Some of John Fetterman’s Key Allies Are Standing by Him

Union groups and other key endorsers that made up a crucial bloc of support for Sen. John Fetterman say they’re standing with him as his ability to serve in the Senate comes under scrutiny.

Several of them went as far as to say they still believe he can help them on the issues they care most about, like education and advocacy for retirees.

NOTUS reached out to more than 20 groups that endorsed Fetterman in his 2022 Senate campaign, as well as more than a half-dozen organizations whose members have met the senator or his staff since he’s been in office. Many of them didn’t respond, but some of them said they weren’t concerned about Fetterman’s ability to do his job amid health concerns.

“PSEA stands ready to work with Sen. Fetterman and any lawmaker who shares PSEA’s priorities for working people, labor unions, and public education,” Christopher Lilienthal, assistant director of communications for the Pennsylvania State Education Association, which endorsed Fetterman in 2022, told NOTUS in a statement.

Concerns about Fetterman’s mental health became a key issue for him after New York magazine published a report in May detailing the senator’s erratic behavior and health challenges since he was elected to the Senate in 2022. Some of his former and current aides were concerned about him not taking his medication and his tendency to engage in “risky behavior.”

The Associated Press reported on an incident that took place shortly before the New York article was published where Fetterman behaved erratically during a Pennsylvania State Education Association teacher’s union meeting, shouting that “everybody is mad at me.”

Fetterman’s office did not respond to a request for comment. In the wake of the reports, Fetterman told The Philadelphia Inquirer that people have “weaponized” the fact he’s been receiving help for his depression.

“We have no way to independently evaluate Senator Fetterman’s health, but he has stood up for older Pennsylvanians since he was elected, earning a 100% pro-retiree score in our most recent Congressional Voting Record,” Lisa Cutler, spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Alliance for Retired Americans, told NOTUS in a statement. “We need and expect him to continue to do so.”

Arthur Steinberg, president of American Federation of Teachers Pennsylvania, told NOTUS he has no concerns about Fetterman’s allyship or his ability to serve in the Senate, adding that the senator has been “staunch and firm on his opposition to vouchers” and that he supports Fetterman’s “pro-public education stance.”

“I’d be more concerned about his health … being able to take care of his family,” Steinberg told NOTUS. “Those would be the only concerns I have about health. I don’t have anything to base alarm or concern about his job performance because I haven’t seen any evidence of that personally.”

Fetterman is known for splitting from his party on several key issues. He has been one of the most vocal Democratic advocates for Israel in its war in Gaza. He echoed Republicans’ messaging on the immigration “crisis” in December 2023 following an influx of migrants into the country. Fetterman voted for several of Trump’s high-profile nominees, and earlier this year, he joined forces with Republican senators to help move forward their government funding bill.

Meanwhile, he’s gained a reputation as a loner in the Senate, distancing himself from his colleagues and even skipping votes. He recently told The New York Times that since the recent reports about him, he has started showing up for votes and hearings he thought were “performative.”

Denise S. Marshall, chief executive officer of the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, whose organization met with Fetterman earlier this year, told NOTUS in a statement that the senator was “very gracious in meeting with our members” during their meeting and that he “understands well the need for services and supports and fully commits to supporting students with disabilities, civil rights laws, and Medicaid funding.”

Only three out of the 22 past endorsers that NOTUS reached out responded to inquiries regarding the senator’s service. Two of the 22 groups declined to comment. And of the more than a half-dozen groups NOTUS reached out to that have worked with Fetterman’s office or met him in person since being elected, only one group commented.

Wendell Young IV, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1776, told NOTUS he is “concerned” for Fetterman’s health, but thinks people should be more understanding.

“Clearly, he went through a really tough time with the stroke he had and the recovery,” Young said, referring to the stroke Fetterman had during his campaign. “I think he should get credit for how hard he worked to get back to where he is. And if he has a couple moments where he has to reassert himself and get him and get refocused on some of that, then like anybody else, you should be given that opportunity. You shouldn’t get hammered immediately for it.”

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Torrence Banks is a NOTUS reporter and an Allbritton Journalism Institute fellow.