Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., returned to the Senate Monday in a black hoodie and shorts, after a six-week stay in the hospital where he was treated for clinical depression.
As the senator entered the Capitol for one of the first times since taking office in January, he refused to take questions from the press.
"It’s great to be back. Thank you," Fetterman reportedly said as he walked into the building.
Fetterman will chair his first subcommittee hearing days after returning from his weeks-long absence
Fetterman suffered a stroke in May 2022 while campaigning for Pennsylvania's open Senate seat, causing him to have cognitive issues, including a problem with auditory processing.
SEN. JOHN FETTERMAN TALKS MENTAL HEALTH POST-HOSPITALIZATION: ‘MESSAGE RIGHT NOW ISN’T POLITICAL'
Fetterman was reportedly using a closed captioning device that types out what is being said to him so that he can have conversations with other members of Congress.
The New York Times reported Fetterman's severe hearing disability even caused him to hear the voice of the teacher from the "Peanuts" cartoon when listening to people speak.
Fetterman was admitted to the hospital in February after feeling lightheaded during a Democratic retreat, but returned home days later.
Just days after his health scare, the senator checked himself into the hospital to be treated for what was described as "clinical depression."
"While John has experienced depression off and on throughout his life, it only became severe in recent weeks," Adam Jentleson, Fetterman's chief of staff, wrote in a statement after the Senator entered the hospital.
Fetterman was released from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on March 31, making his official return to the Senate Monday.
