U.S. Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) looks on during a Senate vote, hours before a partial government shutdown is set to take effect, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., September 30, 2025. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz

(Reuters) -U.S. Democratic Senator John Fetterman was hospitalized on Thursday after falling during an early morning walk, but is doing well and receiving routine observation, his spokesperson said.

"It was established he had a ventricular fibrillation flare-up that led to Senator Fetterman feeling light-headed, falling to the ground and hitting his face with minor injuries," Fetterman's spokesperson said in a statement on X.

Fetterman, known for his casual dress style that often includes wearing a hoodie, his outspoken opinions and his defiance of his party at times, was one of eight Democrats who joined with Republicans in the Senate earlier this week to back a deal to end the government shutdown.

Fetterman suffered a near-fatal stroke six months before being elected to Congress in 2022, and in 2023 checked into a hospital for treatment for clinical depression.

(Reporting by Costas Pitas; editing by Rami Ayyub)