Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) entered a Washington-area hospital in an effort to treat serious depression. The news comes after a number of health challenges for the freshman Democrat.
Fetterman checked himself into the Walter Reed Military Medical Center this week. This comes less than a week after being checked out of the hospital for treatment for possible stroke complications.
Fetterman’s Senate chief of staff wrote that the senator has suffered from depression “on and off throughout his life,” though the last several weeks have included “severe” depression.
The senator received advice from the Attending Physician of the United States Congress Dr. Brian P. Monahan to check in with Walter Reed. The projected length of stay has not been announced.
Sen. John Fetterman’s staff said he’s experienced depression on and off in his life, but it had only become severe in recent weeks. He checked himself into the hospital for treatment this week, receiving praise for taking a public approach to his struggle.https://t.co/mOnuMdu80f pic.twitter.com/KhYWnYP50V
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 17, 2023
The senator has struggled with medical issues since a stroke last year. The stay earlier in the week was a result of the senator feeling lightheaded. After a three-day stay and assurances from doctors that he had not suffered another stroke, Fetterman headed back to the Senate.
Doctors also ruled out the possibility that the senator had any recent seizures.
The May 2022 stroke received particular attention, as it affected Fetterman’s 2022 campaign for his current seat. The resulting stroke kept Fetterman off of the campaign trail for much of the contest against Republican candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz.
Fetterman struggled in a number of aspects in the campaign, including a poor performance in a debate that drew national attention.
Despite concerns about Fetterman’s health, he was elected over his Republican opponent. In November, Fetterman won a six-year term after serving as Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor.
It was revealed that the senator has difficulty processing speech, hearing much of what people say as vague murmuring. As a result, Fetterman carries a tablet that transcribes speech to him.
Fetterman’s health issues have led to considerable debate over whether or not the freshman Democrat is capable of handling the responsibilities of a United States senator. Considerable attention will be on Walter Reed in the senator’s medical progress.
