Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., this week slammed fellow Pennsylvania lawmaker Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., for publicly bemoaning the fact he missed a beach trip.
Fetterman on Monday lamented to reporters he wanted to “go home” during lengthy Senate deliberations regarding the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” He added that the long hours made him miss spending time with his family.
“I missed our entire trip to the beach, my family’s going to be back before me,” Fetterman said. “I don’t think it’s really helpful to put people here until some ungodly hour.”
Boyle said in an appearance on The Bulwark on Tuesday that the remark from a federal lawmaker came off as tone deaf.
“If you are here, you are damned lucky and privileged to be here,” he said about being a member of Congress. “You should want to be here, and if you don’t want to be here, leave.”
The representative added that his 11-year-old daughter was understanding enough to excuse his own absence at home given his vote would “determine whether or not millions and millions of Americans get to keep their health care.”
Boyle continued, adding that halting President Donald Trump’s bill outweighs any other commitments in his life.
“To me, I think this is one of the most important things I will ever do, full stop,” he said. “There is no place I would rather be than right here, right now, and if I can make a difference and stop this bill from happening, I will do whatever it takes.
“That should be the attitude, frankly, of every Democratic member of the House and Senate.”
Fetterman said there was “no drama” regarding votes in the Senate. “All the Democrats: we already know how that’s going to go,” he said.
As someone who has not been afraid to reach across party lines and support some initiatives of the Trump administration, including the strikes on Iran, Democrats have recently been wondering about what to do with Fetterman, according to the Associated Press. He has also criticized other Democrats at times. Fetterman’s six-year term doesn’t end until 2028.
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