Senator John Fetterman's Public Engagement and Legislative Record Under Scrutiny

WASHINGTON — Six days after the I-95 collapse in Northeast Philadelphia, U.S. Senator John Fetterman delivered what would be his last public remarks in Philadelphia for the next three years. With President Joe Biden on his right and Governor Josh Shapiro on his left, Fetterman spent two minutes praising the president while largely ignoring the governor leading the response. He expressed pleasure at being present, though privately, he was reluctant to attend. A former Fetterman staffer recalled, "He didn’t want to go. The fight leading up to that was, ‘I don’t want to be in the same room with Josh.’" Fetterman and Shapiro have a history of a cold relationship, which Fetterman later addressed in his memoir, titled "The Shapiro Affair," set to be released in 2025. An analysis by The Inquirer indicates that Fetterman has made minimal legislative accomplishments and has decreased his participation in public appearances and committee meetings over time. He attended only 16% of his committee meetings in the past two years and had 31 public appearances in nearly four years. Fetterman has also increasingly voted with Republicans as he approaches a 2026 election that could see him as a key swing vote if Democrats regain a narrow Senate majority. His office did not respond to requests for comment regarding these observations. Fetterman has dismissed claims of being an absentee senator as "smears." As he considers running for another six-year term after the midterm elections next month, scrutiny of his record is expected to intensify. His time in office has been marked by controversies and diminishing support from Democratic voters who previously helped elect him to two statewide offices. Interviews with several former staffers describe Fetterman as largely disengaged from his responsibilities as a senator. They characterized him as a "lazy" lawmaker who often declines to meet with constituents or colleagues and is dismissive of criticism. One staffer noted that getting him to perform basic senator duties often required significant effort. Fetterman has shown a lack of engagement with Philadelphia, with reports indicating he has made only six public appearances in the city, four of which occurred within the first months of his term in 2023. His public engagements have included a Martin Luther King Jr. Day event and a news conference with President Biden. Fetterman has also participated in events outside of Pennsylvania, including meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. His public schedule has been markedly different from that of other senators, such as Republican U.S. Senator Dave McCormick, who made 32 stops across Pennsylvania in just 11 days during the August recess. Fetterman was previously known for his active campaigning across Pennsylvania but has shown a decline in public appearances since 2023. Following the October 7, 2023, attack in Israel and the subsequent conflict, Fetterman has maintained a strong stance in support of Israel, which has led to a loss of support from some of his Democratic base. He acknowledged in his memoir that his position on Israel may cost him his seat. Despite his declining public engagement, Fetterman has continued to post images of meetings with constituents and advocacy groups, although these instances have been infrequent. His meeting schedule is not publicly available, but he has faced criticism for not attending labor-related events, which were crucial to his political rise. In a recent social media post, he celebrated a court order reinstating federal prison workers’ union protections but has not been actively involved in related legislative efforts. Fetterman’s public appearances and legislative engagement are likely to remain a topic of discussion as he navigates his political future.