The Joe-Mancinization of Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman continues.
On Tuesday, Fetterman said he’s open to voting to confirm his 2022 Pennsylvania U.S. Senate race opponent Mehmet Oz — President-elect Donald Trump‘s pick as the next Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator.
Fetterman defeated the celebrity doctor, known to television viewers as “Dr. Oz,” in a contentious general election race that began just days after the Pennsylvania Democrat suffered a stroke.
On Tuesday, Fetterman said he’s “voting for the dude” — that is, if “Dr. Oz is about protecting and preserving Medicaid.”
While some see Fetterman’s stance on Oz’s confirmation as a sign of pragmatism, it’s also being met with criticism from progressives, including those once close to the Pennsylvania senator.
What Fetterman Said About Dr. Oz the Candidate
On the campaign trail, Fetterman depicted Oz as a “carpetbagger” and an out-of-touch quack doctor, even comparing him in a campaign video to the “Simpsons” character, Dr. Nick.
Fetterman also alleged that Oz “endorsed” what he claimed was a plan by Senator Rick Scott to “destroy” Medicare and Social Security.
(Scott denied that the sunset provisions of his 12-point “Rescue America” plan applied to Social Security and Medicare. He amended it in 2023 to explicitly state this.)
For his part, Oz said in 2022 that he would oppose cuts to Social Security, though he expressed support for expanding Medicare Advantage plans.
Negative Reaction From Progressives
Progressives reacted critically to Fetterman’s statement on the Oz nomination.
In a social media post on Tuesday, progressive activist and former Ohio state senator Nina Turner juxtaposed Fetterman’s 2022 claims about Oz seeking to “destroy” Medicare with his current stance on the Oz nomination, writing, “What a difference two years makes. And politicians wonder why the American people lose faith in our electoral systems?”
Lever News founder David Sirota noted the irony of liberals having funded the Fetterman campaign to oppose the pro-Medicare privatization only for Fetterman to embrace Oz’s leadership role over the program.
Former Fetterman Staffer ‘Feels Duped’
Fetterman has also received criticism from a former senior campaign aide.
In a post on X, Victoria Perrone, the director of operations for Fetterman’s 2022 Senate campaign, described Fetterman’s change of heart on Oz as “a huge personal betrayal” to her.
Perrone recalled how she condemned Oz at a 2022 campaign rally for his dubious claims about the prevention of ovarian cancer — a disease her sister succumbed to during the Senate race.
Referring to Oz, Perrone said, “We know he won’t protect the Medicaid that paid for her treatments.”
Perrone expressed regret for supporting Fetterman, stating, “I feel like I’ve been duped and 2 years of working on your campaign was a waste.”
Fetterman on Health Care
Before entering the U.S. Senate, Fetterman aligned himself with the Bernie Sanders wing of the Democratic Party, endorsing the Vermont senator’s 2016 presidential bid.
In 2016, Fetterman expressed support for the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, but added that “we need to move toward a single-payer system.”
During his 2022 Senate run, Fetterman began to loosen his commitment to Medicare for All, stating that he would “support any legislation that gets us closer to the goal of universal health care coverage.”
He did, however, express clear support for the expansion of Medicare benefits to vision, hearing, and dental care, and lowering its eligibility to the age of 60.
In his reaction to the Oz nomination, Fetterman now appears to have narrowed his goal to “protecting and preserving Medicare and Medicaid.”
In 2023, Fetterman proclaimed that he was “not a progressive.”
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