It has been over three weeks since Senate Democrats refused to pass a continuing resolution, thereby shutting down the federal government.

Yet while most members of the Democratic Party are backing the ploy, Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman is out of step with their agenda.  

"It's wrong to shut our government down"

According to Fox News, Fetterman made that fact clear during a Wednesday evening appearance on the cable network's "Hannity" program.

"I am always going to vote country over my party and if I pay a price within my base, that's something I am willing to do," Fetterman told host Sean Hannity.

"I'm not afraid to tell my truth and if I'm going to pay a penalty, I'm not afraid of that. It's wrong to shut our government down," he continued.

Fetterman reiterated that message in a social media post, which pointed to the fact that some 2 million residents in his state rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

"For me, it’s hungry Americans over party. Paying our military over party. Paying Capitol Police and federal workers over party. I choose country over party," he asserted.

Fetterman says ACA tax credits were "designed by the Democratic Party to expire"

Fetterman voiced a similar message when speaking with NewsNation last week, saying, "I follow country, then party, and it’s the wrong thing for the country. In a period of chaos, I refuse to vote to shut our government down."

"I absolutely would love to have — I would love to have a conversation about extending the tax credits for health care, absolutely," Fetterman maintained.

"But I would remind everybody, too, this was designed by the Democratic Party to expire at the end of the year. This is not something taken from anybody by the Republicans. That’s — they were designed to expire," he stressed.

"Now, let’s have a conversation to extend it and not shut our government down," the freshman senator said as he drew to a close.

Fetterman cites "core responsibility" to "maintain a functioning government"

Fetterman's anti-shutdown stance is not new, as the Pennsylvania lawmaker publicly broke with his fellow Democrats over the issue back in September.

"I enthusiastically support extending the [Affordable Care Act] tax credits. I’ll never vote to shut our government down over that or any reason," Fetterman pledged.

I enthusiastically support extending the ACA tax credits.

I’ll never vote to shut our government down over that or any reason.

It’s a core responsibility of Congress to maintain a functioning government and I refuse to hold it as hostage. pic.twitter.com/PSwzEGk7xQ

— U.S. Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) September 16, 2025

"It's a core responsibility of Congress to maintain a functioning government and I refuse to hold it as hostage," he went on to declare.