Democratic Senator John Fetterman entered the stage through the door thrown into a lithe blue lithe. Republican Senator Dave McCormick went on the right, which shone vivid red.
But from now on it was above all a pleasant conversation between the senators of Pennsylvania at White Lights, Boston Edward M. Kennedy Institute in the fifth installment of the “Senate project”, a series of debates aimed at promoting double -sided in the US Senate.
In his characteristic black sweatshirt and shorts, Fetterman sat next to McCormick in a navy blue suit. The 30-minute conversation on Monday morning was moderated by Shannon Bereme “Fox News” and live live in Fox Nation.
A amiable tone of conversation was expected. The duo publicly adopted each other in the last four months, even after Fetterman conducted a campaign with the opponent of McCormick, former senator Bob Casey, a democrat, who served as three terms before his overthrow in November.
Fetterman and McCormick conducted an interview with Washington Post At the Fetterman House in Braddock at the beginning of this year, and McCormick was the most celebrated defender of Fefersman among the legislators of both parties after the former employees criticized his involvement in their duties in the Senate.
Save for exchange on a budget account kept by republicans-which includes cuts in medicaid and food, which the Senate will debate this week-two senators in Pennsylvania largely agreed to raised issues, including several topics of foreign affairs and a recent contract between US Steel and Nippon Steel, the largest Japanese Steel company.
Fetterman defends himself against criticism and thank you McCormick for support
When the flood of messages analyzed the behavior of Fetterman and Last month, McCormick contacted to ask his Senate counterpart if he could be defended.
“He actually asked me:” Can you defend you? I don’t want it to cause more political problems, “said Fetterman Bream.
“I thought it could hurt him,” said McCormick.
But Fetterman was satisfied with support and called reports – including the Inquirer editorial article quoted by the moderator – “Operation” against him.
“The more left media they have this kind of attack. It is simply not right,” said Fetterman, adding: “I am here, I do my work, I defend all these things, all these essential voices.”
Fetterman defended his attendance record-the worst in the Senate for a month-considering that most of the votes he left took place on Mondays, travel days for senators, when they usually speak procedural votes.
“I have three newborn children. These are voices. … If you want to attack me for it, go ahead,” said Fetterman.
Fetterman also noted that Senator Bernie Sanders, the independent Vermont, who toured the country at rallies against the program of President Donald Trump, left more votes than this year, but avoided control.
For his part, Fetterman increased his journey around the state, visiting several parts of Western Pennsylvania during the Senate break last week.
Equalization in Israel
Both Fetterman and McCormick talked about the urgent need to fight anti -Semitism, after an attack on Boulder, Colo. Eight people hurt on Sunday. The police say that a man who shouted “Free Palestine!” He introduced Molotov cocktails to a meeting of demonstrating people to increase visibility to Israel Honnahs who remain in gas.
Attack at Boulder, which the FBI called the act of terrorism, took place at the beginning of the Jewish holiday Shavuot and just a week after the man’s accusation Fatal shooting at two Israeli Embassy employees Apart from the capital of the Jewish Museum in Washington.
“This is something that we have to oppose total moral transparency,” said McCormick, referring to university campus, which in his opinion did not do enough to limit anti -Semitic speech.
“And this is something you can’t – you can’t have it both ways. You have to oppose – with complete strength,” said McCormick.
Fetterman called incidents of violent anti -Semitism “amazing”.
“And for me, as my friend noted, raging at all universities … We really have to call it what it is, and now, politically, being very, very much after Israel, this kind of part of my party in contradiction with this.”
Both Fetterman and McCormick were hot supporters of Israel during the war in Gaza and visited Israel several times from October 7, 2023, Hamas.
“I have people who follow me and screaming” Free Palestine “and” Genocide John “and it has been going on for 18 months,” said Fetterman. “This is a tiny, tiny thing. I can’t imagine how members of the Jewish community must feel constantly under attack.”
Both senators also support legislation in which sanctions against Russia put pressure on the country to get involved in peace negotiations with Ukraine in the ongoing war.
Asked when the president could be fed up with Vladimir Putin, McCormick defended Trump and blamed the former president Joe Biden.
“Be a supporter for a moment, I do not think that we would be in such a situation, if we did not have biden administration and mixed signaling, withdrawing Afghanistan … I think that all these things gave Putin’s green lithe to go to Ukraine. “ McCormick said.
It was one of several times McCormick shot at Biden or praised Trump in his attention.
Fetterman, who defended Biden, when he was still a party candidate, did not push any criticism of McCormick. The former president became a complicated figure for his party among the media analysis regarding his own Health in recent months and its initial decision to launch for re -election.
Voting for and against a “great handsome bill”
A lonely topic, which showed the dispute between Fetterman and McCormick, was the legislation of budget reconciliation, which this week is the subject of a debate in the Senate. McCormick said that he supported the act due to the extension of Trump’s tax plan, borders’ security improvements, national defense expenditure and reduction of government expenditure.
Fetterman said he was a voting “no” because of Medicaid cuts, although he said he was supporting a stronger border and lowers the debt.
“I do not think that I will ever be able to support Medicaid cutting, and the next thing that is worried is SNAP cuts,” said Fetterman, who sits in the agricultural committee and whose wife co -founded a free shop in Braddock, which provides food and clothing in need of people.
McCormick said that he was not in favor of “that we are taking Medicaid from people for whom the program has been designed”, but rather reduce its growth by identifying fraud.
Several impartial research of planned reduction and adding work requirements show that cuts would cause 8.6 million people to lose health insurance.
Fetterman did not push McCormick to Medicaid, although he agreed that there was room for “effectively”. He said that when his party enters another hot voice, he plans to stay away from personal attacks.
“I refuse to get involved in such rhetoric. It will not do this conversation anymore,” by no means, “said Fetterman. “… we will vote differently for” Big, Beautiful Bill “. But it’s not terrible if he votes for yes.
