Fetterman’s frequent Senate absences add to piling controversies

For more than the past year, Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) has missed among the most votes of any senator, rarely attended committee hearings, and become increasingly isolated from his colleagues amid reports of lingering mental health troubles.

The first-term Pennsylvania Democrat has missed 30 floor votes this year and had the third-worst attendance in 2024. It’s a record that’s under the spotlight due to concerns from current and former staffers laid out in media reports of Fetterman’s struggles with depression stemming from health complications after a 2022 stroke.