Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) spoke with reporters this week, saying he supported Republicans using the “nuclear option” to override the Senate filibuster to pass a bill to end the government shutdown.Fetterman stated the funds for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, are running dry and people “need to eat” as the shutdown heads into its 21st day.
“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 went on to say, before pointing out that U.S. Capitol Police officers aren’t getting paid during the shutdown.
“This is just bad political theater. Open it up,” he told reporters.
Fetterman was then asked whether he supported the GOP “nuking” the filibuster to let a House-approved funding measure pass the Senate with a simple majority. He replied with a firm yes.
“We ran on that. We ran on killing the filibuster, and now we love it. Carve it out so we can move on. I support it because it makes it more difficult to shut the government down in the future, and that’s where it’s entirely appropriate,” he explained. “I don’t want to hear any Democrat clutching their pearls about the filibuster. We all ran on it.”
Of course, not everyone agrees with Fetterman, who in recent years has proven himself to be far more moderate than most members of his party. Ed Kilgore of New York Magazine believes the Pennsylvania senator’s case for the “nuclear option” is faulty:
The filibuster isn’t an all-or-nothing proposition, and not all carve-outs are alike. Over the years, Congress has carved out a series of exceptions to the right to filibuster Senate votes, notably executive- and judicial-branch confirmations and congressional budget measures (e.g., the huge “budget reconciliation” bills like this year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act). This year, Senate Republicans also implicitly carved out certain budget scoring rules to make it easier to disguise the deficit-swelling nature of the OBBBA. So the question is not, as Fetterman appears to suggest, whether to have filibuster carve-outs: It’s what the carve-out is for and whom it benefits.
Kilgore then says that what Democrats actually ran on was to “exempt voting-rights measures from the filibuster following a series of state voter-suppression measures sponsored by Republican-controlled states and defended by Senate Republicans.”
He concludes that it’s not hypocritical for Democrats to want to end the filibuster for one item while not wanting to do so for another.
In the middle of the night, a young girl called the police, saying her parents wouldn’t wake
A Disturbing Night Call
The room glowed dimly under a small nightlight, casting soft shadows on the walls. Only the officers’ footsteps broke the silence as they approached the bed. The girl’s parents lay motionless, their faces serene yet unnaturally pale. A faint, unsettling scent lingered in the air.
A Heart-Wrenching Discovery
The first officer stepped closer, checking for signs of life. There were none. He felt a pang of empathy for the little girl standing quietly at the doorway, clutching a worn-out teddy bear. Meanwhile, his partner scanned the room for clues.
The space was neat and orderly. Nothing seemed out of place. No overturned furniture. No broken glass. No signs of struggle. It was as if the couple had gone to sleep—and simply never woke up.
Piecing Together the Puzzle
“Ma’am,” the first officer asked gently, “do you remember if your parents felt sick or if anything unusual happened today?”
The girl shook her head, eyes wide. “No… we just watched TV, had dinner, and went to bed. Mom kissed me goodnight, like always.”
The officers exchanged glances, searching for answers. Then, one noticed small, unusual details: two half-full coffee mugs on the bedside table and a tiny pill bottle rolled under the dresser.
“Do you know if your parents took any medication?” the second officer asked softly.
The girl paused. “Sometimes Mom takes something for a headache. Daddy doesn’t like medicine.”
A Chilling Clue
The officers retrieved the pill bottle. It contained a strong sedative and was nearly empty. This discovery suggested a possible accidental overdose—a tragic mistake that changed the direction of their investigation.
Ensuring the Girl’s Safety
“Is there someone you can stay with tonight? A relative or a neighbor?” the first officer asked, crouching to her level.
“My aunt lives nearby,” the girl replied, voice small but steady. “She can come.”
With her permission, the officers called her aunt, ensuring the girl went safely into loving hands. Once the child was secure, they returned to the solemn task of investigating the couple’s untimely deaths.
Reflection on a Somber Night
As a team of investigators arrived for a thorough examination, the officers reflected on the night’s events. The call from a brave little girl revealed the fragility of life and the value of cherishing each moment.
While the full story would eventually emerge, the memory of that night lingered—a poignant reminder of the human stories behind their duty to serve and protect.