Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) returned to the Senate on Monday, two months after he checked himself into Walter Reed Medical Center, where he was treated for clinical depression.
The big picture: Congress reconvened Monday after a two-week recess, with Fetterman as well as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) returning after absences. Meanwhile, Democrats have grappled with the impact of Sen. Dianne Feinstein's absence (D-Calif.) on their slim majority.
- McConnell returned Monday more than a month after he was hospitalized after falling at a fundraising dinner.
- Feinstein, who is recovering from shingles, has been facing pressure to resign over concerns that her absence has hampered Senate Democrats' ability to advance judicial nominations.
Driving the news: "It's great to be back. Thank you," Fetterman told reporters as he returned to the chamber on Monday.
- The first-term senator was discharged from the hospital on March 31 and returned to his home in Braddock, Pennsylvania.
- Fetterman indicated last month that he would be back in the Senate on April 17, when the chamber returned from recess.
- He said in a statement after his release that he was "extremely grateful to the incredible team" at the medical center, adding that "the care they provided changed my life."
Of note: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said last week that Democrats would try to "temporarily" replace Feinstein on the Judiciary Committee as she recovers.
