The Democrat Party is fractured. Will they ever be able to come together and fix things?
And a top Democrat betrayed their party with this scathing rebuke.
Pennsylvania Democrat Senator John Fetterman is calling out the absurdity of the Department of Homeland Security shutdown. He’s spotlighting the real victims: our U.S. Coast Guard members who keep risking it all without a dime in their pockets. Fetterman took to X to share a story that hits home for hardworking Americans everywhere.
The senator posted a screenshot from the Oregonian, detailing how a Coast Guard crew rescued a 25-year-old guy who’d gone missing on a rafting trip and ended up lost in the woods for days. These folks didn’t hesitate—they swooped in and saved the day. But here’s the kicker: they’re doing all this hero work while the shutdown means their paychecks are on hold.
“The Coast Guard saved an injured man from the wilderness and isn’t getting paid,” Fetterman said in his X post.
“I voted to pay those heroes. Shutting DHS down has no functionality on ICE or any reforms. It only hurts our workers and America loses.”
This isn’t just some isolated incident. The Coast Guard is out there every day, handling everything from oil spills and hazardous chemical messes to law enforcement patrols that keep our shores safe. They’re the frontline defenders against threats on the water, and now thousands of them might not see their next paycheck because of this bureaucratic mess.
According to reports from Stars and Stripes, the shutdown is forcing these service members to keep showing up, no questions asked. It’s all baked into federal law, where they’re expected to perform without immediate compensation. But don’t worry, they’ll get back pay eventually—or so they say.
“Coast Guard operations are covered by ‘expected’ provisions of the federal budget. Service members must continue to perform their duties, even without pay. Under federal law, they are reimbursed for lost earnings. Unlike other uniformed services, the Coast Guard is not part of the Defense Department and falls under the Department of Homeland Security,” according to the Stars and Stripes.
It’s a raw deal, especially when you consider how the Coast Guard stands apart from the military branches under the Defense Department. They’re tucked under DHS, which means they’re caught in the crossfire of whatever political games are being played in Washington. Our coastlines don’t shut down, so why should the people protecting them?
Lt. Krystal Wolfe, a Coast Guard spokeswoman, laid it out clear in a statement, per the Stars and Stripes: “The Coast Guard is focusing on those operations authorized by law that provide for national security or that protect life and property.”
Fetterman’s frustration boils down to a simple truth: this shutdown doesn’t touch the hot-button issues like ICE enforcement or border reforms that so many Americans care about.
It’s not advancing any agenda; it’s just punishing the folks who keep us safe. Why drag our Coast Guard into this when they’re already stretched thin?
Think about it—these are the same heroes who respond to disasters, bust drug smugglers at sea, and ensure our ports stay secure.
In a time when threats from cartels and foreign adversaries are ramping up, leaving them unpaid is like shooting ourselves in the foot. America can’t afford to weaken its defenses over petty disputes.
This whole fiasco exposes how out of touch the system is. Shutting down DHS might sound tough on paper, but in practice, it’s a swing and a miss that lands on American workers. Fetterman gets it: real reform doesn’t come from hurting our own.
