Democratic Sen. John Fetterman’s office has been accused of smoothing transcripts of his congressional appearances to hide the stroke victim’s difficulties in speaking out.
During a session on the Silicon Valley Bank collapse on Tuesday, Fetterman was caught on video saying, “Republicans want to give a job requirement for SNAP.” You know, for a uh, uh, uh, starving family has to have these, those kind of penalties, or those kinds of words – work uh, require – Shouldn’t you have a work requirement, after browsing your bank , billions from your bank? the Liberal senator said during the session.
‘Cause you seem like we were concerned about, uh when, so SNAP requirements for jobs, for starving people, but not for tax protection, tax papers, you know, that’ll bail them out of whatever ‘a bank would do to bring it down,'” he continued in verbatim.
But a publication of Fetterman’s remarks shared by his office with Washington Post reporter Jeff Stein later was markedly different.
‘Shouldn’t you have a job requirement after we bailed out your bank? Republicans seem to be more concerned with SNAP requirements for starving people than protecting taxpayers who have to bail out these banks,” reads the “official” version, released by Fetterman’s office.
Democratic Sen. John Fetterman’s office has come under fire for doctoring the lawmaker’s Congressional transcripts to make it consistent, after he suffered a stroke a year ago.
A Fox News Digital The review showed Tuesday’s incident wasn’t the only time released transcripts didn’t match recordings of him actually speaking. Transcripts later released by his office revealed a clear and consistent version of his remarks.
Fetterman, who suffered a stroke a year ago, only recently returned to Congress after being hospitalized with depression. But his health has come into question as he continues to battle cognitive issues during Senate hearings.
The most recent ordeal came to light this week when Washington Post business reporter Jeff Stein tweeted what Fetterman had asked former Silicon Valley Bank CEO Greg Becker.
‘Shouldn’t you have a job requirement after we bailed out your bank? Republicans seem to be more concerned with SNAP requirements for starving people than with protecting taxpayers who have to bail out those banks.
He then deleted the tweet and admitted that he had received the quote cleaned up from Fetterman’s office.
“It was my fault,” Stein wrote. “Although it captured its meaning, I deleted the tweet once some of the words in the quote were inaccurate.”
Video from the hearing revealed that the lawmaker’s words were more confused as he stumbled over himself, muttering several ums and other filler words.
Conservatives suggest Fetterman wasn’t fit to serve in Washington after seeing his attempt to grill Silicon Valley Bank CEO Greg Becker
A Fox News Digital review showed Tuesday’s incident wasn’t the only time released transcripts didn’t match recordings of him speaking.
When Fox News Digital conducted a review, they report that there have been other times his office has changed his remarks since his return in April.
Following his April 26 hearing, his office posted a transcript on the website.
“I’m really excited about the whole house repairs. Here in Pennsylvania, a friend of mine, Nikil Saval in the Senate, ran it. And he bonded with the Republicans and they actually created one of the first kinds of programs like this in the country.
“I come from a community here in Braddock, PA where your home can go downhill very quickly. And I’m really excited that we can take something like this, which is happening in Pennsylvania, and take it federally.
But the recorded version of Fetterman’s remarks was different from what his office had released.
‘I’m really excited about this, because here in Pennsylvania, a friend of mine really [inaudible] he, Nikil Saval, he was literally – literally – as hard on the left as any politician I know – you know – certainly in the Senate,” Fetterman said. “Uh, he really helped deal with that. And he bonded with the Republicans, and he actually created the first kind of program like this in the country, you know. And one of my colleagues—Mr. Vance—said if there was a leak in the ceiling, what if you didn’t have the money to fix it? What can happen to that, kinda stuff?
‘I’m from a community in Braddock, Pennsylvania where there’s a lot of – your house can deteriorate quickly if you had that stuff – so I’m a big – you know – I’m incredibly, I think I’m excited that this can take Pennsylvania and go federal.
In mid-April, Fetterman returned to Washington after spending nearly two months at Walter Reed Military Hospital being treated for clinical depression.
Fetterman was released from the hospital in late March but returned home to Pennsylvania while the Senate was on a two-week spring recess.
He reported to Walter Reed that day after weeks of what aides described as Fetterman being withdrawn and uninterested in eating, discussing work or the usual banter with staff.
At the time, Fetterman had barely been on duty for a month in Washington and was still recovering from the aftermath of the stroke he suffered last May. He went to see Walter Reed on the advice of Capitol physician Dr. Brian P. Monahan.
While there, his staff stressed that they were working, being kept up to date on the issue and in contact with them.
Fetterman declined to answer questions upon his return
Fetterman returned to the Capitol in April after a 2-month absence to be treated for depression
Fetterman suffered his stroke in May 2022, days before Pennsylvania’s Democratic primary, but he still won the race hands down.
The stroke, which nearly killed him, sidelined him for months on the campaign trail in his race against Trump-backed Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz, the former TV personality .
The Democrat was able to win the job in part thanks to some Oz creativity from his team, as the Republican spent decades living in New Jersey before his run for the Keystone State Senate.
Her shaky debate performance – which highlighted her unusual speech patterns and auditory processing issues left over from the stroke – rattled some Democrats as she gave Oz an opening to win.
But on election night, the race was called for Fetterman at 1 a.m., with Oz conceding shortly after.
