Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) said he does not care about criticism from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y) aimed at Senate Democrats who voted to advance a controversial partisan Republican funding bill to keep the government open.
Ahead of the vote on Friday, Fetterman was asked about AOC’s accusation that Senate Democrats who vote for the bill are betraying their colleagues including those from districts Trump won.
“I hope you can relay how little I care about her views on this,” Fetterman responded bluntly, according to The Hill.
In the days leading up to the vote, AOC mobilized Democratic supporters to push senate Democrats to oppose the GOP bill which empowers Trump and his billionaire ‘first buddy’ Elon Musk to continue their assault on the federal government.
Fetterman was not impressed.
“I’m going to stand on what I happen to believe is the right thing to do but ask her, ‘What’s the exit plan once we shut the government down?’” he said. “What about all the millions of Americans who are going to have their lives damaged?”
“What about the ones that won’t have any paycheck? She’ll have her paycheck, though,” he added.
Fetterman and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer were among the 10 Senate Democrats who voted with nearly every Republican to break the filibuster, which requires 60 votes, to advance the House-passed funding bill.
In a statement Fetterman said his vote should not be mistaken for an endorsement of the spending bill.
“My YES vote on cloture IS 100% about refusing to shut our government down,” he said. “I refuse to punish working families and plunge millions of Americans into chaos or risk a recession.”
The bill ultimately passed the Senate in a 54—46 vote. Only Sen. Angus King, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, and Jeanne Shaheen (N.H) supported the bill on final passage, which requires a simple majority to pass. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky was the lone Republican to vote against it.
