Fetterman Folds

Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman, who just voted with a small group of Democrats to allow legislation to proceed that could end the government shutdown in a matter of days. (Getty Images)

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John Fetterman Folds to End Government Shutdown

By now, you’ve probably heard that a small group of Democratic senators have agreed to end the longest government shutdown in the history of the country. Notably, they did so without the guarantees they were looking for regarding Obamacare.

Perpetually hoodied Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman, no stranger to doing things that raise the ire of his own party, was one of those eight senators to “defect” or “surrender”, as some pundits and columnists are labeling it.

Fetterman issued the following statement late on Sunday night:

After 40 days as a consistent voice against shutting our government down, I voted YES for the 15th time to REOPEN. I’m sorry to our military, SNAP recipients, gov workers, and Capitol Police who haven’t been paid in weeks. It should’ve never come to this. This was a failure.

California Governor Gavin Newsom, New York rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders have all railed against Fetterman and his colleagues, with Newsom calling the deal “pathetic.”

So what’s next? Now that the Senate has voted 60 to 40 to allow the legislation to advance (note: they didn’t vote to approve the legislation as written but to allow the process to begin), the Senate has to debate and pass it, the House has to pass it, and then it will require the signature of the president. All of that could happen this week.

As for Obamacare, the Democrats in question agreed to move forward without an agreement on health care, with that now set for a separate vote in December.

Bad Apples

If you work for the city, you’re not allowed to accept money from any grant funds released by the city. It’s a major no-no. But nine people now stand accused of doing just that. This all dates back a few years, when the Inquirer exposed how an anti-violence grant made its way into the hands of Philadelphia police officers. On Friday, the DA’s office charged nine of those officers, some of whom have since retired and one of whom was a police captain, with theft and conspiracy. Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel has suspended the cops still on the force for 30 days with intent to dismiss. No word on how long it will take the police union to try to get them their jobs back.

By the Numbers

$300,000 for 15 percent: Deal that a local women just struck with three “sharks” on Shark Tank.

3: Number of SEPTA regional rail lines that faced cancellations and other major service disruptions on Monday due to the ongoing mess involving the rail cars with the unfortunate propensity to catch fire.

60 days: Warning period that has now begun for the new red-light cameras on Kelly Drive and near the Philadelphia Museum of Art. For now, if you blow through the light, you’ll get a letter in the mail. Starting on January 8th, that letter will mean a $100 fine.

Local Talent

How to make a literary event actually fun? Have it at a bar and serve lots of beer. That’s just what’s happening this Wednesday when Philly publicist Irene Levy Baker releases Cheers to McGillin’s, a history of the city’s oldest continuously operating bar. Fittingly, Baker, who has represented the bar for more than two decades, is doing it at McGillin’s, where she’ll tell you about love stories that started at the bar, the celebrities who’ve thrown a few back there, and various other tales from inside the storied walls. More info here. For the perspective of someone with an even longer relationship with McGillin’s, check out my 2024 interview with the guy who has been behind the bar for 50 years, making him Philly’s longest-running bartender.