A Pennsylvania congressman ripped Sen. John Fetterman for complaining about having to be in the Senate to vote on the GOP budget instead of going to the beach.
Rep. Brendan Boyle told The Bulwark Tuesday that members are “damn lucky and privileged to be here,” and that “if you don’t want to be here, leave.”
Fetterman had admitted to reporters Monday, as the Senate was gearing up for a series of votes, that he had no desire to be on Capitol Hill.
“Oh my God, I just want to go home!” he said, adding: “My family is going to be back [from the beach] before we get out!”
Fetterman added that the process wasn’t that interesting.
“I’m going to vote no. There’s no drama [about how] the votes are going to go,” he said of Trump’s “One, Big, Beautiful Bill.” “In fact, the only interesting votes are going to be on the margin, whether that’s [Republican Senator Susan] Collins, or [Republican Senator Ron] Johnson… But all the Democrats, we all know how that’s going to go.”
The Senate ultimately passed the legislation in a 51-50 vote Tuesday afternoon, with Republican Senators Susan Collins, Rand Paul, and Thom Tillis joining Fetterman and all other Democrats in opposition, leaving Vice President J.D. Vance to cast the tie-breaking vote.
The bill now heads back to the House. Boyle said there is nowhere he would rather be to prevent it from becoming law.
“The sacrifices that members of Congress make, especially those of us who have families with young children—those are real,” the ranking House Budget Committee member said, acknowledging that both he and Fetterman have families. “My wife and daughter, right now, I just left them even though I promised I would be with them this week. So I don’t minimize that.”
However, “this week will determine whether or not millions and millions of Americans get to keep their healthcare,” Boyle explained, in light of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office finding that the GOP bill would kick 11.8 million Americans off their health insurance by 2034.
“To me, this is one of the most important things I will ever do,” he added. “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.”
Boyle continued: “And that should be the attitude, frankly, of every Democratic member of the House and Senate… If you’re here, you’re damn lucky and you’re privileged to be here. You should want to be here, and if you don’t want to be here, then leave.”
Fetterman has lately distanced himself from the progressive wing of the party, including with his staunch support for Israel and his post-election meeting with Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago.
Meanwhile, concerns remain about the senator’s health after his 2022 stroke, with former and current staffers describing erratic and manic behavior.
Fetterman has rejected calls to resign. The Senator did not immediately return The Daily Beast’s request for comment.
The post Democrat Rips Fetterman’s Beach Gripe: ‘If You Don’t Want to Be Here, Leave’ appeared first on The Daily Beast.
