Sen. John Fetterman is pushing again on stories that he now not needs to serve in Congress.
At a debate with Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.) Monday morning, Fetterman claimed that the media is attempting to “smear” him over his lack of public appearances, together with for congressional votes.
“I’m here. I’m doing that job,” Fetterman (D-Pa.) stated. “For me, if I miss some of those quotes — I mean some of those votes — I’ve made 90 percent of them and, and we all know those votes that I’ve missed were on Monday; those are travel days, and I have three young kids, and I — those are throwaway procedural votes. … That’s a choice that I made, and if you want to attack me for that, go ahead.”
Fetterman and McCormick spoke in Boston at The Senate Undertaking, a collection to foster bipartisanship, that aired on Fox Nation.
Fetterman’s workplace didn’t instantly reply to POLITICO’s request for remark.
The primary-term senator has come underneath hearth from progressives and others each in Congress and his residence state over his voting report and alleged outbursts towards staffers.
Fetterman suffered a stroke shortly earlier than successful the 2022 Senate main and was admitted to the hospital, the place medical doctors eliminated a clot. In February 2023, Fetterman introduced he was searching for therapy for extreme melancholy.
Many applauded Fetterman for being candid about his psychological well being struggles.
However a bombshell New York journal report this month alleged that present and former staffers are involved about Fetterman’s psychological and bodily well being. Prime Democrats have but to return to Fetterman’s protection, and no less than one Pennsylvanian progressive group known as on Fetterman to resign, citing the senator’s voting report and “disdainful attitude” towards constituents.
“You have failed to fulfill the most basic duties of the office by avoiding contact with your constituents who can’t even leave voicemails after business hours, refusing to hold town halls, yelling at visitors in your office and inexcusably missing more votes than any other member of the current Senate,” the letter from Indivisible Pennsylvania learn.
On Monday, Fetterman alleged that Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) missed extra votes than he has.
Sanders didn’t instantly reply to request for remark. A spokesperson for Murray informed POLITICO that almost all of votes she was absent for have been throughout a vote-a-rama that passed off when her husband was hospitalized.
“Senator Murray was caring for her husband while he was in the hospital and was prepared to return to the floor if her vote might have been determinative,” the spokesperson stated in an announcement.
“Why aren’t the left media yelling and demanding them and claiming they’re not doing their job?” Fetterman stated.
Since taking workplace in 1991, Sanders has missed 836 of 6,226 roll name votes, or about 13.4 %, in accordance with GovTrack.us, a authorities transparency website. Between 1993 and Could 2025, Murray missed 290 of 11,106 roll name votes, or about 2.6 %.
In his first time period, Fetterman has missed 174 of 961 of roll name votes, or about 18.1 %, in accordance with GovTrack.us. The median amongst lifetime information of present sitting senators is 2.9 %.
