The government shutdown is now well into its third week, quickly approaching the fourth.
Once again, Democrats have blocked the spending bill and a GOP effort to pay troops and essential workers during the shutdown.
And once again, Senator Fetterman was among the dissenters, refusing to hold the Democratic Party line.
This week, Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) presented legislation that would have paid troops and all essential workers who are now working without a paycheck.
I do not view this as pandering, but just making sure people who are actually working are getting their paychecks.
Democrats refused to support the bill, with only Sens. Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), and John Fetterman (D-PA) voting in support of the funding.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) stated, “It’s nothing more than another tool for Trump to hurt federal workers and American families and to keep this shutdown going for as long as he wants. We will not give Donald Trump a license to play politics with people’s livelihoods. That’s why we oppose this.” I think the people whose paychecks were just blocked may feel a bit differently about this move by the Democrats.
Fetterman not only backed the GOP legislation, but he is now putting out a narrative that goes completely against everything Democrat Party leadership has been saying about he shutdown.
Fetterman stated, "It’s an easy, easy choice to pick my country over the party, especially in circumstances like this.”
Republicans have stated they are more than willing to negotiate on healthcare, but they are also adamant that the Democrats must reopen the government before that, which Fetterman seems to disagree with.
He stated, "I do believe that there’s a critical mass of my fellow Democrats that are dug in until there’s an absolute ironclad kind of a deal.”
Both sides are pushing the blame to the other side, so we wanted to see, after three weeks in, how the public feels about this.
Current Quinnipiac polling has the public against the GOP, but barely, with 45% blaming Republicans and 39% pointing the finger at Democrats. That is a rather shocking return since, historically, the party in charge of Congress and the White House takes the hit.
This is not a great poll for the Republicans, but it is not horrible, at least in my opinion.
The tide does appear to be moving against the GOP, however, so I would recommend they continue to watch this and make their next decision based on how that momentum goes. If I am the GOP communications team, I have that Fetterman interview teed up for ads to sway public opinion back in their favor.
