
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn., left, and Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Penn., right, participate in a debate, Monday, June 2, 2025, at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate, in Boston.
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn., left, and Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Penn., right, participate in a debate, Monday, June 2, 2025, at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate, in Boston.
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Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn., left, and Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Penn., right, participate in a debate, Monday, June 2, 2025, at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate, in Boston.
Pennsylvania’s two U.S. senators hail from opposing political parties, but the two lawmakers agree on a long list of policies, from the United States’ role in foreign wars to the sale of U.S. Steel to a Japanese company.
Democrat John Fetterman and Republican Dave McCormick voiced support for Israel’s military actions against Hamas in Gaza. They both want Europe to spend more to defend against Russian aggression, and they both want to reduce the national debt while spending more on border security.
Their one major disagreement was on whether to support the massive tax and spending bill passed by House Republicans in May and backed by President Donald Trump. Fetterman opposes it, while McCormick said the Senate should approve it.
The two men spoke during a Monday morning forum in Boston hosted by the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate and the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation. It was moderated by FOX anchor Shannon Bream and was scheduled to air on the network at 6 p.m. Monday.
National budget debate
McCormick said he plans to vote for Trump’s proposed tax and spending cuts bill. He cited the $37 trillion national debt and said federal spending was unsustainable.
The bill in its current form would cut federal spending, including cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, both of which provide services mainly benefiting the lowest income earners.
“ It’s just stealing from the future of our kids and it’s unsustainable to be on this path of reckless spending,” McCormick said.
The Congressional Budget Office and several independent analysts estimate the bill would increase the national debt by between $1.7 trillion and $3.8 trillion dollars over a 10-year period, despite major cuts to federal programs. The Penn Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania estimates the bottom 10% of income earners would lose about $1,000 in 2026 as a result of those cuts, while the top 10% of earners would keep 65% of the economic benefits.
By 2034, the cuts would remove at least 8.6 million people from Medicaid, reducing the federal deficit by $900 billion, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The estimate shows another 5 million people could lose health coverage due to cuts to subsidies for people buying coverage through the Affordable Care Act, AKA Obamacare. Parts of those funding cuts would target states that use their own money to extend health care support to immigrants who are not eligible for the federal Medicaid program.
Fetterman said he would vote against the bill, though he agreed that Congress needs to address the national debt.
“ I don’t think I’d ever be in a position to support cutting Medicaid. Another thing that I’m troubled by is the cuts to SNAP,” Fetterman said.
The current bill would cut SNAP by $290 billion in large part by significantly shifting costs to states.
The bill also includes additional funding to go to security along the U.S.–Mexico border, which both senators said they support.
US Steel and Nippon Steel
Both senators support the preliminary conditions for a deal to sell US Steel to Nippon Steel, a Japanese company. Fetterman opposed the selling of US Steel when the deal was first announced in December 2023, as did Trump and then-president Joe Biden, whose administration blocked the $14.9 billion sale on national security grounds.
Trump’s administration re-opened a federal review, and a final deal is scheduled to formally close on June 18. Following pressure from both the Biden and Trump administrations, Nippon Steel said it would invest $14 billion in U.S. Steel’s operations and would allow the company to be overseen — but not be owned — by U.S. citizens.
Fetterman and McCormick said they would support the sale under those conditions. No formal agreements have been signed. After Trump told steelworkers in Pittsburgh that he saved their jobs during a rally on Friday night, Trump told reporters he had not seen or approved a final deal.
Middle East
Both lawmakers support Israel’s approach in Gaza and decry the rise in antisemitic attacks in the U.S.
Fetterman supports Israel attacking nuclear installations in Iran to prevent the country from developing nuclear weapons.
McCormick said the deal Trump’s administration is attempting to negotiate with Iran will have to include dismantlement of the country’s nuclear enrichment program. Without dismantlement, McCormick said the U.S. would need to work with Israel on “whatever action is necessary” to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
Russia and the Ukraine war
Fetterman and McCormick agree that Russia started the war with Ukraine three years ago and illegally annexed Crimea and other lands from the country dating back as far as 2014. In doing so, they parted with Trump, who falsely blamed Ukraine for starting the war in comments made to the press in February.
Fetterman said the war in Ukraine was not sustainable. McCormick said the war must come to an end. Both men support further sanctions on Russia.
The senators also support entering into a deal to mine and export Ukraine’s rare earth minerals as a way to pay for U.S. military support. Europe should also contribute more financial and military resources to deter further aggression by Russia, they said.
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