Sen. John Fetterman Struggles to Speak During Hearing on I-95 Highway Collapse

Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) struggled to speak during a Senate hearing on the Sunday morning I-95 highway collapse in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The highway collapsed after a tanker truck caught on fire underneath it, causing the metal beams supporting it to melt, CNN reported. Repairs could reportedly take months.

Senate Environment Committee chairman Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE) invited the freshman senator to comment during the hearing Wednesday, Fox News Digital reported. Video footage shows Fetterman repeating the highway’s name three times and pausing several times.

“Uh no, I – uh, would just, um, really like to, you know — the 95, 95, 95. You know?” Fetterman first said.

After rambling, Fetterman gestured toward the chairman.

“Obviously, you know, you’re pretty much preoccupied with, uh, 95,” Fetterman said. “And uh, I certainly am, too. And we know it’s a major atery [sic], not just for Pennsylvania but for the East Coast. And a lot of Pennsylvanians are worried that the delays in repairs bring to its standstill deal.”

John Fetterman weighs in on the I-95 collapse as only he can. Profound, trenchant, eloquent. Good choice, Pennsylvania. pic.twitter.com/wgLU72pu3L

— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) June 16, 2023

Since suffering a stroke during his campaign last year, Fetterman has struggled with speaking and articulating his words.

In September while on the campaign trail, he gave a five-minute speech confusing Washington, DC, with New Jersey, Breitbart reported.

“Send us back to New Jersey. Send me to D.C. for you.” Audience members can be heard chuckling in the video.

Fetterman checked into Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in February to receive treatment for clinical depression — a common psychiatric development for stroke survivors. More than a third of those who have a stroke will develop depression.

Congressional candidate Sandy Smith said Fetterman’s difficulty with formulating words shows that “our country is in serious trouble,” Fox News Digital reported.