Rep. Lou Barletta (R-Luzerne) rose to national prominence based in large part on his reputation as a loud voice against illegal immigration while he was Mayor.
The U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals overturned Hazleton’s strictest-in-the-nation ordinances, which would have punished landlords renting to illegal immigrants.
And so it’s little surprise that he categorically rejected Monday’s overtures by Republicans in favor of an immigration bill that includes amnesty for the more than 12 million undocumented immigrants currently living in the United States.
“A path to citizenship is giving a green light to anyone who wants to come here illegally,” he said.
“This is an amnesty bill America won’t be able to afford,” he said of the proposal by 8 Senators – 4 Democrats and 4 Republicans. “Making illegal aliens legal will cost American taxpayers $2.6 trillion over 10 years.”
“So many illegal aliens are unskilled. 60 percent have no high school degree, so many would ultimately be dependent on social programs, welfare.”
Yet, today’s proposal has been called a bipartisan breakthrough. It involves border enforcement, employer enforcement, a reformed legal immigration system, and a path to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants already living within the United States.
It appears the legislative proposal may have been devised to guide President Obama on immigration reform. The policy blueprint is meant to represent the interests of both Democrats and Republicans and will serve as the basis for legislation that the Senators hope to formally introduce in March.
And for an issue as complex as immigration, compromise may be the key. Democratic Senator Bob Casey supports immigration reform.
“While he has just begun to review this latest proposal, he believes that any time you have Republicans and Democrats working across the aisle to come to a bipartisan consensus on a tough problem that is a positive development,” said Casey spokesman John Rizzi.
Senator Pat Toomey (R) is reserving judgment pending further details of the plan.
Republicans faced a stark reality in the aftermath of the 2012 election: they were losing latino voters big time. It’s the fast-growing segment of the population. As soon as the day after Barack Obama was re-elected, several prominent conservatives gave up the fight on the issue.
(Obama will unveil his own immigration proposal today, reportedly very similar to the Senators’.)
Barletta said his party was making a mistake.
“They’re wrong. I believe there’s a lot of support because this is an issue they want to go away. But it’s not that simple,” he said. “I don’t know how fiscal conservatives could support something that would add $2.6 trillion to the deficit.”
He argued that the solution to immigration begins with a way to track current undocumented residents, followed by border security and then mandatory e-verify.
Sen. Pat Toomey wants to limit the number of years lawmakers are allowed to serve in Congress.
Wednesday he reintroduced a bill that would amend the Constitution to restrict members of the House to 6 years and the Senate to 12. He’s co-sponsoring the measure with Louisiana Republican David Vitter.
Toomey himself made a term limit pledge during his U.S. House campaign in 1998, and honored the pledge in 2004 when he opted to challenge then-Sen. Arlen Specter in the GOP primary rather than seek re-election.
“Congress should not be a body of career politicians who have forgotten why they were sent to Washington in the first place. We are here to do the people’s work, to solve the problems we face, and to leave to our children a stronger, safer, more prosperous nation,” Toomey said. “I am pleased to cosponsor a Constitutional amendment to enact term limits for both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, and I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to see this through.”
The limits Toomey proposed – 3 and 2 terms, respectively – are the same as supported by former Sen. Jim DeMint. The South Carolina Republican departed the U.S. Senate late last year to become president of the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. He had previously said he did not intend to run for a third term (his seat would have been up in 2016).
Known for his absolutist approach to governance, DeMint lead the conservative faction of GOP Senators and helped foment the Tea Party movement in 2010.
Aside the Pennsylvania Senator’s lack of vitriolic rancor, Toomey-DeMint similarities are numerous.
Toomey recently rose to the chairmanship of the Senate Steering Committee, the de facto caucus for Senate conservatives. He previously served as president of another far-right advocacy group, the Club for Growth.
DeMint’s 2011 term limits bill – co-sponsored by Toomey -failed by a 24 to 75 margin in the Senate in February 2012.
Critics of the measure say that only voters have the right to impose term limits. Further, they contend, a lack of seasoned legislators would empower the executive branch as well as unelected bureaucrats in the legislative branch.
Nachama Soloveichik. Reporters’ spell check programs rejoiced at the news.
Nachama Soloveichik, Sen. Pat Toomey’s Communications Director, will give up her position on the Hill and return to political campaigns.
Today is her final day in the Senate.
She’s made a career of working for Toomey, either directly or by proxy. After doing coms for Steve Laffey, the conservative Rhode Island Senate candidate, she moved to the Club for Growth (which had heavily supported Laffey’s bid) under then-president Toomey. She was the coms director for his Senate bid and served in that role in his legislative office since.
But she won’t be far from her longtime boss. She’s joining the consulting firm Cold Spark Media whose principal Mark Harris managed Toomey’s 2010 campaign and maintains the Senator as a client. Soloveichik will run the firm’s DC office as firm Vice-President.
E.R. Anderson. Via LinkedIn
Toomey’s new Communications Director will be Elizabeth “E.R.” Anderson. She was previously the top communications professional for the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee for Ranking Republican Susan Collins of Maine. Before returning to Capitol Hill, E.R. was the regional media director for Walmart. She served for nearly seven years in the Bush Administration, the last two as the deputy under secretary for economic affairs at the Department of Commerce. E.R. is a graduate of the University of Georgia and Cumberland Valley High School in Mechanicsburg.
Sen. Pat Toomey is moving up in the world. The freshman Republican will join the powerful Finance Committee, the first stop for tax reform legislation and other big-impact legislation.
“I am honored to receive a seat on the Senate Finance Committee, which is a huge win for Pennsylvania and will ensure that our state is represented on one of the most important committees in Congress,” Toomey said.
The Finance Committee is one of the most influential in the Senate and the primary goal for policy wonks. It’s the equivalent of the House Ways and Means committee and is responsible for writing tax law. That would include any major tax reform effort, something both sides of the aisle expect in the coming session.
“With our skyrocketing deficits and stagnant economy, I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to enact pro-growth reforms of our inefficient and overly complex tax code and modernize our entitlement programs to make them sustainable for the long-term,” he continued.
Toomey is the former head of the influential Club for Growth, a former member of the ‘supercommittee,’ and the chair of the Senate Steering Committee (the Senate policy caucus for conservative Republicans).
Toomey is one of two freshman to win the assignment, one that he’s sought since winning election in 2010. He’d given up his spot on the Commerce Committee but will remain on the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs; Budget; and Joint Economic committees.
There’s a chance that both of Pennsylvania’s Senators could wind up on Finance. With John Kerry on his way to becoming Secretary of State, his seat is now vacant. DC chatter indicates that Casey is at the front of the line to fill it.
Every Republican and Democrat who represents Pennsylvania in the U.S. House or Senate this week voted in favor of a deal to avert the so-called ‘fiscal cliff.’
The package allows Bush-era tax cuts to expire for individuals making more than $400,000 and families making more than $450,000.
The bill passed the Senate 89 votes to 8 on Monday and the House 267 to 157 late Tuesday. President Barack Obama signed the bill shortly after the vote.
Most of the objectors, particularly in the House, were Republicans. 151 Republicans voted against the bill and 85 voted for it – including Reps. Barletta, Dent, Fitzpatrick, Gerlach, Kelly, Marino, Meehan, Murphy, Pitts, Platts, Shuster and Thompson.
Two members who would have surprised few observers by opposing the deal were Sen. Pat Toomey and Rep. Mike Kelly, both vocal conservatives. They acknowledged that, given Obama’s recent re-election and continued Democratic control of the Senate, the deal was the best Republicans could get. Obama and Democrats flatly refused to consider any bill that extended the tax cuts for wealthy Americans.
Toomey is the former head of the conservative Club for Growth. He served on the ‘super committee’ that sought unsuccessfully to secure a solution to the problem in 2011. There, he put on paper what many called the only serious proposal by either party.
Toomey told reporters, “In the end what I was able to do was vote for a package that spares 99 percent of all Americans from a tax increase that would otherwise happen.”
Other members, including Rep. Tom Marino, agreed. “I am encouraged that both the House and Senate were able to come to an agreement and overcome the lack of leadership displayed by President Obama throughout this painful process,” he said in a statement.
The ‘fiscal cliff’ refers to a combination of drastic tax increases and spending cuts that were set to take effect on Jan. 1 in the absence of a congressional debt reduction deal. The situation was created by Congress during 2011’s debt ceiling showdown. Tuesday’s deal addresses the tax side of the equation and delayed the cuts for an additional two months.
Agriculture policies, including milk price supports, were extended until September.
Sen. Bob Casey is the latest in a series of pro-gun Democrats to voice their support for new restrictions on firearms in the aftermath of the shootings in Newtown, Connecticut. He had previously opposed renewing the ban on assault weapons.
He said he’d like to see a ban on assault weapons as well as high capacity magazines (more than 10 rounds per clip).
“If those two bills come before the Senate, I’ll vote for both,” Casey said in a lengthy sit-down interview with Jonathan Tamari of thePhiladelphia Inquirer.
“Work that we do doesn’t always bring you to that kind of deliberation or consideration. This has, for me, and I have to, and I think I should, vote that way on those two” measures, he said.
It’s a departure from his stance in the aftermath of the Aurora, Colorado theatre shootings, when – campaigning for re-election – he said he’d still oppose such a ban.
Casey had an “A” rating from the National Rifle Association in 2006 and a “B+” during the election this year. Despite a generally pro-incumbent approach, the NRA declined to make an endorsement in his campaign versus Republican Tom Smith.
He said the Newtown shooting was different from Aurora.
“The power of the weapon, the number of bullets that hit each child, that was so, to me, just so chilling, it haunts me. It should haunt every public official.”
“I’ve been around government and public policy a long time, and I can’t think of another time when I had these same feelings,” he said. “I don’t really care if people criticize me for having emotions about this. It probably helped me think about it in a different way.”
He said his wife Terese also challenged him to change his position.
He follows other Democratic Senators like Harry Reid of Nevada and Mark Warner of Virginia who have said recently that they would support such measures. Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia has sent mixed signals about his willingness to support such a move.
“There’s no question I’ll be open to criticism, and I understand that,” Casey said. “I just believe that in light of what’s happened, in light of measures we can take to lessen the chances that will happen [again], that these are two steps we can take.”
In the hours since United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice withdrew her name from consideration for Secretary of State, consensus has grown around John Kerry. Should the senior Democrat leave the Senate and take a cabinet post, Pa. Senator Bob Casey could benefit directly.
That’s the latest DC rumor, at least.
“I’m 80 or 90 percent sure this will happen, and happen in the next two weeks,” said one DC insider. He said Casey is known as a team player who might be amenable to an arrangement that wouldn’t come to fruition until the Massachusetts Senator was actually nominated.
The Finance Committee is one of the most influential in the Senate. It’s the equivalent of the House Ways and Means committee and is responsible for writing tax law. That would include any major tax reform effort, something both sides of the aisle expect in the coming session.
“The way Bob’s track is, that’s a committee that would be a step up for him,” said one Senate watcher. “That’s the committee he wants.”
It would also be a significant boon to fundraising.
Casey spokesman Larry Smar said he wouldn’t comment on hypotheticals. He said as of now, Casey’s forthcoming committee assignments were the same as his current ones: the Joint Economic Committee; the Foreign Relations Committee; Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry; Health, Education, Labor and Pensions; and the Special Committee on Aging.
Politico reported in November that Casey was, “widely seen as having a lock on one of the seats.”
But on Wednesday, Sens. Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Michael Bennet of Colorado won the two existing opening on Finance.
The U.S. Senate this week honored the late Senator Arlen Specter, who passed away in October.
“Arlen Specter worked in a bipartisan fashion to highlight the impact of specific diseases and to advance support for medical research and high-quality health care,” the resolution reads in part.
He, “was admired for his independent decisionmaking and willingness to cross party lines,” and, “valiantly overcame bouts with brain tumors and cancer during his service in the United States Senate.
Pa.’s senior Sen. Bob Casey introduced the resolution on behalf of himself, Sen. Pat Toomey, the Senate leaders, and every other Senator.
Sen. Bob Casey is apparently not considering a run for Governor in 2014. He clarified his stance during an interview Tuesday.
PoliticsPA asked Casey on Friday at Pennsylvania Society: “Senator, will you take this opportunity right now to rule out a run for Governor in 2014?”
He replied, “If I start speaking to a race in 2014 that’s as if we’re focused on 2014 instead of 2012.” He emphasized his efforts to avoid the ‘fiscal cliff’ and address some foreign policy problems. “Look, I’m really happy where I am. I’m really busy.”
On Tuesday, he told The Hill he’s not considering a bid (though he has yet to definitively rule it out).
Here’s the full exchange:
“I’m happy with the work I’m doing and I want to stay in the Senate, it’s as simple as that,” he said after walking out of Democrats’ weekly Senate luncheon.
The newly re-elected senator had triggered speculation about the race late last week, when he said at a New York City event for Pennsylvania lawmakers that he didn’t want to talk about 2014 yet.
“If I start speaking to a race in 2014 that’s as if we’re focused on 2014 instead of 2012,” he said last week before adding that he was “really happy where I am.”
Casey told The Hill that the speculation came because “reporters kind of fill in the blanks on you when you don’t make some grand statement.” When asked if he was completely ruling out a run, he responded that “If you rule something out that’s predicated by you spending a lot of time considering it in the first place.”
The Hill then asked if it’s best to say that he wasn’t considering it.
“Right,” he said with a laugh. “You actually said it better than I did.”
Should Casey desire to end speculation definitively, he could say something along the lines of, “I am ruling out a bid for Governor in 2014,” or, “There is no chance that I will run for Governor in 2014.”
As negotiations over the fiscal cliff continue, one interesting aside is the question of the Americans for Tax Reform pledge. Signatories agree to oppose any measure which would have a net impact of raising taxes (including limiting deductions).
ATR was founded and is lead by Grover Norquist.
The pledge is a mainstay for Republicans; it’s tough to win a primary without having signed it. But for incumbents, the pledge may stay back at the campaign office.
Rep. Pat Meehan made headlinesthis week his willingness to violate the pledge in the name of a debt deal. Here’s what the rest of the GOP delegation had to say.
Most Republicans seem willing to cap deductions, which violates the pledge, but oppose raising tax rates as President Obama insists.
Sen. Pat Toomey: sticking with the pledge by closing loopholes but also lowering rates.
“If we’re gonna have to have some kind of revenue increase, which this President seems determined to do,”Toomey said on CNN this week. “I would hope we could at least do it in a way that does the least economic harm. That means lower marginal rates, reform the tax code, offset the lost revenue by reducing deductions, write-offs and loopholes.”
PA-3. Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Butler): sticking with the pledge.
“Rep. Kelly is committed to raising revenues through comprehensive tax and government reform that works to spur growth, create certainty, and reduce our nation’s trillion dollar deficits. We do not have to raise tax rates to raise revenues. Mr. Kelly has been very clear about his position on this and, for two elections in a row now, his constituents have elected him to represent that position,” said spokeswoman Julia Thornton.
PA-5. Rep. GT Thompson (R-Centre): willing to hedge.
Rep. Thompson was entrusted by voters of Pennsylvania’s 5th District to represent them in Washington, primarily because of a shared concern over potential tax increases and the threat of our escalating national debt,” said spokesman Parish Braden. “The pledge the Congressman plans to stand by is the one he made to his constituents to represent these interests in Washington.”
PA-6. Rep. Jim Gerlach (R-Chester): district over pledge.
“While the media focuses on pledges, the families and employers in my district are focused on finding solutions for creating jobs. I have supported a common sense approach to averting the so-called fiscal cliff that would end decades of reckless Washington spending and would generate additional revenue by modernizing and simplifying a tax code that is stifling growth and discouraging job creation.
“The most important pledge that I have made has been to reflect the views of the approximately 700,000 people who entrusted me to represent this District in the U.S. House of Representatives. That is always my guiding principle when making decisions on how to deal with tax policy and every single issue that Comes before the House.”
PA-7. Rep. Pat Meehan (R-Delaware): district over pledge.
“The most important pledge is the one I make to my constituents when I’m sworn in,” Meehan said in a statement. “I’m going to do the very best I can to avoid the fiscal cliff and keep our economy strong.”
PA-8. Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (R-Bucks): didn’t respond to request for comment.
PA-9. Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Clair): didn’t respond to request for comment.
PA-10. Rep. Tom Marino (R-Lycoming): no pledge, no problem.
“Nothing locks me into anything,” Marino repeatedly and vociferously insisted when confronted by a protester/tracker with a video camera about the pledge in October. And according to the Wayne Independent, “Marino was part of an extensive interview in August and suggested that he would be open to raising taxes on the top 1 or 2 percent of wage earners if that money went to reduce the deficit and cut spending.”
PA-11. Rep. Lou Barletta (R-Luzerne): willing to hedge on deductions.
“This isn’t a matter of raising taxes, it’s a matter of raising revenue. We can raise revenue by limiting deductions and closing loopholes that big corporations and the rich use. Raising taxes as the president wants would pay for about eight days of spending in Washington, so we need a combination of cutting spending and bringing in revenue.”
PA-15. Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Lehigh): pledge schmedge.
During an appearance on PCN, Dent said he’d support limiting deductions.
“I am prepared to accept additional revenue,” he said. “I take really one oath, and that is to protect, to uphold the Constitution. That’s my oath and that’s the one I take most seriously. Again, that was signed back in 2004 and a lot has occurred since then so I would argue that I am going to do what’s right for the people of this country and the people of my district.”
PA-16. Rep. Joe Pitts (R-Chester): didn’t respond to request for comment.
PA-18. Rep. Tim Murphy (R-Allegheny): Obama made the pledge question moot.
“The media is obssessing over the No Tax Pledge but the issues surrounding the so-called fiscal cliff aren’t just about supporting the President’s tax hikes,” said Chief of Staff Susan Mosychuk. “Look at all the other details in his latest offer: billions in new stimulus spending while putting off spending cuts for a full year, plus it gives the White House the authority to increase the debt limit without congressional approval. I can’t imagine a single Republican – or frankly even certain Democrats – that would support the President’s plan.”
PA-19. Rep. Todd Platts (R-York): didn’t sign the pledge.
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