Casey: Trump Supreme Court Pick Represents a Corrupt Bargain and I Will Oppose It

Bob Casey US Senator for PA, 7/9/18

Washington, D.C. – Ahead of President Trump’s announcement concerning his nominee to fill the vacancy on the United States Supreme Court, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) released the following statement:

“In a nation with over 700 sitting federal judges, many of whom were appointed by Republican presidents, it is outrageous that President Trump will nominate from a list of just 25 dictated to him by the Heritage Foundation. This list is the bidding of corporate special interests hell-bent on handing health care over to insurance companies, crushing unions that represent working men and women, and promoting policies that will leave the middle-class further behind. Any judge on this list is fruit of a corrupt process straight from the D.C. swamp.

Heritage, which is an extreme Right organization, just released a new proposal to end protections for people with pre-existing conditions and gut Medicaid for seniors, people with disabilities, and children. They recently hosted a press conference for Republican attorneys general who are trying to eliminate those protections through the courts. In Pennsylvania, there are more than 5.3 million people (including 643,000 children) who have pre-existing conditions.

Heritage has also called labor unions – who helped build the middle class – “cartels.” From the formation of the first permanent Pennsylvanian local labor union in Philadelphia in 1792, through the Lattimer massacre in Northeastern Pennsylvania, to the Homestead Strike in Western Pennsylvania to today’s struggle to protect the right to organize, Pennsylvania workers have led the way to ensure that working people have basic rights, good wages, and benefits, like health care. The last thing working men and women in Pennsylvania need is another corporate justice on an increasingly corporate court.

I was elected to represent all Pennsylvanians. I was not elected to genuflect to the hard Right, who are funded by corporate America.

President Lincoln called on our nation to work to ensure “… that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” Instead, Congressional Republicans in Washington and the Administration are determined to pack the Supreme Court with a government of, by, and for extreme Right corporate interests.

I will oppose the nomination the President will make tonight because it represents a corrupt bargain with the far Right, big corporations, and Washington special interests.”

Governor Wolf supports a special session for redistricting

reply to constituents, 7/11/18

Thank you for contacting me regarding a special session for redistricting. I believe that the commonwealth’s greatest resource is its citizens, and you have proven that in your dedication to the issues that matter to you.

Pennsylvania needs a government that restores faith in the fundamental notion that our democracy still works. Even before I had the honor of being elected Governor, I supported removing politics from redistricting, as well as a true independent commission to draw Pennsylvania’s lines. Though bills have advanced in the legislature to address this issue, I urge leaders in the General Assembly to come together to finalize a compromise before the end of the month. If they do, I am ready to call a special session for a vote on a consensus, bipartisan redistricting reform proposal.

Time is of the essence. I have always been committed to fair process and continue to be ready and willing to work with the House and Senate to truly reform our system. To this end, I urge you to contact your representative and senator to tell them to address this issue. The General Assembly must take action so that Pennsylvanians can have a fair system.

I hope that you will continue to be an example of responsibility and engaged citizenry for all. To learn more about how I am making a new way forward for Pennsylvania, please feel free to visit www.governor.pa.gov, follow me on Twitter at @GovernorTomWolf, and visit my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/governorwolf.

Sincerely,

TOM WOLF
Governor

Dear Pennsylvania State Legislature

email from Pennsylvania Moms Demand Action, 7/10/18. Several Chesco legislators co-sponsored HB 2227 but political leaders have not allowed a vote on it, even though according to a poll published by Everytown for Gun Safety on 9/12/17, “82 percent of likely voters in Pennsylvania — including 88 percent of gun-owning households — support prohibiting anyone convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence or subject to a domestic violence protection order from purchasing a gun.”

On June 25th, I sat in the gallery of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and watched our state lawmakers throw away an opportunity to advance a bill that will save the lives of Pennsylvanians.

As time went on, the weight of their inaction was palpable — the 78 domestic violence victims who were shot and killed just last year in Pennsylvania were there with us, in our hearts while we sat in the statehouse.

But right after, something remarkable happened — lawmakers from across the state joined me and other advocates to hold an impromptu press conference about this shocking failure to act. Side by side, we told Pennsylvania and domestic violence survivors that we won’t stop fighting until our lawmakers pass a bill to disarm domestic abusers this year.

We’ve penned an open letter to the Pennsylvania state legislature.

SIGN YOUR NAME >> Dear Pennsylvania House of Representatives: Pass a bill to protect domestic violence survivors from abusers armed with guns.

78 Pennsylvanians died last year because a domestic abuser had a gun and shot to kill. We don’t yet have the numbers who have died for the same reason this year. And I don’t want to write you next year with that number and ask you again to help me get this bill passed. 2018 must be the year we pass this bill. This must be the year our state legislature takes action to protect people from an abuser and his gun.

ADD MY NAME TO THE OPEN LETTER

I honestly didn’t think the Pennsylvania Moms Demand Action volunteers and I could get any more fired up. But, once again, I’ve been proved wrong: we’re ready to spend summer doing whatever it takes to pass this law.

Sign our open letter to Pennsylvania lawmakers demanding that they take action to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers this year.

Grateful for you,

Deb Marteslo
Pennsylvania Chapter Leader
Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America

Support LGBT community

letter to Daily Local News, 6/02/18

I am writing today to bring attention to Representative Eric Roe’s (PA-158) dismal record regarding our LGBT community.

In June 2017, the PA House of Representatives voted 182-11 in favor of a resolution designating June as LGBT Pride month in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. This bipartisan, overwhelming show of support was a testimony to how far Pennsylvania has come in recognizing that all members of our community deserve respect and acceptance.

However, as a constituent of Rep. Roe’s 158th district, I found it shocking and disappointing that Rep. Roe was one of those 11 votes against this resolution. PA’s 158th is a moderate district full of compassionate citizens of all parties. Rep. Roe’s conservative vote, far to the extreme right even of House Speaker Turzai, who voted in favor of the resolution, suggests that Rep. Roe does not understand that he has a responsibility to represent his constituents, not himself.

Apparently Rep. Roe, himself, does not support his LGBT constituents.

During the month of June, as members of my family celebrate LGBT Pride month, we will also be urging constituents of PA-158 to understand they have a choice this fall. In November, instead of voting for Rep. Roe and reaffirming his disappointing views on LGBT rights, we can vote for moderate Christina Sappey, who will represent all the people of PA-158.

I plan to vote my values and urge PA-158 constituents (Avondale, East Bradford, East Marlborough, London Britain, New Garden, Newlin, West Bradford, West Goshen (part) and West Marlborough) to do the same.

Lucy J. Oblonsky
Kennett Square