patrick.net

Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) has sharply criticized Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), accusing him of endangering tens of millions of Americans amid the standoff between Republicans and Democrats over healthcare subsidies and the recent government shutdown.

The remarks came shortly before Fetterman was rushed to a Pennsylvania hospital on Thursday.

The senator remains hospitalized in Pittsburgh after suffering a fall caused by a ventricular fibrillation flare-up.

Podcast host Katie Couric pressed Fetterman on comments from Sanders.

Sanders claimed Democrats, including Fetterman, who voted with Republicans to reopen the government, were paving “the way for 15 million people to be thrown off of Medicaid” and risking sharply higher premiums for millions more.

“Well, you know, Bernie should answer why he’s OK with putting 42 million Americans to face mass food insecurity, or he can explain to the military why it’s OK not to pay them and the tens of millions of Americans that are going to be flying and are flying,” Fetterman responded.

Eight Senate Democrats broke with party leadership to approve a House-passed continuing resolution (CR) on Sunday night.

President Donald Trump signed the measure on Wednesday, ending the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.

The impasse stemmed from disputes over healthcare provisions tied to government funding.

Trump and Republicans argued Democrats sought to provide illegal immigrants healthcare coverage, pointing in particular to a provision repealing part of Trump’s tax and domestic policy package, referred to by the president as the “big, beautiful bill,” that reduced Medicaid eligibility for non-U.S. citizens.