made clear he has been unwilling to support efforts that would lead to shutting down the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), saying he was the only Democrat to take that position.
“I am the only Democrat that has refused to vote in shutting down DHS, literally the only one,” Fetterman said.
The shutdown has forced multiple agencies tied to homeland security into what officials describe as “emergency measures.” According to a DHS release, those affected include the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
Fetterman said the consequences are not abstract for him. As a frequent traveler, he often speaks directly with TSA agents about how the shutdown affects their livelihoods.
“I’m at the airport virtually every week of the year,” he explained. “And I ask all those TSA agents, and I said, ‘Hey, do you like not to get paid for your work?’ I haven’t met one saying, ‘No, it’s no problem.’”
The senator argued that using a shutdown as leverage is misguided and ultimately punishes workers who have little control over the political debate taking place in Washington.
“Why would you want to punish all of these workers that are under DHS?” Fetterman asked. “The only thing that it can do is just make us less safe, and that also makes people have to go without getting paid.”
The dispute stems in part from Democrats’ push for new restrictions on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Those demands followed the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good by federal law enforcement officers in January during Operation Metro Surge.
The incidents took place amid the deployment of hundreds of federal agents to Minnesota as authorities responded to reports of welfare fraud involving Somali migrants.
Fetterman, however, argued that shutting down DHS would not accomplish the policy goals some Democrats hope for. According to him, ICE funding is already secured, meaning the shutdown does not pressure the agency into adopting reforms.
“And now all agree that this would not have any impact on ICE,” he said. “They already have their funding, and it doesn’t push or force ICE to do any of those kinds of reforms that people think are necessary now, too.”
In his remarks, the Pennsylvania Democrat suggested the stalemate reflects a deeper problem in Washington: an unwillingness to cross party lines, even when the practical consequences are clear.
“I truly don’t understand that,” Fetterman said. “Other than it’s just toxic for a Democrat to agree with something that maybe the Republican side might agree with.”
For Fetterman, the situation should be simpler. He framed the issue as a choice between partisan loyalty and the well-being of workers and national security operations.
“It’s very easy,” he said. “More of a country over party, or ‘I’m going to put those union workers over it,’ or America’s security over what the base might demand.”
His comments come as the shutdown drags on, leaving thousands of federal workers uncertain about their pay while agencies responsible for security and emergency response operate under increasingly strained conditions. Even as Washington debates policy and politics, the burden continues to fall on the employees tasked with keeping the country running.
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