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Senator John Fetterman's recent appearance at a Senate hearing caught the attention of admirers and detractors alike, with some observers applauding the Democrat for his line of questioning and others speculating if he's fit to serve Congress.
On Tuesday, the Senate's banking committee held the hearing to examine what led to Silicon Valley Bank's collapse in March. At one point, Fetterman questioned former SVB CEO Greg Becker. The Democratic senator, who recently returned to the Senate after being away for more than a month to receive inpatient care for clinical depression, stuttered as he asked Becker if there should be work requirements for bank executives whose financial institutions have to be bailed out.
"Republicans want a work requirement for SNAP, for hungry families.... Shouldn't you have a working requirement after we [bail out] your bank?" Fetterman asked at the end of the hearing. When Becker did not respond after a few moments, Fetterman turned the hearing back over to the committee's chairman, Senator Sherrod Brown.
Reacting on Twitter, conservative podcaster Graham Allen said that Fetterman is "still struggling and hasn't recovered from his stroke," which he suffered during his 2022 Senate campaign in Pennsylvania, and accused the Democratic Party of "using" the senator and not caring for his well-being.
Internet personality Collin Rugg tweeted that it was "the most painful 90 seconds you will watch all month," while conservative commentator and OutKick founder Clay Travis said Fetterman was "incapable of speech or coherent thought."
Joe Calvello, a spokesman for Fetterman, told Newsweek that his team has clearly said for months that the former lieutenant governor "continues to have auditory processing issues due to the effects of his stroke."
"If sickos on the internet want to keep making fun of John for recovering from a health challenge, that's between them and their consciences," Calvello said.
But the feedback that Fetterman received was not all negative.
"I'm so glad John Fetterman is back in the Senate," tweeted Victor Shi, the youngest Illinois delegate for Joe Biden at the 2020 Democratic Convention. "He just grilled the current CEO of Silicon Valley Bank about whether CEOs who crash banks should be subjected to work requirements. That CEO literally couldn't say a single word in response."
Fetterman's chief of staff, Adam Jentleson, said he was stunned and impressed by the senator's comments, adding that he "almost fell out of my chair" hearing his questions for Becker.
"I am not ashamed to admit I was wrong about Fetterman. He's not only speaking up, he's been sponsoring and cosponsoring legislation and generally being an active and solid member of the party," Democrat @StabbyandSpicy tweeted in response to the clip of the senator on Tuesday. "Good on him."
About the writer
Katherine Fung is a Newsweek senior reporter based in New York City. She has covered U.S. politics and culture extensively. ... Read more