This is a 100% volunteer effort brought to you by a handful of progressive Democrats and Independents who share a vision of an informed electorate. We want to offer a big thank you to the Demcast and Pennsylvania Statewide Indivisible organizations who host our report and help us share it out to the residents of our Commonwealth!
Tracking Congress in the Age of Trump
The lower the number, the more the legislator votes in opposition to the Trump agenda.
| Member of Congress | This week’s score | Change from last report |
| Senator Bob Casey (D) | 29.8% | 0.0% |
| Senator Pat Toomey (R) | 87.9% | 0.0% |
| PA-01 Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R) | 64.7% | 0.0% |
| PA-02 Rep. Brendan Boyle (D) | 13.2% | 0.0% |
| PA-03 Rep. Dwight Evans (D) | 12.1% | 0.0% |
| PA-04 Rep. Madeleine Dean (D) | 4.1% | 0.0% |
| PA-05 Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D) | 6.6% | 0.0% |
| PA-06 Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D) | 5.5% | 0.0% |
| PA-07 Rep. Susan Wild (D) | 9.2% | 0.0% |
| PA-08 Rep. Matt Cartwright (D) | 20.2% | 0.0% |
| PA-09 Rep. Dan Meuser (R) | 98.6% | 0.0% |
| PA-10 Rep. Scott Perry (R) | 89.8% | 0.0% |
| PA-11 Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R) | 95.7% | 0.0% |
| PA-12 Rep. Fred Keller (R) | 95.3% | 0.0% |
| PA-13 Rep. John Joyce (R) | 98.6% | 0.0% |
| PA-14 Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (R) | 95.8% | 0.0% |
| PA-15 Rep. Glenn W. Thompson (R) | 98.2% | 0.0% |
| PA-16 Rep. Mike Kelly (R) | 96.4% | 0.0% |
| PA-17 Rep. Conor Lamb (D) | 24.5% | 0.0% |
| PA-18 Rep. Mike Doyle (D) | 15.1% | 0.0% |
Nate Silver’s FiveThirtyEight website assesses the voting records of our MoCs to provide this index, by comparing any bills where President Trump has stated a position, and comparing the vote of the legislator to that opinion. There were only Senate votes this week, and none of them were scored.
Want to see exactly what votes went into giving your MoC the numbers above? Click on the name of any legislator and you will be brought to their 538 webpage, where all of the positions that went into the index are listed in an easy-to-read format.
SPECIAL SECTION – Legislation for Change,
Addressing Police Brutality and Racial Justice
This week Congress only took one vote of consequence (unanimous confirmation of an Air Force General), so it is a PERFECT time for MoCTrack to use that break in the legislative action to turn our attention towards some pending bills, with an eye towards how Congress can change the culture of racism, police brutality and law enforcement militarization.
For each bill below you will find:
- A recap of the basic contents of the bill
- A quote from the bill or its sponsor that gets to the crux of the issue
- Cosponsorship info for our Pennsylvania legislators
- A suggested script, in case you want to call and ask your lawmaker to support the bill
H.R. 7120: Justice in Policing Act of 2020
Introduced by Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA)
Recap – This bill bans chokeholds, limits qualified immunity for police officers, and creates a national registry for police officer misconduct. It would implement a national standard for use of force in police departments. The militarization of local police departments will be halted by limiting the transfer of military equipment to police forces. The bill will give states grants so that their attorneys general can lead data collections efforts on police interactions and use of force. And the US Attorney General will be tasked with creating a national accreditation for police officers.
Want to know more about the Justice in Policing Act? The Congressional Black Caucus provided this useful fact sheet for your review!
Quote from Rep. Karen Bass, via NPR – “The biggest change is a change in police culture – no question about it – raising the standards, having national certification and raising the level of policing in the United States so that it is like many other professions. Teachers have to be certified – doctors, nurses, lawyers. The profession that has the power to kill should be a profession that has national standards, is transparent and is accountable to the public…
…I think that my colleagues on either side of the aisle believe that in the United States of America in 2020, there is no excuse for a police department to commit open public acts of abusing the human rights of Americans.”
Pennsylvania cosponsors –
🔵 PA-02’s Rep. Brendan Boyle 🔵 PA-06’s Rep. Chrissy Houlahan
🔵 PA-03’s Rep. Dwight Evans 🔵 PA-07’s Rep. Susan Wild
🔵 PA-04’s Rep. Madeleine Dean 🔵 PA-08’s Rep. Matt Cartwright
🔵 PA-05’s Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon 🔵 PA-18’s Rep. Mike Doyle
From a total of 213 cosponsors, all Democrats
Script for calling your MoC, if not listed above
“I am calling to ask Representative <name> to support H.R. 7120, the Justice in Policing Act. Our whole nation is crying out for change, and we need Congress to take swift and judicious action. The Justice in Policing Act is a great step forward to provide a more equitable justice system for our nation. This bill will help halt the militarization of our local police and will codify use of force. It creates a national misconduct registry, so that bad police cannot move from department to department. These are necessary changes, and I would like Representative <name> to support them.”
H.R. 4179: No Federal Funding for Confederate Symbols Act
Introduced by Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY)
Recap – This bill would ban any federal taxpayer dollars from being used to “create, maintain, or display” a Confederate symbol on federal public land. It also calls for the renaming of Department of Defense facilities currently named for Confederate leaders – Fort Rucker, Alabama, Fort Benning, Georgia, Fort Gordon, Georgia, Camp Beauregard, Louisiana, Fort Polk, Louisiana, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Fort Hood, Texas, Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia, Fort Lee, Virginia, and Fort Pickett, Virginia.
Quote from co-sponsor Rep. Dwight Evans, via press release – “After the cold-blooded racist murders in a Charleston church and at a Charlottesville rally, there should be no question that in 2019, the Confederate flag is strongly associated with hate and violence stoked by racists and white supremacists. It is an insult to African Americans – and all Americans – to have our tax dollars used to create, maintain or display Confederate symbols on federal property. It’s been over 150 years since the end of the Civil War — these symbols belong in museums, not in places of honor on federal property.”
Pennsylvania cosponsor –
🔵 PA-03’s Rep. Dwight Evans
From a total of 37 cosponsors, all Democrats
Script for calling your MoC, if not listed above
“I am calling to ask Representative <name> to support H.R. 4179: No Federal Funding for Confederate Symbols Act. Confederate symbols are signs of hate and racism. American taxpayers who deplore racism and hate should not be funding such symbols with our tax dollars. It’s that simple. I would like Representative <name> to join me in supporting H.R. 4179.”
Introduced by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA)
Recap – This concurrent resolution would create a United States Commission on Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (TRHT). That body would work to, in the words of the resolution “properly acknowledge, memorialize, and be a catalyst for progress toward jettisoning the belief in a hierarchy of human value, embracing our common humanity, and permanently eliminating persistent racial inequities.”
Quote from cosponsor and civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis, via press release – “The Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (TRHT) Resolution puts us on the path of reconciling our nation’s brutal history with the grave situation we currently face. During the Civil Rights Movement, we studied and sought to realize the philosophy and doctrine of ‘satya,’ or truth, as the guiding force in our work to create a more equal and just nation for Black Americans. By creating a clear, indisputable, public record of the atrocities that African Americans and people of color experienced on a constant, daily basis, we were able to build a movement that transformed the face of our nation. We knew, however, that the roots of racism, bias, and centuries of socio-economic inequality are deep and require a thoughtful, inclusive, and comprehensive effort. This resolution moves our country in the right direction of establishing a model and process to explore, expose, confront, and reconcile the truths of our past so that we may create a more just and equitable future for all, not just a select few.”
Pennsylvania cosponsors –
🔵 PA-03’s Rep. Dwight Evans
🔵 PA-17’s Rep. Conor Lamb
From a total of 124 cosponsors, all Democrat
Script for calling your MoC, if not listed above
“I am calling to ask Representative <name> to support H.Con.Res. 100: Urging the establishment of a United States Commission on Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation. The protests and demonstrations that are popping up all over our country show that we have a long way to go before our nation addresses the racial divide in law enforcement. But even if we change policy, there can be no real healing or moving forward until there has been a full reckoning with our history. Other countries have used the mechanism of a Truth Commission to heal violent and painful divides, and we should follow that example. I hope Representative <name> will join on as a cosponsor to H. Con. Res. 100.”
H.R. 1636: Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys Act
Introduced by Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-FL)
Recap – According to the Congressional Black Caucus, a bipartisan commission would be created from policy experts and lawmakers, and would work under the framework of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. The group would examine “such issues as mortality and homicide rates, arrest and incarceration rates, poverty, violence, fatherhood, mentorship, drug abuse, disparate income and wealth levels, school performance at various grade levels, and health. The commission will be required to produce an annual report of recommendations and solutions that will be submitted to the president and cabinet secretaries, Congress, the chairs of the appropriate committees of jurisdiction, and the public.”
Quote from sponsor Rep. Frederica Wilson, via the Congressional Black Caucus – “It’s not easy being black and male in America. Despite historic gains made in the last 50 years, black males from all walks of life continue to face challenges and hardships that have created significant disparities in the areas that are most critical to ensuring that our boys have equal opportunities to develop the skills required to become successful men. The commission and its work will provide the atomic blast of long overdue support that this issue merits and desperately needs.”
Pennsylvania cosponsors –
🔵 PA-03’s Rep. Dwight Evans 🔵 PA-06’s Rep. Chrissy Houlahan
🔵 PA-04’s Rep. Madeleine Dean 🔵 PA-07’s Rep. Susan Wild
🔵 PA-05’s Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon 🔵 PA-07’s Rep. Conor Lamb
From a total of 124 cosponsors, (150D, 1R)
Script for calling your MoC, if not listed above
“I am calling to ask Representative <name> to support H.R. 1636: the Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys Act. Protests and demonstrations across our state are highlighting the unequal treatment faced by people of color, and especially by black men and boys. Before we can create solutions to address this inequality, we must gather data on issues like school performance, mortality rates, poverty and violence. From there, a commission of experts can make recommendations to help us establish programs to create a more equitable society. I hope that Representative <name> supports addressing racial justice and equity in our country and will join onto H.R. 1636 as a cosponsor.”
H.R. 4: Voting Rights Advancement Act
When the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was enacted, one of the key provisions was that some geographic areas including most of the south needed federal approval, known as “preclearance,” before they could institute changes to their election laws. This meant that they had to justify to federal authorities that the planned changes would have no effect of discriminating against any voters on the basis of race or language. Unfortunately, the 2013 Supreme Court decision in Shelby County v. Holder struck down the preclearance process for the states included in the 1965 bill. In a recap of the very long decision, Oyez (an amazing source for Supreme Court analysis) explains that the five judge majority found that “although the constraints… made sense in the 1960s and 1970s, they do not any longer and now represent an unconstitutional violation of the power to regulate elections that the Constitution reserves for the states.” While the concept of pre-clearance was not deemed unconstitutional, the current usage of that process against states listed in 1965 is no longer permitted.
Buried deep in the Shelby decision one can find an invitation to Congress in the writing of Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts. He wrote, “Our country has changed, and while any racial discrimination in voting is too much, Congress must ensure that the legislation it passes to remedy that problem speaks to current conditions.” One can interpret that to mean that a new formula for determining what areas need preclearance is acceptable. The Democratic-led 116th Congress is the first to take up the Chief Justice’s invitation, by way of H.R. 4, the Voting Rights Advancement Act.
The Atlanta Journal Constitution explains that the bill would “create a new formula for the U.S. Department of Justice to use to determine which states with histories of voting discrimination would be required to pre-clear proposed election changes.” The New York Times highlighted the contributions of the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Terri A. Sewell (D-Ala.). During the floor debate she said, “Selma is still now! I know I’m not the only black and brown colleague of ours who owes their very presence in this chamber to the Voting Rights Act passed in 1965.”
H.R. 4 got a floor vote in the House last December, under the gavel of civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis (D-GA). The final tally was 228-187. But since that time it has been sitting in Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s graveyard of pending legislation.
Now would be a GREAT time to call Senator Toomey and let him know that it is unconscionable that this bill has not been calendared for a vote! You can let him know that you expect him to use whatever power he has within his party to ensure that all people have the same access to the ballot box, regardless of the color of their skin or the place where they live.
One last thing – please don’t forget about Rep. Ayanna Pressley’s excellent and important H. Res. 988, “Condemning all acts of police brutality, racial profiling, and the use of excessive and militarized force throughout the country.” We provided a detailed explainer of the contents of the resolution in last week’s MoCTrack report, and there is a script you could use if you want to place calls in support of Rep. Pressley’s work.
And an update! As of last Sunday, these lawmakers had signed on as co-sponsors of H. Res. 988
🔵 PA-02’s Rep. Brendan Boyle,
🔵 PA-03’s Rep. Dwight Evans
🔵 PA-04’s Rep. Madeleine Dean
🔵 PA-05’s Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, and
🔵 PA-18’s Rep. Mike Doyle.
Since then, they have been joined by 🔵 PA-06’s Rep. Chrissy Houlahan! Great work, callers from PA-06!!
Criminal Justice Reform – A Tale of Two Statements from PA’s Senators
🔵 Senator Bob Casey, from his official website, 06/08/20:
Casey Joins Senators Booker and Harris in Introducing Sweeping Police Reform Bill – Groundbreaking Justice in Policing Act of 2020 Aims to Hold Police Accountable, Increase Transparency, Improve Practices, Training
“We must end police brutality and systematic racism in policing. It is time for us to create structural change that safeguards every American’s right to safety and equal justice. I am proud to cosponsor the Justice in Policing Act of 2020, which will hold police accountable and improve transparency in policing.”
🔴 Senator Pat Toomey, via constituent newsletter, 06/13/20:
Editor’s Note – Senator Toomey’s staff stopped updating their newsletter archive in 2019, so the content below was taken from the newsletter sent out by Senator Toomey this weekend, and no link can be provided. You can get copies of the Senator’s newsletter by signing up at his website. This image was edited slightly to fit the page, but the content was not changed in any way.
Tweet of the Week
🔵 Senator Bob Casey, @SenBobCasey, 06/12/20:
“The men who took up arms against the U.S. in the name of slavery were traitors. By continuing to memorialize figures in American history who actively fought to keep people as property, we undermine the very values of equality and democracy our servicemembers are sworn to defend. The service branches are trying to do better by renaming these bases. The President should let them do it.” tweeted in response to President Trump’s thread where he says “my Administration will not even consider the renaming of these Magnificent and Fabled Military Installations.”
🔴 Senator Pat Toomey, @SenToomey, 06/12/20:
“.@zoom_us must not kowtow to the Chinese Communist Party by silencing pro-democracy activists critical of the regime in Beijing. Lee Cheuk Yan, a #HongKong leader who testified in the Senate last week, had his account shuttered. But that’s not all. Two other activists were targeted for holding a virtual meeting on the Tiananmen Square massacre. I joined a large, bipartisan group of my colleagues to demand answers:“ tweeted with a link to his official website statement
🔴 PA-01’s Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, @RepBrianFitz, 06/13/20:
“These repeated calls to “defund the police” are incredibly irresponsible and downright dangerous. What is needed is significant, bipartisan reforms and enhanced community policing. Weed out and prosecute the bad, protect and promote the good.”
🔵 PA-02’s Rep. Brendan Boyle, @RepBrendanBoyle, 06/11/20:
“Tens of millions of Americans have filed for unemployment during this pandemic. Congress must continue to take immediate action to help stimulate our economy and help workers during this difficult time.” tweeted with a link to a CNN article titled “Another 1.5 million Americans filed for first-time unemployment benefits last week”
🔵 PA-03’s Rep. Dwight Evans, @DwightEvansPA, 06/12/20:
“We should not be using taxpayer dollars in any way to contribute to this type of racist, white-supremacist type of behavior,” Evans said, “under no circumstances.” tweeted with a lin kto a Washington Post perspective piece titled “We’re still honoring those who fought against the U.S.A. Why, President Trump?”
🔵 PA-04’s Rep. Madeleine Dean, @RepDean, 06/12/20:
“On this day, we are reminded of one of the deadliest acts of violence on the LGBTQ+ community. We cannot forget these 49 precious souls — and we must #HonorThemWithAction and pass gun violence prevention bills, #HR8 and #HR112.”
🔵 PA-05’s Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, @RepMGS, 06/13/20:
“Voting by mail should be implemented nationwide. Anything less is voter suppression.”
Tweeted with a link to a New Yorker article titled “The Georgia Primary and the State of Voting Rights”
🔵 PA-06’s Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, @RepHoulahan, 06/11/20:
“I’m proud to help lead the bipartisan For Country Caucus. See our statement on the need for our counterparts in the Senate to pass H.R. 35, the Emmett Till Antilynching Act.”
🔵 PA-07’s Rep. Susan Wild, @RepSusanWild, 06/12/20:
“The American people deserve to know where their money is going. I already voted for a bill to ensure full transparency with these funds – a bill that was stalled by just 12 members of the House. This ⇩ is why it was so important.” tweeted with a link to a Washington Post article titled “Trump Administration won’t say who got $511 billion in taxpayer-backed coronavirus loans”
🔵 PA-08’s Rep. Matt Cartwright, @RepCartwright, 06/11/20:
“As we move to safely reopen our economy, we can also take steps to accelerate our recovery & create new jobs. A Restoration & Resilience Jobs program could put people in NEPA to work on restoring abandoned mine lands, paving the way for future development.” tweeted with a link to his official website statement
🔴 PA-09’s Rep. Dan Meuser, @RepMeuser, 06/09/20:
“ICYMI-Today, I joined Varney & Co. to discuss sensible police reform and the Coronavirus Swindlers, Crooks, and Manipulators (SCAM) Act.” tweeted with embedded video from Fox Business
🔴 PA-10’s Rep. Scott Perry, @RepScottPerry, 06/09/20:
“I’m in Washington today for a @TransportGOP hearing on the impacts of COVID-19 on transportation workers. This is yet another example of the important work Congress should be present for and doing on behalf of the American People. Tune in at 1:00pm: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5La-Ba9KV4”
🔴 PA-11’s Rep. Lloyd Smucker, @RepSmucker, 06/11/20:
“June is #PTSDAwarenessMonth. We must help our heroes in need, if you or someone you know needs help, learn more below from the @DeptVetAffairs To any veteran experiencing crisis, call the Veterans Crisis line at 1-800-273-8255 and press 1 or text 838255.”
🔴 PA-12’s Rep. Fred Keller, @RepFredKeller, 06/13/20:
“The people’s House is supposed to be meeting in Congress, not in our living rooms. We’ve proven time and again we can meet together in D.C. safely and do the people’s business with full transparency and open discussion. It’s time to return to our normal order of business.”
🔴 PA-13’s Rep. John Joyce, @RepJohnJoyce, 06/14/20:
“Grateful for the brave law enforcement officers who saved the life of my friend Congressman @SteveScalise three years ago and for those who serve communities across America every day. He’s right – We must not turn our backs on them.”
🔴 PA-14’s Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, @GReschenthaler, 06/13/20:
“Social justice warriors are now in control of the Democrat Party and they’re leading it to chaos and ruin. They’ve gone the way of the Wig [sic] Party. The party of JFK is completely gone.” tweeted with a link to a paywalled Wall Street Journal opinion piece titled “The Seattle Secessionists”
🔴 PA-15’s Rep. Glenn W. Thompson, @CongressmanGT, 06/12/20:
“An honor to spend the day with @VP @Mike_Pence today discussing the Great American Comeback! The Administration supports pro-growth policies to help businesses keep doors open & help families put food on the table. Pleased to work with such strong allies for American workers!”
🔴 PA-16’s Rep. Mike Kelly, @MikeKellyPA, 06/08/20:
“It is one thing to call for police accountability, which is needed, but de-funding or abolishing police is nonsense. Most cops are great people who do a difficult job well. I stand with Americans who demand equal justice AND good officers who selflessly serve our communities.”
🔵 PA-17’s Rep. Conor Lamb, @RepConorLamb, 06/12/20:
“Good discussion with @TheBCCCC on what we can do in Washington to help local businesses address #COVID19 & our efforts to get our economy moving again as Beaver County enters the green phase. #PA17”
🔵 PA-18’s Rep. Mike Doyle, @USRepMikeDoyle, 06/14/20:
“On Friday, as the country marked four years since the deadliest attack on LGBTQ+ Americans in our history and mourned those lost, @realDonaldTrump rolled back Section 1557 which protects LGBTQ+ patients from discrimination in healthcare. I am outraged by this disgusting decision.
Section 1557 also protects Americans from discrimination in healthcare on the basis of race, national origin, or disability. As our country takes to the street to peacefully protest injustice against Black Americans, @realDonaldTrump is setting us back in that fight for justice.
We are in the middle of a pandemic – and @realDonaldTrump’s attacks on healthcare are demonstrative of his total disregard for the safety and well-being of Americans. I will continue to fight his cruel rollbacks and #ProtectOurCare for ALL.”
Casey in the News
Courtesy of contributor Linda Houk
“You’re never too young to bring about change… start with those around you.”
“We have a moment here in American history that we’re living through, that is unlike any moment of its kind in the last 50 years. And it’s a moral moment.”
— from a Philadelphia Inquirer article titled “Teens across the Philadelphia region speak out on racism in virtual town hall”
“These findings demonstrate an appalling disregard for the lives of migrant children by the Customs and Border Patrol Agency and an abdication of responsibility for the vulnerable young people in our Nation’s care.”
“It is critical that any funding for the Department of Homeland Security include clear directives and restrictions. I will be fighting for increased transparency from DHS and will continue to hold the Trump Administration responsible for implementing the law as Congress directs.”
—from an article in the Bradford Era, titled “Casey-requested report shows misspent funds for migrant children”
“Those who have recovered from the virus or who are trying to remain healthy are isolated from their family and friends.”
“It is interaction with our loved ones that sustains all of us. Seniors are living and dying, often scared and alone, due to this virus.”
—from an article in McKnight’s Senior Living, titled “Social isolation ‘cannot become the new normal,’ senators say during Aging Committee hearing”
“We must end police brutality and systematic racism in policing.”
“It is time for us to create structural change that safeguards every American’s right to safety and equal justice.”
—from an article in the Ellwood City Ledger, titled “Casey, others announce federal police reform bill”
“That’s just something that white America hasn’t been paying attention to and responding to. We have to make sure that we respond to this in a comprehensive way.”
— from an article in the Lancaster Online, titled “Sen. Bob Casey takes a knee with Lancaster protesters after 50-minute chat in Art Park”
“The answers from both parties at all levels of government have been inadequate, and that’s probably an understatement.”
—from an article in Erie News Now, titled “Vote on Democrats’ police reform bill could happen by end of June”
“I commend my Senate colleagues for moving quickly to pass this bill to expand Holocaust education programming. We have seen the dangers of anti-Semitism firsthand in Pittsburgh, and we must work to combat religiously-motivated hate crimes and discrimination across Pennsylvania and our nation.”
“Through education, we can use the teaching of history to eradicate modern-day anti-Semitism, racism and all forms of hate. I was proud to vote for this legislation to equip educators with the tools and resources they need to instill the meaning of ‘Never Again’ in their students.”
—from an article in the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle, titled “Holocaust education funding bill signed into law”
“Far too often, older Americans are targeted and victimized by scam artists who coerce and threaten legal action against our older loved ones if ‘payment’ is not made immediately, often through a wire transfer or gift card… And these scammers are always creating new ways, such as recent coronavirus-related schemes, to scare seniors out of even more money. I am pleased that the Senate passed the Stop Senior Scams Act because it brings us one step closer to ensuring that retailers, banks and others have the most up-to-date information available to help prevent seniors from losing one more penny to these unscrupulous actors. I hope the House will take up and pass this legislation quickly.”
—from an article on WIBW 13, titled “New legislation prevents senior scams”
Fitzpatrick in the News
Research courtesy of CC
“We must hold other nations accountable for their actions that threaten and harm the livelihoods of Americans and people across the world. We must also hold organizations such as the WHO accountable for their inactions with regards to the spread of COVID-19, and ban wet markets, where COVID-19 is believed to have originated. The response and recovery to COVID-19 must be global, we must work to close the gaps in our global alert system, and work with our allies to make sure this never happens again.”
— from a Homeland Preparedness News article titled “House bill would require foreign nations to improve reporting on disease outbreaks”
“The Great American Outdoors Act would also address the $12 billion maintenance backlog in our national parks and public lands. Today, our national parks and public lands are in rough shape. This landmark legislation would preserve and protect our nation’s public lands for generations, and I am proud to support this legislation.”
— from a Ripon Advance blog post titled “Fitzpatrick introduces bipartisan Great American Outdoors Act”
“We must also hold organizations such as the WHO accountable for their inactions with regards to the spread of COVID-19, and ban wet markets, where COVID-19 is believed to have originated.
There are a disproportionately high percentage of pharmaceuticals, of personal protective equipment, of a whole host of manufactured goods that have migrated from the United States to China. Obviously we have a global economy, but when it comes down to national security and health security… we really need to get back to domestic production for domestic consumption.”
— from a Bucks County Courier Times article titled “At New Britain factory, Fitzpatrick details post-pandemic expectations”
“These heroes have gone above and beyond during this pandemic and we owe each and every one of them our love, respect and appreciation.
As a certified EMT and coming from a family of healthcare workers, I see every day the heroism of our frontline healthcare workers. Since the beginning of this pandemic, our healthcare professionals have put their lives at risk every day to care for patients and save lives. It is fitting that we designate March 1st, commemorating the date that the first American healthcare worker contracted COVID-19 while taking care of a patient, as a national day of appreciation to honor the service and sacrifice of our healthcare heroes.”
— from a Ripon Advance blog post titled “Fitzpatrick introduces bipartisan resolution to commemorate healthcare professionals”
Toomey in the News
Courtesy of contributor Elayne Baker
“Speaker Mike Turzai is a champion for Pennsylvania’s burgeoning energy sector, school choice, and protecting the unborn. His leadership on these and many others issues will be missed. I thank Mike for his service to Pennsylvania and wish him and his family nothing but the best.”
— from a CBS 21 article titled ”Pennsylvania House Speaker Mike Turzai resigns before end of his term”
“These folks have been through a rough time. They’re going to survive. For other businesses it’s more of a question.”
— from a Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 article titled “Toomey, Reschenthaler criticize slow reopening during visit to Washington County bakery”
“Todd has been creative. He has figured out a way to meet a demand. He is not operating at the volume that he could be operating at, that he used to operate at… As long as they use at least 60% for those purposes, they don’t have to pay that loan back. So, think about that: The federal government is paying the payroll and the premises costs for small businesses. And not just — all kinds of small businesses. That’s a big, big deal.”
— from a WGAL News 8 article titled “U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey visits Dauphin County to highlight efforts to reopen small businesses”
This report was brought to you by the Pennsylvania MoCTrack team…
CC Linda Houk
Elayne Baker Kierstyn Piotrowski Zolfo
Gary Garb Susan Vogel
We are seeking additional assistance. Our Congresspeople are always busy and there is always more for us to cover — tasks big and small to fit any level of time commitment or experience. Can you help us out? Please email KierstynPZ@gmail.com and put “MoCTrack Help” in the subject. Thanks!
