Pennsylvania Democrat Sen. John Fetterman countered liberals' claims that Republicans are to blame for Obamacare subsidies expiring at the end of the year.
Fetterman told NPR that Democrats themselves wrote the temporary tax credits into law and set them to lapse.
"Democrats designed those tax credits to expire this year," he said, adding that the party can still negotiate an extension but should not shut down the government to do it.
The comments undercut weeks of progressive messaging that pins the looming spike in Affordable Care Act premiums solely on Republicans and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.
Fetterman, who backed reopening the government in a late-night Senate vote on Monday, rejected that narrative and instead blasted his own party’s shutdown strategy.
As the shutdown dragged into its 41st day, Democrat leaders insisted they would keep the government closed until Republicans agreed to extend the Obamacare subsidies.
But Fetterman said weaponizing a shutdown to score political points with progressives was wrong, just as Democrats have long claimed it was wrong when Republicans did it.
"It's always been wrong for us to shut the government down," he said, arguing that holding agencies and critical programs "hostage" over a policy fight is reckless.
He pointed to the millions of Americans who rely on SNAP benefits and other federal aid that were being squeezed as the standoff continued.
The Senate passed a bipartisan deal to reopen the government with a 60-40 vote, after eight Democrat caucus members, including Fetterman, crossed party lines.
The agreement keeps the government funded into January and includes only a promise of a future Senate vote on extending the healthcare tax credits, with no guarantee that an extension will pass the Republican-led House.
Progressives erupted in anger, calling the deal a "betrayal" for not locking in the subsidies now.
Fetterman, though, argued that dragging out the shutdown simply to "make an argument" against President Donald Trump and the GOP, as some liberal commentators urged, was irresponsible.
He warned that extending chaos at airports and delays in key services just to keep up the pressure on Republicans would hurt ordinary Americans far more than it would damage Trump politically.
In the NPR interview, Fetterman also expressed confidence that Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., would keep his word on scheduling a vote on the subsidies later this year, while acknowledging that Trump and House Republicans will ultimately decide whether any extension becomes law.
"I do believe John Thune is an honorable man in the arena," Fetterman said. "For me, it's a choice of do you really want to risk the kinds of mass chaos that we are quickly descending in?
"And after 40 days, how much longer?
"And now it's a fact, too: Flying is becoming more and more chaotic, and that probably also means dangerous more than it should be.
"Yes, I want healthcare, but not to create this kinds of stress in our system."
Republicans have said the subsidies were made temporary to hide the true long-term cost of the law, and now that the bill is coming due, party leaders are seeking a convenient GOP scapegoat.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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