DV Journal

If the success of Donald Trump and the GOP in November’s election sent a message from voters about illegal immigration, it didn’t reach the Democrats who represent the Delaware Valley in Congress.

On Tuesday, the U.S. House cast its first vote of the 119th Congress, passing the Laken Riley Act in a bipartisan 264 to 159 vote. Every Republican supported the bill, which requires the detention of illegal immigrants caught committing robbery or theft, as did 48 Democrats.

The same bill was passed by the House last March, but died in the Democrat-controlled Senate. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Bucks/Montgomery) voted for it both times, while all three Delaware Valley Democratic congresswomen –Mary Gay Scanlon, Madeleine Dean and Chrissy Houlahan— twice voted no.

The bill now goes to the Senate, which is expected to take it up on Friday. All 53 Republicans are co-sponsoring the bill, as is one Democrat: Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.).

Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student, was murdered last February by José Antonio Ibarra, a 26-year-old illegal alien from Venezuela, while she was jogging at the University of Georgia in Athens. Ibarra had been arrested in 2022 after entering the U.S. illegally. The Biden administration then allowed him to be “paroled and released for further processing,” U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said.

Ibarra was later arrested by New York City police in September 2023– less than six months before killing Riley — and charged with “acting in a manner to injure a child less than 17 and a motor vehicle license violation,” according to ICE.

Ibarra was arrested again a month later, along with his brother, for allegedly shoplifting at a Walmart in Athens. But because the crime was a misdemeanor, he was released.

Riley’s murder shocked the country. It became a cause celebre, especially among Republicans, who brought up the murder at last year’s State of the Union Address, where President Biden mispronounced her name.

Riley’s body was found Feb. 22, 2024. She was repeatedly struck in the head with a rock and suffocated. Ibarra, was convicted in November and sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole.

“Today, I voted to restore law and order at our borders and reaffirm the safety and sovereignty of our great nation,” Fitzpatrick said on X. “The Laken Riley Act delivers a clear message: those who threaten the safety of our communities will be held accountable. By mandating the immediate detention of illegal immigrants charged with crimes, this legislation puts an end to the dangerous policies that have left American families vulnerable for far too long.

“Laken’s tragic and preventable death is a sobering reminder of the price of inaction.”

Houlahan, on the other hand, attacked the legislation as “carefully written to intentionally erode constitutional protections, beginning with undocumented immigrants.”

She added, “Trump promised these kinds of dangerous changes, and the Republicans in Congress are desperately trying to satisfy him regardless of the implications of the legislation should it become law.”

Dean did not respond to requests for comment.

Scanlon said on her website, “Today, House Republicans made their first priority in the 119th Congress the passage of a bill that is best characterized as ‘legislative clickbait’ – a bill designed to generate headlines and social media clicks, rather than actually solving a problem. Unsurprisingly, H.R. 29 is a continuation of a campaign strategy of stoking fear of immigrants while doing nothing to secure the border or fix our immigration system. Instead, H.R. 29 actually creates new legal problems.”

The bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to detain illegal aliens who have been arrested for burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting. It also authorizes states to sue the federal government for decisions or alleged failures related to immigration enforcement.

To reach the Senate floor, the bill will need 60 votes in the 53-47 GOP-controlled chamber. Two Democrats, Fetterman and Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan, who is up for reelection in 2026, are already on board.

“Laken Riley’s story is a tragic reminder of what’s at stake when our systems fail to protect people. No family should have to endure the pain of losing a loved one to preventable violence,” Fetterman said in a statement.

Asked about his support for the legislation, Fetterman told Fox News, “It’s really commonsense. I’d like to remind everybody that we have hundreds and hundreds of thousands of migrants here illegally convicted of crimes. Who wants to defend them, to allow them to remain in our nation?”

When Republican voter registration activist Scott Presler ran into U.S. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) at the Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg on Friday, he had a message for the Keystone State pol.

There are a lot of Fetterman fanboys in the GOP.

While chatting with the Democratic senator, Presler told Fetterman if he would change political parties and become a Republican, the party would be happy to have him.

“If you ever would like to join the Republican Party, we would welcome you,” Presler told him.

Presler, who is credited with helping turn out the Republican votes needed to win Pennsylvania for Trump and led Dave McCormick to a razor-thin win for the U.S. Senate, told DVJournal he didn’t want to speak at length about his encounter with Fetterman.

“I tried to be jovial,” Presler said. “I believe in building bridges. I’m trying to court him.” He also added a personal observation.

“I’m 6-foot-4, and he’s taller than I am.” But he declined to say any more about the charismatic populist.

Fetterman has long had a reputation as a progressive Democrat from the fire-breathing Bernie Sanders wing of the party. But since his U.S. Senate win in 2022, he’s embraced the role of moderate maverick. In fact, Fetterman told NBC News, “I’m not a progressive.”

Fetterman has backed Israel’s right to defend itself since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorism attack. He’s called for tougher immigration enforcement. And he was a vocal critic of fellow Democrat and former U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), who was convicted on charges of bribery, extortion, and obstruction of justice.

Fetterman waged an open war to deny Menendez access to classified information and force him out of the Senate, to the annoyance of some in his party. Fetterman didn’t back down, and Menendez eventually declined to run for reelection.

Fetterman told his fellow Democrats to “chill out” rather than mount opposition to President-elect Donald Trump’s every move. Fetterman went so far as to praise the Trump campaign’s targeting of Vice President Kamala Harris’ positions on transgender rights, saying, “And it’s undeniable that Republicans created a really powerful message. ‘She’s for they/them, and Trump is for you.’ That was, I think, our cycle’s version of ‘Where’s the beef?’ or, ‘I knew Jack Kennedy, and you’re no Jack Kennedy.’”

Fetterman has indicated he’s keeping an “open mind” on Trump’s cabinet nominees.

However, Fetterman declined to take up Presler’s offer on Friday. His office did not respond to DVJournal’s request for comment on Monday.

Whether or not the state’s now-senior senator makes a move across the aisle, Presler said, Pennsylvania is still shifting toward the GOP. In 2012, there were 1.1 million more Democratic voters in Pennsylvania than Republicans. Now, there are just 211,798 more.

Presler told DVJournal he wanted to host a booth at the Farm Show, which runs through Jan. 11,  for his group, Early  Vote Action. Although he counted eight empty booths, Presler said the Farm Show administrators told him none were available. He left his contact information with them, hoping to set up a voter registration table there this week.

Shannon Powers, a spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture said, Presler “did not apply for space. He inquired in early December, when we already had a waiting list of 200 businesses or organizations that had completed applications.”

And though the November election is behind him, Presler is continuing to register voters and points to increasing numbers of Republican voters in Pennsylvania and other states, including New Jersey. Despite being perceived as a deep-blue state, Trump got more than 46 percent of the vote there in November, coming closer to winning the state than any Republican since 1992. Now, Presler hopes the GOP’s overperformance last year will translate into a GOP governor in the Garden State this year.

As for Fetterman, Presler says to keep hope alive.

“Who knows? 2025 is a new year.”

President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he is appointing Dr. Mehmet Oz as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) administrator.

Oz ran for U.S. Senator in Pennsylvania in 2022, losing to Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.)

Oz is famous as a former television doctor who cut his TV chops with the television personality Oprah Winfrey and hosted his program, “The Dr. Oz Show.”

The cardiothoracic surgeon who invented a heart valve and practiced at Presbyterian-Columbia Medical Center in New York.

Oz, a Republican, sought to replace former GOP Sen. Pat Toomey. Although his wife grew up in Bryn Athyn and the family has a home there, although Oz lived part-time in New Jersey to be closer to work. The Fetterman campaign successfully targeted him as a carpetbagger.  According to an X post, Fetterman said, ““Well, I’ve been very, very clear if Dr Oz agrees to protect and preserve Medicaid and Medicare, I’m absolutely going to vote for the dude.”

Jim Worthington, an RNC delegate and owner of the Newtown Athletic Club (NAC), said he knows Oz well.  Worthington became friends with Oz after Trump appointed both men to the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition in 2018.

When Oz ran for the Senate, Worthington said he backed him wholeheartedly. Worthington said Oz is “brilliant.” When Oz lost to Fetterman, “it was one of my saddest days.”

“America lost out. Dr. Oz would have been a great senator,” he said.

At a campaign event at the NAC in September 2022, when radio talk show host and DVJournal columnist Dom Giordano was speaking, a woman in the audience fainted.  Oz jumped into action, leaped over a railing and revived her.

Oz is not only a “world-renowned heart surgeon” but a businessman and someone who “can do anything,” said Worthington. Appointing him to the CMS “will be good for the country.”  Oz knows about senior citizens, medicine and business, said Worthington.

“He’s a great guy,” said Worthington. “His wife, Lisa, is great, too. She’s brilliant in her own right. They’re good people.”

Longtime Republican consultant Christopher Nicholas said, “It’s an important job – glad another Pennsylvanian has been tapped to help steer it.”

Oz has been an outspoken Trump supporter, and Trump endorsed him when he ran for the Senate.

In a statement, Trump said, “America is facing a healthcare crisis, and there may be no physician more qualified and capable than Dr. Oz to Make America Healthy Again [MAHA]. He is an eminent physician, heart surgeon, inventor, and world-class communicator who has been at the forefront of healthy living for decades. Dr. Oz will work closely with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to take on the illness industrial complex and all the horrible chronic diseases left in its wake.

“Our broken Healthcare System harms everyday Americans and crushes our country’s budget. Dr. Oz will be a leader in incentivizing disease prevention so we get the best results in the world for every dollar we spend on healthcare in our great country. He will also cut waste and fraud within our country’s most expensive government agency, which is a third of our nation’s healthcare spend[ing] and a quarter of our entire national budget.

“Oz graduated from Harvard College and earned a joint MD and MBA degree at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and Wharton Business School, my powerful alma mater. He rose to become a professor of surgery at Columbia University while receiving numerous patents on his medical inventions, authoring more than 400 original publications, and publishing numerous New York Times Best Selling books,” the statement said.

“He won nine Daytime Emmy Awards hosting ‘The Dr. Oz Show,’ where he taught millions of Americans how to make healthier lifestyle choices and gave a strong voice to the key pillars of the MAHA Movement. Dr. Oz and his wife, Lisa, expanded this effort by founding HealthCorps, a non-profit that has improved the lives of millions of underserved teens nationwide over the past two decades.”

Oz, whose parents immigrated to America from Turkey, and his wife have four children. He grew up in Wilmington, Delaware, where his father was a thoracic surgeon.

Oz is “a great person. He’s a great pick,” added Worthington.

Trump said, “I have known Dr. Oz for many years, and I am confident he will fight to ensure everyone in America receives the best possible healthcare so our country can be great and healthy Again!”

Local U.S. Reps. Madeleine Dean (D-Montgomery) and Chrissy Houlahan (D-Chester) both participated in the boycott of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to Congress on Wednesday, sending a political message to their Delaware Valley constituents.

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Bucks) was on hand to hear Netanyahu’s remarks, as were Sens. Bob Casey and John Fetterman — the latter abandoning his usual sweats-and-shorts attire and donning a suit and (Israel-blue) tie.

The Democratic Party has been roiled by divisions since the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack on Israel and the Jewish State’s military response. Democrats are divided over how to respond to protests in which young, politically progressive crowds chant, “From the River to the Sea, Palestine Shall Be Free” — a phrase viewed by many as antisemitic.

Those protests continued outside the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, where anti-Israel activists burned the U.S. flag and defaced historic monuments. Some protesters even waved Hamas flags and declared their solidarity with the terrorist group.

Netanyahu called out the protesters during his speech.

“When the tyrants of Iran, who hang gays from cranes and murder women for women for not covering their hair, are praising, promoting and funding you, you have officially become Iran’s useful idiots,” Netanyahu said.

“Some of these protesters hold up signs saying, ‘Gays for Gaza,’” he added. “They might as well hold up signs saying ‘Chickens for KFC.’”

About half the Democratic caucus in the House and Senate skipped Netanyahu’s speech, and Vice President Kamala Harris declined to perform her duties of presiding over the Senate. Instead she spoke at a sorority event in Indiana.

Dean made her reasons for boycotting Netanyahu clear in a post on X, “I respect our institution, open dialogue, and collaboration with allies. But a line must be drawn. I will not attend today’s address. Mr. Netanyahu will not lecture me on morality and justice.”

David Winkler, Dean’s Republican opponent, replied on X.

“You are one of the most Antisemitic congresswomen serving today. How dare you turn your back on Israel, a Major Non-NATO US Ally of the United States. This isn’t leadership; you hate Jews & just won’t say it outright,” Winkler said. “I stand in solidarity with our Jewish community & Israel against Hamas & the hateful Pro Palestine extremists.”

In a statement, Houlahan laid out her reasons for boycotting Netanyahu’s speech.

“I chose not to attend Prime Minister Netanyahu’s joint address to Congress. It was an enormously difficult decision. My priority with this conflict is and has always been, to use my position to aid in finding real solutions for enduring peace, a two-state solution, the release of hostages, and expanded humanitarian aid for those suffering in Gaza, the West Bank, and Israel.

“I believe that centering attention on this speech at this time would not only be a distraction from these important goals, which include a ceasefire agreement, but may, in fact, make these goals less attainable,” said Houlahan.

Her GOP opponent, Neil Young, also responded.

“Chrissy Houlahan’s decision to boycott Prime Minister Netanyahu’s address to Congress is a disgraceful rejection of our valuable Jewish allies and friends. [Houlahan] explained that she didn’t want to be a distraction by attending but instead became a distraction by explaining why she didn’t want to be a distraction. Houlahan took a day off while Israel is fighting for [its] survival,” Young said.

In his speech, Netanyahu thanked both President Joe Biden, who calls himself an “Irish American Zionist,” and former President Donald Trump, the author of the Abraham Accords, for their support of Israel.

“For Israel never again must not be an empty promise,” he said. “It must always be a sacred vow. And after Oct 7th, never again is now.”

He also called out the protesters outside the Capitol while he spoke, who had camped out on university campuses this past spring.

Defeating the enemy requires both “courage and clarity,” he said. “And clarity begins with knowing the difference between good and evil. I think many anti-Israel protesters, many chose to stand with evil. They stand with Hamas. They stand with rapists and murderers.”

Netanyahu, a Cheltenham High School graduate, also condemned the university presidents, including from his alma mater MIT, who testified before Congress and could not condemn students calling for the genocide of Jews 80 years after the Holocaust, saying it depended on the context.

He pointed out the claim that Israel is a colonial state but pointed out, “for nearly 4,000 years, Israel has been the homeland of the Jewish people.”

“It will always be our home,” he said.

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President Joe Biden’s threat to withhold some precision offensive weapons from Israel as it wages war on the terrorist army of Hamas has been met with an angry backlash from both political parties. And that divide among Democrats is on display in Pennsylvania, where U.S. Sen. John Fetterman has decried Biden’s “disappointing” decision, while local U.S. Reps. Madeleine Dean and Chrissy Houlahan have endorsed it.

On Sunday, Biden’s Secretary of State Anthony Blinken repeated the administration’s threat, and said even more restrictions may follow if Israel pushes into the Gazan city of Rafah to wipe out what’s left of Hamas.

“If Israel launches this major military operation into Rafah, then there are certain systems that we are not going to be supporting and supplying for that operation,” Blinken told CBS’s “Face the Nation.”

The backlash from supporters of Israel began on Wednesday when Biden said he had told the Israelis that going into Rafah would result in a loss of U.S. support.

“I’ve made it clear to Bibi [Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu] and the war cabinet: They’re not going to get our support if they go [into] these population centers,” Biden told CNN.

Pennsylvania’s Fetterman responded via social media. “Hard disagree and deeply disappointing,” he tweeted.

“I strongly disagree with this decision and it should be immediately reversed. If there are any restrictions, it should be on Hamas, its enablers, and benefactors,” he added.

Montgomery County Democratic Congresswoman Madeline Dean, on the other hand, has been calling for Biden to restrict weapons to Israel for weeks. While her spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment, Dean signed a letter urging Biden to withhold “certain offensive weaponry or other military support that can be used for an assault on Rafah, including offensive weaponry already signed into law.”

Dave Winkler, the Republican running against Dean, called her letter “despicable.”

“Withholding aid from Israel would be an unconscionable betrayal that would embolden the forces of terror and extremism hellbent on delegitimizing and annihilating the Jewish state. As a stalwart ally, the U.S. has a moral obligation to steadfastly support Israel’s ability to defend itself against the existential threats of Iran’s nuclear ambitions, Hezbollah’s missile arsenals, and the indiscriminate rocket attacks on civilians by the terrorist thugs of Hamas.

Dean’s fellow Democrat, Rep. Chrissy Houlahan issued a lengthy statement saying she also agrees with Biden’s decision to withhold arms from the longtime U.S. ally.

“Recently, President Biden decided to temporarily withhold specific U.S. weapons to Israel until such time as he receives further assurances about Israel’s military operations and humanitarian considerations, specifically in Rafah. I don’t agree with every decision the president makes, but I agree with him here,” Houlahan said.

Houlahan’s GOP challenger Neil Young disagrees. “President Biden withholding arms from Israel is not only completely reckless, but it undermines American credibility on the world stage. Israel is our most trusted ally and they should not be left to stand alone. This shouldn’t be a partisan issue. Many Democrats, like our senator John Fetterman, have stood against Biden’s betrayal of Israel. Chrissy Houlahan’s support for this reckless policy prioritizes party allegiance over national interest. Her loyalty lies with her party, not with the American people or our allies.”

Both Houlahan and Dean are on the far-left Working Families Party list of congressional members who have demanded a ceasefire.

Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) declined to respond to a request for comment from DVJournal on the topic, but he told reporters late last week he disagrees with Biden’s decision to withhold weapons. However, he’s rarely mentioned the issue while Fetterman has spoken forcefully on behalf of Israel and its right to use force.

Casey’s Republican opponent Dave McCormick has praised Fetterman’s “moral clarity” regarding the Jewish state.

Nationally, both the Republican Jewish Coalition and Democratic Majority for Israel have issued statements opposing Biden’s treatment of the Jewish state.

“Joe Biden has cemented his legacy as the worst president for the Jewish community and the State of Israel ever,” said the RJC.

“We are deeply concerned about the administration’s decision to withhold weapons now and potentially impose further restrictions,” said the Democratic Majority for Israel’s Mark Mellman.

“A strong U.S.-Israel alliance like the one President Biden has created, plays a central role in preventing more war and making the path to eventual peace possible,” he added. “Calling the strength of that alliance into question is dangerous.”

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Pennsylvania’s two Democratic U.S. senators were for federal funding of a Philly LGBT community center that hosted “kink” sex parties — before they were against it.

The Senate voted unanimously to remove $1 million in funding requested by Sen. John Fetterman for William Way. Pennsylvania’s senior Sen. Bob Casey also withdrew his support for the funding.

However, Fetterman vowed to renew the funding request for William Way in the federal budget.

The controversy began Tuesday when the social media account Libs of TikTok noted in a post that an upcoming spending bill “includes $1M of your tax dollars to go towards renovating an LGBTQ Center in PA which boasts rooms to try BDSM and s*x f*tishes [sic] and hosts BDSM and s*x k*nk parties. There’s even a k*nk party happening there this weekend! @SenBobCasey and @SenFettermanPA are the ones who requested this funding.”

That’s when Casey and Fetterman sent letters asking the funding be pulled from the spending bill.

Fetterman’s March 5 letter says, “After further review, I am writing to withdraw my support and request the removal of the below Fiscal Year 2024 Congressionally Directed Spending project included in the Senate Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Appropriations bill.”

The letter then referenced the William Way renovation and expansion project. The renovation would “renovate and expand the existing Community Center into an inclusive, fully accessible, and welcoming space for all individuals to gather, learn and receive support.”

But after word of his kink-club reversal was trumpeted on Twitter, Fetterman announced Wednesday his staff had sent the letter without his knowledge or consent.

“The William Way LGBT Community Center has been doing critical work in Philadelphia for decades. I do not believe that we should penalize this center based on events that are entirely legal among consenting adults. I have no problem with what consenting adults do in their private time,” Fetterman told DVJournal in a statement.

“Unfortunately, at the 11th hour, my staff was made aware that funding for William Way, which was in the bill because I championed it, would not pass in the FY24 appropriations process. The choice was either to pull it or watch it get stripped out, attacked by Republicans, and ultimately killed. This is not the end of this fight, and I am going to fight for William Way to secure their funding in the FY25 appropriations process.

William Way is the host for The Aviary, which describes itself as “an all inclusive social party for any and all that wish to come and participate, with an emphasis on Kink Lifestyle themes. From Vanilla to Experienced, we welcome players of all skill types. All inclusive means we welcome anyone of any identity or sexuality.”

Renee Gilinger, the center’s capital campaign director, said, “The William Way LGBT Community Center was disappointed to learn that support for federal Congressionally Directed Spending to renovate and expand our historic headquarters on 1315 Street in Philadelphia was withdrawn as a result of lies and distortions about our center shared by political extremists.

“These extremists falsely stated that sexual behavior is allowed in rental programs of the center, which is inaccurate and against our center’s code of conduct.  The center will continue to be a safe haven for a broad range of hundreds of community groups who rent from us, including those that provide a space for sexual health promotion, community building, and education,” she said.

A screen capture posted by Libs of TikTok shows an online invitation to people interested in “BDSM, kink and fetish.” However, when DVJournal tried the link, all that came up was a blank screen.

“The William Way LGBT Community Center stands firmly against discrimination and will work with our elected officials to ensure that support for our center, and other LGBTQ institutions across the nation, is restored,” said Gilinger. William Way serves 5,000 people.

Casey’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

Libs of TikTok, an X (formerly Twitter) account, is run by Chaya Raichik and boasts 2.9 million followers. It’s known for ridiculing content posted mostly from LGBTQ and others on the left. It has also exposed teachers after posting content they’ve posted online.

“I’m new here, but I wasn’t aware that Democratic values and priorities are dictated by Libs of TikTok,” Fetterman quipped.

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What a difference an election year makes.

Pennsylvania Democrat Sen. Bob Casey Jr. has been an outspoken advocate of climate policies designed to reduce the use of fossil fuels and cut carbon emissions. In 2022, he praised President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, saying the $369 billion in green spending “may have been the last chance” for federal action on climate change. Casey voted against a 2021 amendment to reverse Biden’s shutdown of the Keystone XL pipeline, and he’s even floated bringing back the New Deal-era Civilian Conservation Corps to promote “climate change mitigation.”

But with a competitive general election looming in November and a well-funded GOP challenger, Casey signed a letter last week announcing his opposition to the Biden administration’s decision to pause liquid natural gas (LNG) exports.

“Pennsylvania is an energy state,” Casey and fellow Pennsylvania Democrat Sen. John Fetterman wrote. “As the second largest natural gas-producing state, this industry has created good-paying energy jobs in towns and communities across the commonwealth and has played a critical role in promoting U.S. energy independence.”

Fetterman and Casey worry the LNG pause might impact “thousands of jobs in Pennsylvania’s natural gas industry.” They vowed to push the administration to reverse the decision if it “puts Pennsylvania energy jobs at risk.”

It’s surprisingly strong language for Casey, who voted for Biden’s agenda 99.3 percent of the time last year, according to FiveThirtyEight.com.

Environmental groups were not pleased with the two Democrats’ statement.

“They are being hypocritical, and also they are sticking their head in the ground by ignoring/denying the climate impacts that are being caused by LNG exports and the fracking that fuels it,” said Tracy Carluccio of the Delaware Riverkeeper Network (DRN) “They are also acting unproductively oppositional to President Biden who also said this pause will examine the community and economic impacts of these DOE authorizations for LNG export and that is inexcusable.”

Only one other Senate Democrat, green activist bête noire Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), openly criticized the Biden policy. Manchin chairs the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and vowed to do everything possible to “end this pause immediately” if it’s proven the Biden administration was pandering to “keep-it-in-the-ground climate activists.”

Manchin isn’t seeking reelection, and there’s been talk that he may run for president as a centrist third-party candidate.

It’s a much different scenario for Casey, who is up for reelection this fall. His likely Republican opponent, Dave McCormick, wasted no time decrying Biden’s LNG pause.

“America and PA lead the world in Liquified Natural Gas, creating jobs for our people & allies for our country,” McCormick posted on social media hours after Biden’s announced the LNG pause last month. “Why is Bob Casey standing with [Biden] on this?”

Almost a week later, Casey announced his opposition.

Fetterman’s commitment to green energy shifted further. After twice signing the No Fossil Fuel Pledge, the alleged progressive said in 2022 that he supports fracking “as long as it’s done environmentally sound.” His Senate campaign claimed he never “supported a fracking ban” and wanted to “preserve the union way of life” for natural gas workers. However, Fetterman said in 2018, “I don’t support fracking.”

Environmental groups, including Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania, Sierra Club of Pennsylvania, and PennFuture, declined to comment about the pro-fossil-fuel stance of their political allies. Instead,  Sierra Club Pennsylvania Chapter Director Tom Schuster said he was confident the federal review would prove LNG projects don’t “serve the public interest and will cancel them.” PennFuture said the pause was “a win for Philadelphia and Chester.”

Energy groups praised Casey and Fetterman for their willingness to break with Biden.

“The Pennsylvania Independent Oil and Gas Association agrees with the criticism by Sens. Casey and Fetterman of the effect on Pennsylvania jobs of President Bidens’s LNG export pause,” Kevin Moody, PIOGA General Counsel, told DVJournal. “But just as significant, and perhaps even more so, are the adverse effects on our national security and our ability to provide Europe and Asia with the LNG they need and will get from somewhere else.”

Pennsylvania Manufacturers’ Association President and CEO David Taylor called it electoral politics.

“I think the Biden administration just took a position so extreme that people had to protect their backsides and jump up and say, ‘No, I’m not, I’m not in favor of that,’” he told DVJournal.

Taylor still wondered if Casey’s recent public stance was sincere, given his record.

“[He] worked closely with Joe Biden …certainly in the Democrat primary in 2019 and 2020 [he] was all in for Joe Biden,” Taylor said. “If he’s looking to differentiate himself from [Biden], that may be an exceedingly difficult challenge.”

Carluccio suspects the move could hurt Casey at the ballot box this fall, particularly among environmentally conscious voters in the Delaware Valley.

“Those folks vote,” she said. “More and more people, as they become convinced that fracking is not what it’s made out to be…are going to speak through their vote.”

The U.S. Senate Energy Committee will hold a hearing Thursday on Biden’s LNG export pause.

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President Joe Biden supports the mammoth $118 billion border and foreign aid deal released by the U.S. Senate Sunday night. And despite complaints from some progressives that it’s “a new version of a failed Trump-era immigration policy,” Delaware Valley Democrats say they’re on board, too.

“Now we’ve reached an agreement on a bipartisan national security deal that includes the toughest and fairest set of border reforms in decades. I strongly support it,” Biden said in a statement.

The bill, which approves $60 billion in aid for Ukraine and another $14 billion for Israel, is poised for its first vote in the Senate on Wednesday. On immigration, it would raise the standard for claiming asylum, end “catch and release,” and add money for 50,000 detention beds for migrants awaiting review.

It was negotiated by Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), and James Lankford (R-Okla.)

But in Pennsylvania, attitudes toward the legislation fall along partisan lines.

“The bipartisan bill released last night takes critical steps towards securing our border and stopping fentanyl while providing key assistance to Ukraine and Israel,” said Sen. Bob Casey Jr. (D-Pa.) via social media. “It’s time to put politics aside and get this done.”

His likely Republican opponent, Dave McCormick, posted his opposition. “This is not a compromise; it’s a capitulation. This bill does not secure the border — it allows 4,000 migrants to cross illegally every. single. day.”

McCormick was referencing a provision in the legislation that mandates the Department of Homeland Security turn away all would-be migrants at the border if encounters reach a weekly average of 5,000 per day. The bill also grants the president the authority to invoke that measure at 4,000 encounters per day.

Like many of his fellow Republicans, McCormick argues there’s no reason to allow that level of undocumented migration — about 1.4 million per year — before shutting down the border.

“To protect Americans and fight the scourge of fentanyl, we need to CLOSE the border to illegal immigration. I oppose this deal,” McCormick wrote.

Progressive Sen. John Fetterman posted on social media that he had former Republican Wyoming Sen. Alan Simpson as a professor.

“Back in 1998, Sen. Simpson said that we’ll never have any meaningful immigration legislation because it will forever be a useful political weapon. Here we are more than a quarter century later. I hope my Senate Republican colleagues don’t prove him right. Let’s PASS THIS BILL.”

The three Democrats in the Delaware Valley federal delegation also support the package.

“Our border and immigration system is dysfunctional and has been under both parties,” Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-Montgomery/Berks) posted on social media. “It’s time to start talking solutions. So far, House Republicans are unwilling. I pray they change their minds soon — for the sake of our communities and for the sake of those seeking refuge.”

Republican David Winkler, who is running against Dean, said he is “deeply disappointed” in the “lack of seriousness” from Democrats on the border, and he cites the lack of a border wall mandate in the bill.

“We should propose a bill that focuses on strengthening border security by implementing physical security measures, utilizing advanced technology, and increasing staffing.”

Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Chester/Berks) supports the bill. She visited the border last Thursday and Friday. Houlahan also penned a letter asking her colleagues to send more aid to Ukraine.

“I’m calling on Speaker [Mike] Johnson to change his deeply cynical position that “now is not the time” for immigration reform—I couldn’t disagree more. Most people in communities across America couldn’t disagree more. No solution will be perfect, but we cannot let that keep us from making progress for both the American people and those who seek refuge here,” Houlahan said in an op-ed in Newsweek on Monday.

Her request is falling on deaf ears. Speaker Johnson and other key House leaders signed a letter Monday declaring the bill dead on arrival in the House.

“It fails in every policy area needed to secure our border and would actually incentivize more illegal immigration,” they wrote. “The so-called ‘shutdown’ authority in the bill is anything but, riddled with loopholes that grant far too much discretionary authority to Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas – who has proven he will exploit every measure possible, in defiance of the law, to keep the border open.”

Neil Young, the Republican running against Houlahan, said he agrees with Johnson.

“Senate Republicans who voted in favor of this bill should be made to account for their vote and primaried if necessary. The American people do not want a quota system on how many people should be allowed into this country illegally.

“We deserve leaders who will vote to protect our borders from all threats, be they drug, crime, or illegal immigrant-related,” said Young. “In addition, for them to also tie this nonsense to yet another $60 billion foreign aid handout to Ukraine is doubly insulting. Last year’s HB2, which Speaker Johnson passed, was the blueprint for how to handle this, and the Senate still failed to deliver meaningful border security. The American people are smart enough to know that this current administration is responsible for our crisis at the border, and no amount of media spin can change that.”

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Bucks/Montgomery) did not respond to requests for comment, nor did Ashley Ehasz, the Democrat making her second attempt to unseat him.

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) announced Monday he will try to block the sale of Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel to Nippon Steel, a Japanese company.

Fetterman cited security concerns and fears that jobs will be lost if the deal goes through.

“I live across the street from U.S. Steel’s Edgar Thompson plant in Braddock. It’s absolutely outrageous that U.S. Steel has agreed to sell themselves to a foreign company. Steel is always about security – both our national security and the economic security of our steel communities. I am committed to doing anything I can do, using my platform and my position, to block this foreign sale,” Fetterman said.

“This is yet another example of hard-working Americans being blindsided by greedy corporations willing to sell out their communities to serve their shareholders. I stand with the men and women of the Steelworkers and their union way of life. We cannot allow them to be screwed over or left behind. I promise to them and to all forgotten communities across Pennsylvania that I will work with Senator Casey and the rest of the delegation to fight like hell to make this right.”

Fetterman’s fellow Democrat Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) agreed.

“The United States marquee steel company should remain under American ownership,” said Casey. “From initial reports, this deal appears to be a bad deal for Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania workers. I’m concerned for what this means for the steelworkers and the good union jobs that have supported Pennsylvania families for generations, for the long-term investment in the commonwealth, and for American industrial leadership.”

U.S. Steel agreed to a $14.1 billion deal with Nippon, which is offering to buy the steel giant’s shares for $55 each. Although Nippon claims it will honor all collective bargaining agreements and keep the company in Pittsburgh, the union, United Steelworkers International, is crying foul.

Union President David McCall said, “To say we’re disappointed in the announced deal between U.S. Steel and Nippon is an understatement, as it demonstrates the same greedy, shortsighted attitude that has guided U.S. Steel for far too long.

“We remained open throughout this process to working with U.S. Steel to keep this iconic American company domestically owned and operated, but instead, it chose to push aside the concerns of its dedicated workforce and sell to a foreign-owned company.

“Neither U.S. Steel nor Nippon reached out to our union regarding the deal, which is in itself a violation of our partnership agreement that requires U.S. Steel to notify us of a change in control or business conditions,” McCall said.

“Based on this alone, the USW does not believe that Nippon understands the full breadth of the obligations of all our agreements, and we do not know whether it has the capacity to live up to our existing contract. This includes not just the day-to-day commitments of our labor agreement but also significant obligations to fund pension and retiree insurance benefits that are the most extensive in the domestic steel industry.

He called on government regulators to “carefully scrutinize this acquisition and determine if the proposed transaction serves the national security interests of the United States and benefits workers.”

The USW represents 850,000 workers.

President and Chief Executive Officer of U. S. Steel, David B. Burritt, told investors the purchase offer is a good deal.

“I couldn’t be happier with the outcome of our strategic review process, because it delivers on what is best for each of our stakeholders. And importantly, this is the best value with certainty and timeliness to close,” Burritt said.

Following the closing of the transaction, U. S. Steel will retain its iconic name, brand, and headquarters in Pittsburgh. NSC is committed to continuity in strong relationships with U. S. Steel’s suppliers, customers, the surrounding communities, and people that support U. S. Steel’s operations and is committed to being a productive member of these communities, the company said in a press release.

In an October press release, the company said, “United States Steel Corporation’s operations in Pennsylvania, which include U. S. Steel’s corporate headquarters in Pittsburgh and sites in Braddock, Clairton, Fairless Hills, Munhall, and West Mifflin, contributed $3.6 billion to the local and state economy in Fiscal Year 2022, according to an economic impact report released today. The report further concludes that the U. S. Steel’s economic activity supported or sustained 11,417 jobs.

“Bob Casey and Joe Biden have weakened America’s national security and economic standing in the world. We need to be a manufacturing country, with Americans working for American companies,” Dave McCormick, the Republican running against Casey, said on social media.

While Biden and Casey have spent most of their lives in Washington working for the government, McCormick has been in the business world as CEO of a Pittsburgh software company and, most recently, the CEO of Bridgewater, a hedge fund, as well as serving having served in the George W. Bush administration.

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Pennsylvania U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-Montgomery County) have joined the chorus of Democrats calling on Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) to resign in the wake of federal bribery and corruption charges.

However, Casey is keeping some of the campaign cash he received from Menendez in the past.

In a statement Tuesday, Casey called serving in the U.S. Senate “a sacred trust.”

“The specific allegations outlined in the federal indictment indicate to me that Sen. Menendez violated that trust repeatedly. While he is entitled to the presumption of innocence, serving in public office is a privilege that demands a higher standard of conduct. Sen. Menendez should resign.”

A majority of U.S. Senate Democrats now say Menendez should step down, though the top Democrat — Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) continues to stand by the embattled senator.

Menendez, who sits on the Foreign Relations Committee, is accused of pressuring several government agencies to help his business associates. Those associates, many with interests in Egypt, allegedly bribed him with cash, a sports car, an apartment, and even gold bars. Investigators found about $500,000 in cash and gold bars in Menendez’s home.

The senator insists he will not resign, saying he regularly withdrew money from the bank to keep at home because, growing up as a child of immigrants from Cuba, he learned a culture of fearing government confiscation of private wealth.

Menendez grew up in Union City, N.J.

Menedez donated generously from his U.S. Senate committee to fellow Democrats over the years, including $26,500 to Casey throughout three previous campaigns. On Tuesday, Casey announced he would be donating Menendez’s most recent donation of $10,000 to an “unspecified charity,” according to The Hill, but he was keeping the rest.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee cried foul.

“Bob Casey said he’s only giving back some of the money he received from corrupt Bob Menendez,” the NRSC said in a statement. “Why is Casey keeping $16,500 if he thinks Menendez’s money is dirty?”

Republicans have begun referring to Menendez as “Gold Bar Bob” in reference to the bullion found in his home.

The Pennsylvania Democrat is seeking a fourth term in the U.S. Senate next year.

Another recipient of Menendez money is Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), who received $5,000 for his 2022 campaign. Fetterman was the first member of the U.S. Senate to call for Menendez to resign over the most recent charges. A Fetterman spokesperson told The Messenger, “We are in the process of returning the money in envelopes stuffed with $100 bills.”

“Sen. Menendez should resign,” Fetterman posted on social media. “He’s entitled to the presumption of innocence, but he cannot continue to wield influence over national policy, especially given the serious and specific nature of the allegations.

“I hope he chooses an honorable exit and focuses on his trial.”

This is not the first time the New Jersey politician faced a federal indictment. A mistrial was declared in 2017 when a split jury failed to convict him on corruption charges.

New Jersey Congressman Andy Kim (D) has already declared he will run against Menendez in the 2024 primary.

“After calls to resign, Sen. Menendez said, ‘I am not going anywhere.’ As a result, I feel compelled to run against him. Not something I expected to do, but N.J. deserves better. We cannot jeopardize the Senate or compromise our integrity,” Kim posted on X.

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