As Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) adjusts to life in the Senate, he faces the challenge of navigating the world of D.C. politics with lingering hearing problems.
Fetterman suffered a stroke while on the campaign trail in May 2022, causing auditory processing issues and raising concerns about whether the then-lieutenant governor was fit to hold a six-year term in the upper chamber. However, the Pennsylvania Democrat has been granted several accommodations to help ease his transition to the Senate and complete his legislative duties.
FETTERMAN HOSPITALIZED OVERNIGHT AFTER 'FEELING LIGHTHEADED'
In his office, Fetterman has a newly installed monitor that can be adjusted depending on whether he wishes to stand or sit while also providing closed captioning so he can follow along with congressional proceedings. He has a similar setup at the center dais in the Senate chamber for when he must preside over the upper chamber.
Fetterman's neurological impairment hinders him from understanding speech clearly, with the senator saying voices sometimes sound like the undecipherable teacher on the Peanuts cartoon, according to the New York Times.
Soon after Fetterman defeated Republican Mehmet Oz in November, emerging victorious from one of the most competitive midterm elections, the Office of Congressional Accessibility Services began working with the senator-elect to provide any necessary accommodations, according to Time.
As part of these accommodations, the office provided him with technology that would transcribe what people are saying to him in real-time, similar to a closed-captioning system. The Senate sergeant-at-arms installed such programs on computer monitors in Fetterman's office and in the Senate chamber, according to the outlet.
The programs can work without internet access if needed and are powered by the Senate Office Captioning Services's stenotype machines as well as professional broadcast captioners. The monitors allow for live transcription of Senate committee hearings that Fetterman will sit in on, and the sergeant-at-arms office is reportedly planning to expand this access to all Senate hearings in the coming months.
Fetterman's fellow Democrats have lauded him during his first month on the job and insist the accommodations for his impairments are not distracting.
"He answers like you would answer anyone," Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) told the New York Times, referring to Fetterman's use of a tablet to transcribe personal conversations. "It's us that have to get used to it; he's used to it."
Others have pointed to the adjustments as part of a shift in culture that has taken place in recent decades.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
"The right attitude has to be consistent with what we hope we learned in the last 30 years or so, that we can provide reasonable accommodations in the workplace," Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) told the outlet. "If we're doing it right, it should not be him adapting to the workplace; it should be senators in both parties adapting and accommodating him. Just like we would anyone."
Fetterman raised new concerns over his health this week after he was hospitalized. The doctors ruled out a second stroke but are monitoring him for signs of a seizure.