According to his team, Sen. John Fetterman has resumed some of his duties since being hospitalized a few weeks earlier with clinical depression.
Adam Jetleson, Fetterman’s chief of staff, she tweeted a photo Monday shows the Pennsylvania Democrat working with his team on Senate issues. The photo appeared to have been taken inside the hospital, showing the senator going about his business while continuing to work on his mental health.
“Productive morning with Senator Fetterman at Walter Reed to discuss rail safety legislation, Farm Bill and other Senate business,” Jentleson tweeted. “John is on the road to recovery and wanted to say how grateful he is for all the well wishes. He is focused on PA and will be back soon.
Fetterman traveled to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Feb. 16 after battling depression, garnering widespread support for seeking voluntary help and normalizing mental health priorities. Fetterman has been open about his mental health and past depressive episodes, but Jetleson said at the time of his admission that Fetterman’s depression “has only become severe in the last few weeks.”
Last year, Fetterman was hospitalized after suffering a stroke caused by atrial fibrillation, which led to an auditory processing disorder that the senator’s political opponents tried to weaponize against him. Dr. Will Cronenwett, chief of psychiatry at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, told The Associated Press that about one-third of stroke patients suffer from post-stroke depression.
Last week, Fetterman’s spokesman, Joe Calvello, said the senator “remains on the road to recovery” but that his recovery “will be a several-week process.” Fetterman started treatment at the recommended inpatient level, which means the patient will drop a level or two of outpatient care before being discharged.
“He visits daily with staff and family, and his staff keeps him abreast of Senate business and news,” Calvello said in a statement. “Our team is moving forward at full speed and working tirelessly for the people of Pennsylvania. Just last week we opened a new office in Erie and we will be opening more in the coming weeks.”
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