Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., ripped fellow Democratic lawmakers for being unable to get their âsâ togetherâ and vote to reopen the federal government. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty)
The shutdown is now in its fourth week, with Republicans and Democrats in the Senate still unable to agree on spending legislation to begin the new fiscal year.
The ongoing impasse is now threatening the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps. If the shutdown continues, about 42 million Americans could lose access to the benefits, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Speaking to Raju, Fetterman said that he will see the impact of the SNAP loss firsthand back home in Pennsylvania.
A sign that reads âClosed due to federal government shutdown,â is seen outside the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., on Monday, Oct. 6, 2025. (Jose Luis Magana/AP Photo)
âIâm saying that Iâll witness it firsthand,â he said. âMy wife, Giselle, she develops the Free Store in our community. It distributes food three times a week and her lines have already got longer. And now, I will encounter people that have no SNAP benefits starting on Saturday, and I donât have an explanation for them.â
Fetterman offered an apology on behalf of his colleagues.
âAll I could say is Iâm sorry. Itâs an absolute failure â what occurred here for the last month â and now things are really going to land. And imagine being a parent with a couple kids and how youâre going to fill the refrigerator and pack their lunches and get on with their lives when the things that theyâve depended on now is gone because we canât even agree to just open things up.â
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn, says he expects to see Pennsylvanians unable to feed their families if the government isnât reopened. (Scott Eisen/Getty Images)
Fetterman also criticized his own party for failing to reach a deal with Republicans.
âIf a Democrat â you know, weâre not allowed to just open this up, I mean, then our party has bigger problems than I thought we might have already. Itâs like, thatâs not controversial. Pay everybody,â he said, âAnd you have our workers here borrowed over a third of a billion dollars to pay their own bills.â