Sen. John Fetterman publicly issued an apology on behalf of Senate Democrats for their inability to end the federal government shutdown, now entering its fourth week. In an interview with CNN’s Manu Raju, he stated, “I’m apologizing that we can’t even get our s* together and just open up our government.”** He described his party’s failure to act as “an absolute failure” and warned that if Democrats can’t reopen the government, then “our party has bigger problems than I thought we might have already.”

Fetterman focused heavily on the real‑world consequences of the shutdown, particularly the threat to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). He highlighted that roughly 42 million Americans could lose food assistance if the impasse continues. Fetterman pointed out that his wife’s local food distribution program in Pennsylvania was already seeing longer lines, stating: “My wife … develops the Free Store … her lines have already got longer.” He emphasized the urgency of the matter, saying “Ask the hungry people on Saturday.”

Beyond his apology and focus on SNAP, Fetterman criticized his own party’s leadership tactics. He expressed frustration that Democrats seemed unable to act and accused them of treating the shutdown as political leverage. He has supported measures to keep government funded, including backing Republican‑led continuing resolutions and even advocating reform of filibuster rules to avoid future shutdowns. In short: Fetterman’s remarks reflect deep frustration with the status quo. He is effectively calling out his party for failing to govern, while underscoring the human impact of the shutdown on everyday Americans—especially those reliant on food assistance and federal programs. The message: the political games must end and the government must be reopened.