In less than two months as a U.S. Senator Pennsylvania’s John Fetterman has already been hospitalized twice.
These hospitalizations confirmed GOP warnings prior to Fetterman’s election to office.
And now some of those same Republicans are issuing this ultimatum with 2024 consequences to Fetterman.
Fetterman is spending most of his time as Senator in the hospital
In early February, newly-elected Senator John Fetterman was attending a Democrat retreat when he became lightheaded.
Rewinding, last year – just days before winning the Pennsylvania Democrat Senate Primary – Fetterman suffered a massive, near-fatal stroke.
As was on full display every time he appeared in public, whether it was on a TV interview, at a rally, or in one of the worst debate performances in American political history, the stroke left the left-wing radical unable to speak coherent sentences, or comprehend the words that were being spoken to him without the aid of a software that transcribed conversations.
Senator Fetterman’s medical condition was a big issue in his General Election campaign against Republican nominee Dr. Mehmet Oz.
However, despite his obvious cognitive impairment, Pennsylvania voters decided to send Fetterman to Washington, D.C. with a 4.5-point victory over Oz.
And just weeks after taking the oath of office, Senator Fetterman was hospitalized after he experienced lightheadedness, obviously causing alarm due to his previous issues.
Then, a few weeks after being released, Fetterman was back in the hospital, checking himself into Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for depression, where he’ll reportedly stay for several weeks.
An ultimatum from Pennsylvania Republicans
Less than four months after they voted him into office, Pennsylvanians are already frustrated by the fact that Senator Fetterman is clearly not fully recovered from his stroke as they were told, and doesn’t seem fit to serve as a United States Senator, based on the number of days he’s already been unable to do his job.
And now, Keystone State Republicans are ready to move forward.
In fact, Just the News has reported that a group of Pennsylvania Republicans have issued an ultimatum to Fetterman – either appear on camera and demonstrate you are still capable of doing your job, or resign from your position.
“We call upon Senator Fetterman to appear on camera to show us he is alive and well,” a Facebook post from the Washington County, PA GOP read. “And if he is unable to do so, we call upon our elected Representatives in Washington, Senator Casey and Congressman Reschenthaler, to intervene immediately. Ultimately, if Fetterman is unable or unwilling to carry out his duties as a United States Senator, then we ask for his resignation and call for a special election to be held this year.”
For his part, Senator Fetterman has given no indications that he has any intention of resigning.
And newly-elected Pennsylvania Democrat Governor Josh Shapiro has said on multiple occasions that he has not been contacted by Fetterman’s team or the state Democrat party to prepare to name a replacement.
The ultimate 2024 battleground?
If Fetterman is to resign, Governor Shapiro would be the one to name his successor, and in Pennsylvania, there is no need for confirmation from the state Senate.
As for the request for a special election this year, that would put both parties on an even footing.
However, it is unlikely to happen.
The Philadelphia Inquirer has reported that under the Pennsylvania state Constitution, the Democrat Governor could hold the special election off until 2024.
That would give whomever Shapiro appoints nearly two years in office prior to Election Day, effectively giving them the advantage of incumbency.
If Senator Fetterman’s seat does go up for grabs in 2024, that would mean both the Keystone State’s U.S. Senate seats would be on the ballot in the same election cycle.
The state’s senior Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) is up for re-election in 2024, and his race could turn into an open seat as well.
Of course, Senator Casey is suffering from some health issues of his own, as the 62-year-old underwent surgery for prostate cancer just last month.
It remains to be seen if Casey will decide to run for another six-year term in the U.S. Senate.
