Senators John Fetterman (D-PA) and Dave McCormick (R-PA) are facing backlash after canceling a Pennsylvania event on Saturday.
Protestors lined the streets of Pittsburgh after Fetterman and McCormick were set to appear alongside their wives to discuss a book written by McCormick and his wife, Dina Powell McCormick about the power of mentorship, according to PennLive.
The event included a $32 entry fee, and attendees were supposed to be given a free copy of the book. The event was reportedly moved to an undisclosed location after word spread of protestors’ plans to organize outside the event’s original venue. The event was later postponed less than 24 hours before its scheduled start due to “an unforeseen logistical” issue, PennLive reported.
“Those cowards chickened out from facing their constituents,” Alisa Grishman, a Pittsburgh disability activist, told the outlet. “Even when I pay 36 bucks, I can’t get in to see my legislators.”
Grishman said she is “livid that my elected officials don’t have the balls to have an open and honest conversation with me about it.”
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“Senator McCormick, Senator Fetterman, grow a pair and come talk to me,” she said.
People shared their disappointment amid the cancellation in posts on X.
“John Fetterman cancelled a town hall in Pittsburgh and we all know why, he’s done and people won’t vote to reelect him,” one user wrote.
The Pennsylvania senators have reportedly made few public appearances in recent months. On March 25, McCormick only provided a 30-minute heads-up before holding a telephone town hall in a post on X. Fetterman hasn’t attended a public event in the state he represents in over two months, PennLive reported.
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Information from Govtrack.us shows Fetterman has missed 169 of 836 roll call votes from February 2023 to March 2025.
The protestors told PennLive they’ve made several attempts to reach the senators but have received unreturned phone calls and discovered empty offices. Protestors say they haven’t been able to share concerns with their representatives in-person, such as in town hall meetings.
“I donated to your campaign. I promoted you to others. You gave us hope. Instead, you’re an embarrassment,” retired firefighter and EMT Christopher Hykes said of Fetterman in a statement to WESA. “You’ve become a profound disappointment with your voting for legislation and staffers, when you show up to vote at all.”
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