WASHINGTON — Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman attended 26 of 158 committee and subcommittee meetings he could have joined during the current session of Congress, a review of committee records found. That 16% attendance rate comes alongside a sharp decline in his votes with most Democrats since President Donald Trump took office. Fetterman aligned with the Democratic majority on nearly 99% of votes that had majority Democratic support in 2023 and 2024. That share fell to 80% in 2025 and below 78% in 2026, according to an analysis of Senate votes. No other Senate Democrat voted against the party line more often, the analysis found. The record is drawing scrutiny as Fetterman considers whether to run for reelection after the 2026 midterms. His office did not respond to requests for comment. In a statement to CNN last month, Fetterman rejected recent criticism of his performance as “lies, half-truths, innuendos, smears, and anonymous.” Committee hearings and markups are where lawmakers question administration officials, refine legislation and consider whether bills should advance. Fetterman’s absences mean he has been missing many of those opportunities to weigh in on issues affecting Pennsylvania, including agriculture, transportation and technology. At a Senate Agriculture Committee meeting last month, he spoke publicly for the first time in more than a year at a committee gathering, urging lawmakers to move a farm bill. “We have to deliver for our farmers,” he said. Fetterman has attended 26 meetings and spoken during 20 committee gatherings in nearly two years, the records review found. At least some other rank-and-file Democrats attended and spoke at 122 of the 158 meetings he could have joined. Former legislative director Tré Easton, who has publicly criticized the senator, said Fetterman was disengaged from the work of making laws. Easton said successful legislation requires senators to negotiate and build support with colleagues, a role he said Fetterman often avoided. Fetterman has introduced 64 bills and resolutions as lead sponsor since taking office: 36 during his first two years and 28 in the current session. One became law under his name, a 2023 measure renaming a Camp Hill post office. Other legislation he sponsored or helped lead, including the Whole-Home Repairs Act and Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, became law as part of broader measures. The Whole-Home Repairs program, modeled on a Pennsylvania initiative offering financing for home repairs, was included in a larger bipartisan housing bill that became law this summer. Easton called it Fetterman’s signature legislative achievement but credited an aide who moved to a committee role with helping secure its passage. Fetterman has acknowledged that he is not a typical senator. In his 2025 memoir, “Unfettered,” he wrote that passing legislation requires “cajoling and arm-twisting and finding middle ground,” adding that “loners in the Senate remain exactly that — loners.” In earlier public comments, he has said some Senate votes and committee meetings are a waste of time. His broader voting record shows a growing distance from his party as the political environment in Washington changed. On 134 votes where the White House position was clear, Fetterman agreed with Trump nearly 25% of the time, mostly on nominations. Among Democrats, only Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire did so more often, at 28%. Fetterman has said he votes with Democrats the vast majority of the time and would not make a good Republican. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called him a “strong Democrat” in September. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who leads the party’s Senate campaign operation, described him as “a very reliable Democratic vote” and said he cares about costs for working people. Trump said Saturday that he would “love to see” Fetterman become a Republican, praising his “great common sense.” Fetterman’s political future remains uncertain as party leaders weigh the importance of keeping his seat in a state that can be closely contested. Fetterman has missed more Senate votes than the typical senator. Excluding the months he sought treatment for depression, he missed 9% of roughly 1,500 votes, compared with a 2.8% lifetime median for senators, according to GovTrack.us.