Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., arrives for President Biden’s State of the Union address earlier this week. Fetterman was hospitalized on Wednesday and discharged on Friday.
Alex Wong/Getty Images
Alex Wong/Getty Images
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., was discharged from the George Washington University Hospital Friday afternoon. He spent Wednesday night in the hospital after feeling lightheaded.
Tests ruled out a stroke and found no evidence of a seizure, Fetterman’s communications director, Joe Calvello, wrote in a news release.
“John is looking forward to spending some time with his family and returning to the Senate on Monday,” Calvello said.
Fetterman started feeling unwell at a Senate Democratic retreat at the Library of Congress, Calvello said in an earlier statement. His staff took him to the hospital from there.
Fetterman suffered a minor stroke last year just before winning his primary race, prompting doctors to place a pacemaker and a defibrillator. In 2017, he had received a diagnosis of atrial fibrillation, an irregular heart rhythm that can lead to blood-flow issues.
His health issues led some to question his fitness for office during the race. He was back on the campaign trail after two months, appearing in debates and interviews. Despite issues with auditory processing and speech, his cognitive abilities remain intact. Some voters said it made them feel closer to him.
The day before his hospitalization, Fetterman attended President Biden’s State of the Union address. Days before that, he had attended the Democratic National Committee’s winter meeting in Philadelphia.