Debate Host Giordano agrees to attend, but Meehan refuses

Springfield, PA –Representative Bryan Lentz, the Democratic nominee for Congress in Pennsylvania’s 7^th District, participated in the second debate of the campaign season tonight on The Big Talker 1210 AM. His positions stood in stark contrast to those supported by his Republican opponent, Pat Meehan, who supported the extension of failed Bush-era policies that drove the nation into a deep recession and led to the slowest rate of job creation for any administration on record.

Meehan repeatedly contradicted his own efforts to portray himself as fiscally responsible, saying that he supported the extension of costly Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, while declining to offer any plan for scaling back spending to pay for the tax cuts. His vague call to reduce spending on Medicare also contradicted his own attacks on Congress’ recent efforts to reduce the deficit by reducing Medicare costs.

At the same time, Lentz offered listeners a plan for returning the nation to economic growth and fiscal responsibility, by offering incentives to companies to invest in research and new machinery, steps that would lead to the creation of good-paying jobs.

“Pat Meehan did nothing tonight but advocate the failed policies of his Republican predecessors in Congress, policies that led to one of the worst recessions of the past century,” said Kevin McTigue, Lentz’s campaign manager. “We need to be looking forward for answers, not backwards to policies that we already know are wrong for the country.”

Lentz also spoke about his campaign’s efforts to reach out to Democrats, Republicans and Independents across the District by holding town halls open to the public across the District. Lentz offered his Republican opponent the opportunity to join him in an open town hall forum, inviting the debate’s host, Dom Giordano, to moderate the event. Giordano accepted the invitation, but Meehan refused to agree to attend.

“If Pat Meehan is serious about wanting to represent all of the people of the 7^th District, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t join Bryan Lentz in making himself directly available to answer the questions of voters,” McTigue said.

Lentz has made saving and creating jobs the cornerstone of his campaign for Congress. He is the only candidate with a published plan to get our economy moving again and the only candidate who supports Wall Street reform and the creation of a consumer financial protection agency to ensure another collapse does not happen.  Lentz has also pledged to end tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas while his opponent Pat Meehan has signed a pledge that has bound him to oppose legislation that has been introduced to end those tax breaks.

A former Airborne Ranger, criminal prosecutor and Iraq War veteran, Bryan Lentz currently serves in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from Delaware County. He was awarded both the Bronze Star for Service and the War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal for his military service. He lives in Swarthmore with his wife Jennifer and their son Thomas.