Upon his return to the U.S. Senate following a six-week stay at Walter Reed Medical Center for treatment of depression, Senator Fetterman’s health issues are once again being scrutinized — all while Democrats fret over the future of ailing Senator Feinstein. 

On Wednesday, Mr. Fetterman, 53, returned to his chairmanship of the agricultural subcommittee on Food and Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics and Research where he visibly struggled to read a prepared statement. Misreading words, missing cues, and fumbling over syntax is a fairly benign effect of having a stroke, but to do so in the United States Senate can only bring unwanted attention. 

Many online were quick to point out that the visual and auditory processing issues he continues to struggle with nearly a year after having a stroke could be hampering his ability to do his job. One commentator said his subcommittee performance was “embarrassing for Pennsylvania.”

Mr. Fetterman’s communications director, Joe Calvello, told Fox News that people criticizing the senator are “just shouting into the wind.”

“Republicans already tried emptying the arsenal attacking John’s health and Pennsylvanians had his back in a big way,” Mr. Calvello said. “As a senator, John is fighting for forgotten communities and all of the people of Pennsylvania, regardless of their social media habits.”

Defenders of Mr. Fetterman argue that while the stroke he suffered was severe and continues to affect his life, he should not be forced to resign given the fact that Pennsylvanians elected him knowing he had these health problems. During a debate with the Republican candidate, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Mr. Fetterman visibly struggled to answer most questions in a coherent way. 

Senator Paul — no friend of Mr. Fetterman and his liberal allies — even came to the defense of the Pennsylvanian. Mr. Fetterman recently released a video of himself with a “body double” to make fun of a conspiracy that he himself had been replaced by a lookalike after his stay at Walter Reed. Shortly after, Mr. Paul took to Twitter to defend his colleague. “Funny wins over stupid, he wrote. “Great response from the senator from PA. I say: Lay off Fetterman’s health and talk about policy…There’s lots of material that doesn’t attack someone’s misfortune.”

Mr. Fetterman’s health problems and prolonged absence for the last few months also highlight the consequential truancy of Mrs. Feinstein, 89. While fighting what she claims is a bout of shingles, California’s political grande dame has missed more than 60 senate votes in recent months. 

Mrs. Feinstein’s empty seat on the powerful judiciary committee has made it impossible for Senate Democrats and President Biden to continue pushing forward with their rapid confirmation of liberal federal judges. In order to advance a judicial nominee to the senate floor, the candidate must receive a majority of support from those present and voting. With Mrs. Feinstein gone, the panel remains deadlocked. 

While she has requested that she be temporarily removed from the committee, Republicans are refusing to cooperate. Even in the event of her retirement, Republicans would still have to sign off on filling the seat on the judiciary committee. 

A former speechwriter for President Obama and current host of the popular Pod Save America podcast, Jon Favreau, recently admitted that Republicans are doing what is in their best interest and “if the shoe were on the other foot,” Democrats would not help the GOP to fill judicial slots either. 

“If this was an old Republican senator,” Mr. Favreau said, “would we be like ‘oh yeah, let’s help out Mitch McConnell’? Of course not. Are you crazy?”

Senator Cruz used Mrs. Feinstein’s illness as an opportunity to knock some of his own colleagues. “I don’t see any reason why we should be complicit in helping the Democrats confirm their most radical and extreme nominees,” he said, adding that GOP Senator Graham votes for “almost all” of Mr. Biden’s judicial nominees. 

He also pointed out that Republicans never made a move to force out Senators McCain or Cochran when they were ailing during the Trump administration, even though it affected the GOP’s ability to move legislation and nominations. “I’ve served with a bunch of colleagues who are way past their expiration date,” Mr. Cruz said. “It’s striking to me that the only senator I’ve ever seen that a party has tried to drive out because of health is Dianne Feinstein.”

But if Democrats want to force out the California senator, Mr. Cruz said, they should apply the principle across the board. “By the way, right now, Joe Biden is profoundly mentally diminished,” Mr. Cruz added. “None of these left-wing radicals calling for throwing Dianne Feinstein out are calling for throwing Joe Biden out. And by the way, to be clear, John Fetterman, the senator from Pennsylvania, has been medically unavailable and absent for most of this Congress.”