url,title,date,year,month,party,chamber,state,member_name,bioguide_id,domain,scraper,source,date_source,text,has_text,collected_at,updated_at http://kelly.house.gov/press-release/rep-kelly-releases-2014-year-end-report-constituents,Rep. Kelly Releases 2014 Year-End Report for Constituents,2014-12-31,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Mike Kelly,K000376,kelly.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON — U.S. Representative Mike Kelly (PA-03) released the following report today, to be e-mailed to his constituents throughout Pennsylvania’s Third Congressional District, to serve as a year-end overview of his office’s legislative achievements and constituent relations throughout 2014. Dear Constituent: Over the past twelve months, I had the extraordinary privilege of continuing to represent you in our nation’s capital during the second and final session of the 113th Congress. Next week, I will be sworn in for a third time as the Representative of Pennsylvania’s Third Congressional District. As with my first two terms in office, all of my work in the House of Representatives will be guided by Western Pennsylvania values—hard work, common sense, and straight talk. I see my service as bringing Western Pennsylvania’s voice to Washington, and never the other way around. As I prepare to enter the 114th Congress with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, please remember that your priorities are my priorities, and that every day I will continue to work as hard as possible to accomplish them for you. With every new challenge that 2014 brought us, there also came many great opportunities. My staff and I worked diligently to meet all of them head-on with the best results for you and your neighbors. The following report is meant to provide you with an overview of the most important legislative business that we conducted on behalf of Western Pennsylvania from last January until now. Meeting the Needs of Our Constituents All Year Round Here is a run-down of how my offices and staff were able to help me assist and communicate with my constituents in 2014. We… Toured 30 local businesses and factories to meet with employers and employees about issues affecting their industries; Helped 2,130 constituents with navigating the federal bureaucracy; Answered more than 46,300 pieces of mail, e-mail, faxes, and calls; Maintained 3 full-time constituent offices and 3 satellite offices; Hosted 5 tele-town hall meetings to address a range of issues including health care concerns, help with filing tax returns, and Medicare’s Open Enrollment Period; overall, the tele-town halls included 30,397 participants from the Third District; we left a total of 108,252 messages on constituents’ answering machines to invite them to join us; Attended/organized more than 200 constituent outreach meetings with different individuals, groups, schools, hospitals, etc. throughout the Third District; Sent 1,544 American flags to constituents; Assisted with 150 tours of the U.S. Capitol; 60 tours of the White House; 37 tours of the U.S. Supreme Court; 20 tours of the Library of Congress; and dozens of other tours to popular Washington destinations including the Kennedy Center, the FBI Education Center, and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing; Expanded my social media presence, ending the year with more than 11,650 fans and 4,940 followers on Facebook and Twitter respectively; and Conducted hundreds of interviews with local, regional, and national newspapers, radio shows, and television programs. Strengthening Our Economy & Paving the Way for New, Family-Sustaining Jobs Since my very first day in office, my main priority has been to help foster an environment that strengthens our economy and generates more jobs with family-sustainable wages for our region and our country. I’ve proudly supported every measure to achieve this outcome, and opposed any obstacle to reaching it. Of course, having to deal with an obstructionist Senate has not been easy, since most of the jobs bills that we passed in the House – usually with bipartisan support – have ended up getting trapped on (soon-to-be-former) Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s desk. That said, my House colleagues and I still did not hesitate to pass as many pro-jobs initiatives over the past year as possible. One of these was H.R. 4, the Jobs for America Act, which included a package of 15 commonsense, bipartisan bills to rebuild our economy by removing government barriers to private-sector job creation. I was proud to be a co-sponsor of many of these bills, a full list of which can be viewed here. Defending Coal & Promoting American Energy When President Obama ramped up his war on coal by commanding the Environmental Protecting Agency (EPA) to roll-out a controversial new regulatory plan for coal-fired power plants, a call to action was sounded. In addition to supporting more than 40,000 jobs in Pennsylvania, coal also provides 40 percent of America's electricity—more than any other fuel. The Associated Press has rightly called coal “the workhorse of the U.S. power system” that “helps keep prices stable and power flowing even when demand spikes.” When federal regulations force mines and power plants to shut down, as is already happening at a historic rate, manufacturing costs rise, employment plummets, and electricity bills skyrocket. In response to the EPA’s radical proposal, I joined with Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky to introduce H.R. 4808, the Coal Country Protection Act. The legislation would halt any new regulations by the EPA on America’s power plants until the following four outcomes are guaranteed: 1.) No job losses; 2.) No loss in GDP/economic growth; 3.) No higher electric rates; 4). No interruption in energy delivery. This bill was just the beginning. In addition to touting the need to defend coal multiple times on television, in a speech at the Heritage Foundation, in an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal, and at a public press conference with Sen. McConnell and dozens of other leaders from both parties, I formally extended an official invitation to President Obama to visit a Western Pennsylvania coal mine himself. Such a trip would allow him to meet and speak with the hardworking men and women whose livelihoods are most in jeopardy under his administration’s anti-coal crusade. When the EPA held a public hearing on its proposal in Pittsburgh, I made sure coal had its day in court. Even though the Coal Country Protection Act was not able to pass Congress this year, and despite the fact that President Obama declined my personal invitation to don a hard hat, I pledge to you that the fight for coal’s future will continue. After all, this battle is not just about coal country—it’s about our whole country. Speaking of our whole country, I spent much of 2014 continually promoting the possibility of a 21st century American energy renaissance—and the critical need to achieve it. In September, I was particularly thrilled to support H.R. 2, the American Energy Solutions for Lower Costs and More American Jobs Act. This bipartisan legislation included 14 separate bills to expand domestic energy production, including a bill to finally approve the construction of the widely popular Keystone XL Pipeline. A full list of these commonsense measures can be viewed here. Making the Tax Code Work for Western Pennsylvania As a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, I am strongly committed to making our nation’s outdated tax code fairer, simpler, and less costly for individuals and families of all sizes. Pro-growth tax reform would simplify the tax code, lower tax rates, and make the United States the most attractive place to do business once again. This would no doubt strengthen our economy, which in turn would mean new jobs, higher pay, and more money in the pockets of American families and workers. While the momentum for major tax reform is still building, this past year I was able to introduce and/or co-sponsor the following individual bills to improve taxes especially for Western Pennsylvanians: The America Gives More Act (H.R. 4719), which was passed by a bipartisan vote of 277-130. The legislation includes a package of five bipartisan charity-related bills, including the text of H.R. 3134, the Charitable Giving Extension Act, which I originally introduced in September 2013. (According to Independent Sector, Pennsylvania is home to more than 68,500 non-profit organizations which employ 727,200 people, almost 13.3 percent of the state’s workforce; generate $96.8 billion in annual revenues; and hold assets of $208 billion. Pennsylvania foundations give a total of $1.3 billion annually.) The Conservation Easement Incentive Act of 2013 (H.R. 2807). This bill was included in the passage of the America Gives More Act. (Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, one of the largest land trusts in the country, has conserved more than 235,000 acres of farm and natural lands throughout Western Pennsylvania. H.R. 2807 would help the Conservancy continue preserving open spaces in the Third District and throughout Pennsylvania.) The Child Tax Credit Improvement Act of 2014 (H.R. 4935), which was passed by a bipartisan vote of 237-173. The bill would modify the child tax credit in several meaningful ways to help hardworking Pennsylvania families keep more of their hard-earned money. The Powering American Jobs Act of 2014 (H.R. 5775). This bipartisan legislation extends certain expiring tax incentives for the energy sector, including important propane and biodiesel provisions. Many of these extenders were included in the Omnibus Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2015 that was signed into law on December 16, 2014. The Kelly-Kind Retirement Provision, which was included in the Omnibus budget, and which codifies the definition of “normal retirement age” as either 30 years of service or the current tax code’s definition of 62 years old. Because the IRS changed its retirement definition to include only the latter description, 10,000 rural electric coop beneficiaries throughout the nation would have otherwise lost their retirement benefits, including 16 in the Third District. Pushing Back Against the Imperial Presidency This year saw President Obama take executive power to a frightening new level, from making unilateral changes to Obamacare, environmental policies, and immigration laws—all without any involvement from Congress, where laws are meant to be decided. At the beginning of the year, after President Obama pledged to use his “pen and phone” to “take executive actions and administrative actions,” I sent a letter co-signed by 20 Members of Congress to Attorney General Eric Holder seeking Constitutional justification for the president’s plans. In February, I discussed the letter with host Megyn Kelly on The Kelly File on Fox News. In March, the House took legislative action to rein-in the imperial presidency in the form of H.R. 4138, the Executive Needs to Faithfully Observe and Respect Congressional Enactments of (ENFORCE) the Law Act, and H.R. 3973, the Faithful Execution of the Law Act of 2014, both of which I was proud to co-sponsor. In July, the House took another stand against President Obama’s lawlessness by approving litigation against him. The system of checks and balances within our Constitution is far too precious and important to maintaining the freedom of our republic for any president to ever ignore or diminish. Speaker Boehner was left with no other option than to introduce H. Res. 676, a resolution to sue President Obama for his breach of authority. You can read more about it here. After President Obama announced his plan to grant amnesty to 5 million illegal immigrants in November, I publicly condemned it as outrageous and unconstitutional. I consider it a direct challenge to our system of government that must be opposed. That is why I voted to pass the Preventing Executive Overreach on Immigration Act (H.R. 5759) and co-sponsored an amendment to the Omnibus appropriations bill which would have banned any funding for the president's order. Because of the unlawful nature of the president's unilateral action, the House ultimately ensured that the budget only funds the Department of Homeland Security – which handles immigration – until the end of this coming February. By then, conservatives will fully control both houses of Congress and will have the stronger ground necessary to stop the president's illegal order without Harry Reid thwarting our actions. Most recently, I was proud to co-sign an amicus brief filed by the American Center for Law and Justice in support of the lawsuit brought by 24 states against President Obama's executive order earlier this month. Fighting Ebola Before It’s Too Late As you know, the second half of this past year saw the deadly Ebola virus finally reach our shores and claim American life. From the onset, I argued that this was a Paul Revere moment for the American people, and that every citizen from coast to coast should be alert, informed, and totally engaged in our nation’s fight to thwart this horrific disease. On October 7th, I sent a letter to President Obama urgently requesting information regarding his administration’s handling of the Ebola outbreak and details of a comprehensive strategy to stop the virus from affecting Americans. On October 9th, I sent a letter to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Sylvia Burwell, and the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Tom Frieden, expressing my deep concern about the possibility of the Ebola virus spreading to Pennsylvania. (The letter was copied to Governor Tom Corbett.) On October 20th, I called on President Obama to finalize a rule proposed under the Bush administration in 2005 to update and revise regulations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to “prevent the introduction, transmission or spread of communicable diseases from foreign countries into the United States from one State or possession into another.” According to the federal register, the code of federal regulations that deals with foreign arrivals has not been updated since 1985. According to USA Today, the Obama administration scrapped the proposal in 2010 after objections by the American Civil Liberties Union over “potential passenger privacy rights violations and the proposal's ‘provisional quarantine’ rule.” On October 21st, I had an in-depth phone conversation with Dr. Peter Piot – the doctor who first discovered the Ebola virus in 1976 in the Republic of Congo – about necessary action to stop the virus and protect Americans. As a result of our discussion, I joined with Senator Marco Rubio of Florida to introduce H.R. 5746, the Keeping America Safe from Ebola Act, on November 20th (the same day Sen. Rubio introduced his Senate companion). Simply put, the bill would prohibit any alien from a country with a widespread Ebola virus outbreak from obtaining a visa to enter the United States. An extended list of the bill’s provisions can be viewed here. Standing Up for the Great Lakes As co-chairman of the Northeast-Midwest Congressional Coalition, I am constantly involved in making sure the Great Lakes are properly cared for by the federal government. I consider the Great Lakes a gift from God—one that is directly tied to 128,000 American jobs, more than $33.6 billion in annual revenue, and three percent of our nation’s gross domestic product. In May, my House colleagues and I passed the Conference Report to Accompany H.R. 3080, the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA) of 2014, by an astounding bipartisan vote of 412-4. Through WRRDA, Congress authorizes the key missions of the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, including developing, maintaining, and supporting the nation’s economically vital waterway infrastructure and supporting effective and targeted flood protection and environmental restoration needs. This major package will guarantee that our port in Erie is dredged, which in turn will make sure that the workers at Donjon’s shipyard in Erie can keep doing their job. It will ensure that Presque Isle’s pristine beaches are protected, which will keep tourists coming and commerce flowing for generations to come. Overall, three of the Third District’s most important industries – tourism, manufacturing, and agriculture – are directly improved by this incredibly important bill. That’s why Ray Schreckengost, Executive Director of the Erie-Western PA Port Authority, referred to WRRDA as “groundbreaking legislation for the Great Lakes.” On July 10th – the same day President Obama signed WRRDA into law – I introduced an amendment to H.R. 4923, the Energy and Water Appropriations Act, 2015, to ensure that the bill complies with a provision in WRRDA that requires 10 percent of federal dollars allocated for harbor maintenance funding be prioritized for the Great Lakes Navigation System (GLNS). The amendment, co-authored by Rep. Sean Duffy (R-WI), was passed unanimously. Earlier this month, I was proud to co-sponsor H.R. 5764, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act of 2014, which was also passed by the House unanimously. This bipartisan legislation amends the Clean Water Act to authorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) for Fiscal Years 2015 – 2019. The GLRI was an inter-agency program launched by President Obama in 2009 to implement a regional collaboration strategy developed in 2005 through a process established by an executive order from then-President George W. Bush in 2004. The GLRI had not previously received congressional authorization. Without increasing federal spending, this bill would authorize the GLRI at $300 million (the amount already appropriated over the past four fiscal years) each year for the next five years. Last year, with the help of GLRI, Presque Isle Bay was removed from the EPA’s list of Areas of Concern. Additionally, the GLRI has been instrumental in keeping Asian Carp from invading the Great Lakes and threatening its world class fisheries.  Keeping the Internet Free, Our Sovereignty Secure, & Our Rights Protected Much like last year, 2014 saw the First and Second Amendments of our Bill of Rights – along with the spirit of liberty they represent – come to the forefront of some very important legislative initiatives. * * * * * In March, the Obama administration announced that it will not renew the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) contract with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), thereby turning over America’s stewardship of the Internet’s crucial functions to “the global multistakeholder community.” According to media expert Gordon Crovitz, writing in The Wall Street Journal, “Russia, China and other authoritarian governments have already been working to redesign the Internet more to their liking, and now they will no doubt leap to fill the power vacuum caused by America's unilateral retreat.” In June, I authored a guest op-ed for Red Alert Politics describing the stakes of surrendering American stewardship of the Internet to a multinational body or any other entity. In July, I hosted a policy briefing on Capitol Hill on the future of Internet governance in light of the Obama administration’s announcement. The hearing was attended by dozens of Congressional staffers and featured professional analysis by three field experts. On November 19th, I introduced H.R. 5737, the Defending Internet Freedom Act of 2014. The legislation would prevent the Obama administration, or that of any future president, from relinquishing the critical functions of the Internet to any other entity without enhanced congressional oversight and until explicit, freedom-protecting requirements are met. It is being co-sponsored by House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX), who also serves as chairman and co-founder of the Congressional High Tech Caucus. Under our care and our values, the Internet has been able to safely expand to unthinkable horizons, enabling new ideas to spread and new markets to grow all over the world. Keeping the Internet free and safe from hostile powers overseas who by their very nature despise freedom is not just a moral responsibility—it is a thoroughly American duty. * * * * * Over the summer, I joined with Senator Mike Enzi of Wyoming to introduce H.R. 5285, the Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act of 2014, which would ensure that all faith-based institutions and individuals can continue to provide child welfare services to those who need them. For decades, faith-based organizations have played a downright heroic role in caring for the most vulnerable among us, including infants, expectant mothers, children, teens, and needy families in Western Pennsylvania and across our country. Our bill would simply prevent these service providers from ever being denied federal assistance based on their sincerely held religious beliefs. Ultimately, it is about defending religious liberty as well as ensuring that everyone who wants to help provide foster or adoptive care to our nation’s children is able to have a seat at the table * * * * * In September, the House passed three new pieces of legislation to limit the power of the IRS in the wake of ongoing investigations into the agency’s unlawful targeting of conservative organizations. As a member of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight, I was very proud to be the sole original co-sponsor of each bill. * * * * * Just last week, the dangerous United Nations Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) went into effect on Christmas Eve, 90 days after it was ratified by 50 nations. Thanks to our opposition in Congress, the United States is not one of them (even though the Obama administration misguidedly signed the treaty in 2013). As I have long argued, the ATT is an outrageous agreement that would force the United States – the world’s most important defender of peace and democracy – onto equal footing with the world’s worst dictatorships and terror-sponsors. Ominously, the treaty excludes any specific protection for, or even mention of, the fundamental right of individuals to keep and bear arms, which only opens the door wider to future gun control impositions. Most recently, I was able to secure a provision in the final version of the FY 2015 Omnibus budget that bans any federal funding for the implementation of the treaty for one full year. * * * * * As I’ve said time and again, representing you and your neighbors in the House of Representatives has been the honor of my lifetime. Any time my staff can help you with a federal matter in any specific way, please do not hesitate to contact me via the information and locations listed below. I humbly thank you for the opportunity to serve you, and look forward to having your back in Congress in 2015. Happy New Year! Sincerely, Mike Kelly   ERIE DISTRICT OFFICE 208 E. Bayfront Parkway Suite 102 Erie, PA 16507 Phone: (814) 454-8190 Fax: (814) 454-8197   BUTLER DISTRICT OFFICE 101 East Diamond St Suite 218 Butler, PA  16001 Phone: (724) 282-2557 Fax: (724) 282-3682   SHARON DISTRICT OFFICE 33 Chestnut Street Sharon, PA  16146 Phone: (724) 342-7170 Fax: (724) 342-7242   WASHINGTON, DC OFFICE 1519 Longworth HOB Washington, DC 20515 Phone: (202) 225-5406 Fax: (202) 225-3103   CRAWFORD COUNTY OFFICE By appointment on Wednesdays 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. 908 Diamond Park Meadville, PA 16335 Phone: (814) 454-8190   ARMSTRONG COUNTY OFFICE By appointment on Thursdays 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. 300 South McKean Street Kittanning, PA 16201 Phone: (724) 282-2557   LAWRENCE COUNTY Every Friday 9:00 a.m. – 4: 00 p.m. Lawrence County Courthouse 430 Court Street New Castle, PA  16101",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://barletta.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/barletta-statement-on-the-new-year-of-2015,Barletta Statement on the New Year of 2015,2014-12-30,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Lou Barletta,B001269,barletta.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON – Congressman Lou Barletta, PA-11, today issued the following statement regarding the New Year of 2015: ""The year that has just passed has presented the people of this country with many challenges – some unique to our current circumstances, and some with which we have continued to struggle.  In the end, I have faith that we, the people of the greatest nation the world has ever known, will pull together and overcome whatever adversity we encounter. ""The new year presents us with a fresh start, and hopefully a chance to build on our successes.  But we can also learn from our mistakes.  Each victory is a mark in the win column, and each failure is a chance to do better.  The great Babe Ruth once said, ‘Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.’  The Babe was right to be optimistic about life.  ""On behalf of my wife, Mary Grace, our four daughters, and two beautiful grandchildren, I wish the people of Pennsylvania’s 11th District a healthy and prosperous new year.""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://barletta.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/rep-lou-barletta-2014-year-in-review,Rep. Lou Barletta: 2014 Year in Review,2014-12-30,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Lou Barletta,B001269,barletta.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON – Congressman Lou Barletta, PA-11, today looked back on the year 2014 in the United States House of Representatives and highlighted some notable improvements and achievements.  Among the important issues covered during the year were fighting illegal immigration, protecting volunteer firefighters from Obamacare, saving billions of taxpayer dollars on federal office space, reducing regulations, and promoting domestic energy.  Most of those policy advancements encouraged private sector job growth.  Barletta indicated that he would continue the fight on those and other important issues as the 114th Congress begins in January. “We made a lot of important advances in the last twelve months, all with the idea of improving the lives of everyday citizens,” Barletta said.  “Government can sometimes solve problems, but in many cases, the best thing government can do is get out of the way.” Battling Illegal Immigration The United States has immigration laws for two primary reasons: to protect national security and to protect American jobs.  For too long, the immigration laws that we currently have on the books have been ignored, and there remain too many holes in the system.  Throughout 2014, Rep. Barletta fought to fix the system. By his unlawful executive action on amnesty, the president is introducing five million more competitors into an already tight job market, at a time when 20 million Americans are either unemployed or underemployed.  Barletta is looking forward to fixing the problems in the next Congress. “I have been personally assured by Speaker Boehner that I will play an integral role in crafting new, strong national immigration policies beginning in January,” Barletta said. Barletta proposed or supported a variety of pieces of legislation to strengthen immigration laws, and protect national security and American jobs: Defense of Legal Workers Act Barletta’s legislation removes a $3,000 per job incentive created by President Obama for employers to hire amnesty recipients over legal American workers.  Obamacare and the president’s recently announced amnesty program for illegal immigrants combine to make it financially more attractive for businesses to choose illegal immigrants when making hiring decisions.  Barletta’s bill removes the incentive by clarifying that illegal immigrants granted amnesty by executive action cannot be issued work permits.  Unaccompanied Alien Minors In response to the illegal immigrant surge at the southern border over the summer, Barletta introduced legislation to empower governors and local elected officials to control whether or not the federal government can place unaccompanied minors, who have illegally entered the country, into their communities.  H.R. 5409, the “Unaccompanied Alien Children Transparency Act” would require the federal government to inform states and localities of relocation plans in advance, and would require the federal government to certify to the states that the minors will not pose a health or public safety risk to the community.  It would also require the federal government to provide information such as the costs associated with the housing and education of these minors.  Over the summer, Rep. Barletta learned of a proposal by the non-profit U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants to house unaccompanied minors in Hazleton.  Once Barletta released this information to the public, the organization cancelled its plans following community opposition.  Had Barletta not been informed of the situation by Hazleton officials, the plan would have proceeded without public notice. DACA Barletta was key in the House passage of legislation to stop President Obama’s policy of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), under which the administration has refused to deport illegal immigrants up to the age of 30, if they claim they have been present in the country since the age of 16, among other factors.  Obama’s DACA policy is a key reason for the recent influx of illegal immigrants, who believe that if they arrive safely in the United States, they will be allowed to stay. “From the first day I came to Congress, I have been asking that we do something about illegal immigration,” Barletta said.  “For a long time I got nowhere, but with the situation growing worse, and with the president acting unilaterally, more and more people now understand the scope of the problem.” In the 114th Congress, Barletta will continue to fight for these improvements, such as making it a criminal offense for someone to overstay a visa, and instituting a biometric entry and exit system. Protecting Volunteer Firefighters One of the many side effects of Obamacare was the public safety impact it could have on thousands of communities because of its treatment of volunteer firefighters.  After being alerted to a potential problem in 2013, Barletta investigated and discovered that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) had been counting volunteer firefighters as employees for federal tax purposes, which could trigger the Employer Mandate Provision of Obamacare.  Under pressure from Barletta, the IRS relented and issued a new set of regulations in February that included a section using the same definition of a “bona fide volunteer” as Barletta’s bill.  Unwilling to leave such an important public safety issue in the hands of unelected bureaucrats at the IRS, Barletta continued to pursue his legislation.  In a rare unanimous vote, the House approved the bill 410-to-0 on March 11, 2014. Disappointingly, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) added controversial unemployment benefits language to the bill, effectively killing its chances for the full approval of Congress.  Barletta, however, said he has not yet given up the fight and plans to reintroduce the measure in the 114th Congress. “While we have won the short-term battle and shielded volunteer firefighters and the communities they protect, there is still work to be done,” Barletta said.  “This is a public safety issue that is too important to be left to the whims of a federal agency like the IRS.” Combating Obamacare Barletta and the House of Representatives voted more than 50 times in the 113th Congress – not just in 2014 – to delay, defund, or dismantle all or parts of Obamacare, because it failed to live up to its name.  President Obama has signed ten pieces of legislation defunding or repealing parts of Obamacare into law.    The bipartisan spending bill passed by Congress continues Republican efforts to: Provide no new funding for Obamacare. Require Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Treasury to report to Congress on improper payments of ObamaCare tax subsidies. Reduce funding to the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB). Maintain all existing pro-life policy and funding provisions. Include three new pro-life provisions:  Obamacare Transparency - requires Obamacare healthcare plans to inform customers if they provide abortion services. Conscience Protection - requires HHS Office of Civil Rights to address complaints of violations. Provides $12 million in unused abstinence education funds. Reining in the EPA Barletta supported legislation that curbs proposed expansion of the federal definition of Waters of the United States, and defends the relationship between federal and state governments established by the Clean Water Act.  He co-sponsored H.R. 5078, the Waters of the United States Regulatory Overreach Protection Act, which blocks the expansion proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.  “For four decades, the Clean Water Act has worked as a strong partnership between the federal government and the states,” Barletta said.  “However, the new definition of federal waters is so vague that it’s impossible to know what standards you need to prove.  The result would be higher legal fees, increased costs to farmers and builders, and fewer jobs.  Local farmers I have talked to said the legal fees alone would probably run them out of business.  Simply put, sometimes a mud puddle is just a mud puddle.” In addition, the bipartisan spending bill adopted by Congress: Cuts EPA by $60 million, representing the 5th consecutive year of cuts – a total reduction of 21 percent since Fiscal Year 2010. Reduces EPA staffing by 2,000 positions, which is equivalent to 1989 levels. Prohibits regulation of farm ponds and irrigation ditches. Protects Second Amendment rights and prohibits EPA from regulating lead content in ammunition or fishing tackle. Restraining the IRS The bipartisan spending bill adopted by Congress continues Republican efforts to: Cut IRS funding by $345.6 million ($1.5 billion below the president’s request and below Fiscal Year 2008 levels). Prohibit IRS targeting of organizations based on their ideological beliefs or for exercising their First Amendment rights. Prohibit the White House from ordering review of tax-exempt status. Prohibit use of IRS funds for inappropriate videos and conferences. “No federal agency strikes more fear into the hearts of citizens than the IRS,” Barletta said.  “It is time to stop the use of federal tax collectors as political enforcers.”  Saving Billions on Federal Office Space Rep. Barletta used his position on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to save taxpayers more than $2 billion by more efficiently using federal office space.  Barletta is Chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.  In some cases, the changes involved reconfiguration or alteration of existing federal sites.  In others, it involved better leasing arrangements. “This can really be just the beginning,” Barletta said.  “As these decisions are made, we ought to be asking every time: can we do this better, and how can we save the taxpayers money?” Promoting Domestic Energy Barletta supported measures designed to ease American dependence on foreign sources of oil and create private sector jobs: Barletta cosponsored legislation to authorize construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, a project which has been more than six years in the works through many studies, delays, and rejections from the Obama Administration.  The pipeline, which would run from Alberta, Canada to Nebraska, would allow crude oil to flow all the way to the Gulf Coast.  The completion of the pipeline is expected to create tens of thousands of construction jobs in the United States and establish a reliable supply of energy. Construction of the Keystone XL pipeline will increase manufacturing jobs in Pennsylvania. The bipartisan spending bill passed by Congress requires the Department of Defense to use anthracite coal to heat the Army and Air Force Barracks in Kaiserslautern, Germany.  Improving Transportation Highway Bill Congress passed the Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2014, which addressed a potential expiration of surface transportation authorization and the Highway Trust Fund shortfall predicted to occur.  Barletta still supports a highway bill of at least five years to allow for contractors and employers to better plan for the future. “There are more than 5,000 bridges in Pennsylvania that are structurally deficient, and countless roadways that are in desperate need of repair,” said Barletta, who is a subcommittee chairman in the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.  “If Congress had failed to act, the money to fund surface transportation projects would have run dry.  That could have resulted in the stoppage of more than 7,000 projects and the loss of countless jobs across the country, including Pennsylvania.” Safer Trucks and Buses Barletta introduced the Safer Trucks and Buses Act (H.R. 5532), which halts the publication of flawed safety scores for carriers and directs the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to revamp its scoring system.  The legislation addresses a problem with the Compliance Safety Accountability (CSA) program, which was rushed into usage, and often does not reflect changes made by carriers to improve their approaches to safety. “As a father of four daughters, I worry every day about the safety of my girls, and I strongly believe that unsafe vehicles should not be on the road,” Barletta said. “Unfortunately, companies across the country and in Pennsylvania are being unfairly misrepresented by their safety scores, causing economically devastating impacts to these bus and truck companies, many of which are small businesses.” Keeping Promises to Veterans Barletta supported legislation that overhauls the Veterans Administration and provides veterans with more responsive and accessible health care.  The legislation follows revelations of long wait times at VA medical facilities, falsified records, and the resulting deaths of veterans.  The legislation: Allows veterans to seek medical attention outside the VA system if an appointment is not available within 30 days, or if a veteran resides more than 40 miles from the nearest VA medical facility. Provides funding to hire additional doctors, nurses, and medical staff. Extends several existing pilot programs, including those increasing access to care for veterans with traumatic brain injuries and victims of sexual assault.  Requires an independent assessment of VA medical care and establishes a Congressional Commission on Care to evaluate access in the VA health system. Permits the VA Secretary to fire or demote employees in an expedited fashion based on performance or misconduct, while also including due processes rights. Requires public colleges to provide in-state tuition to veterans and eligible dependents in order for the school to remain eligible to receive G.I. Bill education payments. Expands the Sgt. Fry Scholarship Program to provide full post-9/11 G.I. Bill benefits to spouses of service members who died in the line of duty after 9/11. “The problems discovered in the VA system needed to be addressed, and we are addressing them now,” Barletta said.  “From the beginning, this was not a Republican or Democrat issue.  This was an American issue.” Maintaining Waterway Infrastructure Barletta backed the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA), which promotes American competitiveness and economic growth by maintaining an effective waterway infrastructure, while also supporting strong flood protection.  The legislation originated in the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, where Barletta is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.  It passed the House by a vote of 412-to-4. “This strengthens Congressional oversight, restricts executive overreach, cuts red tape, and provides transparency in the selection of projects,” Barletta said.  “And critically for our part of Pennsylvania, WRRDA helps with flood risk management.”  Helping the Disabled Barletta supported the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act, which amends the IRS code to establish tax-exempt accounts for individuals with disabilities to assist in paying for certain expenses, including higher education, primary residence, transportation, employment assistance, health and wellness, and other personal support expenses.    “So many times, families have been left in the difficult position of choosing between taking care of children’s special needs and planning for their future,” Barletta said.  “The ABLE Act helps families avoid that predicament and lets them plan ahead.” Serving the 11th District Contained within the bipartisan spending bill passed by Congress are a number of items that directly benefit the 11th District of Pennsylvania: $900 million to address military funding shortfalls, including depot maintenance at facilities such as Tobyhanna Army Depot. Restored funding zeroed out under President Obama’s budget request for State Criminal Alien Assistance Program, which reimburses localities who house criminal illegal immigrants in local jails (increases funding from $180 million to $185 million rather than president’s request of $0.) $200 million more than original budget request for Community Development Block Grants. $75 million increase for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG). Increase for Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Increase funding for flood prevention under the Streamflow Information Program. Connecting to Main Street In 2014, Congressman Barletta continued his Main Street Tours, during which he visited local businesses and heard the concerns and ideas of small employers and citizens.  Barletta has conducted more than twenty Main Street Tours since 2013, including stops this year in Tunkhannock, Elizabethville, Plymouth, Carlisle, Danville, Kingston, Millersburg, Sunbury, Bloomsburg, Mechanicsburg, Linglestown, and Berwick.  “As a former mayor, I know without question that all wisdom does not reside in Washington, D.C.,” Barletta said.  “Most of the best ideas come from the people who are dealing with real issues in their real lives every day.  I will always continue to be accessible and listen to the people whose lives are affected by the laws we pass.” While Barletta indicated that while he was pleased with the successes of 2014 and the 113th Congress, which has concluded, he will continue to fight for the 11th District of Pennsylvania. “If 2014 taught us anything, it’s that it is much better to get half a loaf of bread than no loaf at all”, Barletta said.  “With the new Congress taking shape in January, I am optimistic about even more advancements in the coming months.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://kelly.house.gov/press-release/rep-kelly%E2%80%99s-legislative-priorities-2015-featured-pittsburgh-tribune-review,Rep. Kellys Legislative Priorities for 2015 Featured in Pittsburgh Tribune-Review,2014-12-30,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Mike Kelly,K000376,kelly.house.gov,,,legacy,"Pro-growth tax reform, energy main focuses for congressman WASHINGTON — The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review published a story on December 28, 2014, following an exclusive interview with U.S. Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA) regarding his legislative priorities for 2015 and the upcoming 114th Congress. The full article can read here. Highlights from the article: The 114th Congress gets under way Jan. 3, and with Republicans set to control the House and Senate, it's time to show the American people that the federal government can govern, U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly said. “I'm excited about this next year,” said Kelly, a Butler Republican. “We have not had a Senate we could work with in six years. I'm hoping that the results of (the general election) sent a message to both sides, that the American people want to see a body that can govern.” During an interview with the Tribune-Review, Kelly outlined his priorities for the upcoming session. He will continue to serve on the influential Ways and Means Committee, which is the chief tax-writing committee of the House, and serve on the [select revenue], oversight and Social Security subcommittees. … The country needs tax reform, he said, including simplifying the tax code into “something much flatter and much fairer,” while also offering corporate tax reform, saying that U.S. companies have “the highest corporate tax in the world,” at about 39 percent, factoring in state taxes. … Kelly, who owns a Butler car dealership, was first elected to Congress in 2010. House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio picked him to deliver the Republican weekly address Dec. 20 in response to President Obama's, an assignment of which Kelly said he was “sincerely honored.” “There's no doubt his stature is growing in Congress. People are really starting to pay attention to the issues he espouses,” said Jeff Brauer, a professor of political science at Keystone College in Lackawanna County. Brauer added that energy independence is Kelly's biggest issue. “He's really made a name for himself in that sphere,” Brauer said. “He's giving great speeches, getting standing ovations. To have a spokesperson like that, the (Republican) leadership is appreciative of that and is rewarding him accordingly.” … Kelly told the Trib he supports the Keystone XL Pipeline project, which he said could create upward of 50,000 construction jobs and many ancillary jobs. A pipeline would run between Canada and Nebraska, connecting with existing pipe. Delays may have hurt it, Kelly added. “We're running against the clock as the cost of energy goes down,” he said.   ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://thompson.house.gov/press-release/thompson-issues-statement-moshannon-valley-correctional-facility-contract-renewal,Thompson Issues Statement on Moshannon Valley Correctional Facility Contract Renewal,2014-12-30,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Glenn Thompson,T000467,thompson.house.gov,,,legacy,"Bellefonte, PA – U.S. Representative Glenn 'GT' Thompson (PA-5) issued the following statement upon news that the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) has awarded Moshannon Valley Correctional Facility (MVCF), in Philipsburg, Clearfield County, as the BOP’s preferred facility for the Northeastern United States.   “This announcement is tremendous news for our community and the Commonwealth,” stated Rep. Glenn Thompson. “The Moshannon Valley Correctional Facility has been an economic engine for our region, providing jobs for area residents, new tax revenue to support local services, including investments in our schools, and a host of other opportunities that have benefited all area residents. I am proud of the work we have done, including efforts at all levels of government and within the community, to protect local jobs and ensure the Moshannon Valley facility remains in operation for years to come.” Over the past year, Rep. Thompson has led efforts at the federal level to help secure the contract’s renewal.  In January of 2014, Thompson garnered the support of 12 Members of Congress from Pennsylvania and Senators Bob Casey and Pat Toomey, in sending a letter to BOP, urging the bureau to renew the contract with MVCF. The BOP’s existing contract with MVCF, which is set to expire in 2016, has been renewed for a period of 5 years, with one year renewal options for the following five years, according to Rep. Thompson. BOP’s Criminal Alien Removal Procurement Regulations, require one facility in the Northeastern U.S. and another facility to be located anywhere in the country.  MVCF, which is operated by the GEO Group, Inc., has served as the region’s preferred facility since 2006. The MVCF currently employs approximately 260 area residents and provides approximately $600,000 each year in local property taxes, $445,000 of which directly benefits local schools.   ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://marino.house.gov/press-release/rep-marino-backs-amicus-brief-challenging-president%E2%80%99s-amnesty,Rep. Marino Backs Amicus Brief Challenging the Presidents Amnesty,2014-12-29,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Tom Marino,M001179,marino.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington D.C.—Congressman Tom Marino, PA-10, Lycoming County signed on to support the amicus brief filed by the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) last week. The brief is supported by more than two dozen states and 68 Members of Congress in challenging President Obama’s recent Presidential Memorandum -- Modernizing and Streamlining the U.S. Immigrant Visa System for the 21st Century dubbed “executive amnesty.” ACLJ also created the Committee to Defend the Separation of Powers of which more than 60,000 citizens joined in an additional effort to halt Obama’s unconstitutional move towards illegal immigrant legalization. The case, State of Texas v. United States of America, argues the president’s directive to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is in contradiction with Congress’ authority to create immigration policy. It states Congress has a standing classification system for aliens and DHS’s new directive changes those laws and sets new policy without the authorization of Congress which has interrupted the balance of power among the three branches of government. It further argues the executive branch has abdicated one its chief responsibilities to “faithfully execute the law” and thereby “exceeded the bounds of their prosecutorial discretion.” Congressman Marino said the following of the brief: “I have said it before and I will say it again; the best way to stop President Obama’s executive overreach in our immigration policies, and even healthcare for that matter, is through the courts. I firmly believe through our legal system we will achieve the results Americans demand. We have the best legal system in the world. The public trusts decisions made in courts through rigorous analysis and interpretation. What they do not trust is the relentless political jockeying over serious issues that have detrimental impacts on our nation’s future. I am grateful for the opportunity to register my support of ACLJ’s efforts with the court as a result of my longstanding legal background and I am confident we can move this forward in conjunction with additional congressional actions coming soon in the 114th.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://kelly.house.gov/press-release/rep-kelly-sends-annual-christmas-message-constituents-third-district,Rep. Kelly Sends Annual Christmas Message to Constituents in Third District,2014-12-23,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Mike Kelly,K000376,kelly.house.gov,,,legacy,"Rep. Kelly Sends Annual Christmas Message to Constituents in Third District Dec 23, 2014 WATCH HERE WASHINGTON — U.S. Representative Mike Kelly (PA-03) released the enclosed video today as his annual Christmas greeting to his constituents in Pennsylvania’s Third Congressional District.  Rep. Kelly: “I wanted to take a few moments just to wish you all a very merry Christmas. … I’ll be thinking of you on Christmas morning. And again, I want to thank you for the honor and the privilege to serve you.” The full video message can be viewed here.   ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://thompson.house.gov/press-release/thompson-joins-bipartisan-effort-rescind-proposed-rule-electric-power-generation,Thompson Joins Bipartisan Effort to Rescind Obama Admin. Proposed Rule on Electric Power Generation,2014-12-23,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Glenn Thompson,T000467,thompson.house.gov,,,legacy,"Bellefonte, PA – U.S. Representative Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson (PA-5) has joined with nearly one hundred fellow Members of Congress in sending a letter to President Obama to express concerns regarding the proposed rule announced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on June 2, 2014, entitled “Carbon Pollution Emission Guidelines for Existing Stationary Sources: Electric Utility Generating Units.” “The EPA’s new rule on electric power generation is yet another unworkable policy from the Obama Administration that will threaten America’s access to affordable and reliable energy,” stated Rep. Thompson.  “While protecting the environment is a shared goal, this must be attained realistically and not by burdening families with rate hikes and potential brownouts. It is my hope the Obama Administration will rescind this rule and work with Congress on a bipartisan basis to address the concerns that we’ve outlined.” In the letter, the Members assert the rule would negatively impact the nation’s ability to reliably generate and transmit electric power sources.  “Due to market factors and existing environmental requirements, significant power plant shutdowns are already underway across the country, and these closures raise concerns about the continued reliability of the grid and electricity rates in the absence of EPA’s recently proposed rule. Under the proposed rule, EPA projects there would be additional power plant retirements and electricity rate increases,” the letter states.    If this were to occur, the Members stress, it would ""threaten electricity reliability and drive up energy costs for consumers, including the elderly, poor, and those on fixed incomes, at a time when over 50 million Americans are currently living in poverty.” The Members conclude the letter by recognizing that although some of their own views may vary on the statutory authority of the regulations they are ""all concerned that this rule is simply unworkable as proposed and, if finalized, would effectively give EPA control over a state’s generation, supply, and consumption of power. Accordingly, we respectfully ask that you direct the EPA to withdraw its proposed rule.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://kelly.house.gov/press-release/rep-kelly-pledges-continued-opposition-un-arms-trade-treaty,Rep. Kelly Pledges Continued Opposition to UN Arms Trade Treaty,2014-12-22,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Mike Kelly,K000376,kelly.house.gov,,,legacy,"Treaty will enter into force on Christmas Eve WASHINGTON — U.S. Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA) issued the following statement today regarding the imminent entry into force of the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), which will occur on December 24, 2014 — 90 days, as required, after the 50th nation ratified the treaty. The United States signed the treaty on September 25, 2013, but has never ratified it. “As the ATT soon enters into force, the United States Congress continues to stand with the American people in total opposition to this dangerous treaty. I applaud my colleagues for continuing to prohibit federal funding for the treaty’s implementation, and am glad to see the president once again sign legislation affirming this important ban. However, even with the ban in place, there are still plans being proposed for the US to pay up to 22 percent of UN ‘activity’ to manage the treaty — even though our Senate (rightly) refuses to ratify it! Going forward, vigilance is crucial. Congress must maintain its strong opposition while ensuring that the Obama administration is not tempted to act unilaterally in the treaty’s favor. We must not stand by and allow the ATT to threaten our constitutional rights at home or our closest allies abroad, as the world’s worst actors are surely counting on.” BACKGROUND:  Rep. Kelly is a national leader of the movement to stop the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). On March 15, 2013, he introduced H. Con. Res. 23, a bipartisan concurrent resolution expressing opposition to the treaty on behalf of members of Congress. The resolution currently has 149 co-sponsors in the House and 36 supporters in the Senate. On May 30, 2013, Rep. Kelly submitted a bipartisan letter with 130 co-signers from Congress to both President Obama and Secretary Kerry urging them to reject the treaty. He sent a similar bipartisan letter to the president following Secretary Kerry’s signing of the treaty on October 15, 2013, which was signed by 181 members of Congress, including multiple committee chairmen. A follow-up letter was sent to the White House on April, 20, 2014. On June 14, 2013, Rep. Kelly introduced an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2014 to prohibit federal funding for the implementation of the ATT for one year by the Department of Defense. The amendment was adopted unanimously by a voice vote and included in the final passage of the NDAA by the House of Representatives. The House-Senate compromise NDAA, which included an updated version of the Kelly amendment, was passed by the House on December 12, 2013; passed by the Senate on December, 19, 2013; and signed by President Obama on December 26, 2013. On July 24, 2013, the House Appropriations Committee approved the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2014 which imposes a one-year ban on the use of federal funds for the implementation of the ATT by the State Department. The ban is based on language from a bipartisan letter which Rep. Kelly authored and submitted to the State and Foreign Operations subcommittee on April 18, 2013. A version of this ban was integrated into H.R. 3547, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014, which temporarily funded the government between October 1, 2013 and January 15, 2014. On April 1, 2014, Rep. Kelly authored and submitted four separate letters to the bipartisan leaders of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, the Subcommittee on Homeland Security, the Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs, and the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies requesting updated and strengthened language prohibiting federal funding of the ATT in each of the subcommittees’ respective appropriation bills for fiscal year 2015, including an explicit ban on the use of funds to engage in domestic prosecutions on the basis of the ATT. Each letter was co-signed by more than 80 members of Congress. On May 22, 2014, the House passed H.R. 4335, the NDAA for Fiscal Year 2015, which included Rep. Kelly’s amendment to continue the Defense Department’s ban on funding for the ATT. On May 30, 2014, the House passed the Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2015, which included language requested by Kelly to ban ATT funding by the Department of Commerce, the Department of Justice, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and other related agencies. On June 20, 2014, the House passed the Department of Defense Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2015 by a bipartisan vote of 340-73, which included language requested by Rep. Kelly to prohibit any funding by the Department of Defense for the implementation of the ATT for one year. On June 24, 2014, the full Appropriations Committee approved language to ban ATT funds in the FY 2015 State and Foreign Ops bill following Rep. Kelly’s letter to the subcommittee. On September 5, 2014, Rep. Kelly submitted a letter to President Obama voicing opposition to the planned First Conference of State Parties (CSP) to the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) – a UN-backed gathering to shape the future of the ATT – due to its exclusion of any organizations critical of the treaty. On December 16, 2014, President Obama signed into law the Omnibus Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2015, which includes a ban on federal funding for the ATT’s implementation. The president signed the NDAA for Fiscal Year 2015 (H.R. 3979) on December 19, 2014, which included a similar ban.   ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://marino.house.gov/press-release/marino-condemns-attacks-nyc-police,Marino Condemns Attacks on NYC Police,2014-12-21,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Tom Marino,M001179,marino.house.gov,,,legacy,"Cogan Station, PA—Congressman Tom Marino, PA-10, Lycoming County issued the following statement in the wake of the assassination of two New York City Police Officers: “As I see photos of officers and citizens praying at a makeshift memorial, my heart sinks. I have had the honor and privilege to work with law enforcement throughout my entire career and I have the utmost respect for them. I ask myself what more can be done to quell this senseless violence and preserve life. Inevitably I pray togetherness among us will ensue before we must endure more division and needless loss of life. These two officers died tragically in the line of duty while serving their communities. They were assassinated only because they wore a uniform and badge. Their death was retaliation for incidents which they had no part in. It is deeply troubling to me to understand officers everywhere go to work each day knowing the danger to them has never been greater. I call on every religious leader, every political leader, every public servant and every citizen to come together and speak out about this kind of behavior and sickening violence. We must be unified in our efforts to stop this from happening again because it has been our recent divisions which have allowed it happen in the first place.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://kelly.house.gov/press-release/rep-kelly-hails-victories-western-pa-113th-congress-concludes,Rep. Kelly Hails Victories for Western PA as 113th Congress Concludes,2014-12-19,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Mike Kelly,K000376,kelly.house.gov,,,legacy,"Kelly-sponsored provision to secure retirement benefits included in final FY 2015 omnibus budget; extension of pro-jobs energy tax incentives signed by president; Kelly-sponsored ABLE Act now law WASHINGTON — U.S. Representative Mike Kelly (PA-03) – a member of the House Ways and Means Committee – issued the following statement today highlighting three legislative victories for the Third District that were achieved in Washington over this past week. The first is the inclusion of a bipartisan retirement provision introduced by Reps. Kelly, Jim Gerlach (R-PA), and Ron Kind (D-WI) in the final version of the Omnibus Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2015, which was signed by President Obama on December 16, 2014. The provision codifies the definition of “normal retirement age” as either 30 years of service or the current tax code’s definition of 62 years old. Because the IRS changed its retirement definition to include only the latter description, 10,000 rural electric coop beneficiaries throughout the nation would have otherwise lost their retirement benefits, including 16 in the Third District. The second is the passage by the U.S. Senate and signing into law of a package of extenders for multiple expiring tax incentives for propane and biodiesel which were included in Rep. Kelly’s Powering American Jobs Act. The incentives were extended retroactively through the end of 2014, which will cover the 2014 tax filing season for this year’s tax liabilities. This package was signed by President Obama this afternoon. The third is the signing into law of the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act, also known as the ABLE Act, of which Rep. Kelly is a co-sponsor. The law aims to provide families of a severely disabled child with added peace of mind by allowing them to save for their child's long-term disability expenses in the same way that families of able-bodied children can currently save for college through popular 529 investment plans.  Statement by Rep. Kelly: “I am thrilled that our bipartisan retirement provision is now federal law. By working together and putting our constituents’ needs first, we have successfully stopped the IRS from eliminating retirement benefits for more than 10,000 rural electric co-op employees of more than 300 co-ops throughout the nation—including 16 in the Third District. “I am also very happy to see President Obama sign into law a major portion of the Powering American Jobs Act, which will help keep taxes from being raised and help create jobs in Western Pennsylvania. “The signing of the ABLE Act, along with its overwhelming popular and bipartisan passage in Congress, should serve as proof that with the right goals and principles leading the way, Washington can still get necessary work done for the American people.” Statement by National Rural Electric Cooperative CEO Jo Ann Emerson: ""On behalf of our 10,000 members whose benefits were saved with the inclusion of the critical normal retirement age provision in the FY 2015 Omnibus, thank you Representative Mike Kelly for working so diligently on this major accomplishment. Our members are even further blessed this holiday season and have additional reminders to give thanks.”   ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://kelly.house.gov/press-release/rep-mike-kelly-deliver-weekly-gop-address,Rep. Mike Kelly Delivers the Weekly National GOP Address,2014-12-19,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Mike Kelly,K000376,kelly.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA) was selected by House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) to deliver the weekly Republican address to the nation on Saturday, December 20, 2014. Rep. Kelly represents Pennsylvania’s Third Congressional District, and his holiday-themed message focused on the importance of developing all forms of American energy for the sake of spurring new job creation and robust economic growth. “I am sincerely honored to be selected by Speaker Boehner to deliver this week’s national address on behalf of our colleagues,” said Rep. Kelly. “My message will echo the American people’s strong support for unleashing our nation’s vast energy potential in order to usher in new jobs, lower energy costs, and a much stronger economy. Especially as Americans gather with loved ones during this season of hope, it’s crucial that we chart an optimistic course for the future that seizes all of the abundant, affordable, and accessible energy resources that we’ve been blessed with. From coal production to the Keystone Pipeline construction, it’s time for President Obama to work Republicans to give the American people the energy future they want and deserve.”        The Weekly Republican Address is also available at Speaker.gov and GOP.gov. TEXT OF REP. KELLY'S ADDRESS: Good morning, I’m Mike Kelly, and I have the tremendous privilege of representing Pennsylvania’s Third Congressional District. Today I’m offering President Obama a lump of coal for Christmas. Not because he’s been bad this year – though I’ll get to that.   No, I’m offering the president a lump of coal because this product right here holds the potential for a 21st-century economic revival.  You see, coal is our most abundant and valuable resource.  It lights our homes, keeps our electric bills low, and puts food on the table for countless families.  More than 40,000 jobs in my state alone are tied to coal. But this isn’t just about coal country – no, it’s about our whole country.  Because no other nation in the world has been blessed with such abundant, affordable, and accessible resources.  And with all that God has given us, we shouldn’t be just trying to keep up with the pack.  My goodness, we should be leading the world. Now if only we had a president willing to seize this opportunity. He tells us he’s for ‘all of the above’ but then he leaves out everything that’s below. The president said he would bankrupt the coal industry and he’s spent his presidency trying to do just that.  Federal regulations have already forced two coal-fired power plants in my district to close over the past two years.  Hundreds more are set to shut down around the country.  He’s put up so many roadblocks to American energy that all our production is coming from state and private lands. Now even when the president’s own party stopped him from imposing his cap-and-trade tax, he said it was ‘just one way of skinning the cat’ and then he directed the EPA to do his bidding for him. Instead of forcing our workers to live with less, the president should let us use our God-given resources and talents to help Americans get back to work and make our nation the energy superpower it can be – and quite frankly, that it needs to be.  So whether it’s stopping these regulations, expediting infrastructure, or expanding production, there’s so much we can do to encourage the development of all forms of American energy.  These aren’t just Republican solutions – these are common-sense American ideas that have support in both parties.  You’re going to see them again in the new Congress, starting with a vote to approve the Keystone XL pipeline. Because manufacturing things, making things – and doing it better than anyone else in the world – that’s what America’s always been about.  That’s how we’ve built such a robust and dynamic economy.  If we all pull together, we can make 2015 the year we restore our nation of builders.   But that’s next year.  Right now, we are getting ready to celebrate Christmas.  And as we do, I hope you’ll set aside a moment to remember all those who gave their lives this year for the cause of freedom, and pray for those spending this holiday season away from their families and loved ones. Merry Christmas everyone, and may God continue to bless the United States of America.   ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://thompson.house.gov/press-release/us-army-reverses-policy-involuntary-separation-following-thompson-led-effort,US Army Reverses Policy on Involuntary Separation Following Thompson-led Effort,2014-12-19,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Glenn Thompson,T000467,thompson.house.gov,,,legacy,"Bellefonte, PA – Secretary of the Army John McHugh has announced that prior-enlisted officers selected for involuntary separation from the service will be allowed to remain on active duty or retire at their current commissioned rank with full benefits. The policy reversal follows efforts by Members of Congress to prevent commissioned officers from being forced to retire at their highest previous enlisted rank, including legislation introduced by U.S. Representatives Glenn 'GT' Thompson (R-PA) and Tim Walz (D-MN), H.R. 5832, the Proudly Restoring Officers of Prior Enlistment Retirement (PROPER) Act. ""Under the criteria for officer separations, these soldiers should not have been considered,"" Secretary McHugh stated yesterday afternoon, following the announcement. ""This is an issue of fundamental fairness, and today we have taken appropriate action. These soldiers have served their country honorably both as enlisted soldiers and, now, as officers.  We owe them nothing less. We appreciate that this oversight was brought to our attention, and are glad we were able to take corrective action in the best interests of these soldiers."" Under the Obama Administration’s force restructuring and end strength reduction plan, many prior-enlisted commissioned officers were being involuntarily retired at their highest enlisted rank, despite years of service in commissioned status.   Under current law soldiers must serve a minimum of 20 years to become eligible for retirement. In order to retire with officer rank, at least 8 of those years must come after receiving a commission. Some soldiers who have served over 20 years total, but less than 8 years as commissioned officers, were being involuntarily retired at their highest enlisted rank, which equated to forced demotions and large reductions in retirement benefits. The PROPER Act, which is supported by the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), the American Military Retirees Association, and the National Guard Association (NGAUS), would have enabled soldiers to keep their commissioned rank in retirement by lowering the eligibility threshold from 8 to 4 years. The Army Secretary’s decision effectively waives the eight year requirement for this small group of experienced and dedicated officers. “Secretary McHugh made the right decision and we stand by that action,” stated Rep. Thompson. “From the start this was a flawed policy that devalued the service and sacrifice of soldiers who stepped up to lead as commissioned officers at a time when the Armed Forces needed them most. I thank Secretary McHugh for acting quickly to correct this injustice, taking lead from the PROPER Act, to assure these servicemembers are able to retire with the rank and benefits they have earned.” “This is a welcome move and will no doubt benefit our enlisted men looking to become officers get the benefits they have earned,” Rep. Walz, the highest ranking enlisted soldier to ever serve in Congress, said. “I’m proud to have worked with Rep. Thompson and our veteran service organizations to bring this issue to light and help right a wrong.” “MOAA applauds the actions of Secretary McHugh and the Army to rectify this inequity for prior enlisted “mustang” officers. As a former Chief of Naval Personnel, I’d particularly like to thank Reps. Thompson and Walz for their quick response to protect these servicemembers who repeatedly answered the call of duty to our nation,” stated MOAA President Vice Adm. Norb Ryan, USN (Ret). “Together, these actions right a wrong and provide these officers with the respect and compensation they deserve for their decades of selfless service and sacrifice.” ""The American Military Retirees Association is very pleased with the decision that Secretary McHugh has made and is proud to have partnered with the National Military Veterans Alliance and to have supported Congressman Thompson's legislation in our combined efforts to influence the Secretary to modify the current policy affecting these officers,” stated Ted Painter, National Legislative Director, American Military Retirees Association. “This decision will relieve these officers and their families of a substantial emotional and financial burden and it will restore their faith and trust in the Army that they have dedicated much of their lives to serving.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://toomey.senate.gov?p=news&id=1462,President Signs Two Toomey Veterans Bills Into Law,2014-12-19,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Patrick Toomey,T000461,toomey.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. - The President signed into law two bills introduced by U.S. Senator Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) to honor a Philly hero and veterans of past wars. First, the Woodland Avenue Veterans Affairs Medical Center has been renamed after Corporal Michael J. Crescenz, Philadelphia's only Medal of Honor recipient of the Vietnam War. At the beginning of this Congress, Sen. Toomey introduced a bipartisan bill to change the name of the Woodland Avenue center. The bill, which was cosponsored by Senator Bob Casey (D-Pa.), cleared the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee last July and passed both houses of Congress in December. Corporal Crescenz's full Medal of Honor citation is here. ""I am delighted that the President has signed this bipartisan legislation to ensure the name of Philly's own ‘Michael Crescenz' will be above the door at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center,"" said Sen. Toomey. ""I realize this is a small gesture on our part given the nature of his great actions. We do this with profound respect and deepest gratitude for his sacrifice."" Second, President Obama signed another bipartisan bill into law which was introduced bySen. Toomey to make it easier for veterans to travel and visit the national war memorials dedicated in their honor. The new law directs the Transportation Security Administration to provide expedited and dignified passenger screening services for veterans traveling via the Honor Flight Network. Honor Flight is a national organization that arranges all-expense paid flights for veterans to Washington. Funded by donations, it began in 2005 when retired Air Force captain Earl Morse and five other pilots brought 12 World War II veterans to see the National World War II Memorial in D.C. Since then, the organization has helped approximately 100,000 veterans travel to the national memorial. ""Honor Flight helps ensure that our vets are given the accolades they deserve while visiting the National World War II Memorial and other D.C. landmarks,"" said Sen. Toomey. ""Fortunately, it will now be easier for them to make the trip. Streamlined screening services at the airport will facilitate their travel and show our World War II veterans respect and appreciation."" Honor Flight now has 127 hubs in 41 states. Pennsylvania is fortunate to have two such hubs in Montgomery County and York. Background: JT Hand, the director of the York chapter of Honor Flight (jth@yorkwater.com), and David Polk, the President of the York Rotary Club that sponsors the local Honor Flight chapter (Davidtpolk@comcast.net), are available to discuss the importance of these measures to Pennsylvania veterans.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://toomey.senate.gov?p=newsletter&id=1461,A Prayer For Our Troops,2014-12-19,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Patrick Toomey,T000461,toomey.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Johnstown Richland Square III, Suite 302 1397 Eisenhower Blvd Johnstown, PA 15904 Phone: (814) 266-5970 Fax: (814) 266-5973 Map: Get Directions Please call for an appointment before visiting our Johnstown office.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://perry.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398019,Perry Amendment to Secure Chemical Facilities Expected to be Signed into Law,2014-12-18,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Scott Perry,P000605,perry.house.gov,,,legacy,"Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed the Senate amendment H.R. 4007, the Protecting and Securing Chemical Facilities from Terrorist Attacks Act - bipartisan legislation to reinforce the protection and security of chemical facilities from terrorist attacks. During the Homeland Security Committee markup of H.R. 4007 earlier this year, Congressman Perry offered an amendment that was accepted into the final bill. The amendment would allow the audit and inspection of chemical facilities to be carried out by non-Department or nongovernment entities, as approved by the Secretary. The addition of this amendment would allow DHS to complete its inspection of chemical facilities in a timely fashion so we can ensure that the products stored in these facilities are not used for terrorist purposes. With the growing strength of terror groups like ISIS it is critically important that we guard our chemical facilities from a terrorist attack, said Rep. Scott Perry. The ability to audit and inspect chemical facilities by government or approved nongovernment entities is vital to ensure that all facilities are as secure as possible. H.R. 4007 is the second recent legislative measure sponsored by Rep. Perry that is expected to be signed into law. His legislation to preserve the Lincoln Train Station, where President Abraham Lincoln arrived prior to delivering the Gettysburg Address, was adopted by the U.S. Senate last week. Rep. Perry has also sponsored several measures that passed the U.S. House during his first term, including a bi-partisan amendment to reform State Department bureaucracy to better protect the lives of American diplomats serving overseas, and amendments condemning Russian violations of Ukrainian sovereignty and limiting government surveillance of citizens and reducing wasteful federal spending. Residents of the 4th District are welcome to contact Congressman Perry and his staff at any of the offices or via Perry.House.Gov, where they can sign up for e-mail updates and for his Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://barletta.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/barletta-statement-on-obama-cuba-announcement,Barletta Statement on Obama Cuba Announcement,2014-12-17,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Lou Barletta,B001269,barletta.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON – Congressman Lou Barletta, PA-11, today issued a statement regarding President Obama’s announcement that the United States will begin normalizing relations with Cuba following the negotiated release of American Alan Gross and an unnamed U.S. intelligence asset in exchange for three Cubans convicted of spying in 2001. The statement is as follows: “I join all Americans in celebrating the release of Alan Gross after years of unjust imprisonment.  It is in keeping with our tradition of leaving no one behind. “That said, the negotiated release should have come about without normalizing relations with the same nation which has oppressed its own people for decades.  These are enormous concessions extended to a country that does not allow its citizens simple, basic freedoms that we, as Americans, too often take for granted.  Instead, I fear this will only embolden the dictatorship, and teach others the lesson that all oppressive regimes need do is wait until the United States tires of standing firm for freedom.  Further, I am concerned that the Obama Administration will use this move as the pretext for closing our facility at Guantanamo Bay, which would cause either the release of known terrorists, or the housing of them within our own borders.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://kelly.house.gov/press-release/rep-kelly-announces-annual-nominees-us-military-academies,Rep. Kelly Announces Annual Nominees to U.S. Military Academies,2014-12-17,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Mike Kelly,K000376,kelly.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON — U.S. Representative Mike Kelly (PA-03) today announced the names of his nominees to the United States Military Academies for the class of 2019. These candidates met all application requirements and were interviewed by Rep. Kelly’s independent Military Academy Advisory Board, comprised of local academy alumni and veterans. Statement by Rep. Kelly: “After an extensive application process, we have awarded congressional nominations to 21 distinguished candidates who will now move forward in seeking an appointment to one of the United States Military Academies. It is an absolute privilege to nominate individuals from Pennsylvania’s Third District to these elite academies, and I am confident that these nominees possess the abilities and dedication necessary to become proud American leaders. I sincerely congratulate these fine young men and women and applaud their eagerness to serve our great nation.” Nominees: Collin Adamson, West Shamokin High School Thomas Anderton, Conneaut Area High School Richard Arlington, Northwestern PA Collegiate Academy Jonathan Asseff, Seneca Valley High School Lauren Barber, Wilmington Area High School Max Campoli, University of Texas William Drambel, Seneca Valley High School Karita Ford, McDowell High School Derek Gengler, Butler Senior High School Benjamin Learn, Meadville Area Senior High School Alex Madonna, Vincentian Academy Oscar Manjerovic, Mars Area High School Reed McDonough, Mars Area High School Sonya McLaughlin, Shady Side Academy Michael Palaski, Seneca Valley High School Norman Stark, Cathedral Preparatory School George Staudacher, Northwestern Preparatory School Michael Tappe, Aquinas Academy John Timon, Fairview High School Anthony Valenza, Grove City Area High School Mary Wadding, West Shamokin High School NOTE: Rep. Kelly will honor all nominees during a ceremony in the spring of 2015. Any constituent interested in seeking a congressional nomination in the future (or more information regarding the application process) is encouraged to visit Rep. Kelly’s website or contact Stephanie Stevenson, Academy Coordinator, at Stephanie.Stevenson@mail.house.gov. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://toomey.senate.gov?p=news&id=1460,More of Crime Victims Fund to Go to Crime Victims,2014-12-17,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Patrick Toomey,T000461,toomey.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Senators Pat Toomey (R-PA) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Congressmen Ted Poe (R TX-2nd) and Jim Costa (D CA-16th) issued the following statement regarding enactment of a provision to increase disbursals from the Crime Victims Fund: ""We are pleased that Tuesday night the president signed into law a requirement that a larger share of already-available dollars go to crime victims. The Crime Victims Fund receives no taxpayer dollars; it is funded by criminal fines and penalties assessed in federal court. For over a decade, Congress has unfortunately capped the total amount of dollars that can be allocated to assist victims of child abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence, and other crimes. ""This bipartisan measure represents a step in the right direction. Next Congress, we will continue to fight for crime victims by introducing a bipartisan, permanent fix that will increase the amount of money allocated to serve crime victims each year."" ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://barletta.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/barletta-statement-regarding-ruling-on-obama-executive-amnesty,Barletta Statement Regarding Ruling on Obama Executive Amnesty,2014-12-16,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Lou Barletta,B001269,barletta.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON – Congressman Lou Barletta, PA-11, today issued a statement regarding a federal judge’s ruling that parts of President Obama’s executive action on amnesty for illegal immigrants are unconstitutional.  Pennsylvania U.S. District Court Judge Arthur Schwab wrote in an opinion related to a deportation case that the president’s actions amounted to legislating from the Executive Branch and goes “beyond prosecutorial discretion” in refusing to deport illegal immigrants.  Barletta has maintained that the president’s actions are a violation of the constitutional separation of powers and trespass on Congressional authority to make laws. Barletta’s statement is as follows: “Though this is the first of presumably many court rulings on the president’s unilateral executive amnesty, it is encouraging to see a federal court agree with what I have been saying all along.  It is clear that the president has overstepped his authority by creating new laws and granting sweeping amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants.  Meanwhile, the administration is already defending its unlawful actions by telling federal courts that they don’t have the authority to block the amnesty plan because of the constitutional separation of powers.  The irony could not be richer. “I still support a federal lawsuit against the administration for their own violation of the separation of powers.  I also will be working closely with House leadership on defunding the president’s executive amnesty program once the new Congress, with the new Senate majority, is sworn in. “We have immigration laws in this country for two basic reasons: to protect national security and to preserve American jobs.  The president’s plan to grant amnesty and work permits to millions of illegal immigrants violates both of those principles.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://marino.house.gov/press-release/marino-applauds-passage-anti-drug-trafficking-bill,Marino Applauds Passage of Anti-Drug Trafficking Bill,2014-12-16,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Tom Marino,M001179,marino.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington D.C.—Congressman Tom Marino, PA-10, Lycoming County applauded the passage of a bill to combat transnational drug trafficking. The bill, which passed the Senate yesterday, Transnational Drug Trafficking Act (S. 706) is the counterpart to Representative Marino’s bill H.R. 2114, the Transnational Drug Trafficking Act of 2013. Congressman Marino said the following of the bill: “There is a long list of priorities in the 114th Congress and this bill will be one of them. I am glad the Senate chose to pass their version of my bill and we have got to get moving on this as soon as possible because it is part of our overall strategy to secure the border and protect Americans. The federal law enforcement officials who keep us safe need every procedural latitude and tool available in order to make sure drug trafficking is combatted at every turn.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://thompson.house.gov/press-release/thompson-report-uncovers-lack-independence-and-accountability-endangered-species-act,Thompson: Report Uncovers Lack of Independence and Accountability with Endangered Species Act Designations,2014-12-16,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Glenn Thompson,T000467,thompson.house.gov,,,legacy,"Bellefonte, PA – The U.S. House Natural Resources Committee has released a report that questions the impartiality and accountability of the peer review process in recent Endangered Species Act (ESA) listing decisions issued by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS), which is the primary agency with authority over ESA designations.    The Committee report, released Monday afternoon, analyzes 13 different ESA listing decisions made since July 2013, including related Federal Register notices, peer reviewer comments, and other publicly available materials, and found numerous examples of potential bias and conflicts of interests with regard to the agency’s peer review process. The ESA peer review process is designed for federal agencies to make formal solicitations of expert opinions and analyses on one or more specific questions or assumptions being used to justify a listing designation.  The Committee report found that frequent FWS recruits for peer review roles are the same scientists that supplied the research at hand, rather than independent experts without any obvious connection to the species under review. “This report reinforces existing concerns over the lack of transparency and questionable processes used by the federal government to develop listing designations under the Endangered Species Act,” stated Rep. Thompson, a member of the Natural Resources Committee. “A case in point, is the northern long-eared bat, where the agency has moved forward with the listing proposal despite broad disagreement over the science and peer review protocols used to support the designation.” In October 2013, the FWS proposed to list the northern long-eared bat (NLEB) as an endangered species throughout its range, citing the effects of White-Nose Syndrome as the lone basis for the designation. Although the disease is impacting the species in areas of 38-states, the FWS has admitted that “even if all habitat-related stressors were eliminated” through an endangered listing “the significant effects of the White-Nose Syndrome on the northern long-eared bat would still be present.” In May 2014, Rep. Thompson, joined by eight members of the Pennsylvania delegation, sent a letter to the FWS urging the agency to rescind the NLEB proposal, citing insufficient scientific data to support this decision.  Since that time, the FWS has extended the public comment period due to substantial disagreement over the scientific data used to support the listing. The final decision over whether or not to list the NLEB as endangered, which would have adverse economic impacts on a range of economic sectors in subjected states, is due in April 2015.   “It is my hope the Fish and Wildlife Service addresses these failures before moving forward with an ill-considered endangered listing that will have dramatic consequences for Pennsylvania’s economy without addressing the underlying disease impacting the northern long eared bat,” Rep. Thompson added. The report also found, among other concerns, that FWS does not consistently disclose to the American public information about who serves as peer reviewers for ESA listing decisions, the instructions they are given, the substance of their comments, or how their comments are addressed by the agency. Click here to view the full report. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://toomey.senate.gov?p=news&id=1458,"Toomey, Casey Honor Centennial Anniversary of Big Brothers Big Sisters Southeastern Pennsylvania",2014-12-16,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Patrick Toomey,T000461,toomey.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) and U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-Pa.) are celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Big Brothers Big Sisters Southeastern Pennsylvania. A bipartisan resolution introduced by Sen. Toomey and Sen. Casey was unanimously adopted by the Senate last week. ""Big Brothers Big Sisters Southeastern Pennsylvania is a terrific organization that provides invaluable support and mentoring to some of the Delaware Valley's most vulnerable residents-- at-risk children,"" said Sen. Toomey. ""I applaud all of the selfless work the group's volunteers and staffers have performed for the past century to benefit and protect children. My hat is off to James Fitzpatrick and Imani Johnson of my Philadelphia staff who volunteers as Bigs."" ""I'm pleased the Senate has recognized Big Brothers Big Sisters Southeastern Pennsylvania for their tremendous work with youth of all ages for the past century,"" said Sen. Casey. ""The mentors who dedicate their time to work with at-risk youth are making their community more vibrant and the future of these young people brighter every day."" Big Brothers Big Sisters is a national non-profit organization that provides at-risk children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one mentoring relationships. Pennsylvania is home to 23 Big Brothers Big Sisters chapters. In 1915, the Philadelphia Big Brother Association was established. Today, nearly 100 years later, the Philadelphia association has grown into a four-county agency serving both boys and girls and has adopted the name Big Brothers Big Sisters Southeastern Pennsylvania. This incredible organization supports nearly 3,100 mentoring matches annually using proven methods shown to help participants perform better in school and develop better relationships with their families and peers. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://kelly.house.gov/press-release/rep-kelly-discusses-future-congresss-fight-stop-executive-amnesty-fox-friends,Rep. Kelly Discusses Future of Congress's Fight to Stop Executive Amnesty on Fox & Friends,2014-12-15,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Mike Kelly,K000376,kelly.house.gov,,,legacy,"Rep. Kelly: “January 6th starts an altogether new day for America” WATCH HERE WASHINGTON — U.S. Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA) – a member of the House Ways and Means Committee – appeared on Fox & Friends Weekend on Fox News Channel yesterday morning to discuss the recently passed Omnibus Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2015 and the future efforts of the upcoming 114th Congress to halt President Obama’s recent executive action on illegal immigration amnesty. Rep. Kelly on the importance of the upcoming Congress:                         “Moving forward, we have to get into the next session when we have a majority in the Senate that we can actually work with on a more open basis. … When we get into the next session, we have a much different group to work with. … This is not over. This is not Republicans walking away from a very critical issue. However, we know where we are positioned right now, we’re still a minority. We won’t be that way after the [114th Congress is sworn in]. January 6th starts an altogether new day for America. We’re going to have to govern though, and Speaker Boehner has been very clear about this. These are not Republicans issues, these are not Democrat issues — these are American issues. And if we’re going to govern, we’re going to have to govern as Americans first, and we’re doing what’s right for the American people.” “After the [new Congress is sworn in], we’ll be able to lay out a plan for America that makes sense, gets our economy up and rising again, gets our people to have faith in this form of government that we have, and [Americans will know] that they’re going to govern in Washington right now; they’re not going to be bumping heads all the time.” NOTE: In addition to preventing a partial government shutdown, the Omnibus Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2015 – which has now been passed by both the House and the Senate – will achieve the following items through a long list of conservative policy provisions included within the budget (a more extensive list can be viewed here): Reduces federal discretionary spending to pre-President Obama, pre-Speaker Pelosi levels. (With this budget, Rep. Kelly and his colleagues have cut discretionary spending by $165 billion since 2010.) Continues the ban on federal funding for the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty, which Rep. Kelly has personally fought to include Protects the unborn by banning the funding of abortion in the District of Columbia, within the federal employee health benefits program, and for federal prisoners Forces all Obamacare plans to inform Americans if they provide any abortion services Prevents the taxpayer bailout of the Obamacare Risk Corridor program Massively cuts funding for the EPA and forces the agency to reduce its staff size to its lowest level since 1989 Prohibits the EPA from regulating lead content in ammunition or fishing tackle Stops the Export-Import Bank from blocking any new or existing coal projects Prohibits the Department of Energy from forcing manufactures to stop making certain lightbulbs Bans federal funds from being used to transfer terrorists at Guantanamo Bay to our homeland Slashes the IRS by more than $345 million, bringing its funding to pre-Obama levels ($1.5 billion below the president’s request) Prohibits funding for the IRS to target any organization for regulatory scrutiny – even when ordered by the White House – based on its ideological beliefs or for exercising its First Amendment rights   ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://toomey.senate.gov?p=news&id=1455,Senator Toomey Supports Fiscally Conservative Government Funding Bill That Starts To Limit Administration Overreach,2014-12-15,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Patrick Toomey,T000461,toomey.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Senator Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) voted in favor of bipartisan legislation that keeps the government funded within current budget limits and includes several legislative initiatives he has championed over the years. While essentially freezing total spending, this bill expands federal investment in Alzheimer's research, supports important veterans' programs, prohibits the taxation of internet access, protects farmers and others businesses from certain job-killing regulations, and starts chipping away at Obamacare by exempting some health plans from the law's onerous mandates. ""While far from perfect, I support this bipartisan legislation because it is fiscally conservative - essentially freezing government spending -- and includes a number of policies for which I have advocated and that are good for Pennsylvania,"" said Sen. Toomey. ""In addition to stopping a number of job-killing regulations and taxes, this funding measure will help our veterans and troops, victims of child abuse and domestic violence, and researchers who are leading the fight against Alzheimer's. I also am pleased that this bill exempts about 400,000 people from Obamacare. This is a significant step toward dismantling this terrible law altogether. ""It is disappointing that Congress is forced to vote on such a massive proposal at the eleventh hour because Senator Harry Reid refused to allow the normal budget process. With new leadership in the Senate next Congress, it is imperative that we restore the normal budget process and pass individual, responsible appropriations bills."" ""As for the point of order regarding the bill's constitutionality, I voted to waive it because this legislation does not violate the Constitution. Like many Americans, I believe that President Obama's executive amnesty represents a dangerous executive overreach. But there is a difference between a bill to fund the government, and a president violating the law. Funding the government is constitutional. In fact, today, every Senator supported legislation to fund the entire government for five days."" Senator Toomey's priorities in the funding bill include: • Essentially freezes government spending with outlays declining about $12 billion; • Prevents the incandescent light bulb ban; • Forbids taxes on internet access; • Increases investment in Alzheimer's research and requires NIH to submit a yearly budget on how much funding is needed to prevent and treat the disease by 2025; • Spares farmers from burdensome EPA regulations on land use; • Ensures already-available funds in the Crime Victims Fund go to crime victims versus budget gimmicks; • Exempts around 400,000 people from Obamacare and ends the law's taxpayer bailouts of health insurance companies for 2015; • Establishes appropriate funding levels to maintain Veterans Employment and Training Service at the Department of Labor; • Prohibits transfer of GTMO detainees to America; • Cuts the IRS budget by $345 million and prohibits the agency from engaging in discriminatory ideological targeting; • Bars the transfers of Apache helicopters from Army National Guard to active Army; • Continues vital defense projects based in Pennsylvania: V-22, Chinook, armored vehicles; • Honors our commitment to supporting Israeli security. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://toomey.senate.gov?p=news&id=1456,Sen. Toomey Honors Prisoners of War and Those Missing in Action,2014-12-15,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Patrick Toomey,T000461,toomey.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) is honoring the sacrifices of the members and former members of the Armed Forces who have ever been prisoners of war or missing in action. Sen. Toomey introduced the bipartisan bill, the Perpetual POW/MIA Stamp Act of 2014, which directs the Postmaster General to issue a forever stamp to honor these brave men and women. ""Our service members and veterans who have ever been prisoners of war or missing in action are always in our hearts,"" said Sen. Toomey. ""Each deserves our unwavering support and appreciation for the sacrifices they have made. This stamp is a small but important way we can ensure their valiant actions are never forgotten."" The VFW Department of Pennsylvania State Headquarters and American Veterans PA both support Sen. Toomey's efforts to honor these service members. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://toomey.senate.gov?p=news&id=1457,"From Lehighton, Pennsylvania to 1600 Pennsylvania",2014-12-15,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Patrick Toomey,T000461,toomey.senate.gov,,,legacy,"The holiday season is a time for family, friends...and Christmas trees! And here in Pennsylvania, we are home to more than 1,000 Christmas tree farms. While the peak demand period for these trees is no mystery, the dedicated families who grow them and ensure that Christmas trees are readily available in December work tirelessly year round. It is because of their dedication that Pennsylvania is among the top six Christmas tree producing states in the country. In fact, Indiana County is the ""Christmas Tree Capital of the World."" Pennsylvania has many reasons to be proud of this homegrown industry. Each year, the National Christmas Tree Association holds a competition. Growers, industry experts, and consumers vote to decide which farm will supply the official White House Christmas Tree. This year, Crystal Spring Tree Farm in Lehighton, owned and operated by the Botek family for over 50 years, won the honor of providing a tree for the White House. The Botek's Douglas-Fir tree is decorated and showcased in the Blue Room of the White House. But that's not all. A Crystal Spring Christmas tree also graced the White House in 2006, 2010, and 2013. No other Christmas tree farm has provided the White House Christmas tree on four separate occasions. This is no easy task. The Boteks first needed to impress the judges at the Pennsylvania Christmas Tree Growers Association competition to even be considered on the national level. Arriving at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue on a horse-drawn carriage, the 23-year-old Douglas-Fir tree immediately won the approval of the First Lady and her daughters. It was decorated to honor our service men and women. Even if you don't have room for an 18-foot-tall tree in your home, a Pennsylvania-grown tree has many pluses. ""The advantages of selecting a real Christmas tree reaches far beyond its fragrant appeal,"" said Denise Calabrese, executive director of the Pennsylvania Christmas Tree Growers Association, which represents nearly 200 growers in the Commonwealth. ""Families should use the opportunity to choose their live Christmas tree as a chance to do a fun activity together each year. Building family traditions by not only choosing the tree, but decorating it and making it part of the family home during the Christmas season can be an exciting and participatory activity for the youngest to the oldest of family members!"" ""Best of all, purchasing a fresh-cut Christmas tree supports a local tree farmer,"" adds Calabrese. Picking a Christmas tree brings families together. Again this year the Toomey clan selected our tree with some help from Arland Schantz at Evergreen Farm on Limeport Pike in Zionsville. The tree is a beauty and we put it up right away. Every year, Kris, our three children, and I reminisce over family ornaments while decorating our tree. It's a yearly tradition for millions of Americans, but here in Pennsylvania we can be truly proud of the recognition our Christmas tree growers have received and the contributions they have made.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://barletta.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/barletta-details-highlights-of-cromnibus-spending-bill,Barletta Details Highlights of Cromnibus Spending Bill,2014-12-12,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Lou Barletta,B001269,barletta.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON – Congressman Lou Barletta, PA-11, today detailed highlights of the so-called “Cromnibus” spending bill, which is a combination of a Continuing Resolution funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through February 27, 2015 and an omnibus spending package funding the rest of the federal government through September 30, 2015.  Most importantly, Barletta said he will now assume a prominent role as the House of Representatives moves forward with efforts to block President Obama’s amnesty plan for illegal immigrants.  “A huge majority of voters in my district and across America are opposed to the president’s amnesty plan, which we will now be able to combat when the new House and Senate majority arrive in January,” Barletta said.  “Speaker Boehner personally promised that I will be at the table when our new policies are set, so for all citizens who are rightly concerned about amnesty, I will be serving as their eyes, ears, and voices.” Given the current makeup of the Senate, Barletta said the House was limited on its options of what to include in the spending package.  Key in the legislation was the fact that DHS only received short-term funding, meaning Congress will be able to revisit the issue early in the new year to defund the president’s amnesty program. “There is no immigration language of which I would approve that would stand a chance of passing the Senate while Harry Reid is still in charge,” Barletta said.  “We had to get the best bill that we could at this very moment, and then come back to the battle when our reinforcements have arrived with the new Congress in January.” The bill adheres to existing spending caps, but includes a number of important policy improvements, including the protections for national security and members of the military.  It also improves public safety and gang prevention, and increases funding for Community Development Block Grants.  The package also curtails overreach by the Environmental Protection Agency, political targeting by the Internal Revenue Service, and includes no new money for Obamacare. National Security & Military Includes $521 billion in defense spending. Includes a 1% pay increase for military personnel and cost-of-living adjustment. Includes additional $900 million to address military funding shortfalls, including depot maintenance at facilities such as Tobyhanna Army Depot. Prohibits the transfer or release of Guantanamo detainees into the U.S. Increases funding for VA programs by $1.8 billion. Provides $2.5 billion for processing VA disability claims to end the backlog. Rescinds $41 million in performance bonuses at the VA. Public Safety Restores funding zeroed out under President Obama’s budget request for State Criminal Alien Assistance Program, which reimburses localities who house criminal illegal immigrants in local jails (increases funding from $180 million to $185 million rather than president’s request of $0.) Increases funding for gang prevention efforts, while providing resources to address drug trafficking (particularly methamphetamine and heroin), human trafficking, and an update of the National Gang Survey.    Through COPS and JAG funding, increases gang prevention and methamphetamine prevention efforts. Provides $20 million to combat prescription drug abuse. Communities Funds Community Development Block Grants at $200 million more than original budget request. Increases funding for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) by $75 million. Increases funding for Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Increases funding for flood prevention under the Streamflow Information Program. Coal Requires the Department of Defense to use anthracite coal to heat the Army and Air Force Barracks in Kaiserslautern, Germany.  Health Provides $5.4 billion to Fight Ebola in the US and abroad. Increases funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) by $43 million. Increases funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by $150 million – specifically increases for Alzheimer’s, cancer, brain research, and the Gabriella Miller Kids First Act pediatric research initiative. Transportation Provides almost $41 billion in obligation limitation funding for the Federal Highway program (the same level authorized in the MAP-21 transportation authorization legislation). Protects small business from over regulation related to commercial trucking, driver hours, and hazmat permitting. Obamacare Provides no new funding for Obamacare. Requires Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Treasury to report to Congress on improper payments of ObamaCare tax subsidies. Reduces funding to the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB). Maintains all existing pro-life policy and funding provisions. Three new pro-life provisions:   Obamacare Transparency - requires Obamacare healthcare plans to inform customers if they provide abortion services. Conscience Protection - requires HHS Office of Civil Rights to address complaints of violations. Provides $12 million in unused abstinence education funds. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Cuts IRS funding by $345.6 million ($1.5 billion below the president’s request and below Fiscal Year 2008 levels). Prohibits IRS targeting of organizations based on their ideological beliefs or for exercising their First Amendment rights. Prohibits the White House from ordering review of tax-exempt status. Prohibits use of IRS funds for inappropriate videos and conferences. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Cuts EPA by $60 million, representing the 5th consecutive year of cuts – a total reduction of 21 percent since Fiscal Year 2010. Reduces EPA staffing by 2,000 positions, which is equivalent to 1989 levels. Prohibits regulation of farm ponds and irrigation ditches. Protects Second Amendment rights and prohibits EPA from regulating lead content in ammunition or fishing tackle. “As with any spending bill, the end result is not perfect, but this makes important strides in many key areas,” Barletta said.  “I look forward to working with our new partners in the Senate in the new Congress, when we can finally work to stop the president’s amnesty plan.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://marino.house.gov/press-release/marino-votes-fund-government-holds-line-114th-congress,"Marino Votes to Fund Government, Holds the Line for 114th Congress",2014-12-12,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Tom Marino,M001179,marino.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington D.C.—Congressman Tom Marino, PA-10, Lycoming County voted with 12 out of 13 of his fellow Pennsylvania Republican congressional delegation members to fund the government in anticipation of the new Republican majority coming in the 114th Congress citing a greater ability to stop Obama’s push for executive amnesty. Representative Marino, along with his colleagues, expressed serious reservations about supporting the so-called “cromnibus” bill which prompted two separate group meetings with the delegation and Speaker of the House, John Boehner signaling the delegation’s significant influence. Marino’s main contention was the continuing resolution to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through February 27, 2015 which could allow the department to use taxpayer dollars for the implementation of President Obama’s Presidential Memorandum -- Modernizing and Streamlining the U.S. Immigrant Visa System for the 21st Century dubbed “executive amnesty.” Marino submitted an amendment to the Rules Committee which would have defunded DHS’s ability to fulfill Obama’s amnesty. Several of his colleagues did the same and there are assurances those amendments will be considered in order to halt Obama’s executive amnesty when Republicans have full control of Congress next month. Attached to the continuing resolution was an omnibus bill containing a package of appropriations bills. The omnibus package contained 11 of 12 appropriations bills. The appropriations bills contained several significant provisions for trimming spending. Some of the most important of those were deep cuts to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), $345.6 million dollars, and ends the administration’s targeting of conservative groups and individuals. It also scales back of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It cuts approximately $60 million from the EPA while preventing the Army Corps from regulating farm ponds and irrigation ditches via the proposed Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule. Congressman Marino issued the following statement about the bills: “Harry Reid and Obama have little interest in serious fixes to our ailing economy and skyrocketing debt. Instead they promised to shutdown the government, put TSA agents on leave during the peak holiday travel season and strip every provision to reign in government spending from bills originating in the House. That is totally unacceptable. The American people gave Republicans control of the House and Senate so we could reign in this President and get things done. We have a mandate to do exactly that. I disagree with virtually every step in the process that brought this bill to the floor of the House, but I voted in favor of the bill to extend federal money for the remainder of the fiscal year while limiting funding for DHS and giving Republican majorities another real chance to stop Obama’s amnesty. I made this vote with the assurance that my amendment to defund the DHS’s plans to implement Obama’s executive order will move forward before he has a chance to implement the mechanisms of amnesty. When the next Congress begins, the Republicans will have control of the Senate and this is when we will systematically dismantle the President’s destructive policies.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://thompson.house.gov/press-release/house-acts-government-funding-bill,House Acts on Government Funding Bill,2014-12-12,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Glenn Thompson,T000467,thompson.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. - U.S. Representative Glenn 'GT' Thompson (PA-5) today voted to support H.R. 83, the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2015, which passed the House by a margin of 219-206.    H.R. 83 includes funding through the end of the Fiscal Year, September 30, 2015, for 11 of the 12 annual spending bills. Funding for the primary agencies that are responsible for carrying out the president's executive actions on immigration will expire on February 27, 2015. ""This package is important to keep the government open, while also instituting thoughtful spending reductions and reining in bureaucratic and regulatory overreach,"" stated Rep. Thompson. “The legislation provides short-term funding for the Department of Homeland Security that would expire before the President's executive actions on immigration take effect, giving Congress the ability to address this important matter without the threat of a broader government shutdown.” H.R. 83 also forces the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) to withdraw the interpretive rule (IR) that was issued in conjunction with the EPA’s proposed “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) rule, which would dramatically expand federal authority over water and land uses. “Provisions forcing the withdrawal of the Interpretive Rule are a positive start, but the House and Senate must keep pressure on the EPA and Army Corps to address the blatant flaws with the underlying WOTUS proposal. I believe these ends will be achieved in the coming year,” Rep. Thompson added. H.R 83 also strikes an unprecedented bipartisan compromise on reforming multi-employer pension agreements that will ensure the longevity of severely distressed pension plans that have been at risk of bankrupting the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation and placing the retirements of 10 million workers at risk. “Keeping retirement plans stable into the future will prevent workers from losing everything. This bipartisan agreement includes reforms that will protect taxpayers and provide trustees with flexibility and the appropriate tools to save troubled plans. Doing nothing, which I’m thankful we avoided, would simply lead to systemic collapse,” said Rep. Thompson, a member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, which brokered the agreement. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://toomey.senate.gov?p=newsletter&id=1454,A Tribute,2014-12-12,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Patrick Toomey,T000461,toomey.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Johnstown Richland Square III, Suite 302 1397 Eisenhower Blvd Johnstown, PA 15904 Phone: (814) 266-5970 Fax: (814) 266-5973 Map: Get Directions Please call for an appointment before visiting our Johnstown office.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://barletta.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/barletta-statement-regarding-his-vote-on-cromnibus-funding-bill,Barletta Statement Regarding His Vote on Cromnibus Funding Bill,2014-12-11,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Lou Barletta,B001269,barletta.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON – Congressman Lou Barletta, PA-11, today issued a statement regarding his vote in favor of the so-called “Cromnibus” funding bill, which is a combination of a Continuing Resolution funding the Department of Homeland Security through February 27, 2015 and an omnibus spending package funding the rest of the federal government through September 30, 2015. Barletta’s statement is as follows: “While the overall discussion of the Cromnibus spending bill deals with the operation of the entire federal budget, for me the most important factor is illegal immigration and the question of stopping President Obama’s executive amnesty.   We have immigration laws in this country for two reasons: to protect national security and preserve American jobs.  The president’s actions violate both of those principles.  He is introducing five million more competitors into an already tight job market, at a time when 20 million Americans are either unemployed or underemployed.  It is time that someone stood up for legal American workers.  Therefore, the most important question I must answer for myself is: how best to stop the president’s unlawful executive action? “After careful consideration, I have determined that it is a much better strategy to have the fight over funding the amnesty program once our reinforcements have arrived in the form of the new Senate to be sworn in early next year.  I did not come to this decision lightly, but it is obvious to me that there is no language that I would support regarding illegal immigration that would stand a chance of passing the Senate while Harry Reid is still in charge.  Understanding that truth, I cast my vote in favor of the Cromnibus with the full knowledge that we will attack the issue again early in 2015. “There can be no one who questions my position on illegal immigration.  During lengthy discussions and negotiations leading up to the vote, I was personally assured by Speaker Boehner that I will play an integral role in crafting new, strong national immigration policies beginning in January.  I came to Congress to strengthen our enforcement of immigration laws, and now I will have the ability to influence the direction and impact of our immigration policies as we work to block the president’s amnesty.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://shuster.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=647,Blueprint Set for Conservative Agenda in Upcoming Year,2014-12-11,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Bill Shuster,S001154,shuster.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Bill Shuster (R-Hollidaysburg) voted in favor of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015 on Thursday evening. This bill funds 11 of the 12 appropriations bills for one year and funds the Department of Homeland Security until February 27, 2015. House Republicans have now cut discretionary spending by $165 billion since taking the majority in 2010 and as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), non-defense domestic discretionary spending will soon be at the lowest levels since 1962. “Today’s legislation is not regular order, nor the way Congress is supposed to be run. Due to the Senate refusing to act on a single appropriations bill, the House of Representatives is once again forced to bail the Senate out,” said Congressman Bill Shuster. “The House has taken a principled approach to ensure the government is not shut down, while saving the taxpayers over $2 trillion over the next 10 years. It is these kinds of conservative solutions and significant cuts to wasteful federal programs like the IRS and the EPA that keep the American taxpayers’ best interest in mind.” In response to the Environmental Protection Agency’s wave of regulatory overreach, the budget for the agency is reduced by $60 million in this legislation. With this cut, Congress has now reduced the EPA’s funding by $2.2 billion since FY10, which brings it to its lowest staffing level since the 1980’s. Also contained in the bill are cuts to the IRS, the agency that targeted conservative political groups for additional scrutiny and delay. The IRS budget is $345 million lower than last year and has now been cut $1.2 billion since FY10. Additionally, this bill stops any taxpayer bailouts to insurance companies under Obamacare. In order to reject attempts by the president to unilaterally give amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants, this bill only funds the Department of Homeland Security – the agency responsible for implementing the executive actions – to February 27, 2015. Once the Department of Homeland Security’s funding expires, Republican majorities in the House and Senate will then be able to more effectively work to stop President Obama’s executive actions regarding amnesty. “I am opposed to any and all attempts by the president to grant amnesty to illegal immigrants,” continued Shuster. “This bill ensures that a Republican-led Congress will be able to fight against Obama’s liberal immigration agenda without Harry Reid standing in the way of blocking common sense measures that secure our borders and enforce the law.” Additional Conservative measures included in the legislation: -All existing pro-life policy and funding provisions are maintained -One percent pay raise for our troops -Maintains second amendment protections including a prohibition on implementing the Arms Trade Treaty that is supported by the National Rifle Association -Stops future funding from being used for any “Fast & Furious” type activity ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://thompson.house.gov/press-release/reps-thompson-walz-introduce-%E2%80%9Cproudly-restoring-officers-prior-enlistment-retirement,"Reps. Thompson, Walz Introduce Proudly Restoring Officers of Prior Enlistment Retirement (PROPER) Act",2014-12-11,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Glenn Thompson,T000467,thompson.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representatives Glenn 'GT' Thompson (R-PA) and Tim Walz (D-MN) have introduced H.R. 5832, the Proudly Restoring Officers of Prior Enlistment Retirement (PROPER) Act, legislation preventing commissioned officers from being forced to retire at their highest previous enlisted rank as a result of the military’s current force reduction policy.   During the “Grow the Army” effort beginning in 2007, the Army dramatically increased in size, expanding to 570,000 soldiers by 2010.  A large number of non-commissioned officers stepped up to lead and received commissions as Army officers. The Army is currently undergoing a significant downsizing, as combat forces draw down from Iraq and Afghanistan and the Obama Administration executes a broader force restructuring and end strength reduction plan, which includes plans to involuntarily retire up to 30% of commissioned officers and shrink the Army to 450,000 soldiers. Under current law soldiers must serve a minimum of 20 years to become eligible for retirement. In order to retire at the rank of an officer, at least 8 of those years must come after receiving a commission. Some soldiers who have served over 20 years total, but less than 8 years as commissioned officers, are now being involuntarily retired at their highest enlisted rank, which has led to a large cut in their retirement. While the existing policy impacts all military branches, the Army is the most directly affected. The PROPER Act, which is supported by the Military Officers Association of America, the American Military Retirees Association, and the National Guard Association, enables soldiers to keep their commissioned rank during retirement by lowering the eligibility threshold from 8 to 4 years. “Brave men and women answered the call to military service as our nation expanded its ranks during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Despite having served for years in commissioned status and rising through the officer ranks, these experienced and dedicated warfighters are now being forced to retire at their previous enlisted rank,” stated Rep. Thompson. “Soldiers deserve to retire with the rank they have earned and corresponding benefits they’ve been promised, and anything less devalues the sacrifices they have made for our country. With the introduction of the Proudly Restoring Officers of Prior Enlistment Retirement Act, we plan to fix this injustice.” “This measure gives military retirees the benefits they have earned,” said Rep. Walz. “I am proud to introduce this measure with Rep. Thompson and look forward to working together with him in the next congress to make this provision law.”   Cosponsors of the PROPER Act include Representatives Charles Rangel (D-NY), Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Bobby Rush, (D-IL), Tom Marino (R-PA), Mark Amodei (R-NV), Lou Barletta (R-PA), Mike Kelly (R-PA), Michael Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Joe Wilson (R-SC), Scott Perry (R-PA), Richard Nugent (R-FL), and Randy Weber (R-TX). ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://toomey.senate.gov?p=news&id=1452,Sen. Toomey Backs Legislation Supporting Our Troops and Essential Defense Programs,2014-12-11,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Patrick Toomey,T000461,toomey.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) intends to vote for the bipartisan defense authorization bill. Below is his statement. ""Some of the most important responsibilities of Congress are national security and supporting the brave men and women who risk their lives to protect the American people. ""While the legislation is not perfect, I support passage of the bipartisan defense authorization bill because it is essential for outlining federal spending for our armed forces and supporting our troops. This year's bill authorizes funding for important defense programs in Pennsylvania at appropriate levels. It also includes a number of provisions that I have championed including language to protect an historic landmark in Gettysburg and a provision enabling state and county veterans affairs officials to more effectively assist service members transitioning back to civilian life."" The defense authorization bill includes provisions Sen. Toomey has supported including: • Prohibiting the transfer or release of detainees held at the prison at Guantanamo; • Maintaining armored vehicle programs in York; • Continuing the multi-year Ridley Park (Delaware County) programs for the V-22 Osprey and the CH-47 helicopter; • Ensuring vitally important Abrams tank production; • Barring the transfer of Apache helicopters from the Pennsylvania Army National Guard to the active Army; • Mandating a National Commission on the Future of the Army; • Supporting important Army depots such as Letterkenny and Tobyhanna. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20141228102156/http://www.toomey.senate.gov:80/?p=news&id=1453,Senators Ask FCC for Timely Consideration of Comcast Merger,2014-12-11,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Patrick Toomey,T000461,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) sent a letter to the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission asking for timely consideration of the proposed merger between Comcast Corporation and Time Warner Cable. The text of the letter is below: December 11, 2014 Chairman Tom Wheeler Federal Communications Commission 445 12th Street SW Washington, D.C. 20554 Dear Chairman Wheeler: In early October, the Federal Communications Commission once again paused consideration of the proposed merger between Comcast Corporation and Time Warner Cable. We were pleased to see the Commission recently resumed consideration of the merger. While we appreciate your commitment to a full, thorough review, we urge the Commission to act as quickly as possible. We believe the merger between Comcast and Time Warner will produce extensive benefits to the public in terms of jobs and services for low-income households. Also, Comcast has informed us that the merger will provide improved Internet access with no corresponding decrease in competition. The public should not have to wait for these benefits. Accordingly, we urge you to approve the merger as soon as possible. Comcast currently employs approximately 136,000 people nationwide, including nearly 12,000 people in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The proposed merger is expected to create new jobs throughout Pennsylvania and the rest of the country. This will be a welcome benefit in today's economy. Consumers will also benefit greatly from the merger. Currently, Time Warner offers Internet speeds that are often half as fast as those provided by Comcast and in some cases even slower. Comcast has pledged to spend hundreds of millions of dollars each year to improve Time Warner's networks, resulting in far faster Internet speeds for millions of subscribers. We have seen firsthand Comcast's record as an outstanding corporate citizen. Comcast assists 1,200 non-profits through its foundation, serves hundreds of thousands of young people through the Boys and Girls Club of America, and has invested $57 million in training for workers to keep them competitive in today's economy. Additionally, through its Internet Essentials program, Comcast has brought broadband Internet to 300,000 low-income families (or 1.2 million people). Comcast has announced that it will extend this program throughout Time Warner's markets and maintain this program indefinitely. Comcast has informed us that the proposed merger will produce substantial benefits for the public, and that the company has acted proactively to prevent anti-competitive effects. There is no geographic overlap between Comcast and Time Warner, so no consumer will lose a choice among providers. Also, Comcast has agreed to divest itself of 3 million subscribers so the merged entity will serve less than 30 percent of the cable market-a standard the FCC has adopted in the past. That number falls to just 20% when one considers the full market for television programming, which includes cable, satellite, and telecommunications companies. In sum, the proposed merger between Comcast and Time Warner will lead to substantial public benefits: to workers through additional jobs, to millions of consumers through faster Internet speeds, and to the public at large through extension of Comcast's Internet Essentials program and other community service efforts, all with assurances that the merger will be carried out so as to avoid harm to competition or consumer choice. Accordingly, we urge the FCC to approve the merger as quickly as possible. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://barletta.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/barletta-statement-regarding-house-passage-of-able-act,Barletta Statement Regarding House Passage of ABLE Act,2014-12-10,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Lou Barletta,B001269,barletta.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON – Congressman Lou Barletta, PA-11, today issued a statement regarding the House of Representatives passage of the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act by a vote of 404-to-17.  The ABLE act amends the Internal Revenue Service code to establish tax-exempt accounts for individuals with disabilities to assist in paying for certain expenses, including higher education, primary residence, transportation, employment assistance, health and wellness, and other personal support expenses.      Barletta’s statement is as follows:   “The passage of the ABLE Act is a huge step forward for people with disabilities and their families.  So many times, families have been left in the difficult position of choosing between taking care of children’s special needs and planning for their future.  The ABLE Act helps families avoid that predicament and lets them plan ahead.   “As it stands now, people living with disabilities are unable to accumulate more than $2,000 in assets without endangering their Supplemental Security Income and Medicaid benefits.  This bill allows them to live independently and make decisions on their own, outside the artificial limits placed on them by the federal government.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://barletta.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/barletta-testifies-in-support-of-unaccompanied-alien-children,Barletta Testifies in Support of Unaccompanied Alien Children Transparency Act,2014-12-10,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Lou Barletta,B001269,barletta.house.gov,,,legacy,"Click here or on image to watch Rep. Barletta's testimony WASHINGTON – Congressman Lou Barletta, PA-11, today testified in a House Judiciary Committee subcommittee in support of his legislation, the Unaccompanied Alien Children Transparency Act (H.R. 5409).  Barletta introduced the bill in September in response to the flood of illegal immigrants who streamed across the United States border with Mexico earlier this year.  Barletta told members of the Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security that the legislation empowers governors and local elected officials to control whether or not the federal government can place unaccompanied minors, who have illegally entered the country, into their communities.  “It is critical that state and local governments are not left in the dark,” Barletta said. “Lawmakers must know who is coming to their communities, how much it will cost, and how it will impact their health and educational systems, which is why my bill gives local communities veto power if this information is not provided to their satisfaction.  I wish we didn’t need legislation like mine, but unfortunately, my bill is needed due to the total lack of transparency by the administration following the surge of crossings over the southern border.” The legislation requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide state and local elected officials with a 30-day notice and comment period to determine for themselves whether they are prepared and able to receive unaccompanied alien minors.  In particular, HHS would be responsible for assessing and informing communities of the cost and impact of receiving them.  The department must also certify that the unaccompanied alien minors have undergone health screenings, including vaccinations, as well as criminal background checks, and pose no public health or safety threat.  “Such steps are vital to ensuring the welfare of our communities,” Barletta said.  “I have already been informed of several instances of unaccompanied alien minors seeking to enter schools in my district who have not been properly screened or vaccinated.  They have absolutely no formal education and cannot speak English.  What grade should the school system put them in?  How can the school district be prepared when students like this just show up at their doorstep?” Barletta first became aware of the need for the legislation when local officials from his hometown of Hazleton alerted him that a non-profit organization had been investigating opening a facility to house some of the unaccompanied minors who had crossed the border this past summer.  “That’s how I found out – because an organization had called the city,” Barletta said.  “The federal government didn’t tell anyone about the plan: not the Governor, not the Department of Public Welfare, not Luzerne County.  When I made the information public, residents of Hazleton expressed their concerns, and the plan was dropped.  Had I not been informed of the situation by local officials, the plan would have proceeded without public notice.” Barletta said the legislation is more necessary than in years past because of the recent surge, which he attributed to a failure of the federal government to enforce immigration laws.  He highlighted the Obama policy of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), in particular. “In 2011, President Obama’s head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement released a series of memoranda announcing his agency would not be enforcing immigration laws against certain segments of the illegal immigrant population, effectively telling illegal immigrants that being in the country unlawfully was not reason enough to deport them,” Barletta said.  “Then, in 2012, the President announced his DACA program, which grants deferred action to certain illegal immigrants who claim to have arrived in the U.S. before the age of 16, and requires them to apply for a work permit.” Barletta said that the president’s recent expansion of executive amnesty will only contribute to the problem. “He’s telling people that so long as they make it into this country, they won’t be asked to leave and will be rewarded with a work permit, Social Security, and Medicare,” Barletta said.  “I fear it will not be long before we see another massive surge of illegal immigration along our southern border.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://toomey.senate.gov?p=news&id=1451,Fellow Republicans Agree With Senator Toomey's Ban on Wasteful Spending,2014-12-10,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Patrick Toomey,T000461,toomey.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. - In his ongoing battle to protect taxpayers from wasteful government spending, U.S. Senator Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) today led the Senate Republican Conference to extend its ban on earmarks, which was scheduled to expire at the end of this Congress. Toomey applauded his colleagues' vote to extend the current earmark moratorium for another Congress. ""The American people are tired of wasteful government spending and special interest handouts,"" Sen. Toomey said. ""Taxpayers don't want to pay for bridges to nowhere, studies on maple syrup, or the Cowboy poetry festival. My Conference rule, which was adopted today, says that the Republicans will not request earmarks. I am pleased that even before the new Congress begins, the Republican majority is working to protect taxpayers and make government more effective and efficient. This is an improvement but we have to keep working toward a permanent ban."" Past experience shows that the prevalence of earmarks can grow exponentially when left unchecked. According to the watchdog group Citizens Against Government Waste, in 1998 Congress approved about 2,100 earmark projects at a total cost of $13.2 billion. By 2006 -- the height of the earmark binge -- these numbers ballooned to nearly 10,000 earmarks that cost taxpayers about $29 billion. Over the years, earmarks were used to fund such dubious projects as the infamous ""Bridge to Nowhere"" in Alaska, an indoor rainforest, and a teapot museum. The language of Sen. Toomey's Conference rule is below: ""Resolved, that it is the policy of the Republican Conference that no Member shall request a congressionally directed spending item, limited tax benefit, or limited tariff benefit, as such items are used in Rule XLIV of the Standing Rules of the Senate for the 114th Congress."" Earlier this Congress, Sen. Toomey introduced the bipartisan Earmark Elimination Act with Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.). Their legislation would expand the temporary moratorium on earmarks to permanently ban earmarks from the legislative process. The Toomey/McCaskill legislation would: • Permanently ban all earmarks. • Define earmarks as any congressionally directed spending item, limited tax benefit, or limited tariff benefit. • Create a point of order against any legislation containing an earmark. The point of order would only apply to the actual earmark, rather than to the entire bill. • Require a two-thirds vote to waive the point of order. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://toomey.senate.gov?p=news&id=1459,"Casey, Toomey, Perry Announce Expansion of Gettysburg National Military Park in Defense Bill, Likely to Pass Senate and Become Law This Week",2014-12-10,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Patrick Toomey,T000461,toomey.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Provisions Would Expand Historic Site by 45 Acres, Add Lincoln Train Station Washington, DC- Today U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) announced that the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which has already passed the House and is likely to pass the Senate this week, contains language that would expand Gettysburg National Military Park by 45 acres and add the Lincoln Train Station. ""This legislation will preserve an area of great national historical and cultural importance,"" Senator Casey said. ""Expanding this historical area will also contribute to the region's economy as it continues to attract visitors from around the world who want to experience this significant time in American history."" ""The upcoming vote in the Senate to allow Gettysburg National Military Park to expand to include the historic train station and Plum Run should mark the culmination of a long bipartisan effort, said Senator Toomey. ""Gettysburg National Military Park is an important part of our nation's history and encourages tourism and growth in the area. My thanks to Senator Casey and Congressman Perry for working with me on this important effort."" ""The Battle of Gettysburg marks a turning point in American history,"" said Representative Perry. ""By preserving the Lincoln Train Station, I hope to inspire my fellow citizens to learn and appreciate the significance of the Gettysburg Campaign, the Gettysburg Address, the Civil War and the bravery of the soldiers who, in President Lincoln's words, ""gave the last full measure of devotion."" If the Senate and President Obama approve this as expected, I'll be privileged that my first piece of legislation signed into law will be to help protect the Gettysburg Battlefield."" The language in the bill expands the boundary of Gettysburg National Military Park to include 45 acres of land at the southern end of the battlefield where cavalry skirmishes occurred during the Battle of Gettysburg in July of 1863. The land has environmental significance as home to wetlands and wildlife habitat related to the Plum Run stream that traverses the park. This 45-acre property is adjacent to current park land and was donated to the Gettysburg Foundation in April of 2009. The Foundation plans to donate the parcel to the park once it's added to the park's boundaries; therefore, no federal land acquisition funding is necessary to obtain this property. The Lincoln Train Station, located in downtown Gettysburg, was built in 1858 and is currently listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The station served as a hospital during the Battle of Gettysburg and was the departure point for thousands of soldiers who were wounded or killed in battle. The Lincoln Train Station is also the site at which President Abraham Lincoln arrived on November 18, 1863, one day before he delivered the Gettysburg Address at the Gettysburg National Cemetery. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://kelly.house.gov/press-release/rep-kelly-champions-great-lakes-restoration-initiative-act-house-floor,Rep. Kelly Champions Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act on House Floor,2014-12-09,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Mike Kelly,K000376,kelly.house.gov,,,legacy,"WATCH HERE WASHINGTON — U.S. Representative Mike Kelly (PA-03) – co-chairman of the Northeast-Midwest (NEMW) Congressional Coalition – delivered remarks on the floor of the House of Representatives today in support of H.R. 5764, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act of 2014, of which he is a co-sponsor. The bipartisan legislation was passed unanimously by the House this afternoon. Highlights of Rep. Kelly’s floor speech: “We all understand what it is that makes the Great Lakes great, and I think that’s the whole point of what we’re talking about: this is a gift from God.” “If you could just close your eyes for one minute and visualize in your mind’s eye the continental United States, the landmass, the volume of freshwater contained in our Great Lakes would cover that landmass by 9 ½ to 10 feet! It is an incredible amount of water. But more importantly, it is an incredible gift from God. We have to protect this area. Why would we not? The statistics that we talk about are overwhelming.” “We thank a lot of people for being involved with this, but you know who I want to thank more than anybody else? It’s the hardworking American taxpayers. By our Constitution, we are granted the authority to tax them, but we are also given the responsibility to spend their money the right way.” “One-fifth of the world’s freshwater – not one-fifth of Pennsylvania’s, not one-fifth of the United States’, not one-fifth of North America’s – but one-fifth of the world’s freshwater resides in the Great Lakes.” “We have an opportunity to do something that just makes sense to each and every one of us. We can get this done. And if I may, just for a minute, to paraphrase Luke 12:48: ‘To whom much is given, much is required.’ Mr. Speaker, I would suggest that this is not an option. This is a moral obligation, on behalf of the people of this great country, to look at one of the assets that we have, a gift from God, and make sure that we preserve it for future generations.” NOTE: The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act of 2014 (H.R. 5764) amends the Clean Water Act to authorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) for Fiscal Years 2015 – 2019. The GLRI was an inter-agency program launched by President Obama in 2009 to implement a regional collaboration strategy developed in 2005 through a process established by an executive order from then-President George W. Bush in 2004. The GLRI had not previously received congressional authorization. Without increasing federal spending, this bill would authorize the GLRI at $300 million (the amount already appropriated over the past four fiscal years) each year for the next five years. With the help of GLRI, Presque Isle Bay in Erie, Pennsylvania was removed from the Environmental Protection Agency’s list of Areas of Concern in 2013. Additionally, the GLRI has been instrumental in keeping Asian Carp from invading the Great Lakes and threatening its world class fisheries.     ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://dent.house.gov/index.cfm?p=PressReleases&ContentRecord_id=28E55357-F663-408B-A5F0-BB6393BAA76F,Dent Disappointed by Release of CIA Interrogation Techniques Report,2014-12-09,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Charlie Dent,D000604,dent.house.gov,,,legacy,"Representative Charlie Dent (PA-15) made the following statement in response to the release of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence’s report on the Central Intelligence Agency’s (CIA) interrogation techniques by Chairman Dianne Feinstein (CA) earlier today. “Releasing this report at this time is not in America’s best interests,” Dent said. “This report is incendiary and its release will put American lives overseas at risk. Currently, U.S.-led forces are engaging ISIS forces. The release of the report could provide ISIS and other extremists groups an additional pretext to increase their gruesome practices that have included beheadings,” concluded Dent. Previously, Dent sent a letter to Chairman Feinstein asking her to withhold releasing the report. CONTACT: Shawn Millan (610) 770-3490",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://kelly.house.gov/press-release/rep-kelly%E2%80%99s-message-economic-opportunity-featured-comcast-newsmakers,Rep. Kellys Message of Economic Opportunity Featured by Comcast Newsmakers,2014-12-08,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Mike Kelly,K000376,kelly.house.gov,,,legacy,"Rep. Kelly: “The opportunities for Americans now have never been greater, but we need to have a fix on the future” WATCH HERE WASHINGTON — U.S. Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA) – a member of the House Ways and Means Committee – was recently featured as a “National Newsmaker” by Comcast Newsmakers, a national news program produced by NBC Universal and distributed via Comcast’s XFINITY On Demand service, as well as its social media and online platforms. The interview was conducted on December 3, 2014, and was based on Rep. Kelly’s unique assessment of the United States as “the world’s next great emerging economy.” Rep. Kelly explains his optimism regarding America’s economic future: “I know what the popular narrative is, but I also know what the truth is. And when you look at who we are and the gifts that we have been given — we are awash in so many natural resources that the rest of world covets.” “One fifth of the world’s fresh water, potable water, is right here in the United States — not just Pennsylvania’s [fresh water], but one fifth of the world’s fresh water.  We have potable water, we have tillable soil; we produce more [food] per acre than anybody else in the world.” ""We talk about energy opportunities … we have an abundance of oil, of coal, of natural gas, and we can extract these very safely, bring them to the surface where they really help us drive an economy that is limitless right now.” Rep. Kelly on how America can realize its economic potential: “We do need pro-growth tax reform. There is no one else out there that thinks what we are doing right now [regarding our tax code] makes sense. … I would just suggest to you that we reform taxes and we make it a pro-growth tax reform.” “When we look at regulations right now — well-intended when they came out, [they] now have become almost to the point of being overbearing and are not allowing us to become who we need to become.” “We have people here that are the most productive people the world has ever seen. We have the opportunity to educate people for the jobs that are available. People from all over the world come to America. Why do they come to America? They come to our educational institutions because we offer the best product. A lot of them want to stay and they want to help. We need to look at how we address that; we’ve got to grow from the inside out. We’ve got to make our people stronger, and our people need to believe again of who we are and what we are.” Rep. Kelly on the future of political partisanship and participation: “I came out of the private sector; I’ve only been here [in Washington] four years. … I’m an automobile dealer, who grew up being able to reach out across the desk and make agreements with people on a transportation need they had.” “I want you to think about this: every single person that serves in this country – I don’t care if it is your local school board, your towns, your states, whatever – they are all elected people. What we need to do is to look at the tremendous amount of potential we have locally; ask those people to step forward and serve. They’re all elected; they just don’t go in and sit down.” “The opportunities for Americans now have never been greater, but we need to have a fix on the future and say, ‘This is where we can go.’”   ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://toomey.senate.gov?p=news&id=1448,"Senators Casey, Toomey Announce Confirmation of Joseph Leeson to PA Eastern District Court",2014-12-05,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Patrick Toomey,T000461,toomey.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, DC - Today, U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Pat Toomey (R-PA) praised the Senate's confirmation of Joseph Leeson as a federal judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Mr. Leeson was nominated by President Obama in June. ""I am pleased that the Senate has come together in a bipartisan fashion to confirm Joseph Leeson to the federal bench,"" said Senator Casey. ""Jay Leeson is an outstanding lawyer with extensive experience and an excellent record. In addition to having a highly respected career in the practice of law, he has also demonstrated an abiding commitment to public service. I'm confident he will serve the Eastern District of Pennsylvania with distinction."" ""I am thrilled that Jay Leeson will soon join Judge James Knoll Gardner in Allentown as a district court judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania,"" said Senator Toomey. ""For the first time, the Allentown courthouse will have two sitting federal district court judges. This is a great day for the city, and I am confident that Mr. Leeson will excel on the federal bench. I will continue working with Senator Casey to recommend well-qualified judges to serve the people of Pennsylvania."" In the last three and a half years, Senators Casey and Toomey have worked together, in a bipartisan fashion, to recommend to the President accomplished jurists of high ability and integrity to preside in the federal courts of Pennsylvania. With Mr. Leeson, they have now confirmed 14 Pennsylvania district court judges to the federal bench. Joseph Leeson Joseph Leeson has been a partner at Leeson & Leeson in Bethlehem since 1980. He was the Bethlehem City Solicitor from 1998 to 2004 and he served as a member of the Bethlehem City Council from 2004 to 2010. Born in Allentown, Mr. Leeson received his undergraduate degree from DeSales University and his law degree from Catholic University School of Law. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://marino.house.gov/press-release/congressman-marino-appointed-key-chairmanship-house-judiciary-subcommittee,Congressman Marino Appointed to Key Chairmanship of House Judiciary Subcommittee,2014-12-04,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Tom Marino,M001179,marino.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington D.C.—Congressman Tom Marino, PA-10, Lycoming County was named Chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law by Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA-06) to fill the leadership position vacated by retiring Chairman Spencer Bachus (R-AL-06). Marino’s service to the subcommittee will begin at the commencement of the 114th Congress in January 2015. The Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law consists of 10 members, representing both parties, and has jurisdiction over, “bankruptcy and commercial law, bankruptcy judgeships, administrative law, independent counsel, state taxation affecting interstate commerce, interstate compacts, antitrust matters, other appropriate matters as referred by the Chairman, and relevant oversight.” Representative Marino issued the following statement regarding his appointment to this important leadership position: “I am deeply appreciative of Chairman Goodlatte and honored to serve the Judiciary Committee in this capacity. Under his leadership I have grown to better appreciate just how important this committee is in addressing some of the most pressing issues our nation is facing right now. We have excellent membership on the committee with some of the most dedicated and talented representatives in Congress. I am very excited to continue to work with them in the 114th. The Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law is a vital component of the Judiciary Committee’s legislative agenda. The legislation coming out of this committee has broad implications for the entire nation and especially within my District. This is where my RAPID Act legislation, which passed the House, came from and while it unfortunately remains on Harry Reid’s desk with no action, we will get it moving again because excess and abuse of federal regulation has stifled our economy for too long. Farmers, small business owners, energy producers, community banks and emerging technology industries all suffer from duplicative or onerous regulation. Reforms are needed. In the coming year my colleagues and I will work diligently and maintain our determination to ensure the legislation coming out of our subcommittee will benefit every American and streamline an overly invasive regulatory structure.” Judiciary Chairman Goodlatte said the following of Marino’s appointment: “I am extremely pleased that Tom has agreed to serve as the Chairman of the Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law subcommittee. This important subcommittee has broad jurisdiction over legal and regulatory reform and competition and anti-trust laws. As the lead sponsor of the RAPID Act, which opens opportunities for Americans to find work while building our nation’s infrastructure for the future, Tom has proven himself as a leader who will play an important role in helping to advance the Judiciary Committee’s pro-growth agenda."" ### Background: On January 14th, 2015, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Bob Goodlatte, released his priorities and agenda for the Committee during the 114th Congress. This agenda includes many priorities which will originate in Marino's Subcommittee. Read more here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://shuster.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=646,Shuster Continues Fight to Protect Letterkenny Army Depot,2014-12-04,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Bill Shuster,S001154,shuster.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC – The House passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2015 earlier today. Congressman Bill Shuster (R-Hollidaysburg) served as a conferee in the House and Senate negotiations and is a senior member on House Armed Services, the committee responsible for the annual legislation that authorizes funding for the Department of Defense. During the May NDAA markup in the House Armed Services Committee (HASC), Congressman Shuster fought hard to ensure that no Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) language was included in the bill, protecting military instillations like Letterkenny Army Depot (LEAD) in Franklin County from draconian cuts to services for our military. Shuster, who is a senior member of HASC continued his fight to keep BRAC out of NDAA throughout the year, and worked with local entities such as Team Letterkenny, Letterkenny leadership, and union leadership, to ensure the final legislation passed today would be good for Franklin County, Pennsylvania, and all of America. “Protecting Letterkenny will always be a top priority of mine every year when negotiating this legislation,” said Congressman Shuster. “This is another step forward in preventing cuts to the depot, but I am continuing to work closely with Franklin County community leaders, Letterkenny employees and leadership to develop a strategy if BRAC were to move forward in the future.” The National Defense Authorization Act for FY 15 is the fifty-third consecutive NDAA. An earlier version was passed in the House in May, but a conference committee was required to negotiate differences between the House and Senate versions and produce a final version to be moved through both chambers. As one of the lead negotiators in the House, Congressman Shuster was a key negotiator in the process of crafting this legislation. The FY15 NDAA authorizes $521.3 billion in spending dedicated to national defense, with an additional $63.7 billion for Overseas Contingency Operations. Congressman Shuster has been committed to making fiscally responsible changes to our military to make it a more cost effective fighting force. In part due to Congressman Shuster’s leadership, the FY 15 NDAA authorizes $48 billion less than last year’s version. “The men and women that make up our armed forces are the best in the world, and it is imperative that they have the necessary equipment and resources to protect our nation,” continued Shuster. “Recent events such as ISIL’s barbaric actions in the Middle East make clear that now is not the time to reduce our military’s role on a world stage. This fiscally responsible defense authorization makes certain that we continue to stand ready to face all threats from enemies to the United States.”   ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://thompson.house.gov/press-release/thompson-votes-oppose-pay-and-benefit-cuts-active-duty-servicemembers,Thompson Votes to Oppose Pay and Benefit Cuts to Active Duty Servicemembers,2014-12-04,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Glenn Thompson,T000467,thompson.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Glenn 'GT' Thompson (PA-5) today voted to oppose H.R. 5759, the Fiscal Year 2015 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The legislation passed the House by a vote of 300-119. ""Reducing pay and benefits for our active duty soldiers and their families, without instituting broader reforms to reduce waste, fraud and abuse is not something I can support.  Men and women in the armed forces put their lives on the line for this country and should not be used as an offset for Washington’s budgetary shortfalls,” said Rep. Thompson.    H.R. 5759 reduces pay and benefits for servicemembers and their families, including reductions in pay for Active Duty soldiers, reductions in the basic allowance for housing (BAH), and increased pharmacy fees and copays. ""On top of reductions in pay and benefit cuts, critical mental health provisions that previously passed the House with bipartisan support were not included in the final legislation. Congress missed an opportunity to fix the way the military identifies and addresses behavioral health conditions among incoming recruits and our soldiers; this is unacceptable,” Thompson stated. The Medical Evaluation Parity for Servicemembers (MEPS) Act, which passed in May 2014 as part of the House's version of the 2015 NDAA and has been endorsed by over 40 military, veteran, and mental health advocacy groups, would institute a preliminary mental health assessment for all incoming military recruits. The MEPS Act provisions were removed from the final House-Senate NDAA agreement (H.R. 5759). “These provisions would have offered our military another tool to improve suicide prevention, and perhaps even prevent future mass shootings, such as the one that took place at the Washington Navy Yard in September 2013,” Thompson added.   “The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) is disappointed to hear the MEPS Act will be removed once again from the NDAA,” stated Mr. Raymond Kelley, VFW’s National Legislative Director, a supporting organization of the MEPS Act. “We will continue to work with Congressman Thompson to pass this much needed provision.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://toomey.senate.gov?p=news&id=1445,Toomey's Bill to Rename Philly VA Medical Center for Medal of Honor Recipient Clears Senate,2014-12-04,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Patrick Toomey,T000461,toomey.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Woodland Avenue Veterans Affairs Medical Center is one step closer to being renamed after Corporal Michael J. Crescenz, Philadelphia's only Medal of Honor recipient of the Vietnam War era. At the beginning of this Congress, U.S. Senator Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) introduced a bipartisan bill to change the name of the Woodland Avenue center. The bill cleared the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee last July and passed the Senate unanimously tonight. Corporal Crescenz was awarded the nation's highest military honor for his actions on Nov. 20, 1968, in Vietnam's Hiep Duc Valley. His Medal of Honor citation states that Corporal Crescenz gave his life when he, ""left the relative safety of his own position, seized a nearby machine gun and, with complete disregard for his safety, charged 100 meters up a slope toward the enemy's bunkers which he effectively silenced . . . As a direct result of his heroic actions, his company was able to maneuver freely with minimal danger and to complete its mission, defeating the enemy."" His full Medal of Honor citation is available here. ""The name of Philly's own 'Michael Crescenz' deserves to be above the door at the Woodlawn Avenue Medical Center,"" said Sen. Toomey. ""It is great news that the Senate agrees with me that Corporal Crescenz should be remembered in this way. I realize this is a small gesture on our part, given the nature of his great actions. We do this with profound respect and deepest gratitude for his sacrifice. May the renaming of this building serve as an ever-present reminder of the sacrifices of all of Pennsylvania's Vietnam veterans."" Corporal Crescenz's brothers in arms and other veterans advocates praised the effort. ""I was with Michael when he gave his life for his comrades, for me and for his country. I am grateful that he will not be forgotten. Michael will always have a place in my mind and my heart. God bless America,"" said Bill Stafford, USA. Ret. ""In December of 2010, while placing wreaths on the graves at Arlington National Cemetery, I asked Michael's younger brother, Joe Crescenz, if I could have his family's permission to pursue having the VAMC Philadelphia renamed in honor of Michael. All people will know of Philadelphia's American hero, Cpl. Michael J. Crescenz and his Medal of Honor. Let us all say to Mike, 'Welcome home, brother,"" said Francis Tacey, Vietnam Class of 1967 - 1968, and DAV Lifetime Member. ""After over 40 years, it is high time Philadelphia honors this intrepid American hero who gave his life for his country. Corporal Michael Crescenz deserves at least a hospital named after him to honor that sacrifice and the extraordinary gallantry that went with it,"" said David Kamioner: Director of Communications and Development, The Veterans Group, US Army 1980-1990. ""I think it is only appropriate and fitting that Philadelphia's Veterans Affairs facility is re-named in honor of Corporal Michael Crescenz, a Philadelphia native and Medal of Honor recipient. It will be a permanent reminder of, and well-deserved memorial to, a true American hero and dedicated soldier who unselfishly made the ultimate sacrifice so that others might live."" said Joe Eastman: United States Navy (Retired) and Member, City of Philadelphia Veterans Advisory Commission. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://toomey.senate.gov?p=news&id=1447,Senator Toomey Works to Help Returning Vets Transition to Civilian Life,2014-12-04,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Patrick Toomey,T000461,toomey.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) is working to enable state and county veterans affairs officials to more effectively reach out to and assist separating service members who will reside in their states and counties. The legislation was first suggested by Berks County Veterans Service Officer Dale Derr. Sen. Toomey succeeded in adding an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, which passed the House of Representatives today. The measure would require the Defense Department to provide the contact information for separating service members to state veterans affairs departments so they, and county veterans service offices, can reach out to separating and newly discharged service members as early as possible during their transition to civilian life. The amendment contains the text of Senator Toomey's Service Members Transition Improvement Act of 2014. ""We must make sure that veterans returning to civilian life will get the assistance they need to access the benefits they have earned,"" said Sen. Toomey. ""Too often our new and old military veterans comment that they didn't know there were services available to them at county and state government agencies. Senator Toomey's bill would help to establish a more positive veteran-to-government contact early for the new veterans, which will have a lasting effect on the health and care for each veteran. His proposed improved link up with county and state services during transition from the military is an outstanding response to the public's request for better and more appropriate ways to honor the military service of our citizens,"" said Dale Derr, Director of the Berks County Department of Veterans Affairs. ""Sen. Toomey's legislation will provide us with the latest information on the separating and transitioning veterans. Currently, we receive the information on the Department of Defense Form 214. This information may be outdated. To provide the fastest and most effective service we need the present contact information. I thank Sen. Toomey for introducing this legislation as it will immensely help the new veterans and their families,"" said Dr. Tom Splitgerber, former President of the National Association of County Veterans Service Officers. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://dent.house.gov/index.cfm?p=PressReleases&ContentRecord_id=90C440EA-15F2-4A64-914D-89936490A021,Dents Votes to Prevent President Obamas Executive Overreach on Immigration,2014-12-04,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Charlie Dent,D000604,dent.house.gov,,,legacy,"Representative Charlie Dent (PA-15) voted in favor of H.R. 5759, the Preventing Executive Overreach on Immigration Act.  This language specifically prohibits President Obama from shielding those people who are in the United States illegally from removal proceedings. It is retroactive to November 20th, the date that President Obama issued his Executive Order.   “President Obama's decision to take unilateral action on the issue of immigration is unnecessarily provocative and inflammatory,” Dent said.  “The President’s Executive Order flies in the face of the notion of the separation of powers and disregards the will of the American people on the vital issue of immigration reform,” added Dent. H.R. 5759 passed the House by a vote of 219 to 197.   “Our immigration system is broken,” said Dent. “However, the necessary corrections need to be arrived at democratically, not by one individual’s fiat.  The mere fact that it is taking time to arrive at a mutually acceptable agreement shows how contentious this issue is and how important it is to arrive at the right answer. The amount of time involved, or the fact that the Senate passed a bill and the House has not, does not excuse the President’s overreach,” Dent concluded. CONTACT:  Shawn Millan (610) 770-3490",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://barletta.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/barletta-bill-removes-incentive-to-hire-amnesty-recipients-protects-us,"Barletta Bill Removes Incentive to Hire Amnesty Recipients, Protects U.S. Jobs",2014-12-03,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Lou Barletta,B001269,barletta.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON – Congressman Lou Barletta, PA-11, today highlighted his own legislation as a mechanism to remove a $3,000 per job incentive created by President Obama for employers to hire amnesty recipients over legal American workers.  The Affordable Care Act and Obama’s recently announced amnesty program for illegal immigrants combine to make it financially more attractive for businesses to choose illegal immigrants when making hiring decisions.  Barletta’s bill, the Defense of Legal Workers Act (H.R. 5761), removes the incentive by clarifying that illegal immigrants granted amnesty by executive action cannot be issued work permits.    “When it comes to illegal immigration, the conversation is always focused on how to help the illegal immigrants, who have broken our laws,” Barletta said.  “No one ever wants to talk about how granting them amnesty will affect legal American workers.  It’s about time someone stood up for the millions of people who are looking for work, but who will now find millions of new competitors for jobs that are already scarce.”   Obamacare, Amnesty Threaten American Jobs   Barletta introduced the Defense of Legal Workers Act in advance of the president’s announcement of his amnesty program, which includes handing out work permits to as many as five million illegal immigrants.  Under Obamacare, businesses with fifty or more employees must provide health insurance or pay a $3,000 for each worker not insured.  However, under President Obama’s recent executive action on illegal immigration, those receiving amnesty will not be eligible for Obamacare.  The result is a strong, $3,000 per job incentive to hire amnesty recipients rather than workers who were already legally present in the United States.  Barletta’s legislation would remove that enticement by preventing work permits from being issued to amnesty recipients.         “Nearly twenty million Americans woke up this morning either unemployed or underemployed,” Barletta said.  “And now we find out that the toxic combination of amnesty and Obamacare will actually drive businesses away from hiring Americans.  What’s worse is that employers will now have financial incentive to replace existing workers with illegal immigrants who have received amnesty.  What I can’t figure out is if that’s an unintended consequence or a planned feature of the president’s policies.”     Click here or on images for video of Barletta Q&A with Sec. Johnson   In a hearing of the House Homeland Security Committee Tuesday, Barletta asked Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson about the $3,000 per job incentive to hire amnesty recipients.  Johnson’s answer was brief and unsatisfactory:   Rep. Barletta: Mr. Secretary, is it true that the illegal immigrants who are granted amnesty will not need to comply with the Affordable Care Act?   Secretary Johnson: Those who are candidates for and are accepted into the Deferred Action program will not be eligible for comprehensive health care.   Rep. Barletta: So, therefore an employer may have a decision to make: do I keep the American worker and provide health insurance or pay a $3,000 fine, or do I get rid of the American worker and hire someone who I do not have to provide health insurance and I won’t get fined?  Is that a possibility?   Secretary Johnson: I don’t see it that way.   Rep. Barletta: You don’t think any employers will see it that way?   Secretary Johnson: I don’t think I see it that way, no.  No, sir.      Following the hearing, Barletta expressed his frustration about the unsatisfactory answers from the Obama Administration regarding the president’s policies and their effects on American workers.   “I keep hearing people say that illegal immigrants are doing the jobs that Americans don’t want to do,” Barletta said.  “Well, now the illegal immigrants won’t do those jobs anymore either, because the president just cleared the way for them to take all of the other jobs away from Americans as well.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://kelly.house.gov/press-release/rep-kelly-introduces-powering-american-jobs-act,Rep. Kelly Introduces the Powering American Jobs Act,2014-12-03,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Mike Kelly,K000376,kelly.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON — U.S. Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA) – a member of the House Ways and Means Committee – issued the following statement today regarding his introduction of H.R. 5775, the Powering American Jobs Act of 2014, in the House of Representatives. The bipartisan legislation would extend certain expiring tax incentives for the energy sector, including propane and biodiesel provisions, for at least two years. It is being co-sponsored by Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI). A copy of the bill can be viewed here. Statement by Rep. Kelly: “The most important issue to Western Pennsylvanians is job creation, and that remains my number one focus in Washington. This bipartisan piece of legislation will grant much-needed tax certainty and fairness to energy providers important to our District and help them create more jobs while bringing heating costs down. While the temporary provisions within this bill are necessary, Congress must continue to work toward long-term tax reform that makes these extensions permanent. To this day, the United States remains the only nation in the world that allows important parts of its tax code to expire on a regular basis. Going forward, we must pave the way for a better course. When it comes to encouraging economic growth, American businesses both large and small should have the long-term certainty they need to plan, invest, expand, and hire more hardworking Americans.” Statement by Rep. Kind: “This commonsense, bipartisan legislation helps create jobs and makes smart investments in alternative fuels to help us become more energy independent. To bolster economic growth, we need to keep looking for ways to provide employers with stability and predictability so they can hire new workers in Wisconsin and around the nation.” Statement by Dan Gilligan, President, Petroleum Marketers Association of America (PMAA): “I would like to thank Reps. Kelly and Kind for their efforts to retroactively extend the $1-per-gallon biodiesel blender's tax credit while bringing fairness to all fuel appliance credits under 25(c) of the tax code. The Kelly-Kind bill makes important technical corrections to 25(c) so oilheat consumers can upgrade to the most efficient appliances available in today’s market that will conserve energy and reduce their monthly heating oil bills.” NOTE: The Powering American Jobs Act of 2014 includes the following tax extension provisions: Extension and Modification of Credit for Nonbusiness Energy Property.  The bill extends for two years, through 2015, the credit for nonbusiness energy property with certain modifications.  This provision allows a credit of 10 percent of the amount paid or incurred by the taxpayer for qualified energy improvements, up to $500.  A two-year extension of this provision. Extension of Tax Incentives for Alternative Fuel and Alternative Fuel Mixtures (including liquefied hydrogen).  The bill extends through 2015 the $0.50 per gallon alternative fuel tax credit and alternative fuel mixture tax credit. This credit can be claimed as a nonrefundable excise tax credit or a refundable income tax credit for the blending and sale of alternative fuel mixtures including compressed or liquefied natural gas, ethanol, biofuels, and liquefied hydrogen.  A two-year extension of this provision. Extension of Credit for Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property (including hydrogen property).  The bill extends for two years, through 2015, the 30% investment tax credit for alternative vehicle refueling property, up to $30,000.  Eligible refueling property includes fuel pumps for ethanol, biodiesel, liquefied hydrogen, and compressed or liquefied natural gas.  A two-year extension of this provision. Extension of Tax Incentives for Biodiesel and Renewable Diesel.  The bill extends for two years, through 2015, the $1.00 per gallon tax credit for biodiesel, as well as the small agri-biodiesel producer credit of 10 cents per gallon. The bill also extends through 2015 the $1.00 per gallon tax credit for diesel fuel created from biomass.  A two-year extension of this provision. Equalization of Excise Tax of Liquefied Natural Gas and Liquefied Petroleum Gas.  The bill would amend propane’s excise tax provisions in I.R.C. Sections 4041 and 4081 in order to provide Federal excise tax equivalence to gasoline.  A permanent provision.   ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://shuster.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=644,House Passes U.S. Coast Guard Reauthorization Bill,2014-12-03,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Bill Shuster,S001154,shuster.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC– The U.S. House of Representatives today overwhelmingly approved bipartisan legislation to support the men and women of the United States Coast Guard (USCG), help ensure USCG mission effectiveness, enhance oversight and accountability, and reduce regulatory barriers experienced by our veterans and small business. The Howard Coble Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2014 (H.R. 5769) was introduced in the House by Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee Chairman Duncan Hunter (R-CA), along with Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA), Transportation Committee Ranking Member Nick J. Rahall, II (D-WV), and Coast Guard Subcommittee Ranking Member John Garamendi (D-CA).  The measure, which passed today by a vote of 413 to 3, represents a bipartisan, bicameral agreement between House and Senate committee leaders, and the Senate is expected to take up the legislation before the end of the year. “This bill helps provide the men and women of the Coast Guard with the resources they need to do their jobs and make our waterways safe,” said Congressman Bill Shuster.  “This legislation also strengthens U.S. maritime transportation by reducing regulatory burdens, encouraging economic growth, and removing barriers to employment for our veterans.  I commend Chairman Hunter for his leadership in introducing this legislation, and thank our colleague and Coastguardsman Howard Coble for his service to our Nation.” “This legislation upholds the commitment to the men and women who provide for the safety and protection of our waterways, and gives an added boost to our own maritime interests,” said Congressman Duncan Hunter.  “Chairman Shuster's leadership was essential to making this bill possible, and it's no less important to recognize Howard Coble for his tireless commitment to the Coast Guard and U.S. maritime transportation.  Dedicating this bill to Howard is the very least we can do to show our appreciation for so many years of faithful service.” H.R. 5769 is named in honor of retiring Congressman and Committee Member Howard Coble of North Carolina, the only current Member of Congress to have served in the Coast Guard and a long-time champion of the Service in Congress. For more details about the H.R. 5769, click here. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://shuster.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=645,Shuster Rejects Wind Subsidy Package,2014-12-03,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Bill Shuster,S001154,shuster.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC –Congressman Bill Shuster (R-Hollidaysburg) released the following statement in regards to his No vote for H.R. 5771: “I could not support this wind subsidy tax package and the billions of taxpayer dollars it would continue to waste in an effort to prop up the failing wind industry. This policy was allowed to expire because American taxpayers are fed up with Obama Administration’s climate change plans.  Today I stand with Pennsylvania taxpayers who are tired of handing over their hard earned money in the form of corporate welfare to the wind industry. “Americans have asked for serious reforms to our arcane tax code, and that is a shared goal I am committed to seeing through. But a $9 billion government-subsidized handout to the wind industry is not the way to accomplish these long overdue goals, which I why I voted “No” for H.R. 5771.”   ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://toomey.senate.gov?p=news&id=1444,Senate Confirms Pair of PA Eastern District Judicial Nominees,2014-12-03,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Patrick Toomey,T000461,toomey.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) today praised the Senate's confirmation of Mark Kearney and Jerry Pappert as federal judges for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Mr. Kearney and Mr. Pappert were nominated by President Obama in June. ""I am pleased that the Senate has come together in a bipartisan fashion to confirm Mark Kearney and Jerry Pappert to the federal bench,"" said Sen. Casey. ""Both of these newly confirmed judges are outstanding lawyers with extensive experience and excellent records. Mark Kearney has had a highly successful career as a trial attorney and as a managing shareholder of his law firm. Jerry Pappert's legal career as a federal litigator and as a former Attorney General of Pennsylvania has made him an excellent choice for the federal bench. I'm confident both will serve the Eastern District of Pennsylvania well."" ""I am pleased that the Senate has confirmed Mark Kearney and Jerry Pappert as U.S. District Court judges for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania,"" said Sen. Toomey. ""Both have enjoyed distinguished legal careers and have demonstrated strong commitments to serving their communities. I am confident that both Mr. Kearney and Mr. Pappert have the legal experience, acumen, and commitment to upholding the law that will make them excellent additions to the federal bench."" In the last three and a half years, Senators Casey and Toomey have worked together, in a bipartisan fashion, to recommend to the President accomplished jurists of high ability and integrity to preside in the federal courts of Pennsylvania. With Mr. Kearney and Mr. Pappert's successful confirmation coupled with Wendy Beetlestone's confirmation last month, they have now confirmed 13 Pennsylvania district court judges to the federal bench. Mark Kearney Mark Kearney is a managing shareholder at Elliott Greenleaf & Siedzikowski, P.C. in Blue Bell. Born in Philadelphia, Mr. Kearney received both his undergraduate degree and his law degree from Villanova University. Mr. Kearney currently serves as the President of the Pennsylvania Bar Institute. He is also on the Board of Consultors to Villanova Law School and is on the board of directors of Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania. Gerald Pappert Gerald ""Jerry"" Pappert is a partner at the Cozen O'Connor law firm in Philadelphia. He is a former Attorney General of Pennsylvania. He received his undergraduate degree from Villanova University and his law degree from the University of Notre Dame Law School. Mr. Pappert is also the chairman of the Pennsylvania Banking & Securities Commission. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://barletta.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/barletta-to-dhs-sec-y-johnson-who-will-protect-american-workers-in,Barletta to DHS Secy Johnson: Who Will Protect American Workers in Amnesty Fight?,2014-12-02,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Lou Barletta,B001269,barletta.house.gov,,,legacy,"VIDEO: Rep. Barletta questioning DHS Sec. Jeh Johnson: “How does this help the American worker who can’t find work and can’t provide for his family?”   WASHINGTON – Congressman Lou Barletta, PA-11, today questioned Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson over the impact on American workers as a result of President Obama’s executive action on illegal immigration.  In a hearing of the House Homeland Security Committee, Barletta argued that the president’s granting of amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants will increase competition for jobs that are already scarce.  In addition, Barletta highlighted the fact that illegal immigrants granted amnesty will be ineligible for Obamacare, meaning they would be cheaper and more attractive for businesses to hire than legal American workers.   “Some people say that our economic security is national security,” Barletta said to Johnson.  “Nearly 20 million Americans woke up this morning either unemployed or underemployed.  The president didn’t mention these Americans when he announced his plan to grant de facto amnesty and work permits to up to 5 million illegal immigrants.”   In response to the problem, Barletta has introduced the Defense of Legal Workers Act (H.R. 5761), which clarifies that illegal immigrants granted amnesty by executive action cannot be issued work permits.  In the committee hearing, Johnson indicated that the Obama Administration’s plan was to encourage illegal immigrants to come out of the shadows and seek to have their deportation deferred under the amnesty program, which would also grant them work authorization.   “But how does that make it easier for the American worker?” Barletta asked.  “We keep talking about the illegal immigrant.  Here we go again, talking about the illegal immigrant and how we can make it easier for them.  How does this help the American worker who can’t find work and can’t provide for his family?  Who’s fighting for them?  Why don’t we talk about the American worker and what this will do to them, not what it will do for the illegal immigrant?”   Johnson claimed that introducing millions of newly-legalized workers would not impact Americans who are currently seeking work.   “The question of U.S. jobs, American jobs, is, in my view, a separate issue,” Johnson said.   “So adding 5 million more competitors for these jobs will make it easier?” Barletta asked.   “The estimate is that the potential class is up to 4 million,” Johnson said.  “Not all of those will apply.  The goal is to encourage these people, who are now working off the books (and we do have undocumented immigrants in this country working off the books), to get on the books, pay taxes into the federal treasury pursuant to a work authorization.  The assessment is that that will not impinge upon American jobs with American workers.”   Obamacare, Jobs, and Amnesty   The president’s amnesty program and the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, combine to produce an incentive for businesses to hire illegal immigrants granted amnesty instead of American workers.  As outlined in the Employer Mandate provision of the health care law, employers must supply health insurance for workers or pay a fine of $3,000 per employee.  Conversely, under the president’s executive amnesty, illegal immigrants will not be eligible for Obamacare, meaning that employers will face no such mandate or fine for hiring them over legal American workers.    Secretary Johnson, however, refused to acknowledge that a $3,000 savings per worker could be an enticement for employers to hire illegal immigrants granted amnesty under the Obama program.   “Mr. Secretary, is it true that the illegal immigrants who are granted amnesty will not need to comply with the Affordable Care Act?” Barletta asked.   “Those who are candidates for and are accepted into the Deferred Action program will not be eligible for comprehensive health care,” Johnson agreed.   “So, therefore an employer may have a decision to make: do I keep the American worker and provide health insurance or pay a $3,000 fine, or do I get rid of the American worker and hire someone who I do not have to provide health insurance and I won’t get fined?” Barletta said.  “Is that a possibility?”   “I don’t see it that way,” Johnson said.   “You don’t think any employers will see it that way?” Barletta asked.   “I don’t think I see it that way,” Johnson replied.   In an op-ed piece that ran in the Hazleton Standard Speaker on Thanksgiving Day, Barletta argued that the president’s amnesty program was a breach of the Constitutional separation of powers, and that the result would be damage to American workers and national security.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://thompson.house.gov/video-thompson-remarks-eia-today-energy%E2%80%9D-report,"Video: Thompson Remarks on EIA ""Today in Energy Report",2014-12-02,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Glenn Thompson,T000467,thompson.house.gov,,,legacy,"Remarks: ""Mr. Speaker, last week the U.S. Energy Information Administration published its “Today in Energy” report, which illustrated that shale gas provided the largest share of U.S. natural gas production in 2013. According to the report, gross withdrawals from shale gas wells increased to 33 billion cubic feet in 2013, representing 40% of total natural gas production, and surpassing production from non-shale gas wells. According to EIA, production in Pennsylvania, Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas accounted for 79% of total shale gas extraction nationwide, and Pennsylvania has become the second-largest shale gas producing state. I should note that, in 2007, shale gas made up just 8% of total natural gas produced in the U.S., with Texas alone accounting for 63% of total production nationally. Continuing a trend, production gains have enabled a decline in natural gas imports for the sixth straight year, reaching the lowest level since 1995. Mr. Speaker, due to the innovation of private industry our domestic energy resources are now easier to attain at a much lower cost, which is benefitting the American consumer and our nation’s economic competitiveness.   I yield back.""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://barletta.house.gov//media-center/opinion-editorials/from-yes-we-can-to-because-i-want-to,From Yes we can to Because I want to,2014-12-01,2014,2014-12,Republican,House,PA,Lou Barletta,B001269,barletta.house.gov,,,legacy,"Barely 48 hours after President Barack Obama unilaterally granted amnesty to 5 million illegal immigrants, “Saturday Night Live” satirized the move in a remake of an old “Schoolhouse Rock” educational cartoon.  In the sketch, Obama repeatedly shoved legislation (“Bill”) down the steps of the Capitol, displaying his contempt for the legislative process. Regrettably, the comedy writers at NBC have a better grasp on how a bill becomes a law under the U.S. Constitution than does the president of the United States.  Viewers could be forgiven for barely recognizing the president who previously shouted “Yes we can!” to adoring crowds, but now says “Because I want to” when explaining his actions. The president’s executive action directly usurps congressional authority for making laws and continues his habit of governing by fiat rather than through the legislative process. To that point, the president himself has emphatically agreed by stating more than 20 times that he did not have the legal authority to single-handedly rewrite immigration law in exactly the manner he now has done. Through many public displays of hand-wringing, he complained that Congress had failed to send him legislation to his liking, but that his options were limited by the confines of the Constitution. Once the final mid-term elections of his presidency were behind him, however, he somehow discovered a new, previously undiscovered path to the unilateral power he once lamented he lacked. In perhaps his most sweeping claim of authority, the president hides behind the concept of prosecutorial discretion in refusing to deport entire classes of people who are illegally present in this country. This is a flagrant abuse of this unique power, which ought to be employed on a case-by-case basis and not deployed as an across-the-board policy. In addition, the administration is granting work permits to millions of illegal immigrants in a program contrary to the laws established by Congress. In this, the president is in violation of the “Take Care Clause” of the Constitution — Article II, Section 3 — which compels him to “take care that the laws be faithfully executed.” Equally suspect is the president’s assertion that his hand was forced by the inaction of Congress. This is false on its face, as the House has indeed acted by repeatedly rejecting many proposals similar to what the president has now done on his own. In any event, the Constitution, in Article I, Section 8, expressly grants the legislature the sole authority to establish rules for naturalization. If the president is so frustrated by a legislature not willing to cede to his wishes, perhaps he should have taken advantage of the first two years of his presidency when his party controlled the White House and both chambers of Congress.  In the days leading up to his announcement, Obama’s supporters claimed that the looming executive maneuver was nearly identical to previous actions taken by presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. Such an obvious diversion ignores the fact that under those presidents there was already an underlying law that indicated the intent and will of the legislature. Any executive action was taken within that framework. In Obama’s case, he has acted entirely without Congressional approval. He demanded legislation be sent to him to his exact specifications, and when he didn’t receive it, enacted his own policies by edict. That is not the way our system works. (Most telling, perhaps, is that the same people who argued that the president’s plan was routine executive behavior are now describing it as bold and historic. Both claims cannot be true.)  Though the president has done damage to the Constitution and the rule of law, he has also exposed the nation to tangible harm as a result of his policies. His prediction that his amnesty will only cover 5 million illegal immigrants is laughably short, as history clearly demonstrates. In the 1986 amnesty under Reagan, Americans were assured that there would only be 1.5 million people covered, but it turned out to be more than double that number once it was all finished, and the border was never secured as promised. There is no telling how many more people will be drawn to this country because of the renewed Obama promise of amnesty. By granting work authorization to so many more people, the president has dramatically increased the competition for jobs that were already scarce. Millions of legal workers woke up this morning unable to find employment, and the amnesty program has dimmed their prospects even further. Low-income populations will be hit the hardest, which ought to come as a shock to those who heard the president promise hope for the struggling masses. Strictly by the numbers, the amnesty program is a dismal failure: counting the 5 million covered under amnesty, and the 1.5 million people awarded work permits in 2013, the president has now created more new workers over the last year (6.5 million) than jobs since he took office (less than 6 million). Hope and change, indeed. It will be impossible for the federal government to conduct adequate background checks on the 5 million receiving amnesty, which represents a serious threat to public safety and national security. We already know that in 2013 the administration released 36,000 criminal illegal aliens from custody, including 116 convicted of homicide, 43 convicted of voluntary manslaughter, and one convicted of something called “homicide-willful kill-public official-gun.” At a time when we know that terrorists are plotting to attack us here at home, to flood the system with people with untraceable backgrounds is irresponsible and threatens our safety. With the case against President Obama’s amnesty clearly stated, many are asking what can be done to stop it. Congress has the power of the purse and must stand ready to use it. I have already called for the blocking of funding of the identification cards that would be supplied to those taking advantage of the president’s action. If it were crafted in the appropriate way, it would specifically pinpoint the amnesty-related expenditure while allowing all other functions of government to proceed. To further oppose the president’s amnesty program, I have authored legislation, the Defense of Legal Workers Act, which will prohibit the government from issuing work permits to anyone who receives amnesty through executive action.  It is most unfortunate that we have come to this as Americans, but we are left with little choice by a president who ran on the slogan of “Yes we can!” but governs by the philosophy of “Because I want to.” Rep. Lou Barletta, a Republican, represents Pennsylvania’s 11th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://toomey.senate.gov?p=news&id=1443,Sen. Toomey's Statement Following Agreement to Extend Negotiations Regarding Iranian Nuclear Weapons Program,2014-11-25,2014,2014-11,Republican,House,PA,Patrick Toomey,T000461,toomey.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) released the following statement regarding the Obama Administration's decision to agree to extend negotiations with Iran regarding its nuclear weapons program: ""Today's extension agreement with Iran is very troubling. Iran's aspiration to become a nuclear power represents a significant and immediate threat to our allies in the Middle East, especially Israel, and ultimately us. ""The stall tactics Iran uses to avoid complying with U.N resolutions requiring the suspension of uranium enrichment activities confirm that the Senate needs to pass the bipartisan Menendez-Kirk sanctions bill which imposes additional punitive measures on Iran unless it abandons its nuclear ambitions. ""Although the Senate has yet to consider the Menendez-Kirk sanctions bill, it is essential that the Senate take action soon. Additionally, the Administration should be steadfast in its demand that Iran abandons its nuclear program. Any final agreement the Administration reaches with Iran should be subject to Congressional approval."" ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://marino.house.gov/press-release/congressman-marino-elected-nato-parliamentary-assembly-vice-president,Congressman Marino Elected NATO Parliamentary Assembly Vice President,2014-11-24,2014,2014-11,Republican,House,PA,Tom Marino,M001179,marino.house.gov,,,legacy,"The Hague, Netherlands—Congressman Tom Marino, PA-10, Lycoming County was unanimously elected Vice President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA) today during the NATO PA Annual Session 2014. The session is the largest interparliamentary event in more than a decade with a robust agenda of important issues like trade agreements, Russian aggression in Eastern Europe, energy production and world hunger. Congressman Marino said the following of the NATO PA and his new leadership role: “First, I want to thank my friend and colleague, Congressman Mike Turner from the great state of Ohio on his election to President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. He is an excellent choice to lead this body of our counterparts and I am extremely encouraged to work with him in the coming year. I also want to acknowledge and congratulate the other Vice Presidents of the NATO PA. Lord Jopling from the UK, Paolo Alli of Italy, Angelien Eijsink of the Netherlands, and Gabriel Vlase from Romania are all leaders who share my dedication and interest in ensuring NATO remains a strong voice in international affairs. This body is of critical importance and there are many challenging issues ahead of us. From the Russian dilemma to security agreements, my counterparts and I are optimistic about the NATO PA’s ability to traverse obstacles, generate consensus and exert influence within critical foreign policy debates.” Find NATO PA’s press release on the new leadership here and read more about NATO PA here. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://thompson.house.gov/thompson-wotus-rule-undermines-federal-state-partnership,Thompson: WOTUS Rule Undermines Federal-State Partnership,2014-11-24,2014,2014-11,Republican,House,PA,Glenn Thompson,T000467,thompson.house.gov,,,legacy,"Remarks: ""Mr. Speaker, Friday November 14 was the closing of the public comment period for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ proposed “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) rule under the Clean Water Act (CWA), which would dramatically expand the scope of federal authority over water and land uses across the United States.   Enacted in 1972, the Clean Water Act was created as a partnership between the states and the federal EPA, in order to better manage identified pollution sources, through a range of pollution control programs. This new proposed prosed rule is a direct threat to this long-standing federalist approach created by the law, which has been long supported by Republicans and Democrats alike for over 4 decades. It’s through this federalist model, which enables regulators at the federal, state and local levels to provide adequate flexibility to address water quality while accounting for local and regional variations and conditions, that Pennsylvania has demonstrated a track record of success in improving and protecting the ecological health of its waters. Unfortunately, the proposed rule would dramatically expands federal authority -  to the detriment of our economy and at the expense of existing state-federal partnerships that have been effective in protecting and improving the biological integrity of our watershed and waterways.   For this reason I along with Senator Pat Toomey and eight additional Members of the Pennsylvania Delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives voiced our strong opposition to this flawed policy. In comments submitted Friday to the Agencies, we outlined concerns specific to our home state and those of our constituents -  including private landowners, counties, municipalities, farmers, foresters, among so many others who will be negatively impacted if this rule is allowed to be fully implemented. Mr. Speaker, there is widespread agreement that the Clean Water Act has been a beneficial tool for the management and health of our nation’s watersheds and water quality.   While Congressional intent of the CWA has been limited to “navigable waters,” the extent of the law’s jurisdiction has been the subject of much litigation and regulatory action.   Complicating the issue further are Supreme Court decisions that have not adequately described the scope of federal authority under the law, resulting at times in conflict. While the existing law and the Supreme Court have left uncertainty regarding what constitutes a ""water of the United States,"" previous holdings have made clear that the federal government’s authority is not limitless.   Unfortunately, the proposed rule assumes just that – unlimited federal authority. Mr. Speaker, the reason this is so concerning, is that so many of these issues are best regulated at the state level, in a manner that recognizes regional differences in geography, climate, geology, soils, hydrology and rainfall, among other variables. Rather than strengthen the law, the rule creates more confusion - confusion that will most certainly delay permitting and will undermine strong water quality programs that exist in Pennsylvania and other states.   Moreover, this type of uncertainty is susceptible to inconsistent interpretation and application, which holds the potential for substantial implementation costs across various CWA programs, and will likely invite more enforcement actions and certainly third party litigation.     In addition to jeopardizing existing water quality control programs, the economic impact of the proposed rule will be far-reaching. Activities that drive economic development in Pennsylvania, such as highway and road construction, pipeline projects, energy production, infrastructure projects, farming, flood control, and public works projects, will all be subject to federal permitting if this proposal is finalized.   For example, the rule would make most ditches into “tributaries.”  Routine maintenance activities in ditches and on-site ponds and impoundments could trigger permits that can cost $100,000 or more.   These permitting requirements would likely trigger additional environmental reviews which would add years to the completion time for ordinary projects – which means more costs for landowners and more regulatory burdens upon the states, all with no guarantee or measurable benefit to our waters. Mr. Speaker, we all agree that managing the nation’s water is critically important; but in this case, the federal government has failed to recognize the fundamental role that states play in meeting our shared goals of clean watersheds and water resources.   Mr. Speaker it’s time for EPA and the Corps to vacate this proposal, get back to the drawing board, and fix the fundamental flaws within this rule.  The American people – including my constituents in Pennsylvania – deserve as much. I yield back.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://kelly.house.gov/press-release/rep-kelly-condemns-president-obama%E2%80%99s-unilateral-action-immigration,Rep. Kelly Condemns President Obamas Unilateral Action on Immigration,2014-11-21,2014,2014-11,Republican,House,PA,Mike Kelly,K000376,kelly.house.gov,,,legacy,"Rep. Kelly: “President Obama has no right to act like a king just because democracy doesn’t go his way” WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA) issued the following statement today in response to President Obama’s unilateral action on immigration. “Last night’s announcement by the president was 100 percent about politics, not about the best interests of the nation he’s supposed to serve. Unilaterally granting amnesty to 5 million illegal immigrants is not just a slap in the face to the millions of people waiting in line to come here legally, but also to our constitutional system. It sets a dangerous precedent that reduces Congress to a merely ceremonial institution. If this action were truly so urgent, then President Obama would have pushed it through the lawful legislative process when his party controlled both chambers of Congress. Instead, he did nothing because he knew the American people simply do not want this. In fact, on at least 22 previous occasions the president himself denounced the sort of executive overreach that he is now committing. “President Obama’s repeated justification that ‘Congress won’t act’ is not just pathetic and erroneous, but also chilling. It’s the sort of excuse one hears from a power-grabbing autocrat, not an American president. In our system of government, Congress makes the laws and the president enforces them—period. Having once been a constitutional law professor, it’s stunning that President Obama refuses to understand this. Even when the House and Senate act – or don’t act – in a way that the president disagrees with, it doesn’t change the fact that the legislative branch – not the executive branch – is where our laws are created. President Obama has no right to act like a king just because democracy doesn’t always go his way.” “I stand with my colleagues in the House of Representatives in complete objection to this radical overreach and am ready to support whatever action must be taken in order to restore integrity to our nation’s laws and Constitution.” NOTE: On August 1, 2014, Rep. Kelly voted for H.R. 5272, which would ban the use of taxpayer funds for the expansion of President Obama’s deferred action for illegal aliens. The bill was passed by the House of Representatives by a vote of 216-192 with bipartisan support. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://toomey.senate.gov?p=news&id=1442,Sen. Toomey Wants to Provide Relief for Middle-Income Families Facing High Medical Bills,2014-11-21,2014,2014-11,Republican,House,PA,Patrick Toomey,T000461,toomey.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) is working to make health care more affordable for people facing expensive medical bills. Prior to 2010, consumers could deduct the cost of medical expenses that exceeded 7.5 percent of their income, but that threshold was increased to 10 percent of their income. Many individuals facing serious medical conditions and high costs are subject to this burdensome requirement now and starting in 2017 seniors will be subject to the 10 percent hurdle. Sen. Toomey is introducing the Medical Expense Deduction Act, which would restore the original catastrophic medical expense deduction. ""Today, sick taxpayers can deduct fewer medical expenses than just four years ago,"" said Sen. Toomey. ""Raising this tax on individuals with high medical bills and middle-class families providing long-term care for a dependent disproportionally affects lower and middle income people. As of 2012, 97 percent of deductions claimed were by those making $200,000 or less. My legislation would repeal this tax hike on struggling families and people battling severe illness.""   ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://kelly.house.gov/press-release/rep-kelly-sen-rubio-introduce-keeping-american-safe-ebola-act,Rep. Kelly & Sen. Rubio Introduce the Keeping American Safe from Ebola Act,2014-11-20,2014,2014-11,Republican,House,PA,Mike Kelly,K000376,kelly.house.gov,,,legacy,"WATCH HERE Legislation crafted after conversation with Dr. Peter Piot, disease expert & discoverer of Ebola virus WASHINGTON — U.S. Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA) – a member of the House Ways and Means Committee – delivered remarks on the floor of the House of Representatives today after introducing H.R. 5746, the Keeping America Safe from Ebola Act. The bill would prohibit an alien who is a national of a country with a widespread Ebola virus outbreak from obtaining a visa to enter the United States. The Senate companion of this legislation was also introduced today by U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL). Highlights of floor speech by Rep. Kelly: “Dr. [Peter] Piot said to me, ‘You know what, Mr. Kelly? I’m glad you called me, because let me tell you a little bit more about Ebola, and let me tell you right now what the world is looking at: Not just your country, but the world, is looking at a dress rehearsal for the next great virus.’” “Because of who we are today and the technology that we have today, we can be sitting in this wonderful House this afternoon and we can be in Rome tonight. We can be halfway around the world in a very short period of time. It’s not like the old days when these diseases, these viruses, were carried and it took months for them to get from shore to shore, from country to country. It now can travel very quickly. And it mutates very quickly.” “What else should we do? Number 1: Isolate. Number 2: Quarantine. …You must isolate, you must quarantine. Why? You don’t infect the general population. It is so basic, and yet we’re trying to struggle today to find out how we contain this disease, this lethal disease. What can we possibly do? The answers, my friend, are so obvious.” “My friends, there is truly no time to lose. The vaccine, I’m told, is…available to us. But it’s not just Ebola I’m worried about, and it’s not just this country I’m worried about, and it’s not just Ebola that the world should worry about. It is what is coming. Believe me—we have not seen the end of infectious disease. We have not seen the end of lethal viruses that will cripple us as a nation and could become the weapon for bioterrorists that would use it at any cost, without any regard to human life.” “We have the ability, right now, within our hands, within our grasp, to develop a vaccine in order to defeat this horrible virus. All that I would ask is that we come together in this House, the American people’s House – not a Republican House, not a Democrat House, but the American people’s House – to once again conquer a disease that could infect not only our own American citizens but citizens of the world.” Statement by Sen. Rubio: “Imposing travel restrictions is a common sense approach to protecting Americans from Ebola. Over the past few months, we’ve seen Ebola’s deadly reach, and air travel has proven to be its gateway to the United States. A temporary visa ban aims to limit the spread of Ebola by placing strict limitations on travel to the U.S. from Ebola-affected countries and protect Americans from any potential threats of an outbreak, but it does not mean that our efforts to combat the virus will stop there. America must remain committed to this international challenge by addressing it at its source and increasing our assistance to countries that continue struggling to contain this deadly outbreak. America will not be completely safe from Ebola until the virus is contained at its source.” NOTE: The Keeping America Safe from Ebola Act of 2014 accomplishes the following: Suspends new visas and revokes current visas of an individual who is:A permanent resident or national of a country that the CDC has certified is a country for “widespread transmission of Ebola”, and Whose last habitual residence was a country that the CDC has certified is a country for “widespread transmission of Ebola” Exceptions include: Aid workers who need to travel the U.S. and are approved by USAID Foreign military who need to travel to the U.S. and are approved by Department of Defense Requires the President to report to Congress every 30 days on the Ebola outbreak: Status of Ebola outbreak in each designated country and the progress made since last reporting period A description of the U.S. assistance to each designated country Reasons that a complete travel ban is not in the interest of U.S. national security Termination of Act: 60 days after the date the Director of the CDC certified that there is no longer an Ebola outbreak BACKGROUND: On October 7, 2014, Rep. Kelly sent a letter to President Obama urgently requesting information regarding the administration’s handling of the Ebola virus outbreak and details of a comprehensive strategy to stop the virus from affecting Americans. A copy of the letter can be viewed here. On October 8, 2014, Rep. Kelly co-signed a bipartisan letter to President Obama urging him to take immediate action to prevent an outbreak of the Ebola virus in America by instituting travel restrictions, enhancing airport screenings, and possibly quarantining individuals who have traveled to or from the affected West African countries. The letter can be viewed here. On October 9, 2014, Rep. Kelly sent a letter to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Sylvia Burwell, and the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Tom Frieden, expressing his deep concern about the possibility of the Ebola virus spreading to Pennsylvania. The letter was copied to Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett, and can be read here. On October 20, 2014, Rep. Kelly called on President Obama to finalize a rule proposed under the Bush administration in 2005 to update and revise regulations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to “prevent the introduction, transmission or spread of communicable diseases from foreign countries into the United States from one State or possession into another.” According to the federal register, the code of federal regulations that deals with foreign arrivals has not been updated since 1985. According to USA Today, the Obama administration scrapped the proposal in 2010 after objections by the American Civil Liberties Union over “potential passenger privacy rights violations and the proposal's ‘provisional quarantine’ rule.” On October 21, 2014, Rep. Kelly held a phone conversation with Dr. Peter Piot, who first discovered the Ebola virus in 1976 in the Republic of Congo, about necessary action to stop the virus and protect American citizens. The Keeping America Safe from Ebola Act was crafted as a result of their discussion.   ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://marino.house.gov/press-release/congressman-marino-responds-president-obama%E2%80%99s-executive-actions-immigration,Congressman Marino Responds to President Obamas Executive Actions on Immigration,2014-11-20,2014,2014-11,Republican,House,PA,Tom Marino,M001179,marino.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington D.C.—Congressman Tom Marino, PA-10, Lycoming County issued the following response to President Barack Obama’s announcement of his plans to initiate new executive actions to address America’s current illegal immigrant population: “I am deeply disappointed and frankly enraged by this disrespect and disregard for the rule of law, the Constitution, and the American people. The judicial branch should be prompted to nullify the president’s actions. This order is more than just an overstep; this is a direct affront to our system of coequal branches of government. When school children across the country study civics and foundations of American government, what they will see of this president’s actions will be completely incongruent. Meanwhile, my colleagues in the House and Senate should provide a robust plan to increase and maintain border security. Immigration reform is a top priority, and it starts with border security. Unfortunately, if a plan for security and reform plan were to pass out of the 114th Congress and land on the president’s desk, I fear he would still veto it. The lame-duck president has chosen to issue this massive executive action that will only make the illegal immigration situation worse. This announcement will magnetize even more people to our porous borders. It will certainly reward illegal behavior as well. Granting an immigrant status of this sort loudly sends a message to noncitizens that it is ok to enter our country illegally, gain employment illegally and reside here illegally. It gives a sweeping pass to those who violated several laws and it is unacceptable regardless of motivation for immigrating. Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution clearly gives the legislative branch authority to create laws regarding immigration and the naturalization of citizens. Regardless, the president and his Democrat majority in the first years of his presidency did absolutely nothing to address the crisis we now face. Now with a long list of failures and two midterm election shellackings, the president’s action reeks of desperation and further outlines just how out-of-balance our government is."" ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://shuster.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=642,President Obama Turns his Back on the American People,2014-11-20,2014,2014-11,Republican,House,PA,Bill Shuster,S001154,shuster.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Bill Shuster (R-Hollidaysburg) released the following statement on President Obama’s announcement regarding executive action he intends to take on immigration: “President Obama has turned his back on the American people and the laws that hold our nation together. This politically motivated move is not only wrong – but it will significantly worsen our broken immigration system by unilaterally permitting millions here illegally to be rewarded for breaking the law. Instead of working with the legislative branch in securing our borders and fixing the system, the president has instead decided to act alone and continue his disturbing pattern of executive overreach against the wishes of the people he serves.” “Amnesty is not the solution to any of the problems with our immigration system, and that is why I have consistently said that I will oppose any measure that grants amnesty to illegal immigrants. It serves only to create a new incentive for people to break our laws and enter our country illegally, which makes the problem even worse. The very first thing that needs to happen is immediate action to secure the border, and show that we can stem the influx of people entering this country in violation of our laws.” “President Obama, however, has shown time and time again that he is not serious about securing the border. Upon discovering that he could not get support from Congress for his executive amnesty, he once again decided to act independently. This contemptuous disregard for the will of the American people is exactly why I voted to file a lawsuit against President Obama for circumventing the Legislative Branch and ignoring the processes that are core parts of our democracy. I remain committed to working in Congress to pass legislation that secures our border, prevents amnesty, and enforces the laws of the nation."" ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://toomey.senate.gov?p=news&id=1440,Sen. Toomey's Statement on President Obama's Action on Immigration,2014-11-20,2014,2014-11,Republican,House,PA,Patrick Toomey,T000461,toomey.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) released the follow statement about President Obama's executive action on immigration: ""I strongly oppose the President's latest overreach of his legal authority and his decision to dictate sweeping immigration policy changes without legislation. America's immigration system is badly broken and cries out for reform, including stronger border security and adequate opportunities for legal immigration. Regrettably, President Obama's unilateral and legally unauthorized actions will do nothing to fix our broken system, and could encourage even more illegal immigration."" ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://dent.house.gov/index.cfm?p=PressReleases&ContentRecord_id=170B76F0-DF29-46F2-B8AE-5F360EF985FA,Dent Chosen as Chairman of Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee,2014-11-20,2014,2014-11,Republican,House,PA,Charlie Dent,D000604,dent.house.gov,,,legacy,"(Washington, DC) – Today, U.S. Representative Charlie Dent (PA-15) was tapped to serve as the new Chairman of the U.S. House Appropriations Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee. U.S. House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers (KY-05) announced Dent’s appointment, along with the rest of subcommittee chairs. The Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee controls the 3rd largest amount of discretionary spending of the twelve Appropriations Subcommittees. It is responsible for more than $71 billion in discretionary spending and overall has oversight of more than $161 billion of federal spending. The bill provides funding for military construction efforts for all branches of the military including Guard and Reserve Forces. It also designates funds to provide housing and services for military personnel and their families and base upkeep. Importantly, it also directs funding to veterans’ benefits and programs. The House passed the spending bill for Military Construction and Veterans Affairs on April 30th this year by a 416 to 1 vote, and has consistently made moving this legislation a high priority. Dent issued the following statement regarding his new role: ""I eagerly look forward to taking on the great responsibility of serving as Chairman of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee. The Subcommittee is responsible for ensuring appropriate funding for and exercising critical oversight of housing, training and medical facilities for our service members and the services and benefits guaranteed to our veterans I am honored to have the opportunity to work to meet the needs of American servicemen and women and to do right by those who have done so much to protect and defend our great country."" “Serving as Chairman of this subcommittee – which provides for the quality of life of our military and important benefits for our veterans – is an enormous responsibility, and I know Charlie will be up to the task,” Chairman Hal Rogers said. “He has been a vocal advocate for our servicemen and women, as well as for stability and regularity in the federal budget process. I look forward to working with him in his new role to continue to ensure that the members of our military have the infrastructure they need to succeed, and that we continue to improve the quality of care for our veterans.” Congressman Charlie Dent represents Pennsylvania's 15th Congressional District which includes all of Lehigh County and parts of Northampton, Berks, Lebanon and Dauphin counties. The district includes the Allentown VA Outpatient Clinic and Fort Indiantown Gap which is an active National Guard Training Center, the headquarters for the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, the primary training site for the Pennsylvania National Guard, and home to the Indiantown Gap National Cemetery. Lebanon County, parts of which are included in the 15th district, is also home to the Lebanon VA Medical Center. The new Chairman will assume the gavel in January. ________________________________________________________________ Departments, Projects and Services funded through the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Bill: Department of Defense   Military Construction, Army, Navy (including Marine Corps), Air Force,   Defense-wide, and Guard and Reserve Forces   Chemical Demilitarization Construction, Defense-wide   Military Family Housing Construction and Operation and Maintenance,   Army, Navy (including Marine Corps), Air Force, and Defense-wide   Department of Defense Family Housing Improvement Fund   Military Unaccompanied Housing Improvement Fund   Homeowners Assistance Fund   Base Realignment and Closure Account   NATO Security Investment Program Department of Veterans Affairs Related Agencies   American Battle Monuments Commission   Armed Forces Retirement Home   Department of Defense, Civil, Cemeterial Expenses, Army   U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims CONTACT: Shawn Millan (610) 770-3490",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20141123105249/http://barletta.house.gov:80/media-center/press-releases/barletta-bill-protects-legal-workers-from-obama-amnesty-crush,Barletta Bill Protects Legal Workers from Obama Amnesty Crush,2014-11-20,2014,2014-11,Republican,House,PA,Lou Barletta,B001269,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON – Congressman Lou Barletta, PA-11, today introduced legislation that protects people who are legally authorized to work in the United States by clarifying that illegal immigrants granted amnesty by executive action cannot be issued work permits.  The Defense of Legal Workers Act is in response to anticipated executive action by President Obama to shield millions of illegal immigrants already present in this country and create competition for scarce American jobs. “The president has already said publicly 25 times that he doesn’t have the power to do what he is now going to do,” Barletta said.  “He’s planning to reward one illegal act with an illegal act of his own.  And he’s sticking his finger into the eyes of millions of legal residents who didn’t have a job this morning.” The Defense of Legal Workers Act amends current law to clearly state that illegal immigrants granted amnesty by executive action are not authorized to work in the United States.  It leaves in place current processes by which people become legally present and authorized to work.  “Everyone knows that when you apply for a job, you have to fill out that I-9 form and demonstrate that you’re legally eligible to work here,” Barletta said.  “The president wants to say that there are some people who just won’t have to worry about that.  That’s not fair to everyone who has followed our immigration laws and wants a job.” The Obama Administration, through the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) agency, has made preparations for a massive influx of newly legalized residents under his amnesty program by soliciting bids for as many as 34 million green cards and work permits over the next five years.  In 2013, the United States granted permanent resident status to approximately one million individuals and approved 1.5 million requests for employment authorization.  On October 30, 2014 Barletta wrote a letter to USCIS Director Leon Rodriguez asking detailed questions about what those plans entail. “It’s obvious that the president has been planning to grant sweeping amnesty to many millions of illegal immigrants who will compete for American jobs, and the ordering of card stock to make identification cards was just laying the groundwork,” Barletta said.  “I want to make sure that the wave of amnesty grants does not swamp the millions of people who are legally here and already struggling to find work.  The timing of this makes it even worse – more competition for jobs right before Thanksgiving and Christmas.” Barletta has asked the leadership of the House Appropriations Committee to block the funding of the identification cards for illegal immigrants granted amnesty under the president’s plan.  Such an action would allow all other aspects of government to remain funded and functioning. “Congress has the power of the purse, and we ought to use it,” Barletta said.  “This isn’t about shutting down the government; it’s about stopping a bad policy proposal by stopping its funding.” Barletta also expressed concern about threats to national security in the wake of legalizing millions of people who will not be properly screened.  “We have immigration laws for two basic reasons: to preserve national security and to protect American jobs.  The actions the president is contemplating violate both of those principles,” Barletta said.  “It will be impossible for the government to conduct background checks on millions of newly legalized residents, meaning adequate security screenings will never take place.” Barletta was also critical of President Obama’s continued practice of circumventing Congress by implementing policies that have already been rejected by the people and their elected representatives. “The president himself has repeatedly said that he does not possess the power to do what he proposes to do now,” Barletta said.  “If the president had wanted this outcome so badly, he could have sailed it through Congress when his party had complete control of the federal government during his first two years in office.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20141125205521/http://fitzpatrick.house.gov/press-release/fitzpatrick-statement-obama-immigration-executive-order,Fitzpatrick Statement on Obama Immigration Executive Order,2014-11-20,2014,2014-11,Republican,House,PA,Michael Fitzpatrick,F000451,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"“I know some people want me to bypass Congress and change the [immigration] laws on my own… But that's not how -- that's not how our system works…That’s not how our democracy functions.  That's not how our Constitution is written.” – President Barack Obama, July 25, 2011 WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick (PA-8) released the following statement regarding the president’s immigration executive action: I oppose across the board or blanket amnesty. Any immigration reform must begin with securing the border.  To that end, I joined the House in August in passing legislation to do just that. The President should not be going it alone - he should bring Americans together to solve this problem instead of dividing Americans even further. The president’s unilateral and unconstitutional immigration executive orders dissolve trust in our elected government, and they hurt those playing by the rules and trying to earn their citizenship the right way. Earlier this year, I visited the southern border and saw firsthand the legal and humanitarian crisis caused by an administration refusing to execute the laws of our immigration system. The president’s unlawful orders will drastically increase this problem. As we learn the full scope of the president’s actions, I expect Congress to address this in a fashion that is reasoned and responsible.  People want a solution to our immigration challenges that is bipartisan, permanent and legal. President Obama’s use of executive action to dramatically alter American immigration policy runs counter to Constitutional precedent – even among executive actions taken by previous presidents on the issue. During his campaign for the White House in 2008, and his first term in office, the president was adamant he could not, and should not, change immigration laws through executive order. His decision runs counter to that long held belief. ### Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick is serving his third term in the U.S. House of Representatives. He represents Pennsylvania’s 8th district which includes all of Bucks County as well as a portion of Montgomery County. He serves as the Vice Chairman of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://kelly.house.gov/press-release/rep-kelly-introduces-defending-internet-freedom-act-2014,Rep. Kelly Introduces Defending Internet Freedom Act of 2014,2014-11-19,2014,2014-11,Republican,House,PA,Mike Kelly,K000376,kelly.house.gov,,,legacy,"Bill would protect Internet from foreign government control WASHINGTON — U.S. Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA) – a member of the House Ways and Means Committee – issued the following statement today after introducing H.R. 5737, the Defending Internet Freedom Act of 2014. The legislation would prevent the Obama administration, or that of any future president, from relinquishing the critical functions of the Internet – currently stewarded by the United States – to any other entity without enhanced congressional oversight and until explicit, freedom-protecting requirements are met. It is being co-sponsored by House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX), who also serves as chairman and co-founder of the Congressional High Tech Caucus. Statement by Rep. Kelly: “Preserving Internet freedom is an American duty. The requirements within this bill will guarantee that the Internet remains unchained and out of the grasp of bad actors and hostile powers that actively limit freedom. “It is no coincidence that the Internet has been able to safely flourish beyond anyone’s imagination under the stewardship of a nation devoted to democratic principles. These principles – American principles – are indispensable to the free flow of information online, which benefits billions of citizens worldwide. Therefore, our stewardship must never be surrendered to an entity that does not venerate liberty and openness as we do. Whether the Obama administration understands it or not, America has strong interests in ensuring that freedom of speech and commerce remain maximally protected on the Internet for people everywhere, now and into the future.” Endorsements & praise for the Defending Internet Freedom Act of 2014: Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel, American Center for Law and Justice: “Nowhere have the power of free speech and the importance of our First Amendment been more evident than in the revolutionary growth of the Internet. Preserving the free and open nature of this exchange is absolutely critical. Congressman Mike Kelly is to be commended for his thoughtful legislation that would ensure the continued freedom and success of the world’s most powerful information technology.” Frank J. Gaffney, Jr., President & CEO, Center for Security Policy: “The Obama administration's abdication of long-standing, exclusive U.S. oversight over ICANN constitutes a threat both to American foreign policy interests and to American First Amendment freedoms.  Although it is our view that such a transfer must not take place – and that a requirement for explicit authorization from Congress is the most effective check on such a move – the Defending Internet Freedom Act imposes at least some measure of congressional oversight over this reckless decision by requiring President Obama to certify to the people's elected representatives in Congress, based on several criteria, that any proposed alternative arrangement regarding Internet governance does not jeopardize American sovereignty or security.” Eagle Forum: “The Internet has flourished as a forum for open discourse and commerce thanks to American oversight. Surrendering control would only benefit those who think the Internet is too free and too open. Rep. Kelly’s bill ensures that the Obama administration won’t be able to forfeit America’s crucial role as guardian of Internet freedom.” The Heritage Foundation: “In short, the Internet is too important for the announced transition to occur in a manner that threatens the freedom or vitality of the Internet. Thankfully, there are some Members of Congress who are paying attention to this critical issue. The most recent contribution is the Defending Internet Freedom Act of 2014 introduced by Representative Mike Kelly (R–PA).” BACKGROUND: On March 14, 2014, the Obama administration announced that it will not renew the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) contract with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), thereby turning over stewardship of the Internet’s crucial functions to “the global multistakeholder community.” According to media expert Gordon Crovitz, writing in The Wall Street Journal, “Russia, China and other authoritarian governments have already been working to redesign the Internet more to their liking, and now they will no doubt leap to fill the power vacuum caused by America's unilateral retreat.” On June 11, 2014, Rep. Kelly authored a guest op-ed for Red Alert Politics describing the stakes of surrendering American stewardship of the Internet to a multinational body or any other entity. The op-ed can be read here. On July 15, 2014, Rep. Kelly hosted a policy briefing on Capitol Hill on the future of Internet governance in light of the Obama administration’s announcement. The hearing was attended by dozens of Congressional staffers and featured professional analysis by three field experts. Read more about the briefing here. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://shuster.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=641,Shuster Reelected Chairman of Transportation and Infrastructure Committee,2014-11-19,2014,2014-11,Republican,House,PA,Bill Shuster,S001154,shuster.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Bill Shuster (R-Hollidaysburg) was reelected by the House Republican Conference today to continue serving as Chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in the 114th session of Congress. “I look forward to continue serving as Chairman of a committee so vital to our nation’s future,” said Congressman Shuster. “By having a strong infrastructure we not only create jobs and economic growth for American businesses and consumers here at home, but we remain competitive with the rest of the world.” Chairman Shuster has been one of the most effective members in moving fiscally responsible and pro-growth legislation through the Congress passing major pieces of legislation such as the Home Heating Emergency Assistance through Transportation Act (HHEAT),the Waters of the US Regulatory Overreach Protection Act of 2014, and the Keystone Pipeline Northern Route Approval Act. Shuster highlighted his first term as Chairman by passing his bipartisan Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA) which passed 417-3 in the House, 91-7 in the Senate, and was signed into law. This waterways infrastructure legislation which deauthorized $12 billion in wasteful projects will ensure that necessary investments are made to our nation’s port and waterways, and will strengthen our economic competitiveness by delivering goods to markets faster and cheaper.   “As a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee I have not only been able to advance policies that have national economic benefits, but have had major implications for Pennsylvania such as the Route 219 expansion in Somerset County,” continued Shuster. “I will continue to work with my committee to fight against the EPA’s regulatory overreach on farmers and homebuilders in the 9th District by stopping its damaging Waters of the US proposal.” Shuster was a co-author of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act. This legislation helped provide federal funding for the Route 219 project in Somerset County. More recently, Shuster guided H.R. 5078, the Waters of the United States Regulatory Overreach Protection Act through the House. Before helping it pass, Shuster chaired a Congressional field hearing in Altoona to raise awareness on the issue. About the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee One of the largest committees in Congress, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee currently has jurisdiction over all modes of transportation: aviation, maritime and waterborne transportation, roads, mass transit, and railroads. The committee also has jurisdiction over other aspects of our national infrastructure, including clean water and waste water management, the transport of resources by pipeline, flood damage reduction, the economic development of depressed rural and urban areas, disaster preparedness and response, activities of the Army Corps of Engineers, and the various missions of the Coast Guard. Ever since the first Congress authorized a lighthouse on Cape Henry, Virginia as an aid to ships sailing through Hampton Roads, the Congress of the United States has been involved in providing for the nation’s transportation infrastructure.  In the more than two hundred years since the Cape Henry Lighthouse first shown out across the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, the committees of the House of Representatives responsible for public works and infrastructure have changed names and grown in scope.  However, the mission remains essentially the same: providing a strong backbone upon which the nation’s people and commerce can flourish. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://thompson.house.gov/press-release/reps-dent-and-thompson-lead-effort-make-ncaa-come-clean-penn-state-investigation,Reps. Dent and Thompson Lead Effort to Make NCAA Come Clean on Penn State Investigation,2014-11-19,2014,2014-11,Republican,House,PA,Glenn Thompson,T000467,thompson.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representatives Charlie Dent (PA-15) and Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson (PA-5) and 14 members of the Pennsylvania Congressional Delegation sent a letter today to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) calling for the release of all the organization’s documents relating to the Consent Decree imposed upon the Pennsylvania State University. The lawmakers decided to act in the wake of the revelation of e-mails that surfaced during the discovery process in the lawsuit brought against the NCAA by Pennsylvania Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman and the Commonwealth’s Treasurer Rob McCord. Among the communications released was an e-mail revealing the NCAA had “bluffed” Penn State – a member institution that represented the gold standard of NCAA rules compliance for decades – to accept unduly punitive sanctions. Even though the matter at hand was a criminal matter and outside the NCAA’s purview, their internal emails go on to state that “we [the NCAA] could try to assert jurisdiction on this issue and may be successful but it’d be a stretch” (emphasis added). Another e-mail revealed that NCAA staffers actively “bank[ed] on the fact the school is so embarrassed they will do anything.” Additional recent news reports call into question the independence of Freeh Sporking Sullivan, LLP (Freeh Group) during its review of Penn State. While the NCAA has released selected e-mails regarding their employees’ interactions with the Freeh Group, these have only led to more questions and greater doubts concerning the Freeh Group’s independence. For Dent, enough is enough. “The NCAA needs to let the sunlight in on the process it used against Penn State,” he said. “They hold themselves out as an arbiter of good conduct and sportsmanship, but their tactics are those of the Star Chamber, lacking any procedural fairness, and their intent was the subversion of due process,” Dent added. “The NCAA would be wise to act in a transparent manner and put all the cards on the table, before they continue to dig a bigger hole for themselves,” said Thompson. “It is important for the public to know the full rationale behind the NCAA creating a new jurisdiction for themselves, and equally so, why they would collaborate with a supposedly impartial and independent investigation,” added Thompson.   “We’re going to help get to the bottom of this,” Dent stated. “They’re not going to be able to ‘bluff’ us into giving up and if they’re ‘banking’ on our going away, the NCAA is sorely mistaken,” Dent concluded. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://thompson.house.gov/thompson-addresses-energy-affordability-floor-remarks,Thompson Addresses Energy Affordability in Floor Remarks,2014-11-19,2014,2014-11,Republican,House,PA,Glenn Thompson,T000467,thompson.house.gov,,,legacy,"Remarks: ""Mr. Speaker, according to the Energy Information Administration, today’s national average price for retail gasoline is $2.97.   This is lowest price since over a four year period beginning in October of 2010.   Gasoline prices have decreased by roughly 21 percent in the last six months alone.   One of the most prevalent factors in determining the price of gasoline at the pump is the international average of the cost of a barrel of crude oil.   Over the past week, the price of crude oil per barrel has hovered between $77.15 and $77.85.   These are the lowest per barrel prices since June of 2012 – just over two years - and a stark contrast to $145 per barrel in May of 2008.     The Energy Information Administration has projected that gasoline prices at the pump will continue to decline in December to somewhere around $2.80 per gallon – and possibly even lower in 2015.   Additionally, U.S. natural gas prices are roughly $4.24, as production continues to flourish. This is all welcomed news for consumers, businesses and the economy. From more affordable transportation, to heating our homes, from the food we consume, to the American manufacturing having lower costs – therefore being more competitive globally, lower energy costs are good for our economy overall.   There are many factors as to why gasoline prices fluctuate. They include international market trends, geo-political events, as well as weather and impacts upon refining capacity due to natural disasters.   While a downed economy has decreased annual demand for gasoline as the summer travel season comes to an end, the price decreases for gasoline can largely be attributed to an increase in domestic supply.   Especially with the ongoing recession, American energy production has thankfully increased in recent years.     But while some in Washington would like to credit the Federal Government with the increased supply, the truth is that the vast majority of this production has occurred in spite of federal actions, not because of them.   The great majority of the production has occurred on private and state-owned lands, and has been the result of technological enhancements that have made shale gas and oil resources more attainable.     Specifically, this increases in production stems from the combination of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing.     Pennsylvania, for example, is currently third in state production of natural gas. The commonwealth has produced 3.2 trillion cubic feet in 2013 alone.   Increased production has bolstered domestic energy supplies and directly led to historically low natural gas prices across the U.S. This comes on the heels of all time price highs in 2008 of about $12.     Production in Pennsylvania has provided royalty payments to landowners, while contributing significant funds to counties.   Mr. Speaker, if private and state owned lands have changed the face of energy production and affordability in our country, the federal government would stand to gain by following suit.   This starts with opening up new areas of federal lands – both onshore and offshore – for the production of our national resources.   These resources belong to the people. There is no reason the administration should continue to play games with energy security. Over the last four years, the House has made a priority of moving legislation that would increase our domestic energy production and supply.   Just this past September, the House passed H.R.2, which was a combination of 13 energy related bills. Among them is the Keystone XL pipeline; increasing the amount of permitted onshore and offshore lands for development, along with streamlining cumbersome energy permitting regulations.   The bill sets timelines for agency permitting decisions, would provide for more pipelines, and liquefied natural gas exports.   Many of these actions can be taken by the Executive branch, but the Administration has not acted.     As we have witnessed in recent years, through the development of private lands, increasing our domestic energy supplies and encouraging American production will have a positive impact on energy prices here at home.     The bottom line is the government can do much more to influence energy prices for American consumers and the time for the Administration to act is long overdue.   I yield back.""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20141119225419/https://fitzpatrick.house.gov/press-release/fitzpatrick-statement-senate-keystone-xl-pipeline-vote,Fitzpatrick Statement on Senate Keystone XL Pipeline Vote,2014-11-19,2014,2014-11,Republican,House,PA,Michael Fitzpatrick,F000451,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick (PA-8) released the following statement Tuesday regarding the Senate’s failure to pass legislation to approve the Keystone XL pipeline: I am deeply disappointed at the Senate’s failure to pass bipartisan legislation beneficial to American energy, economic, and national security. The Keystone XL Pipeline is a vital piece of an all-of-the-above energy strategy that creates better jobs and more opportunity for American families. Sadly, this project has been politicized by Washington party bosses more concerned about their own jobs than those hardworking people who would stand to benefit from this measure. I am hopeful that come the new year, a new Congress will unite to pass this legislation and finally say ‘yes’ to an American energy strategy that transcends the politics and dogma of our current dysfunctional Senate. Last week, the House passed its ninth legislative measure [H.R. 5682] to approve construction of the pipeline which is expected to create more than 42,000 direct and indirect jobs as well as reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil by hundreds of thousands of barrels. In remarks during the bill’s debate, Fitzpatrick noted the political timing the Senate’s action on this long-delayed legislation: Mr. Speaker, for years, I, and members of this body, have come to the floor in support of the Keystone pipeline project – asking the Senate and White House to put politics aside in favor of this critical project. With bipartisan support, the House has passed eight separate pieces of legislation to clear the way for the approval of the most studied pipeline in American history. Yet, each time, these measures were blocked in the Senate and condemned by a president crippled by indecision on a project that would put tens-of-thousands of Americans to work. Once again, I rise in support of the Keystone XL pipeline – joining my colleagues in both parties in backing H.R. 5682 which would immediately certify the Secretary of State’s Final Environmental Impact Statement from nearly a year ago, and truly put our nation on a course toward American energy independence. Sadly, while the House has continued to take definitive, bipartisan action to advance this critical goal, it appears the Senate has waited only until politically advantageous to do so - even as it enjoys majority support in that chamber. While I am pleased about the Senate’s new-found interest in the wide-ranging benefits of this common sense project which will grow our economy and strengthen our national security, it is a shame that it took election-year politics – not the best interests of the American workers and families they represent – for Senate leaders to act. This pipeline is a vital piece of a plan that creates better jobs and more opportunity and I encourage the Senate - and president -to deliver on the promise of embracing an “all-of-the-above” energy strategy that works for the American people. The Keystone XL Pipeline is supported by both labor and business organization ranging from the International Brotherhood of Operating Engineers to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. In describing his support for the project, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper recently noted, “It’s very clear that is in the economic job creation interests of both of our countries, in the energy security interests of North America and a critical step in environmental protection than the alternatives.”   ### Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick is serving his third term in the U.S. House of Representatives. He represents Pennsylvania’s 8th district which includes all of Bucks County as well as a portion of Montgomery County. He serves as the Vice Chairman of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20141120055946/http://rothfus.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=25&itemid=1052,A Question of Fairness,2014-11-19,2014,2014-11,Republican,House,PA,Keith Rothfus,R000598,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. – Congressman Keith Rothfus [PA-12] spoke on the floor of the House of Representatives regarding the President’s expected executive orders on illegal immigration: Full Transcript As Prepared for Delivery Mr. Speaker, President Obama is expected to sign executive orders soon regarding illegal immigration. In July 2011, he said, “I know some people want me to bypass Congress and change the laws on my own. But that’s not how our system works,” he said. “That’s not how our democracy functions.” A year ago, President Obama said, “If, in fact, I could solve all these problems without passing laws in Congress then I would do so. But we're also a nation of laws. That's part of our tradition. And what I’m proposing,” he said then, “is the harder path, which is to use our democratic processes to achieve the same goal.” President Obama should reflect on his own words. He should follow the Democratic process, as reflected in the recent election. A bedrock principle of our nation is the rule of law. That principle promotes stability and fairness. Will the President’s actions promote stability or even more chaos? Will it be fair to American workers and immigrants who have done things the legal way? Any immigration reform, Mr. Speaker, must be fair and must respect the rule of law.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20141125185651/http://barletta.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/barletta-statement-on-president-obama-s-expected-amnesty-action,Barletta Statement on President Obamas Expected Amnesty Action,2014-11-19,2014,2014-11,Republican,House,PA,Lou Barletta,B001269,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON – Congressman Lou Barletta, PA-11, today issued the following statement regarding President Obama’s expected announcement of executive action to grant amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants already present in this country:    “We have just come through a national election in which the president’s policies, including his plans for amnesty for illegal immigrants, were soundly rejected by the American people.  Incredibly, his response is to ignore the clear will of the people and their elected representatives and forge ahead with his own agenda.  Worse, the president himself has repeatedly asserted in public that he does not possess the power to do what he proposes to do now. “We are a nation, founded on the rule of law, which was never meant to be governed by the wishes or whims of one person.  If the president had wanted this outcome so badly, he could have sailed it through Congress when his party had complete control of the federal government during his first two years in office.  In the years since, the executive actions the president intends to take have been directly and expressly rejected by Congress in many votes on immigration issues.  In circumventing Congress to achieve his own short-sighted ends, President Obama will do grave damage to the Constitutional separation of powers and set a dangerous precedent for future executives of either political party. “We have immigration laws for two basic reasons: to preserve national security and to protect American jobs.  The actions the president is contemplating violate both of those principles.  It will be impossible for the government to conduct background checks on millions of newly legalized residents, meaning adequate security screenings will never take place.  Additionally, by handing out work permits to illegal immigrants, there will be irreparable harm done to millions of unemployed Americans who – just before the holidays – will suddenly find a flood of competition for jobs that are scarce already.  Further, such widespread granting of amnesty will only make the problem worse as many more will be drawn to this country in the belief they can break our immigration laws with impunity. “I reiterate my call for using the appropriations process to block funding for identification cards for illegal immigrants who are granted amnesty, while continuing to fund other functions of government.  I am also now exploring legislative remedies to prevent the president from acting without Congressional authority.  I regret that we must explore such measures to ensure that our president obeys the Constitution, but he has left us little choice.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://kelly.house.gov/press-release/rep-kelly-hails-national-park-service-support-washington%E2%80%99s-trail-%E2%80%93-1753,Rep. Kelly Hails National Park Service Support for Washingtons Trail 1753,2014-11-18,2014,2014-11,Republican,House,PA,Mike Kelly,K000376,kelly.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Representative Mike Kelly (PA-03) issued the following statement today in praise of the National Park Service’s (NPS) decision to provide assistance to Washington’s Trail – 1753 through the NPS Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance (RTCA) Program. Washington’s Trail – 1753 runs through six congressional districts in Pennsylvania, including the Third District. “I am very pleased with NPS’s announcement and glad to see Washington’s Trail 1753 receive the support it so much deserves. The trail is a revered historic route that connects Western Pennsylvanians to our country's fascinating 18th century heritage and commemorates young George Washington’s first military and diplomatic venture, marking the eventual beginning of the French and Indian War. These types of projects can take years to finalize, so securing this new assistance will help the Washington's Trail Committee move forward in the planning stages of connecting Washington's route from Williamsburg, Virginia to Fort LeBoeuf in Pennsylvania.” NOTE: On July 30, 2014, Rep. Kelly sent a letter to the National Park Service in support of the grant application submitted by Washington’s Trail – 1753 for Community Assistance through the RTCA program. The letter, along with three other letters in support of the project (including one to the Honorable Martin O’Brien, Chairman of Washington’s Trail – 1753), can be viewed here. According to NPS.gov, “The National Park Service Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance program extends and expands the benefits of the National Park Service throughout the nation. Through this program, the NPS helps connect all Americans to their parks, trails, rivers, and other special places.” For more information about Washington’s Trail – 1753, click here. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://marino.house.gov/press-release/rep-tom-marino-honored-award-manufacturing-legislative-excellence,Rep. Tom Marino Honored with Award for Manufacturing Legislative Excellence,2014-11-18,2014,2014-11,Republican,House,PA,Tom Marino,M001179,marino.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C.–The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) has awarded Rep. Tom Marino (R-PA-10) the NAM Award for Manufacturing Legislative Excellence. The award is based on his votes in the 113th Congress on issues that are critical to manufacturing in the United States. “Manufacturers in Pennsylvania and throughout the United States are making a comeback, creating jobs, making more products and making them better than ever before,” said NAM Senior Vice President of Policy and Government Relations Aric Newhouse. “However, manufacturers are often disproportionately impacted by decisions made by policymakers in Washington. The NAM is proud to stand with lawmakers like Rep. Marino who understand what is at stake and seek to implement policies that will foster innovation, growth and competitiveness.” Key Votes included in the Voting Record are selected by small, medium and large manufacturing executives who serve on the NAM’s Key Vote Advisory Committee. Additional information on the NAM Award for Manufacturing Legislative Excellence can be found here. -NAM- The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs more than 12 million men and women, contributes $2.08 trillion to the U.S. economy annually, has the largest economic impact of any major sector and accounts for two-thirds of private-sector research and development. The NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the Manufacturers or to follow us on Shopfloor, Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://thompson.house.gov/thompson-discusses-chairmanship-german-american-caucus,Thompson Discusses Chairmanship of German-American Caucus,2014-11-18,2014,2014-11,Republican,House,PA,Glenn Thompson,T000467,thompson.house.gov,,,legacy,"Remarks: ""Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the efforts and hard work of the German-American Caucus over the past several years and the great leadership of caucus Cochairman Jim Gerlach. I have had the pleasure of knowing Mr. Gerlach since before I was elected to Congress, and I am honored to take his place as the next co-chairman of the German-American Caucus alongside Congressman Bill Keating. Under Mr. Gerlach's leadership, the caucus has grown to nearly 100 members and helped foster a great appreciation for the many ties and connections shared between our two countries. From meeting with very important government, business, and industry leaders to hosting networking events on the Hill, the German-American Caucus has served as an important medium for the exchange of information. Pennsylvania is proud of its German heritage. The Commonwealth hosts one of the largest German populations in the country. Accordingly, I look forward to working with Ambassador Peter Wittig and Congressman Keating and the leaders of the German American Business Council as we move towards the 114th Congress. I promise to do my best to live up to the leadership that has been provided by my good friend Congressman Jim Gerlach.""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://dent.house.gov/index.cfm?p=Announcements&ContentRecord_id=BC656DB2-C346-4E76-BF26-E6C38D4C6886,Medicare Open Enrollment Period,2014-11-18,2014,2014-11,Republican,House,PA,Charlie Dent,D000604,dent.house.gov,,,legacy,"We are currently in Medicare’s Open Enrollment period. This is the time when individuals with Medicare coverage can change their Medicare health plan and prescription drug coverage plan.   Open enrollment ends on Sunday, December 7th.   If you are happy with your current plan – you DO NOT need to do anything.   You can call 1-800-MEDICARE with questions or learn about available plans at www.medicare.gov. You may also find this link helpful.    You can always contact my offices with any questions as well.   Lehigh Valley – (610) 770-3490   Berks County -- (610) 562-4281   Dauphin County -- (717) 533-3959   Lebanon County -- (717) 867-1026   DC Office -- (202) 225-6411",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://dent.house.gov/index.cfm?p=PressReleases&ContentRecord_id=34D7E126-5C2F-4349-8C90-7DAF7FF56C04,Dent Chosen to Lead House Ethics Committee,2014-11-18,2014,2014-11,Republican,House,PA,Charlie Dent,D000604,dent.house.gov,,,legacy,"Representative Charlie Dent (PA-15) released the following statement after his appointment as the Chairman of the House Ethics Committee for the 114th Congress. “I appreciate the trust that the Speaker and my colleagues have placed in me for the last 6 years as I have served on the Ethics Committee.  As Chairman of the House Ethics Committee for the 114th Congress, I will serve with diligence and integrity to ensure enforcement of the highest standards of ethical conduct,” said Dent. “The Ethics Committee is a unique committee because it is made up of an equal number of members from each party. It must operate in a truly bipartisan manner. Some of the strongest relationship I have forged with colleagues, on both sides of the aisle, have been through my work on the Ethics Committee. I look forward to continuing to work in that manner to provide the accountability and transparency the American people demand of their elected leaders,” Dent concluded. Dent serves Pennsylvania’s 15th Congressional District, which is comprised of all of Lehigh County and parts of Northampton, Berks, Lebanon, and Dauphin counties.  He was first appointed to the Ethics Committee in 2009. He also serves as a member of the House Committee on Appropriations. The House Ethics Committee, created in 1967, enforces the standards of official conduct for Members of the U.S. House of Representatives and has jurisdiction to administer travel, gift, financial disclosure, outside income, and other regulations; advise members and staff; issue advisory opinions and investigate potential ethics violations.  The Committee includes five members of each party and the day-to-day work of the Committee on Ethics is conducted by a staff that is nonpartisan by rule. CONTACT: Shawn Millan (610) 770-3490",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20141118202042/http://fitzpatrick.house.gov/press-release/lawmakers-deal-should-prevent-%E2%80%93-not-delay-%E2%80%93-nuclear-armed-iran,Lawmakers: Deal Should Prevent Not Delay Nuclear-Armed Iran,2014-11-18,2014,2014-11,Republican,House,PA,Michael Fitzpatrick,F000451,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC — Members of Congress from the Philadelphia region today issued the following statement on the ongoing negotiations with Iran. Congressmen Patrick Meehan (PA-7), Mike Fitzpatrick (PA-8), Charlie Dent (PA-15) and Jim Gerlach (PA-6) were joined by Congressman-elect Ryan Costello (PA-6) in issuing the statement. A nuclear Iran is a grave threat to American national security and an existential threat to Israel,” the lawmakers said. “Iran lost its right to an independent nuclear program when it became the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism, and any nuclear power facilities in Iran should be controlled and operated by international observers. A nuclear Iran would set off an atomic arms race in the Middle East and further destabilize an already-dangerous region.  The objective of any agreement should be to prevent – not delay – an nuclear Iran. The Obama Administration should not accept any agreement that allows Iran to enrich uranium or plutonium, and Congress should have a say in any prospective deal. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://marino.house.gov/press-release/rep-marino%E2%80%99s-district-director-attend-%E2%80%9Cpocono-proud%E2%80%9D-event-recognize-community,Media Advisory: Rep. Marinos District Director to Attend Pocono Proud Event to Recognize Community Response,2014-11-17,2014,2014-11,Republican,House,PA,Tom Marino,M001179,marino.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington D.C.—Congressman Tom Marino’s, PA-10, Lycoming County District Director, Dave Weber, will attend the “Pocono Proud” event hosted by local legislators to honor first responders and several other community entities who worked together following the attack on Pennsylvania State Police at Blooming Grove Barracks. Pertinent details regarding this event are below: WHO: Dave Weber, District Director for Congressman Tom Marino, Gov. Tom Corbett, Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Frank Noonan, Sen. Lisa Baker, Sen. John Blake, Sen.-Elect Mario Scavello, Rep. Rosemary Brown, and Rep. Mike Peifer WHAT: “Pocono Proud” Event to Recognize Community Response WHEN: Tuesday, November 18, 2014 from 11:00am to 1:00pm WHERE: Pocono Mountain East Junior High School, Pocono Mountain School Road, Swiftwater, PA Congressman Marino said the following of his absence at the event: “I am very upset to be unable to attend. I also want to personally thank law enforcement and the people of these communities for the invitation. My duties in Washington require my attendance here but everyone should know just how proud I am to represent them. The attack on our State Troopers was met with solidarity and teamwork. We should honor everyone who came together. Everyone from business owners to students and law enforcement volunteers worked together in a way that is truly exemplary. I am so proud of their strength and want to thank every person involved with this incredible effort.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://shuster.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=640,"ICYMI: Shuster Pushes Sec. Hagel, Gen. Dempsey, for Answers on the Fight Against ISIL",2014-11-17,2014,2014-11,Republican,House,PA,Bill Shuster,S001154,shuster.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC– Congressman Bill Shuster (R-Hollidaysburg) questioned Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey regarding the current status of the administration’s strategy and campaign against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Secretary Hagel and General Dempsey both testified in front of the House Armed Services Committee on Thursday in a hearing to examine the progress of coalition operations against ISIL. Bill Shuster is a Senior Member of the House Armed Services Committee. “As a pillar of freedom, the United States must stand against the continued expansion of the ISIL threat,” said Congressman Shuster. “To effectively do so, however, we need to be certain that we have a comprehensive strategy in place that is being effectively implemented with input from our military leaders. The president has shown a troubling disregard for their guidance, and an even more disturbing tendency to open channels with enemies such as Iran. This approach not only weakens our relationships with established regional allies such as Israel, but risks our long term foreign policy goals as well.” “I welcomed the opportunity to gain more clarity from Secretary Hagel and General Dempsey about the status of the coalition campaign against ISIL, but believe that the president has kept them at arms distance from the discussion,” continued Shuster. “I look forward to continue working with my colleagues in the days ahead to maintain accountability in the operation, and ensure that we are giving our military commanders all the tools they need to defeat this threat while taking into account their experience and recommendations.” Congressman Shuster’s inquiries to Secretary Hagel and General Dempsey focused on his concerns with the administration opening up lines of communication with Iran along with the lack of consultation President Obama was having with military leaders in regards to formulating the strategy for ISIL’s destruction. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://kelly.house.gov/press-release/rep-kelly-calls-keystone-pipeline-construction-scolds-opposition-house-floor,"Rep. Kelly Calls for Keystone Pipeline Construction, Scolds Opposition on House Floor",2014-11-14,2014,2014-11,Republican,House,PA,Mike Kelly,K000376,kelly.house.gov,,,legacy,"Rep. Kelly: “The Senate now is entertaining this because of one job … one Senator who has the possibility of losing her seat” WATCH HERE WASHINGTON — U.S. Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA) – a member of the House Ways and Means Committee – delivered a speech on the floor of the House of Representatives yesterday in support of H.R. 5682, a bill to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline, which was introduced by Rep. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) on November 12, 2014. The House is expected to pass the bill today. Highlights from Rep. Kelly’s speech: “This is a jobs bill. It’s a jobs bill, not only in the House of Representatives, but it is a job bill in the Senate.” “In the House of Representatives, Dr. Cassidy’s bill is about creating tens of thousands of jobs for hardworking Americans. It’s about an eight billion dollar private investment that will not cost the American taxpayer one cent. It’s about energy independence. It is about America taking the lead in energy.” “For six years this House has passed pieces of legislation that would’ve created the Keystone Pipeline. Every one of those pieces of legislation died in the Senate. Now, miraculously … the Senate now is entertaining this because of one job. The tens of thousands of jobs of all these Americans who you turned a deaf ear and a blind eye to are now being answered by the Senate, because of one job, one Senate, one Senator who has the possibility of losing her seat because of the Keystone Pipeline not being able to go through the Senate.” “It is truly a jobs bill. It is an American bill. It is a bill that is going to create billions of dollars in revenue. And I would just ask my friends on the other side, please look no further than last Tuesday. Last Tuesday’s vote was a referendum on incompetency, not on incumbency. I would like you to please open your eyes to the American people and let them rise. Let us create jobs, let us reach the energy independence that we need to succeed in the global economy.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://kelly.house.gov/press-release/rep-kelly-statement-support-rally-keep-erie-postal-facility-open,Rep. Kelly Statement in Support of Rally to Keep Erie Postal Facility Open,2014-11-14,2014,2014-11,Republican,House,PA,Mike Kelly,K000376,kelly.house.gov,,,legacy,"Rep. Kelly Statement in Support of Rally to Keep Erie Postal Facility Open Nov 14, 2014 WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Representative Mike Kelly (PA-03) issued the following statement today in support of a rally to be held later today in Erie, PA, to halt the scheduled closure of the U.S. Postal Service distribution center on East 38th Street in Erie. “I want to thank those who put together today’s rally for continuing to raise awareness on this issue. While certainly there need to be reforms made to the postal service, we need to make sure reforms are done in a strategically smart manner.  Also, we must ensure that seniors and rural communities in particular continue to receive the service reliability that they depend on. That is why I have joined a bipartisan group of my colleagues in asking for a one-year moratorium on the closure of the Erie distribution center so that Congress can continue to work on a postal reform package that will accomplish these goals.” NOTE: On September 3, 2014, Rep. Kelly co-signed a bipartisan letter to the leaders of the House Committee on Appropriations to include language in the Fiscal Year 2015 Continuing Resolution to impose a one-year moratorium on the slated closure of the Erie postal facility along with 81 other U.S. Postal Service mail processing facilities across the nation. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://marino.house.gov/press-release/marino-joins-letter-urging-abandonment-proposed-wotus-rule,Marino Joins Letter Urging Abandonment of Proposed WOTUS Rule,2014-11-14,2014,2014-11,Republican,House,PA,Tom Marino,M001179,marino.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington D.C.—Congressman Tom Marino, PA-10, Lycoming County joined Members of the Pennsylvania Delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives to voice serious concerns regarding the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) proposed “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) rule. The rule, if implemented, will unnecessarily expand the power of the agencies to impose restrictions over waters and lands used by farmers and ranchers. Congressman Marino issued the following statement regarding the proposed rule: “GT and Pat are spot on with this and I am glad to have signed onto their letter because it is critically important the EPA stops any further rule-making and incursions into the economic life of our communities. In every county of my District, hard-working folks come up to me and say just how invasive the EPA already is. The last thing they need is another rule. The people of Pennsylvania know how to best protect their environment and waters while still maintaining productivity. The EPA should stay in their lane and make sure rules on the books now are working properly before issuing any new ones.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://marino.house.gov/press-release/rep-marino-votes-approve-keystone-xl-pipeline,Rep. Marino Votes to Approve Keystone XL Pipeline,2014-11-14,2014,2014-11,Republican,House,PA,Tom Marino,M001179,marino.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington D.C.—Congressman Tom Marino, PA-10, Lycoming County joined over 250 of his House colleagues in a bipartisan effort to approve the TransCanada Keystone XL pipeline. H.R. 5682, to approve construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, was sponsored by Rep. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and passed by a vote of 252-161-1. This legislation authorizes the construction, operation and maintenance of the pipeline. Furthermore, the pipeline has met every National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirement and has officially been deemed by the United States Department of State as having limited adverse effects or harm to environments the pipeline is proposed to traverse. The widely bipartisan bill will be sent to the United State Senate for consideration. Congressman Marino said the following of his vote today and the pipeline project as a whole: “The Keystone XL will create thousands of jobs, stimulate local economies and generate billions in earnings inside the U.S. Just earlier this week I met with the Canadian Consul General who encouraged greater partnership between our nation and his with regards to energy production. The Canadian Government wants the pipeline and we want it to. My vote today was one of several similar votes that would have included approval and authorization to build this pipeline. I had absolutely no reservation in casting that vote in the past and was happy to do so today. For me this was not a partisan grudge match, this is a reasonable and common sense vote and many of my Democrat colleagues joined us in support. Now is the time for the Senate to pass this legislation and the President quit pandering to his radical environmentalist fringe groups and sign this bill into law. It will put more Americans back to work and put more money in the pockets of workers struggling to make ends meet.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://shuster.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=639,The American People Want the Keystone Pipeline,2014-11-14,2014,2014-11,Republican,House,PA,Bill Shuster,S001154,shuster.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Bill Shuster (R-Hollidaysburg) led efforts to pass H.R. 5682, to Approve the Keystone XL Pipeline, on Friday. In the six years since the application to build the pipeline was first filed, the House has voted eight times to move forward with its construction. “The House is leading where the president has failed by approving the construction of the Keystone Pipeline and the energy security it will provide for our nation,” said Congressman Shuster. “This is not the first time legislation has been passed to make this project a reality, but it is hopefully the last. These manufactured stalemates by the administration have held our nation back from reducing our dependence on oil from the Middle East.” As Chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which has jurisdiction over the legislation, Congressman Shuster led the debate of H.R. 5682 on the House floor on Thursday evening. In addition to his work on this bill, Shuster has also played an instrumental role in passing other pieces of legislation to approve the project such as H.R. 3, the Northern Route Approval Act. Before being passed in the House, Shuster guided H.R. 3 through the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and to the full body for passage. “This is a project that has the support of the majority of the American people, and at a time when our economy continues to struggle, we cannot afford to miss out on the thousands of jobs it will create,” continued Shuster on Keystone. “In addition to approving the construction of the pipeline, I will continue to support an all of the above approach to advance policies that strengthen our energy infrastructure by utilizing the resources we have here at home.”   ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://thompson.house.gov/press-release/house-passes-bipartisan-legislation-approve-keystone-xl-pipeline,House Passes Bipartisan Legislation to Approve Keystone XL Pipeline,2014-11-14,2014,2014-11,Republican,House,PA,Glenn Thompson,T000467,thompson.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson (PA-05) today issued the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 5682, legislation to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline.  H.R. 5682 passed with bipartisan support by a vote of 252-161. “Today, the House passed legislation to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline, a measure that has broad bipartisan support in both the House and Senate, will create thousands of American jobs and take us another step toward energy self-sufficiency.  Given the obvious merits of moving forward with this vital energy infrastructure project, it is my hope that the Senate will put aside partisan politics and finally bring this important jobs bill to a vote.” On March 23, 2013, the U.S. Senate approved the Keystone XL Pipeline as part of the Fiscal Year 2014 Budget Resolution by a bipartisan vote of 62-37, which included the backing of Senators Pat Toomey and Bob Casey.   Over the past few years, the House has voted numerous times to approve the pipeline, most recently when it passed H.R. 3, the Northern Route Approval Act, with broad bipartisan support.   Since the passage of H.R. 3, the U.S. State Department completed its Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement in January 31, 2014, which found that the pipeline would have limited adverse environmental impacts and would support more than 42,000 direct and indirect jobs nationwide. Despite strong support in Congress from both Republican and Democrats, legislation to advance the Keystone XL pipeline has never received a final vote in the Senate.   ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://thompson.house.gov/press-release/pennsylvania-congressional-delegation-members-push-federal-agencies-abandon,Pennsylvania Congressional Delegation Members Urge Federal Agencies to Abandon Controversial Waters Rule,2014-11-14,2014,2014-11,Republican,House,PA,Glenn Thompson,T000467,thompson.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson, along with U.S. Senator Pat Toomey and seven additional Members of the Pennsylvania Delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives, today voiced strong concerns with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) proposed “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) rule that would dramatically expand the scope of federal authority over water and land uses in the United States.   The letter was submitted today to EPA and USACE ahead of the closing of the public comment period, which is midnight on Friday, November 14.  In the comments, the Members contend the rule jeopardizes Pennsylvania’s ability to manage its own water resources and would impose devastating impacts upon a wide range of economic activities across the state.   “The proposed rule is of great concern to the citizens of Pennsylvania because it will have significant impacts upon the commonwealth’s economy and ability to continue regulation, per the Clean Water Act,” the letter states. “The rule as proposed disregards the long-standing federalist approach empowered within the CWA and would expand federal jurisdiction far beyond the long-held intent of Congress and numerous Supreme Court rulings.” Enacted in 1972, the CWA was created as a partnership between the states and the federal EPA, in order to better manage identified pollution sources, through a range of pollution control programs. The Members stated the prosed rule is a direct threat to the long-standing federalist approach empowered within the CWA. “Through a strong state-federal regulatory partnership that provides adequate flexibility to address water quality while accounting for local and regional variations and conditions, Pennsylvania has demonstrated a successful track record of improving and protecting the ecological health of its waters,” the Members wrote. “The proposed rule fails to clearly define where the federal government’s jurisdiction stops, which is a fundamental threat to the CWA’s state-federal partnership and poses devastating impacts on Pennsylvania’s ability to manage its own water resources effectively.” As the comments state, “Due to the fundamental flaws within the proposed WOTUS rule, we urge the Agencies to immediately vacate the rule and begin to address, within their statutory authority, the underlying programs prior to any further rulemaking attempts.” The Members signing today’s letter include U.S. Senator Pat Toomey and U.S. Representatives Glenn Thompson (PA-05), Joe Pitts (PA-16), Jim Gerlach (PA-06), Tim Murphy (PA-18), Tom Marino (PA-10), Lou Barletta (PA-11), Mike Kelly (PA-03), Scott Perry (PA-04), and Keith Rothfus (PA-12). Click here to view the letter and submitted comments. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://thompson.house.gov/press-release/thompson-announces-open-house-highlight-opportunities-associated-east-branch-dam,Thompson Announces Open House to Highlight Opportunities Associated with East Branch Dam Rehabilitation Project,2014-11-14,2014,2014-11,Republican,House,PA,Glenn Thompson,T000467,thompson.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson (PA-5) today announced a Community Outreach Open House event to highlight economic opportunities associated with the East Branch Dam Cutoff Wall Rehabilitation Project that will be held in Ridgway, PA, on Thursday November 20, 2014, from 3:00pm to 7:00pm. Initiated by Rep. Thompson’s office, in cooperation with Layne Christensen Company, the general contractor for the project, and hosted by the North Central PA Regional Planning & Development Commission, the event is open to the public.   “The Community Outreach Open House is geared towards the residents of Ridgway and the surrounding areas to learn more about potential economic opportunities associated with the East Branch Dam rehabilitation project” stated Rep. Thompson. The event will include representatives from Layne Christensen Company, the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Small Business Development Centers, Pennsylvania CareerLink, and both North Central PA Commission PTAC and Northwest PA Commission PTAC.   “For individuals seeking employment and local small businesses interested in opportunities, this is an open forum for those individuals and companies to gather information and have their questions answered,” Rep. Thompson added. The Community Outreach Open House will offer residents and businesses information on potential project employment opportunities, including where to find project job postings, Layne’s procurement process and prerequisites, how to register your small business with the SBA, among other project resources and opportunities. The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers awarded Layne Christensen a $132.5 million contract in August of 2014.  Work on the project, which is scheduled to commence in the early part of 2015, involves installing a concrete cut-off wall within the existing embankment and bedrock of the dam along with associated ancillary work to support this effort. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://dent.house.gov/index.cfm?p=PressReleases&ContentRecord_id=DEDF8A0D-6D94-45A4-95A2-9EB827C50716,Dent Applauds Bipartisan Passage of Keystone XL Pipeline Bill,2014-11-14,2014,2014-11,Republican,House,PA,Charlie Dent,D000604,dent.house.gov,,,legacy,"Representative Charlie Dent (PA-15) cheered the passage of HR 5682, a bill that authorizes the construction, operation and maintenance of the Keystone XL pipeline. The bill passed with bipartisan support (252-161-1). “It was important for the Congress to pass this bill,” said Dent. “It’s a sign that we’re listening to the American workers who are demanding that this necessary infrastructure project not be held hostage any further by politics. Six years of delay and indecision by the Administration on this issue is more than enough.” The pipeline has passed numerous reviews and environmental evaluations, but the Obama Administration has held up issuing the required Presidential permit. The bill deems the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement issued by the Secretary of State in January of 2014 sufficient to satisfy all the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and any other federal law that requires federal agency consultation or review.  The State Department’s own study showed that completion of the pipeline would have only a minimal impact on carbon emissions. Public support for construction of the pipeline remains strong.  Support is also broad, bringing together both Business and Labor. The Building and Construction Trades Department of the AFL-CIO, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the Laborers’ International Union of America, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers all support its construction. “Hopefully, Senator Reid and President Obama have received the voters’ message that they want action on sensible bipartisan legislation such as this bill.  The Senate should immediately take up and pass it and the President should then sign it,” stated Representative Dent. Estimates for the number of jobs directly involved with the construction of the pipeline and in ancillary industries run as high as 40,000.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20141114185600/http://www.toomey.senate.gov/?p=newsletter&id=1438,Protect All Kids,2014-11-14,2014,2014-11,Republican,House,PA,Patrick Toomey,T000461,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"Johnstown Richland Square III, Suite 302 1397 Eisenhower Blvd Johnstown, PA 15904 Phone: (814) 266-5970 Fax: (814) 266-5973 Map: Get Directions Please call for an appointment before visiting our Johnstown office.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20141114195017/http://fitzpatrick.house.gov/press-release/fitzpatrick-house-back-keystone-pipeline-approval,"Fitzpatrick, House Back Keystone Pipeline Approval",2014-11-14,2014,2014-11,Republican,House,PA,Michael Fitzpatrick,F000451,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick (PA-8) released the following statement Friday following the House passage of H.R. 5682 which would immediately certify the Secretary of State’s Final Environmental Impact Statement from nearly a year ago and approve the Keystone XL Pipeline: Today, with resounding bipartisan support, the House passed its ninth legislative approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline – the most studied pipeline in American history. This project will create and sustain thousands of American jobs and play an integral part in our nation’s energy revolution. An ‘all-of-the-above’ American energy strategy is what American businesses need to grow our economy and create jobs and what American families need to reduce their costs at the pump or grocery store check-out. It is my hope that the Senate and White House finally take action on this common sense proposal. Furthermore, it is my hope that with change coming to the Senate, leaders there will also take action on the more than 300 House-passed bills waiting in that chamber. Reports show that, in a blaze of partisan glory, the Senate is expected to vote on a measure to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline after years of obstruction by Democratic leaders even as the project enjoys bipartisan, majority support. Fitzpatrick addressed that topic head on during his remarks during H.R. 5682’s House debate (WATCH HERE): Mr. Speaker, for years, I, and members of this body, have come to the floor in support of the Keystone pipeline project – asking the Senate and White House to put politics aside in favor of this critical project. With bipartisan support, the House has passed eight separate pieces of legislation to clear the way for the approval of the most studied pipeline in American history. Yet, each time, these measures were blocked in the Senate and condemned by a president crippled by indecision on a project that would put tens-of-thousands of Americans to work. Once again, I rise in support of the Keystone XL pipeline – joining my colleagues in both parties in backing H.R. 5682 which would immediately certify the Secretary of State’s Final Environmental Impact Statement from nearly a year ago, and truly put our nation on a course toward American energy independence. Sadly, while the House has continued to take definitive, bipartisan action to advance this critical goal, it appears the Senate has waited only until politically advantageous to do so - even as it enjoys majority support in that chamber. While I am pleased about the Senate’s new-found interest in the wide-ranging benefits of this common sense project which will grow our economy and strengthen our national security, it is a shame that it took election-year politics – not the best interests of the American workers and families they represent – for Senate leaders to act. This pipeline is a vital piece of a plan that creates better jobs and more opportunity and I encourage the Senate - and president - to deliver on the promise of embracing an “all-of-the-above” energy strategy that works for the American people. The Keystone XL Pipeline is supported by both labor and business organization ranging from the International Brotherhood of Operating Engineers to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. In describing his support for the project, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper recently noted, “It’s very clear that is in the economic job creation interests of both of our countries, in the energy security interests of North America and a critical step in environmental protection than the alternatives.” ### Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick is serving his third term in the U.S. House of Representatives. He represents Pennsylvania’s 8th district which includes all of Bucks County as well as a portion of Montgomery County. He serves as the Vice Chairman of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20141114214151/http://barletta.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/barletta-supports-keystone-xl-pipeline,Barletta Supports Keystone XL Pipeline,2014-11-14,2014,2014-11,Republican,House,PA,Lou Barletta,B001269,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON – Congressman Lou Barletta, PA-11, today issued a statement in support of legislation he cosponsored that would immediately authorize construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, a project which has been more than six years in the works through many studies, delays and rejections from the Obama Administration.  The pipeline, which would run from Alberta, Canada to Nebraska, would allow crude oil to flow all the way to the Gulf Coast.  The completion of the pipeline is expected to create tens of thousands of construction jobs in the United States and establish a reliable supply of energy.  H.R. 5682 passed the House by a vote of 252-to-161, with one member voting “present.”  It now heads to the Senate for its approval. Rep. Barletta did not cast a vote on the measure, since he is recuperating from surgery he underwent on November 3, 2014 to remove plaque from his right carotid artery.  Barletta’s intention to vote for the bill has been formally noted in the House record.  The Congressman is expected to return to Washington next week.  Barletta issued the following statement: “For more than six years, President Obama has been punting on the Keystone XL pipeline, but it is finally time to take the project across the goal line.  The pipeline has been studied endlessly and even has been cleared environmentally by the president’s own State Department – twice.  The time for inaction and political delays has come to an end.  “The Keystone XL pipeline means jobs, specifically in the Pennsylvania manufacturing industry.  It’s an important step toward energy independence and lower prices for consumers.  The environmental impact of the project has been studied to death.  There is really no reason – other than politics – to oppose the construction.  At long last, common sense should prevail.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20141207061424/http://rothfus.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=25&itemid=1047,Rothfus Votes to Approve Keystone XL Pipeline,2014-11-14,2014,2014-11,Republican,House,PA,Keith Rothfus,R000598,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. – Congressman Keith Rothfus [PA-12] released the following statement after voting for H.R. 5682, a bill to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline: ""We can add family-sustaining jobs, lower energy prices, and get our economy booming again by safely and responsibly developing all of our plentiful energy resources,” said Rothfus. “A key part of this effort is building energy infrastructure like Keystone XL. This private sector pipeline is an important step towards achieving North American energy independence. “It is time that Washington stopped its obstruction and allowed construction to begin on the Keystone XL Pipeline. The House previously passed legislation approving Keystone XL on May 22, 2013 to break the logjam, but Harry Reid’s Senate did not act. The Senate is finally slated to vote next week after years of delay.” More than six years have passed since TransCanada, the pipeline company, filed applications with the U.S. Department of State to construct the Keystone XL Pipeline. H.R. 5682 passed in the House of Representatives by a 252-161-1 vote. Click here for more information.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://shuster.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=638,Shuster Continues Work to Stop Costly Waters of the US Proposal,2014-11-13,2014,2014-11,Republican,House,PA,Bill Shuster,S001154,shuster.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Bill Shuster (R-Hollidaysburg), Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, submitted comments on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers’ (Corps) proposed rule regarding the definition of “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) under the Clean Water Act.  The members ultimately want to stop the rule from being finalized. “EPA and the Corps must abandon the proposed Waters of the United States rule.  It presents a grave threat to Americans’ property rights, and its finalization will force landowners throughout the country to live with the unending prospect that their homes, farms, or communities could be subject to ruinous Clean Water Act jurisdictional determinations and litigation,” wrote the Members. In the letter, Shuster emphasized that the proposed WOTUS rule presents serious federalism concerns since it would call for an extra-constitutional relationship between the federal government and the States in the regulation of local land-use matters.  The proposed WOTUS rule would significantly increase the amount of private property subject to federal control, including timberland, farmland, and innumerable waterbodies and other private lands.  Finalizing the rule would allow the federal government to govern virtually any activity impacting an area where water flows, which means federal government permits would be required for all sorts of routine activities – including installing a playground in a backyard or extending a driveway – and would provide a new litigation tool for far-left environmentalists to attack private citizens and businesses.  The public comment period for WOTUS ends on November 14th. As Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Congressman Shuster has led House efforts to stop this damaging rule. In April, he chaired a Congressional field hearing in Altoona to raise awareness of the costly impacts of the proposal. Additionally, before it passed in the House, Shuster first guided H.R. 5078, the Waters of the United States Regulatory Overreach Protection Act through the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. This legislation prohibits the EPA from implementing the WOTUS rule. Click here to see today’s letter and submitted comments.   ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://toomey.senate.gov?p=video&id=1437,Protecting All Kids,2014-11-13,2014,2014-11,Republican,House,PA,Patrick Toomey,T000461,toomey.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Johnstown Richland Square III, Suite 302 1397 Eisenhower Blvd Johnstown, PA 15904 Phone: (814) 266-5970 Fax: (814) 266-5973 Map: Get Directions Please call for an appointment before visiting our Johnstown office.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z