Fetterman aide gives hospital update: "He'll be back soon"
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Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) walks through the Statuary Hall of the U.S. Capitol prior to President Biden’s State of the Union address in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol on Feb. 7. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images
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.
