Fetterman aide gives hospital update: "He'll be back soon"

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) had a "productive morning" Monday discussing rail safety legislation from the hospital where he's been receiving treatment for clinical depression, his chief of staff said.

Driving the news: "John is well on his way to recovery and wanted me to say how grateful he is for all the well wishes," said Adam Jentleson in a Twitter post that included photos of the senator. "He's laser focused on PA & will be back soon."

Context: Fetterman is a co-sponsor of bipartisan rail safety legislation introduced last week with the aim of promoting rail safety in the aftermath of the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment.

The big picture: Fetterman checked himself in to Walter Reed Medical Center on Feb. 15 to receive inpatient care on a voluntary basis.

• The first-term senator has been experiencing depression "off and on throughout his life," but it's been exacerbated recently, Jentleson said at the time.
• Fetterman has faced health challenges since his 2022 Senate campaign, including a stroke in 2022.
• The lawmaker was also hospitalized after feeling lightheaded shortly before he sought treatment for depression. Doctors determined this was not related to a new stroke.

What they're saying: His wife, Gisele Barreto Fetterman, noted as she retweeted Jentleson's Twitter post Monday that society's "expectations and traditional gender roles play a part in why men are less likely to discuss or seek help" for their mental health.

• "As always, John continues to challenge the conversation," she added.