Whither John Fetterman?
It seems Pennsylvania’s senior U.S. senator enjoys the perks of high office but is less interested in doing the actual job.
He has missed more votes than nearly every other senator in the past two years. He regularly skips committee hearings, cancels meetings, avoids the daily caucus lunches with colleagues, and rarely goes on the Senate floor.
Fetterman, a first-term Democrat, is also following the path of Republican elected officials by not holding town halls with constituents for fear of being heckled.
A string of Fetterman staffers have left his office, including his chief of staff, top communications aides, and legislative director. Several current and former staffers voiced concern about Fetterman’s mental and physical health, according to a report in New York Magazine.
Fetterman dismissed the report as a single-source “hit piece.” But several media outlets confirmed Fetterman’s erratic behavior through multiple sources, including The Inquirer.
In one instance, Fetterman lashed out at members of the teachers’ union who pressed him regarding cuts to federal education. He reportedly banged his fist on the table and yelled at the group.
Six former Fetterman staffers told Inquirer reporter Julia Terruso that Fetterman was frequently absent or spent hours alone in his office, avoiding colleagues and meetings.
“It’s pretty impossible to overstate how disengaged he is,” one recently departed staffer said.
Fetterman suffered a stroke in May 2022 while running for Senate. After winning the election, he underwent treatment for clinical depression, citing a “dark time” and struggles to get out of bed.
Fetterman bravely confronted physical and mental health challenges, but has checked out of his Senate duties at a time when all elected officials must stand up to Donald Trump’s naked authoritarianism, corruption, and incompetence.
To be sure, mental health is a serious issue and not something to ignore. If Fetterman is still struggling, then he should seek immediate help.
Instead, Fetterman complained people have “weaponized” his mental health battles against him.
Being an elected official comes with public scrutiny. If Fetterman can’t handle the attention or perform his job, then in the best interest of the country and the nearly 13 million residents of Pennsylvania he represents, he should step aside.
After all, being an elected representative is a privilege, not an entitlement. Being a U.S. senator is a serious job that requires full-time engagement.
If Fetterman wants to continue to serve, then he must take his position seriously. He showed up for his first Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee meeting of the year in May and admitted he was shamed into attending by the media.
Fetterman dismissed his skipping out on the committee work and procedural votes as a “performative” waste of time.
He said his chronic absenteeism was a product of his decision to spend more time at home with his children and his father, who suffered a recent heart attack.
“I would go visit my dad instead of a throwaway vote,” he told the New York Times.
Spending time with family is laudable, but if that is his priority, then Fetterman should get a job closer to one of the eight properties he owns in his hometown of Braddock, Pa.
Senators often work long nights in Washington. But they also have flexible schedules and enjoy plenty of time off from Washington, since there are only an average of 165 legislative days.
Many of Fetterman’s constituents would like to work half a year so they, too, could spend time with their families. Safe to say, many would do it for less than Fetterman’s salary of $174,000, which is more than double the nation’s median household income.
That doesn’t include the $172,500 advance Fetterman received to write a book with former Inquirer reporter Buzz Bissinger, or the $34,000 tax-free pay bump senators can claim for gas, food, and lodging while on official business in Washington.
Or the generous pensions and healthcare coverage senators receive — something most Pennsylvanians do not enjoy. Or the lifetime access to the U.S. Capitol gym and Senate dining room. Or the support staff of around 60 to help each senator do their job.
Being a U.S. senator also requires a lot of travel — mainly across their home state to hear from their constituents. The late Sen. Arlen Specter routinely crisscrossed Pennsylvania, visiting all 67 counties every two years and holding 400 town hall meetings. That’s what public service looks like.
Fetterman has not had much time for Washington or Pennsylvania. But he found time to jet down to Mar-a-Lago to schmooze with Trump, who he said “was kind,” “fascinating,” and “a commonsense person.”
Fetterman has flown to Israel twice in the past year, including a recent all-expense-paid junket to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been accused of war crimes and corruption. He and his wife flew first class and stayed in five-star hotels as part of a fact-finding mission that cost $36,000 and was paid for by a New York-based nonprofit.
Fetterman finds time to regularly appear on Fox News and other TV talk shows, while also seeming preoccupied with his social media profile.
“He’s taken two all-expenses-paid trips to Israel, but can’t drive down the street and hold a town hall,” a former staffer told the Intercept.
Other senators travel overseas but also show up for work in Washington and meet with constituents in their home state. Public service is not about serving yourself.
It’s time for Fetterman to serve Pennsylvanians, or step away.
