The Pennsylvania Democrat’s comeback follows extended treatment, as Senate Democrats face challenges with Senator Feinstein’s absence.

Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania returned to the US Senate on Monday after being absent for six weeks due to treatment for depression. He made his entrance wearing his signature attire—a black hoodie, gym shorts, and sneakers—and placed his hand over his heart as he walked into the chamber ahead of the day’s votes.

Fetterman, 54, posted a photo on social media of his return, expressing his gratitude: “It’s good to be back,” he wrote in a tweet.

Fetterman, who suffered a stroke last year just before the Democratic primary in May, went on to win the Senate race against Republican Mehmet Oz. In February, after experiencing lightheadedness, Fetterman was briefly hospitalised at George Washington University Hospital before checking in for inpatient treatment at Walter Reed Medical Centre for depression. His return comes at a time when the Democratic caucus is dealing with the absence of Senator Dianne Feinstein, who is also recovering from an extended leave after contracting shingles.

Feinstein, 89, has requested to temporarily step down from the Senate Judiciary Committee to recover, just as the Senate Democrats work to confirm judicial nominees from President Joe Biden. With only 51 Senate seats, the Democrats need full participation to confirm the President’s nominees without requiring Vice President Kamala Harris to break a tie.

Meanwhile, Republicans have indicated their opposition to aiding the confirmation process in the absence of Feinstein, with some lawmakers vocal about opposing Biden’s judicial picks. Senator Tom Cotton from Arkansas tweeted, “Republicans should not assist Democrats in confirming Joe Biden’s most radical nominees to the courts,” and Senator Marsha Blackburn from Tennessee added, “I will not go along with Chuck Schumer’s plan to replace Senator Feinstein on the Judiciary Committee and pack the court with activist judges.”