Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) sat down for an interview where he shared his thoughts about the recent election of Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani as mayor of New York, while also taking an opportunity to explain why he parted ways with his Democratic Party colleagues over the government shutdown. Fetterman has consistently shown that he’s a freethinker who would rather make up his own mind on issues instead of towing the party line, something that has made him something of an enigma in the current political climate.
During his conversation with Fox Business on Wednesday, the Pennsylvania Democrat confirmed the division beginning to tear at his party by pointing out a press conference where Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) was interrupted by a rather fiery Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), who ripped into his fellow party members for not backing Mamdani.
Offering thoughts on Mamdani, Fetterman told Larry Kudlow, host of Kudlow on Fox, that the socialist candidate’s victory “doesn’t matter much for me,” going on to add that his biggest concern is serving the people of Pennsylvania. A number of the top dogs in the Democratic Party have been divided about Mamdani’s success. Schumer, himself a New Yorker, did not provide the mayoral candidate with a formal endorsement. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries took a different route, opting to back Mamdani.
While Fetterman isn’t too worried about Mamdani or what’s happening in New York, the biggest issue at the forefront of his mind right now is the government shutdown, which is now the longest in U.S. history. Fetterman revealed to Kudlow that he’s voted four times in favor of bringing the shutdown to an end.
Fetterman said that as a “committed Democrat,” he’s taking up the cause of the millions of residents on SNAP in his state, and the unions that have all been touched by this thing.” Benefits for SNAP, otherwise known as food stamps, were put on hold beginning on the first of November for the first time in 60 years. Following court orders, President Donald Trump and his administration have partially resumed SNAP benefits for November by using emergency funds set aside by the Department of Agriculture.
The Pennsylvania senator also wants to draw attention to other groups of people who are being negatively impacted by the shutdown, including the military, U.S. Capitol Police Officers, and air traffic controllers. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy recently announced a 10 percent reduction in capacity at 40 airspace locations all over the U.S., thanks to staff shortages caused by the shutdown.
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Fetterman then told Kudlow, “I wasn’t even able to find a flight here to D.C. This thing’s run its course.” He went on to add that the shutdown is a “sad political spectacle” and revealed the whole matter has left him “embarrassed.”
He concluded the segment by saying, “America deserves better than this right now.” One would be hard-pressed to find many who would disagree with Fetterman about his last point. However, it’s important to remember that other Democrats are still trying to push for free healthcare for illegal immigrants, all of which would be paid for by taxpayer dollars during a time of economic recovery.
Featured image: screenshot from embedded video