Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) surprised many with his openness to supporting some Republican colleagues for Cabinet positions in President-elect Trump’s administration. He said he’s “not sure” why such a stance would be controversial.
Appearing on “Fox News Sunday,” Fetterman mentioned he’d back certain nominations, including Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) for secretary of State. He confirmed he’d vote yes for the Florida Republican.
Fetterman clarified his position on Dr. Mehmet Oz, who Trump tapped to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. While he’s not committed to supporting Oz, he insisted he holds no “bitterness” toward him.
“I’m open to a dialog, hear what he has to say about these things,” Fetterman explained. “I’m not sure why that’s controversial.”
The senator emphasized his willingness to have open conversations. “I’m going to have an open conversation for anyone that I’m open to having part of that conversation,” he added.
However, Fetterman admitted there are some Republicans he couldn’t support. “There’s some people that I just couldn’t be able to vote for,” he said. “And there’s some that might be able to enthusiastically vote yes.”
He acknowledged the challenges of working with a new administration. “I think there’s good things there, and there’s some things that I can’t vote for,” he said. “But that’s what happens when the other team wins.”
Fetterman also urged Senate Democrats to remember the Republicans’ majority. “I also would remind my side that … in the Senate, we’re at 53 to 47 with the new administration, so they’re going to have the votes at the end of the day,” he noted.