Once a lightning rod for national press attention, Senator Fetterman is laying low in the U.S. Senate. While he’s dealing with health issues, he is quietly teeing up priorities for the new Senate’s Democratic conference.

Mr. Fetterman has been recovering from a stroke he suffered in May last year. Although he was a constant presence in the headlines related to the 2022 midterms, he made relatively few live appearances.

Despite this, Mr. Fetterman was able to defeat the Republican nominee, Mehmet Oz, in the Pennsylvania election, 51 percent to 46 percent, delivering Democrats their only pickup in the Senate.

While Mr. Fetterman’s recovery seems to be going well and his doctor gave him a clean bill of health ahead of the election, he still has issues with auditory processing.

To help the senator with this, the Senate has installed a monitor at Mr. Fetterman’s desk in the otherwise old-fashioned and phone-free Senate chamber, according to Time.

In his first Senate hearing with the Senate Agriculture Committee, Mr. Fetterman’s speech appeared to have improved since the candidate debate during the campaign. However, it remained awkward at times, even with the use of a monitor for assistance. 

According to the Stroke Association, exactly how long it takes for people to recover from these issues varies, with most making significant progress in the first six months. However, some take years to regain their pre-stroke communication abilities.

Although his recovery and the end of campaign season likely account for his laying low in the new Congress, he has co-sponsored four bills.

“These bills all deliver on promises I made during our campaign, to combat gun violence, expand health care services, improve wages, and increase voting rights and representation for people across the country,” Mr. Fetterman said.

An assault weapons ban, first introduced in 2013 by Senator Feinstein, would place strict regulation on the sale, transfer, or manufacture of new weapons with military features.

The Better Care Better Jobs Act, first introduced by Senator Casey, would expand Medicaid with the objective of allowing seniors and those with disabilities “to remain in their homes, stay active in their communities, and lead independent lives.”

The Federal Adjustment of Income Rates Act, first introduced by Senator Schatz, would raise the wage of government employees paid based on a prevailing rate by 3.2 percent.

The final bill Mr. Fetterman has co-sponsored is a measure aimed at granting statehood to the District of Columbia, which has been reintroduced in the new Senate by Senator Carper.

The senator has also signaled two other top priorities, taking on oil companies and  protecting abortion rights federally in the post-Dobbs era.

Although Mr. Fetterman does not sit on a relevant committee, he promised in late January to investigate potential price gouging by oil companies.

“This summer, families across PA paid $5 a gallon for gas while Exxon made profits that ‘smashed earnings records’ and Chevron posted ‘record earnings,’” Mr. Fetterman said. “This price gouging is simply disgusting, and I’m going to get to the bottom of it.”

The senator has also promised to fight to pass legislation protecting reproductive healthcare, including abortion rights, and met with Planned Parenthood of Pennsylvania on Monday to discuss the topic.

“I promise to always fight for women’s reproductive freedom and will continue the important work here in D.C. to codify abortion rights into federal law,” Mr. Fetterman said.

Mr. Fetterman’s Republican opponent in the 2022 midterms, Dr. Oz, has similarly dropped off the press’s radar since the election.

Dr. Oz, who conceded defeat in the Senate race when the results became clear, the day after the election, has returned to his medical career.

Since the election, he has been raising money for charity and working to raise awareness around animal tranquilizers contaminating Philadelphia’s opiate supply.