Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (D) has said that he received pressure to push for Senator John Fetterman’s (D-PA) resignation following the first-time senator’s decision to check himself into a hospital for mental health treatment.
In an interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer Shapiro stated that if he had received a push from other Democrats calling for Fetterman to resign he would “dismiss it immediately.”
Fetterman, the former lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania, checked himself into Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to receive treatment for clinical depression. Last week, following the announcement, Fetterman’s office noted that the Senator had dealt with mental health issues throughout his life, but they had intensified in recent times.
This is not the first time Fetterman has dealt with a health issue publicly. During his 2022 midterm campaign, he suffered from a stroke, which caused him prolonged auditory processing issues, a common side effect reported by stroke victims. To mitigate these he uses closed captioning devices when interacting with other lawmakers.
Both Republicans and Democrats have supported Fetterman in his decision to seek treatment for clinical depression. According to some sources, the treatment is bound to last “a few weeks.” Shapiro told the Inquirer that Fetterman would receive the necessary treatment so that he can come back to Pennsylvania and serve as Senator.
