WASHINGTON — Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania has cautioned his party against letting the government face a shutdown amidst the approach of two hurricanes threatening the East Coast of the United States.
Fetterman (D-Pa.) has been vocal about his opposition to previous shutdowns, emphasizing that a funding lapse could seriously affect emergency responses to Hurricane Humberto, which recently reached Category 5 status, as well as Tropical Storm Imelda.
“With a Category 5 storm potentially hitting our shores, why would we even entertain the idea of a shutdown right now?” the Senator expressed during an interview on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.”
“I sincerely hope we can avoid a government shutdown,” he added.
If Congress does not act to secure funding for the upcoming fiscal year 2026, which commences on October 1, a partial shutdown will occur after 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday.
Democratic leadership is insisting on crucial concessions from the Republicans regarding healthcare policies, including extending the COVID-19-era enhancements to the Affordable Care Act subsidies, which are set to expire soon, as well as reversing certain Medicaid reforms championed by GOP members.
According to the National Weather Service, Hurricane Humberto intensified into a Category 5 storm on Saturday but was downgraded to Category 4 by Sunday morning, with its trajectory now heading out to sea.
In the event of a partial government shutdown, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) would be limited in its ability to renew or issue essential flood insurance policies.
Though most FEMA staff are anticipated to continue working during partial government shutdowns, the agency’s resources are quickly depleting, complicating responses to major natural disasters.
Fetterman was the sole senator to support two proposed stopgap measures, termed continuing resolutions (CRs), aimed at averting a partial shutdown during a Senate vote that took place a little over a week ago.
He endorsed both the “clean” CR proposed by Republicans and another version supported by Democrats that aimed to secure significant healthcare policy wins for their party.
Due to the 60-vote requirement in the Senate to overcome a filibuster, Republican support is essential. The House has approved the GOP-backed CR but rejected the one favored by Democrats.
“I will always maintain that it is fundamentally wrong to shut down our government,” Fetterman stated. “It is a primary responsibility. I will consistently vote against any attempt to do so.”
“Whether it’s the Republicans or Democrats, I will not endorse it,” he added.
President Trump has agreed to a last-minute meeting with the primary congressional leaders on Monday to discuss the impending shutdown issue.
On the same day, he will also engage with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Fetterman expressed his approval of Trump’s stance towards Israel.
“Overall, I have been quite satisfied with the president’s support for Israel,” the senator remarked. “I believe I was the only Democrat to support the strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.”
“It’s astonishing to witness our allies contemplating recognition of Palestine, especially when human beings are being held captive, tortured, and starved for two years,” he concluded.
