Good afternoon and welcome to our Weekend Update.

On Tuesday, Pennsylvanians went to the polls and overwhelmingly elected Republican candidates for judge, mayor, council member, school board director, and other offices up and down the ballot. In addition, we are very fortunate that the people elected strong conservative statewide Republican Constitutional Judges. Congratulations to Supreme Court Justice-elect Kevin Brobson, Superior Court Judge-elect Megan Sullivan, and Commonwealth Court Judge-elect Stacy Wallace. Commonwealth Court Judge Drew Crompton’s election has yet to be decided. We are hopeful he will be victorious once the process is completed. (Pictured below with Supreme Court Justice-elect Kevin. Brobson.)

Good evening and welcome to our Weekend Update.

I hope you and your family have had a Happy Halloween.

While it is not uncommon to see ghosts and goblins are walking the streets this time of year, the real scares are coming from far-left Democrats who are making it scary for hardworking Americans. Many across the country are struggling under the Biden administration and the Democrat leadership’s excessive tax-and-spend agenda that is causing record inflation, lower wages, supply-chain issues, and skyrocketing gas prices.

While the Biden administration continues its attempts to pass the “Build Back Better” agenda to address the growing disasters they created, the reality is that the result will only make things worse by dramatically increasing the size of government and spending. It would be more aptly named the “Build Back Broke” agenda. The New York Post details how the Biden administration’s “Build Back Better” agenda is the same socialist, far-left agenda drafted by Senator Bernie Sanders… just with a new name. Click here to read.  

Good afternoon and welcome to our Weekend Update.

Border crisis, supply chain disaster, rising crime, high gas prices, out-of-control inflation, a lack of workers, and vaccine mandates… just another week in Washington, D.C.

While the Biden administration’s agenda and policies have led us directly into these issues, they are short on answers and have offered no real solutions. Biden held a nationally televised town hall with CNN. It was a friendly venue with softball questions. However, Biden was still unable to answer questions in a meaningful way. When asked about the crisis at the border, Biden lies about being at the border (no one can verify he has ever been there during his 50-year career) and admits he “should go down.” When asked about high gas prices, Biden says he has no solutions and guesses that gas prices may go down next year.  It’s not just Biden who has lied and made excuses that don’t square with reality… his press secretary was asked about Biden’s falling approval ratings, and she pushed the blame on the unvaccinated and said that people are just tired of them and the Covid-19 pandemic.

This week, the Washington Post released an op-ed that stated Americans shouldn’t rant about short-staffed stores and supply chain issues. Instead, they said Americans should lower their expectations. For the first time, I must credit the Washington Post as they have accurately summed up the Biden administration thus far… Joe Biden’s America - Lower your expectations.

Good afternoon and welcome to our Weekend Update.

This week, the far-left Democrat House voted to increase the debt ceiling. I voted against the measure and spoke out against their efforts to increase our debt. It's reckless and an attempt to continue their push for a radical $5 trillion government spending package. They are pursuing a reconciliation bill as part of the Biden administration’s Build Back Better agenda, which will lead to higher taxes and lower wages crippling Main Street USA. There is no way to sell the Democrats’ disastrous tax and spend agenda to the American people, no matter how hard they try.

I joined Newsmax’s Wake Up America to discuss the Democrats’ plans to push through their $5 trillion spending plan as a means of implementing their socialist, big-government agenda. Click here or below to watch.

Good afternoon and welcome to our Weekend Update.

While the U.S. Senate pushed through a deal to increase the debt ceiling for a few months, much of the conversation in Washington continued to center on the Democrat’s big government reconciliation package. It's impossible to negotiate a long-term deal on the debt ceiling without knowing the true cost of the increased spending Biden and the Democrats are attempting to implement. Unfortunately, the mixed messages from the Biden administration are making this more difficult to pin down. While the administration is requesting an increase of $3.5 trillion to the debt ceiling to handle the increased spending, Biden tells the American people the reconciliation plan costs nothing.

While the Democrat Party remains split on how much they should spend on the reconciliation bill, no one is asking the right questions… what is in the bill and what are we trying to accomplish. This bill is truly a discussion about America’s future. Do we want big-government socialism or free-market capitalism? Full stop. End of sentence. Period.

If we follow the facts, it is clear our nation does not need another stimulus plan. After all, our federal government spent $5.6 trillion last year, in a bipartisan manner, to bolster the economy during the first stages of the pandemic. We have allocated $1.9 trillion since Biden has been in office. Most of that money has not been spent.

Good afternoon and welcome to our Weekend Update.

Again, I spent the week in Washington, D.C., where most of the discussion focused on spending… from raising debt ceilings… massive spending bills… and a transportation and infrastructure bill that is being held hostage in a battle between the liberal and moderate factions of the Democratic Party.

Last week, I wrote that Democrats don’t have a debt ceiling. In their “perfect” world, they would do away with the debt ceiling and ask the American people to give them a credit card with no spending limit. But, unfortunately, America’s credit cards are maxed out. So, rather than seriously begin focusing on reducing our nation’s debt to address a problem created by R’s and D’s, Democrats are seeking ways to accelerate the problem drastically.

I joined several media outlets to discuss the Democrat’s $3.5 trillion spending spree and the massive tax increases accompanying the bill. The Biden administration claims this proposal is revenue neutral and will be paid for by the massive tax increases on hard-working Americans.

Happy Labor Day, and welcome to our Weekend Update.

For those in our commonwealth, neighboring states, Louisiana, and other parts of the nation impacted by Hurricane Ida, Shelley, and I want to extend our heartfelt thoughts and prayers to each of you. This storm was particularly destructive in the southern portion of the 9^th District as the rain came down at record rates. It was devastating for many farms, washing out crops, and communities where the amount of rain being dumped was far too much for our infrastructure to handle. If any constituents require the services of my office, please don't hesitate to call at 570-871-6370. (Roads in Lebanon County pictured below)

This week, the Biden administration took a victory lap on ending the war in Afghanistan. After their disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, where just last week we lost 13 brave American troops, it’s hard to see how the administration’s failed plans and actions were anything but an unmitigated disaster. The Biden administration caved to the Taliban and abandoned an arsenal of weapons and equipment. (See chart below from Wall Street Journal)

Worst of all, the Biden administration chose to leave hundreds of Americans and our allies behind. It’s a black mark on our nation that we left Americans behind to be beaten or worse. A fact that even Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was forced to admit. The arbitrary withdrawal date should have been delayed until we got Americans and our equipment out or disabled effectively. Biden needed to tell, not ask for permission, from the Taliban to move the withdrawal date. I joined “Mornings with Maria” on Fox Business to discuss further. Click here or below to watch.

I joined Newsmax to discuss the Afghanistan withdrawal and the Biden administration's decision to ignore the intelligence regarding the major issues facing withdrawal and the Taliban's rise to power. Click here or below to watch.