DV Journal

Montgomery County Democratic Congresswoman Madeleine Dean joined some of the loudest anti-Israel voices in Congress in a public letter urging President Joe Biden to cut off U.S. military support to Israel in the midst of a war with the terror group Hamas.

The April 5 letter was signed by 40 Democrats, including prominent pro-Palestine progressives like Reps. Summer Lee (D-Pa.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.).

The letter, also signed by former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), mentions the accidental Israeli strike that killed seven World Central Kitchen aid workers.

“If this strike is found to have violated U.S. or international law, we urge you to continue withholding these transfers until those responsible are held accountable. We also urge you to withhold these transfers if Israel fails to sufficiently mitigate harm to innocent civilians in Gaza, including aid workers, and if it fails to facilitate – or arbitrarily denies or restricts – the transport and delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza,” the letter states.

It’s not the first controversial Democratic letter targeting Israel since the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack.

Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pa.) drew heat in November when she signed a controversial letter calling for a ceasefire and condemning Israel’s military and accusing it of “grave violations against children.” The letter was penned by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), among other Democrats, and did not call for the release of Israeli hostages, who include women, children, the elderly, and Americans. After hearing from constituents with a hostage family member, Scanlon then condemned Hamas and called for the hostages’ release.

Calling for an end of military aid to Israel, one of America’s closest allies is the latest sign that the Democratic Party is abandoning its longtime history of supporting the Jewish nation.

The day before the letter was signed, Biden announced Israel must submit “without delay” to an “immediate ceasefire” with Hamas, even as the terror group holds more than 100 hostages and continues to attack Israel. And, Biden’s Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said, Israel is at risk of becoming indistinguishable from Hamas if it continues to fight in Gaza.

It’s language American presidential administrations of the past would never have used. But many Democrats agree, including here in Pennsylvania.

While Rep. Susan Wild (D-Pa.) did not sign the April 5 letter, she’s called for a ceasefire in the war between Hamas terrorists and Israel, changing her initial support for the Jewish nation.

“I’ve long been calling for a negotiated, mutual ceasefire. But the urgency of getting the remaining hostages home, and getting aid to Palestinian civilians, makes it essential that a halt to this war happen now,” Wild posted on X.

Another Delaware Valley Democrat, Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, issued a press release saying she supports “Israel’s right to protect its citizens and sovereignty against the atrocities perpetrated by Hamas.” However, since the airstrike that killed the aid workers, she said she was “outraged and heartbroken by the deaths of more than 30,000 people in Israel and Gaza since Hamas’ attack on Oct. 7 and was shocked to read about the Israeli airstrike in Gaza that claimed the lives of seven aid workers from the World Central Kitchen. My heart is with the families and loved ones of those who were killed in this senseless act of violence; indeed, my heart remains with each and every family and loved one who has been affected since Oct. 7.” She demanded that Israel “can and must do better.” But one Pennsylvania Democrat who continues to call out Hamas’ terrorism and defend Israel is Sen. John Fetterman (D).

“In this war against Hamas—no conditions for Israel,” Fetterman posted on X. And instead of blaming Israel for civilian deaths, Fetterman pointed out it is Hamas that launched the war and used innocents as human shields.

“It’s absolutely heartbreaking… it’s a war, and it’s absolutely terrible,” Fetterman said. “What is going on? Hamas is hiding behind civilians. Israel has the right to defend themselves and destroy Hamas.”

Please follow DVJournal on social media: Twitter@DVJournal or Facebook.com/DelawareValleyJournal

On Thursday, the U.S. House passed the Laken Riley Act, a bill named for a young Georgia student who was killed while jogging on campus, allegedly by an illegal immigrant.

The bipartisan bill passed 251-170, with Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Bucks/Montgomery) voting for it and all three Delaware Valley Democratic congresswomen –Mary Gay Scanlon, Madeleine Dean and Chrissy Houlahan—voting against it. All the no votes came from Democrats; 37 other Democrats voted for the measure.

“Congress must do everything it can to prevent another parent from losing his or her child,” Fitzpatrick told DVJournal. “Laken Riley’s death never would have occurred if our borders were properly secured and immigration laws enforced. I will continue to work in a bipartisan way to find a solution to protect our borders.”

Scanlon, Dean, and Houlahan did not respond to requests for comment.

The bill would require that any illegal immigrant who committed burglary, larceny, shoplifting, or theft be detained.

The murder of the 22-year-old nursing student, allegedly by an illegal immigrant, on the University of Georgia campus shocked the country.

Jose Antonio Ibarra, a Venezuelan who came to the U.S. illegally, was charged with her murder.

Congressman Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) posted on social media, “Laken Riley was murdered in cold blood by Jose Ibarra – an illegal alien who had committed previous crimes in NY. This NEVER should have happened & today, we voted to to ensure ALL criminal illegals like Ibarra will be arrested & detained. 170 Democrats STILL voted against this.”

Along with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) taking the immigrants charged with crimes into custody, the act allows state attorneys general to litigate against Homeland Security to enforce the removal requirements in the act.

The resolution was introduced by Georgia Rep. Mike Collins (R).

“While we can’t bring Laken back, we must now turn our focus to doing everything we can to prevent this from happening to another American,” Collins said in a statement. Collins had invited Riley’s parents to come to the State of the Union with him, but they declined.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said on social media, “170 House Democrats just voted against the Laken Riley Act, refusing to require the detention and deportation of illegal immigrants who have been caught committing a crime. Sadly, if these Democrats have their way, there will be more victims like Laken Riley.”

Also, on social media, Johnson said, “The Laken Riley Act is so important because we’ve got to ensure that this can’t happen again. Republicans will not stand for the release of dangerous criminals into our communities, and that’s exactly what the Biden administration has done. Laken is just one of the tragic examples of innocent American citizens who have lost their lives and been brutally and violently attacked by illegal criminals who are roaming our streets because they’ve allowed them in.

Republicans have called on President Joe Biden to mention Riley in his State of the Union speech.

He did mention her, briefly, in his remarks.

Please follow DVJournal on social media: Twitter@DVJournal or Facebook.com/DelawareValleyJournal

Chanting, waving signs and Palestinian flags, about 30 people protested U.S. military support for Israel at the Lockheed Martin plant in King of Prussia late Friday afternoon.

Numerous Upper Merion police officers guarded the gates of the defense contractor. Pro-Palestinian groups have been protesting at defense contractors since the war began after the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. The U.S. division of the Israeli company Elbit Systems has been a frequent target, including vandalism and property damage.

One protester, Asher Garza of Ambler, leader of the group “Montco for Liberation,” said its members agree with Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-Montgomery), who announced she supports a bilateral ceasefire after a recent trip to Israel.

“The vast majority of Americans, on a bipartisan basis, are demanding a ceasefire,” said Garza. “And part of that is reflected in our Congresswoman Madeleine Dean’s call for a ceasefire to be initiated, which we have been lobbying for.”

Carmen Guerrero

Dean’s position is at odds with the views of her fellow Pennsylvania Democrat, U.S. Sen. John Fetterman.

“At any point, Hamas could have ended this burgeoning tragedy to surrender and release every hostage,” Fetterman posted on social media Sunday.

“Now, they’re unwilling to provide a list of any surviving hostages. Hamas is anathema to peace in Gaza. Hamas instigated and owns this humanitarian catastrophe.”

Garza also mentioned a voting campaign in Michigan where 100,000 Democratic primary voters, including members of the state’s Arab-American community, voted “uncommitted” instead of for  President Joe Biden.

“It was clearly a referendum on Biden’s policies and lack of meaningful action to stop the slaughter,” said Garza.

However, a new Harvard Harris poll reported 82 percent of Americans support Israel in its war against Hamas.

Also on Friday, Biden said a ceasefire may be possible by the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan on March 10.

Philadelphia resident Timour Kamran said he attended the protest as part of a vigil for U.S. Airman Aaron Bushnell, who lit himself on fire in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C., on February 25. Several other people told DVJournal they came to the protest because of Bushnell.

Kamran wanted to “honor (Bushnell’s) sacrifice for the cause of freeing Palestine.”

“We’re outside the Lockheed Martin campus because we believe the oppression of Palestine is part of a global system of empire. Companies like Lockheed Martin profit at the expense of people’s lives.”

The company provided this statement: “Lockheed Martin’s core values are to do what’s right, respect others, and perform with excellence. These values provide clear, unambiguous, and uncompromising standards for how we treat each other with understanding and compassion. We respect the right to peaceful protest and we are honored to partner with the U.S. military and our international partners to deliver strategic deterrence and security solutions.”

David, who declined to give his last name because of ongoing death threats from pro-Palestine protesters, came from Lancaster to counter-protest.

“It really comes down to the defeat of Hamas,” said David, who held a large Israeli flag on a tall pole. “I don’t hear anyone calling for the release of hostages. I just hear ‘ceasefire’ and a lot of antisemitism.”

Chants included, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” which David said is antisemitic and means, “They want Israel and the Jewish people wiped off the map.”

David

“It’s tragic what’s happening,” he said. “There are innocent civilians being killed every day. I think the numbers are inflated. We’re relying on UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees) and Hamas agencies to report those supposed facts. I’m going to trust Israel.”

“I hope Hamas will stop using innocent civilians as human shields,” David added.

Using a megaphone, Garza called on Lockheed Martin employees to resign.

“Break free of your comfortable bondage,” Garza said. “It’s not a hefty price to pay. I call all of good conscience to walk out. Seek just and righteous employment.” Mentioning F-16 fighter jets, he exhorted Lockheed employees, who were not likely to hear his entreaties, to not “create the machines of death.”

Then he led the chant, “Not another nickel, not another dime. No more money for Lockheed crimes.”

“Free, free, free Palestine,” the crowd chanted. And “resistance is justified if the people are occupied.”

King of Prussia resident Christina Nassir also came for the Bushnell vigil.

She said she is half-Iraqi and half-Irish. She attends a Lebanese Christian church and is concerned that Israel may bomb Lebanon next.

Carmen Guerrero, also of King of Prussia, put together a shrine for Bushnell on a blanket surrounded by flowers and candles. She said she was a member of the Mayan tribe and a native American who supports the Palestinians.

A woman who came to the protest with her toddler in a stroller, said she felt compelled to leave her King of Prussia home to support the Palestinians.

“No more money for Israel’s war,” she chanted with the others.

Members of other left-wing and pro-Palestinian groups, including Philly Palestine Coalition, Lancaster Palestine Coalition, the Philadelphia Chapter of American Muslims for Palestine, CAIR Philadelphia, BuxMont DSA, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, NEPA for Palestine, and the Abandon Biden Campaign also participated.

The protest was one of several those groups have held in the Delaware Valley since the war began. There’s also been an upsurge of antisemitism at schools and universities.

Garza said a ceasefire is the only way the Israeli hostages will be released. Although, the Israeli Defense Forces have rescued some in raids on Hamas’ terror tunnels.

“Ceasefire is the only reasonable way to preserve life on both sides, if you will,” Garza said.

Please follow DVJournal on social media: Twitter@DVJournal or Facebook.com/DelawareValleyJournal

Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Bucks) joined a delegation of Republicans led by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to Eagle Pass, Texas, this week to call for an end to the border chaos and to decry President Joe Biden’s immigration record.

The lawmakers came to see the humanitarian and national security crises at the southern border, where migrant numbers reached more than 300,000 in December — the highest single-month number ever recorded. More than eight million migrants have entered the U.S. illegally under Biden’s watch. The trip included intelligence briefings related to trends in border security, according to Fitzpatrick’s office.

“The migrant crisis at the southern border is real and presents a grave national security threat to our nation,” said Fitzpatrick. “Our brave Border Patrol men and women are overwhelmed by a migrant surge that is a direct result of misguided policies from this administration. Over the past three years, we have witnessed the public health, humanitarian, and national security consequences that the porous southern border has created for our nation, and this Congress must come together and find real solutions to this crisis.”

The House Homeland Security Committee is also poised to begin hearings next week on whether to impeach DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over his handling of the border.

The Biden administration threw out former President Donald Trump’s Remain in Mexico policy for asylum seekers, which had required them to stay in that country until their case was adjudicated. Another factor was Biden’s ending of Title 42, a Trump administration policy that allowed immigrants to be sent back due to the COVID-19 epidemic.

Reps. Madeleine Dean (D-Berks/Montgomery), Chrissy Houlahan (D-Chester/Berks), and Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Philadelphia/Delaware) did not reply when asked whether they support the Biden administration’s border policies or defend its results.

The flow of millions of illegal immigrants across the border has garnered national attention, largely through the efforts of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R), who has sent busloads of migrants to Democrat-run “sanctuary” cities, including Philadelphia.  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican running for president, has also flown some undocumented immigrants out of Florida, notably to Martha’s Vineyard.

Johnson wrote on X (formerly Twitter) about the trip, “Yesterday, more than 60 House Republicans were in South Texas speaking with local landowners and law enforcement. We were shown firsthand how the president’s reckless open-border policies are devastating communities across the state.

“The Biden administration’s decision to sue the state of Texas for trying to secure its border is shameful. The first responsibility of leaders is to protect their citizens, and @GovAbbott has shown leadership where President Biden has been an abject failure. The Biden administration is showing once again it is obviously their deliberate strategy to keep the border open and continue the chaos and humanitarian crisis their policies have created.”

On X, Fitzpatrick added, “The Senate must take up the Secure the Border Act, which has already passed the House, and the administration must restore the Remain in Mexico policy and enforce 8 U.S.C 1325 and 1326. We are, and always have been, a nation of legal immigration. We must not be a nation of lawlessness.”

While Democrats in the Delaware Valley delegation declined to comment about the border today, they have spoken out in the past.

Scanlon’s website notes that as an attorney, she “worked for many years representing immigrants and asylum seekers. In Congress, Rep. Scanlon is committed to repairing our complex and broken immigration system through common-sense policy measures. She has cosponsored legislation to end inhumane family separation practices and will fight to protect Dreamers and TPS holders.”

She also visited the border in 2019 and “will continue working to ensure that Customs and Border Patrol and the Coast Guard have the resources they need to protect our borders and legal ports of entry while addressing the humanitarian crisis at our border.”

“Our failure to address this humanitarian crisis with diplomacy, foreign aid, and humane border policies has created a challenge for law enforcement officers. They need resources to address the facts, not a crisis dreamed up by those sowing racist division for political gain,” Scanlon said at the time.

On her campaign website, Dean said she “supports a strong legal immigration system and humane treatment for anyone seeking citizenship.” She supports “a path to citizenship for [illegal immigrants] who want to be part of our country, reinstating DACA to allow the Dreamers to be able to stay in our country without fear.” She promised to fight against “inhumane border policies” and “end the cruel practice of family separation and placing those seeking legal asylum in inhumane living conditions at the border or elsewhere in our country.”

Houlahan is “cosponsor and vote for the Dream and Promise Act. This legislation aims to secure permanent residency for immigrants protected under the Deferred Action for Children Arrivals (DACA) program, Temporary Protected Status, and Deferred Enforced humanitarian programs.”

Houlahan also cosponsored bills to help legal immigrants: H.R. 3648, the Equal Access to Green Cards for Legal Employment (EAGLE) Act, and H.R. 3897, the H-2B Returning Worker Exception Act of 2021.

“What is happening at our southern border should alarm all of us,” Houlahan said of the legislation. “When I visited the border in 2019, what was clear was that our facilities lacked, and have been lacking for years, the attention and resources they need. That needs to change, which is why I joined my colleagues across the aisle to vote for a 2022 spending bill providing additional funding for Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to better manage immigration across our southern border.”

Please follow DVJournal on social media: Twitter@DVJournal or Facebook.com/DelawareValleyJournal

When the U.S. House of Representatives voted to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) “for promoting false narratives regarding the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and for calling for the destruction of the State of Israel,” 22 Democrats crossed party lines to pass the resolution.

None of those Democrats were from Pennsylvania.

All three local Democrats, Reps. Madeleine Dean, Mary Gay Scanlon, and Chrissy Houlahan voted against the censure resolution, which passed the House in a 234-188 vote. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Bucks) supported the resolution.

In particular, members of Congress were outraged by Tlaib’s use of the antisemitic phrase ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,’ a call to destroy the Jewish nation of Israel. More than 70 House Democrats took the unusual step of releasing a statement condemning the language as “a rallying cry for the destruction of the state of Israel.”

“We reject the use of the phrase “from the river to the sea”— a phrase used by many, including Hamas, as a rallying cry for the destruction of the State of Israel and genocide of the Jewish people. We all feel deep anguish for the human suffering caused by the war in Gaza. Hamas started this war with a barbaric terrorist attack on Oct. 7, 2023, and neither the Palestinian nor Israeli people can have peace as long as Hamas still rules over Gaza and threatens Israel,” the statement read in part.

Tlaib has made no secret of her animosity toward Israel. The only Palestinian-American currently serving in Congress, Tlaib claims, “‘From the river to the sea’ is an aspirational call for freedom, human rights, and peaceful coexistence, not death, destruction, or hate.”

Supporters of Israel note that it is a common chant of terror groups like Hamas and Hezbollah and is usually accompanied by maps with Israel wiped out and replaced by a nation called “Palestine.”

“This phrase means eradicating Israel and Jews. Period. Dressing it up in a new PR ploy won’t change that,” says Florida Democrat Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz. 

Houlahan said in a statement that, while she “wish[ed] Rep. Tlaib hadn’t defended this particular charged phrase,” she accused Republicans of also making offensive statements and argued that censoring members of Congress over “essential freedoms, including speech and expression,” is a mistake.

“As a veteran who has sworn the oath to defend the constitution many times, I support those freedoms, even if I vehemently disagree with what’s being said.”

As for the Democratic letter regarding the phrase, a spokesperson for Houlahan told DVJournal, “There was particular phrasing” in the statement with which she disagreed.

Dean issued a statement saying, “As a longtime supporter of a two-state solution — as someone who works in the pursuit of liberation for Palestinians and long-term peace for both Israelis and Palestinians — I do not believe the phrase ‘from the river to the sea’ has a place in our discourse.” And, she added, she believes the phrase “has been co-opted by terrorist groups like Hamas to mean complete and total destruction of the Jewish state.”

But she also refused to sign the Democratic letter of condemnation or vote for censure.

“That’s not to say some of these censures aren’t warranted — but this is not the best use of our limited time,” Dean said via social media.

Scanlon did not respond to requests for comment on Wednesday.

The only Pennsylvania Democrat who didn’t vote against the resolution was embattled Rep. Susan Wild (D-Allentown).

She voted “present.”

Pennsylvania Sens. Bob Casey and John Fetterman are among the Democrats who are sponsoring the re-introduction of the so-called “Freedom to Vote Act,” a sweeping federal law that would override the Keystone State’s election rules. From requiring early voting to preventing voter ID mandates, the Casey-backed bill would impose federal requirements on locally-run elections, substituting national rules for those enacted by Pennsylvania lawmakers.

“I don’t have to tell you how transformational our legislation is,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said at a Capitol Hill press conference last week. “The Freedom to Vote Act would fundamentally right size our democracy, advancing access to the ballot, ending the scourge of concentrated money in our politics, and giving voice to everyday Americans.”

The act is the U.S. Senate’s version of the “For The People Act,” also known as H.R.1, passed by then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic-controlled House in 2021. The bill was approved without any GOP votes while having the support of every Pennsylvania Democrat. Now Democrats in both chambers are backing the Senate’s version of the bill expanding federal control over state election laws.

Reps. Madeleine Dean (D-Montgomery) and Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Philadelphia/Delaware) declined to respond to questions about their support for the bill. A spokeswoman for Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Berks/Chester) said she supports it but did not join the effort as a cosponsor because it is not “bipartisan.”

When the House passed its version of the bill in 2021, Scanlon made it clear she wanted the federal government to override elected legislators in Harrisburg.

“The Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act protects our democracy by preventing state legislatures, like the Pennsylvania General Assembly, from making it harder for Americans to vote. This bill sets minimum standards which the states must meet — because so many have not.”

And Casey was particularly outspoken when the bill failed in the Senate, suggesting opponents were protecting “white supremacy.” In a 2021 interview, Casey said election reforms in states like Georgia’s were “voter suppression bills.”

“At its core, we should just be blunt about this; these voter suppression bills are about white supremacy,” Casey said.

(Georgia set a voter turnout record in 2022 under the new laws Democrats opposed, and Black voters told pollsters their voting experience was overwhelmingly positive.)

Opponents of the bill say states should control elections as outlined in the Constitution. They also argue that some of the requirements of the federal proposal are unpopular with voters. Among the bill’s mandates:

— Require Pennsylvania to have at least 13 days of early voting, including weekends, and to count ballots that come in late;

— Give millions of public dollars to political candidates to use on campaign staff, TV ads, attack mailers, etc.

–Allow felons to vote. Voting Rights Restoration for “Returning Citizens;” Restores the right to vote in federal elections for people who have served their time for felony convictions after being released from prison.

The bill’s advocates acknowledge it would require states like Pennsylvania to have both online voter registration and same-day voter registration, all without voter ID. Instead of proof of identification, the voting bill says state election officials “shall treat an individual desiring to vote in person in an election for Federal office as meeting such voter identification requirement if the individual presents the appropriate State or local election official with a sworn written statement, signed in the presence of the official by an adult who has known the individual for at least six months under penalty of perjury, attesting to the individual’s identity.”

Critics say that allowing voters without identification to simply present a signed document from someone who claims to know them would not inspire confidence in ballot integrity.

“This legislation eviscerates voter ID, opens the door for non-citizens to vote, and makes voting less transparent. Polling shows that Americans don’t want far left Democrats like John Fetterman and Bob Casey to seize control of local elections, and that’s why the ‘Freedom to Cheat Act’ will fail again,” said Republican National Committee spokesman Gates McGavick.

According to a Gallup poll taken last year, 79 percent of Americans support requiring a photo ID in order to vote.

Please follow DVJournal on social media: Twitter@DVJournal or Facebook.com/DelawareValleyJournal

The $886 billion 2024 National Defense Authorization Act  (NDAA) passed in the U.S. House Friday, with the Delaware Valley’s Democratic representatives voting against it and Bucks County Republican Brian Fitzpatrick voting for it.

At issue are GOP-backed amendments pushing back on new policies put in place by the Biden Defense Department (DoD) on contentious social issues like abortion, transgender medical procedures, and DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.) For example, after the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision sent regulating abortion back to the states, the DoD implemented new policies paying for travel for women in the armed forces who are stationed in states with abortion restrictions and want to travel out of state for the procedures.

In a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, all Republican members of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee wrote the policy change “would force taxpayers to subsidize abortions by paying for service members or their dependents to travel to obtain the procedure and by granting additional leave for this purpose.”

Under the longtime rules of the Hyde Amendment, federal funding for abortions is not allowed. Critics say the Biden administration’s policy violates that rule.

Another amendment would block the military from funding gender procedures on minor children that could result in sterilization — including hormone therapy and puberty blockers. It is another issue injected into the NDAA by the Biden administration. National Review reported, “A team of military medical practitioners in the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) defended “gender-affirming” care, including hormone replacement and puberty blockers for dysphoric minors as young as seven years old.”

Republicans argued the Biden administration is using the U.S. military to advance what they call “woke” politics.

“It’s a good thing the Republicans are in the majority, but it’s more important that we keep our promises to America and to our men and women who serve to defend us. And today is exactly what we did,” said Speaker Kevin McCarthy  (R-Calif.). The NDAA passed on a largely party-line 219-210 vote.

Delaware Valley Democrats disagree.

“The bipartisan annual defense bill that I proudly passed out of committee is no longer recognizable with all the extreme amendments tacked on,” Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Chester/Berks) wrote on Twitter. “It left me no choice but to vote against it. Our service members and their families deserve better.”

Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Delaware/Philadelphia) accused Republicans of taking a bipartisan bill and “transforming” it “into an extremist manifesto that targets lifesaving care for women in uniform, attacks LGBTQ+ service members, and chooses the books that military families can read.”

“For decades, Congress has crafted and passed the National Defense Authorization Act on a bipartisan basis. While major pieces of legislation like this are – of necessity – works of compromise, House Democrats worked to craft a bipartisan bill that demonstrates our commitment to national security and ensures that our service members and their families would get the support that they deserve,” said Scanlon.

Rep. Susan Wild (D-Lehigh) said she voted against the bill because it was “hijacked by extremists.”

“I cannot and will never compromise on a woman’s freedom to control her own body,” said Wild. “This bill undermines female servicemembers’ access to reproductive healthcare at the expense of our military readiness. It is a slap in the face to our female servicemembers—women who defend American freedom every day—to tell them that they do not deserve the fundamental freedom to make their own healthcare decisions.”

Chris Gustafson, a spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee, noted that Wild voted against an amendment to the NDAA that prohibits taxpayer dollars from going to the Taliban.

“Voting against pay raises for our troops and the safety of our country over taxpayer-funded late-term abortions and woke transgender ideology is extreme and dangerous,” said Gustafson. Wild is “following an extreme and dangerous agenda led by the fringe elements of their party that are entirely out of touch with the American people.”

He added Wild should explain why she is “willing to put our national security risk for (her) woke agenda.”

Neither Dean nor Fitzpatrick responded to requests for comment.

Please follow DVJournal on social media: Twitter@DVJournal or Facebook.com/DelawareValleyJournal

Three Delaware Valley congresswomen voted to keep President Joe Biden’s new policy that lowers mortgage fees for borrowers with poor credit and raises them for would-be home buyers who’ve earned higher credit scores.

Democratic Reps. Madeleine Dean (Montgomery), Mary Gay Scanlon (Delaware/Philadelphia), and Chrissy Houlahan (Chester/Berks) voted against the Middle-Class Borrower Protection Act that would reverse the fee changes that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac now charge.

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Bucks) and Rep. Susan Wild (D-Lehigh) voted for the bill to stop the new fee structure. It passed the House Monday on a 230-189 bipartisan vote, with all Republicans present, plus 14 Democrats.

“In May, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), the agency which oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, made changes to the structure of upfront mortgage fees that would result in higher costs for borrowers with higher credit scores,” Fitzpatrick told DVJournal. “Hardworking middle-class families looking to purchase a home should not have to subsidize less creditworthy, riskier borrowers. We must ensure our housing finance system remains stable so we avoid a repeat of the 2008 financial crisis while pursuing bipartisan solutions to housing affordability. I am happy to see the Middle-Class Borrower Protection Act pass the House with a bipartisan vote.”

Biden’s progressive policy, which took effect May 1, promotes “social justice” by reducing lending fees on borrowers with lower credit scores. Meanwhile, home buyers with a credit score over 680 will pay about $500 more per year on a $400,000 loan. That adds up to more than $14,000 throughout a 30-year mortgage.

And borrowers who put aside enough in savings for a 20 percent down payment will pay the highest fees under the new FHFA policy.

Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio), who introduced the act, repeatedly said the new fee structure is “a socialist redistribution of wealth.”

“It’s a scheme created by the Federal Housing Finance Agency that forces financially responsible homebuyers with good credit to subsidize those with bad credit. Responsible action should never be penalized, and irresponsible action shouldn’t be subsidized. Under this rule, most new homebuyers will pay higher fees to offset the costs of riskier borrowers,” Davidson said.

Under the new LLPA (Loan-Level Price Adjustment) fee schedule, the borrower with modest credit — 640 to 659 — who puts down just 5 percent would enjoy a fee drop from 2.75 percent to 1.5 percent. But a borrower with good credit (740-759) with a 20 percent down payment would see their fee double from 0.5 percent to 1 percent.

Republicans and many responsible borrowers have lashed out against the policy, described by critics as income distribution applied to home ownership. Some 18 Republican governors also opposed the policy.

“We write to you in regard to the mandated May 1, 2023, changes to the loan level pricing adjustment (“LLPA”) structure employed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and ask that you reverse course on behalf of hardworking Americans across the country,” the Republicans said in a letter to President Joe Biden and his Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Sandra Thompson.

“In short, the new LLPA framework will inevitably increase mortgage costs for lower-risk individuals and handicap those borrowers with larger down payments. Further, the changes provide no incentive to borrowers to maintain good credit and will confuse borrowers at all credit levels.”

“Your actions are threatening the American housing system,” they added.

Treasurers and finance officials from 27 states, led by Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity, also urged Biden to end his “unconscionable” policy that requires people with good credit scores to subsidize mortgage loans for others.

“This new policy makes it more expensive for people with good credit to buy houses – and that’s absurd,” said Garrity. “Americans who have built a good credit score and saved enough to make a strong down payment should not be penalized and forced to pay more on their mortgage every single month. I’m proud that so many of my colleagues from across the country – representing a majority of states – have united to urge the immediate elimination of this policy.”

Dean, Houlahan, Scanlon, and Wild declined to respond to requests for comment.

Please follow DVJournal on social media: Twitter@DVJournal or Facebook.com/DelawareValleyJournal

Yes, the Biden administration really is coming for your gas stove. And the entire Delaware Valley Democratic delegation voted on Tuesday to help it do so.

U.S. Reps. Madeleine Dean, Chrissy Houlahan, and Mary Gay Scanlon voted against the Gas Stove Protection and Freedom Act, a bill to protect Americans’ ability to choose the type of stove they want in their kitchen. Despite their opposition, it passed the House with a bipartisan 248-180 majority.

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Bucks) voted for the measure.

“The Biden administration is intent on weaponizing every aspect of the federal government to achieve its ideological goals,” said Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-N.D.), the bill’s author. “Consumer protection should be about safety, not used as a veiled push to eliminate fossil fuels and the millions of jobs they support. Americans should decide if gas stoves are right for their families, not the federal government. I’m glad to see this commonsense bill to rein in the administration pass the House.”

The Biden White House issued a statement claiming that while “it does not support any attempt to ban the use of gas stoves,” Biden will veto legislation stripping the administration of the power to ban them.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, 47 percent of Pennsylvania households rely on natural gas or propane for heat, far more than electricity (29 percent) or heating oil (20 percent). Across the nation, there are some 45 million gas stoves and ovens, and 187 million households use natural gas, according to the American Gas Association.

And they like it, too. A 2021 national Morning Consult poll found, “When it comes to the choice between natural gas and electricity for cooking, natural gas is still the favored choice: 73 percent of respondents who prefer to keep their gas stoves said they’ve used both and electric ‘did not work as well as gas alternatives.’”

But climate change activists have targeted natural gas in general and gas stoves in particular.

In January, the Biden administration’s Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) chair Richard Trumka said a ban on gas stoves and ranges is “on the table,” a statement that sparked immediate backlash. Even President Joe Biden felt the need to disavow his appointee’s statement. But newly-uncovered emails show the White House had been discussing restrictions on gas appliances with the CPSC months before the announcement.

And the Biden Department of Energy (DOE) is proposing new regulations on gas stoves that, according to a nonpartisan Congressional Research Service report, would keep about half of the current gas stove models off the market.

“In assessing the conversion itself, DOE conducted a market survey and sampled 21 units currently on the market, finding 20 would not comply with the proposed standard without conversion of the equipment,” the Service reported.

“It’s interesting how some Democratic lawmakers are so fervently ‘pro-choice’ on some issues, but then they turn around and vote to deny personal choice on other issues, as is the case here,” said Kurt Knaus with the Pennsylvania Energy Infrastructure Alliance. “Opponents of clean-burning natural gas are moving their campaigns from the fields where wells are drilled and pipelines are built, and they now have their sights set on our kitchen stoves. It’s unbelievable.

“Fortunately, common sense won the day here,” Knaus added.

The effort to ban gas stoves has also increased at the state and local levels.

The state of New York has banned new natural gas hookups beginning in most buildings by 2026.

In Massachusetts, “a group of progressive Democratic lawmakers has filed proposals requiring the state to draft regulations restricting gas ranges and other appliances in new construction.”

The attorneys general of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, and New York have signed a letter demanding that the federal government crackdown on gas stoves.

And the Biden administration filed a joint brief in federal court on Monday supporting Berkeley, Calif.’s ban on natural gas in new buildings that was struck down in federal court.

“This measure isn’t just about protecting consumer choice,” said Knaus. “It’s also about defending against onerous restrictions that serve no other real purpose than trying to disrupt markets for natural gas, something that would damper our state and regional economies and threaten the job creation we have seen over the decade-plus in Pennsylvania.”

Chris Gustafson with the National Republican Congressional Committee called out Pennsylvania Democrats, all of whom voted against the Gas Stove Protection and Freedom Act, for what he called their “extreme” position.

“It’s no secret that extreme Democrats like Matt Cartwright and Susan Wild want to control every facet of American life: from what we drive, to what we learn, and now we cook. These extreme control freaks have no concept of the real problems facing everyday Americans, so they’re inventing new ones instead.”

Please follow DVJournal on social media: Twitter@DVJournal or Facebook.com/DelawareValleyJournal

Tuesday marked a first in American politics and criminal justice: Donald Trump is now the first former U.S. president to be indicted on criminal charges.

He pleaded not guilty to a 34-count felony indictment of falsifying records for a $130,000 hush money payment to former pron actress Stormy Daniels. Shortly after the 45-minute hearing, Trump flew back to Florida and was expected to give a speech from his Mar-a-Lago home Tuesday evening.

As he has since he first ran for president in 2015, Trump drew praise from admirers and scorn from critics. But the larger implications for the country also weighed on people’s minds.

Charlie Gerow, CEO of Quantum Communications, believes people will rally to Trump’s cause.

“In the short term, it’s certainly going to boost President Trump’s ratings,” said Gerow. “Not only in Pennsylvania but across the country, particularly among Republicans. People that weren’t necessarily big Donald Trump fans will become big Donald Trump defenders because they realize how outrageous this is.”

Gerow added, “Look, every Republican in the state is going to be asked what they think about this, and virtually to a person, they’re going to say it’s outrageous. President Trump is being treated unfairly. And that benefits him. He’s the subject of all the conversation, and among Republicans, it’s going to be virtually unanimously positive.”

Philadelphia election lawyer Linda Kerns said, “Note the symmetry of Trump’s quick return to the free state of Florida with the growing number of Americans who are leaving Northeastern cities, like Philadelphia and New York, to escape the disastrous policies of progressives. Rather than prosecuting violent career criminals, District Attorney (Alvin) Bragg routinely sets them free to terrorize New Yorkers. Now he used the grand jury as his pawn to fulfill a campaign promise to attempt to delegitimize President Trump.

“Today proves the Democratic Party has no interest in the safety of Americans and remains tactically terrified that, given the state of our nation, it cannot prevail in a presidential election without using political theatrics to undermine the opposition,” Kerns said.

Ryan Hyde, a Republican candidate for Chester County DA, said, “I’m very disappointed in the Manhattan DA. I don’t believe in prosecuting people who have left the office for political stuff. And the reason I say that is that’s what happens in Third World countries to keep dictators in power.”

With this prosecution, the country has embarked on “a slippery slope” that could lead to the prosecution of Bill and Hillary Clinton, the Bidens, Obama, and others, he said.

“You see that in Latin America. When somebody gets out of office, the other party gets in, and they prosecute him. Everything they’re accusing Trump of their side has done as well. It’s a dangerous precedent,” said Hyde.

Gerow said, “This New York DA is out of his mind. He really is. This is just a brazen political move on his part, and I believe and hope it will backfire.”

“It’s horrible, and frankly, every American, regardless of your political persuasion or your opinion of Donald Trump, out to be frightened by this. It’s a scary proposition that they can just go after anybody, cobbling together these flimsy legal arguments to make a presumed misdemeanor into a felony charge,” said Gerow.

Congresswoman Madeleine Dean (D-Montgomery) tweeted, “No one should be above the law. Today proved that Mr. Trump was a president of many firsts — none of which were good for our country. His arraignment is another first—all of his own making. An immoral man. Corrupt citizen. Twice-impeached former president.”

Conservative pundit, lawyer, and frequent DVJournal contributor Christine Flowers tweeted, “To those who say ‘no one is above the law,’ I agree. I am a staunch supporter of applying the law equally to kings and commoners. However, I don’t believe this prosecution is anything more than a campaign promise fulfilled by a man who abused prosecutorial discretion.

“Far from being ‘above the law,’ Trump is, in this case, being subjected to prosecution not because of what he allegedly did, but because of who he is perceived to be by a large portion of this electorate. Any attorney, or voter, who claims the opposite is not being honest.”

Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Delaware/Philadelphia) said, “There is nothing unprecedented about a grand jury handing down charges in an indictment of a public official when presented with evidence of criminal conduct. That is how our criminal justice system works. What is unprecedented is a former president of the United States engaging in conduct that invites an indictment on 34 criminal counts. 

“We must swiftly reject any attempt to excuse such conduct and denounce all acts of violence, incitements to violence, and attacks on our justice system. Like all Americans, former President Trump is entitled to all protections guaranteed by our Constitution. We must allow our justice system to proceed free from political interference and unite as a community behind the fundamental American principle that no one is above the law,” she said. 

Delaware County GOP Chairman Frank Agovino said, “The Democrats will disingenuously affiliate President Trump’s troubles with local candidates. Just as they will falsely accuse our candidates of being extreme on abortion when nothing can be further from the truth. The reality is our locally elected Democrats and their current candidates share a radicalized view of abortion desiring to make full term abortions legal for any reason. Simply put, they are the extremist.

“I would caution voters from both parties to see through the political fog, and hold Democrats accountable to local issues that matter, fiscal instability, rising crime, record property taxes increases, and misguided priorities. National chaos, while distracting, has very little to do with a brighter future for Delaware County,” he said.

Asked if Republican district attorneys will now go after Democrats, including former presidents, who may have committed crimes, Gerow believes that will now happen.

“They’ve opened Pandora’s box,” said Gerow. “And I fear for the repercussions and ramifications of this…Some Republican district attorney somewhere is going to say, ‘Hunter Biden, and Biden’s brother and Biden himself and Hillary and everyone else, we’re going to figure out a way to go after them.’ It’s the weaponization of the criminal justice system, and it’s terrible and has incredibly bad potentialities.”

Please follow DVJournal on social media: Twitter@DVJournal or Facebook.com/DelawareValleyJournal