(USNewsMag.com) – During a May 16 Senate Banking Committee hearing on the collapse of the Silicon Valley Bank, all eyes were on Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman.
The last senator to speak, he struggled through an opening statement and his questions were seen as borderline incoherent at times. Fetterman suffered a stroke while on the campaign trail for the 2022 midterms and is dealing with lingering auditory processing issues.
In his questioning he brought up executives of the bank and a trip to “Hawaiis” after the bank collapse saying he had never been to Hawaii but that he had never “cranked, excuse me, crashed a bank.”
Fetterman suggested bank executives should have their power reigned in, though the questioning was extremely choppy, with statements such as “that’s like if you have, I mean like, and they also realize is that now they have …” Bank executives did not respond to the questions.
One of Fetterman’s comments did get agreement from Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz. The comment was that bailout for banks should have work requirements just as Republicans want to do for those who receive SNAP benefits. Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy also agreed with the comment.
Though the comment, which was said to be unscripted by his chief of staff Adam Jentleson, drew agreement, most of the discussion on social media centered around his inability to be understood. Chad Prather said if he is unable to complete a sentence that he should focus on his health and resign.
Fetterman’s communications director Joe Calvello spoke out in his defense saying that his doctors expect he will continue to improve and called those criticizing Fetterman “pathetic losers.”
Fetterman returned to work in the Senate in April, after checking himself into the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in February for depression. He has resumed his role as chairman of the Food and Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics, and Research Subcommittee.
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