Good afternoon and welcome to our Weekend Update.

This week, our team was in the District traveling to various events. The 9^thDistrict is home to our Commonwealth’s hardest working people, great communities to raise our families, and prosperous small businesses.

As someone who spent a career helping to build a small family business into a significant Pennsylvania employer, I enjoy talking to companies. Hearing their struggles and discussing ways we can help get the government out of their way so they can grow and prosper. One of the most significant challenges any job creator has faced is finding employees. Due to the extra unemployment bonuses supported by President Biden and the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, many businesses are struggling to find workers. It was announced that the U.S. unemployment rate did dip lower to 5.4%. Pennsylvania's unemployment rate stands at 6.9%. In states that are prospering, they have gotten rid of these incentives, which has helped attract workers back to the workforce. Pennsylvania has not.

We will never compete with the prosperous economies of Florida, Texas, Arizona, Utah or Georgia unless we have a governor who understands we must model our policies after the states and governors who are winning.

I met with our friends at the Schuylkill County Chamber of Commerce. I was joined by Bob Carl, the Chamber’s President and CEO and their team for their government affairs meeting.

On Friday, I attended the Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce breakfast, hosted by PP&L. I delivered a legislative update on the latest news from Washington, D.C. and answered questions from the audience. (Pictured below with Tracie Witter, Regional Affairs Director for PP&L, Art Thomas, Chamber Board Chair, and Malcolm Derk, Chair of the Chamber’s Government Affairs Committee)

(Pictured below with Tracie, Art, and the Bucknell University small business development group members.)

As I wrote last week, it is fair season. This week, I attended the Schuylkill County Fair. Our county fairs are great opportunities to showcase our agricultural community. Agriculture is Pennsylvania’s largest industry and is responsible for feeding our Commonwealth and the nation. Click here to read an article in Lancaster Farming from my recent trip to the Lebanon County Fair.

Click here for a list of statewide fairs and the dates they are taking place. If you haven’t attended a fair this year, I encourage you to take the family. It’s both educational, a great time, and it helps to support the many hardworking farm families in our Commonwealth.

Lastly, I attended an event held in honor of our dear late friend Patrick J. Solano. Pat was a decorated WWII veteran and a respected leader in Pennsylvania state government and politics. I was fortunate enough to know Pat for many years. He was my political mentor and a great friend. This was a fitting tribute, and we will all miss his sage wisdom and friendship. (Pictured below as folks gather to raise our nation's flag in honor of Pat Solano.)

(Pictured below with our good friend Leo Vergnetti)

IN NEWS YOU WON’T HEAR IN THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA: The Biden Administration’s handling of the border crisis has been an abject failure and one of our nation’s most pressing issues. This week, I joined Fox and Friends Firstto discuss the situation at the border and the illegal migrants carrying Covid-19 flooding into our nation. Click here or below to watch.

Some Background on the Crisis: 

• Preliminary numbers for July border encounters show Biden’s border crisis is raging entirely out of control.
• According to reporting from the Associated Press, U.S. immigration officials stopped 210,000 illegal immigrants in July, surging past June’s 188,000 apprehensions for a new 21 year high.
• The number of unaccompanied minors crossing the border is skyrocketing again. Estimates indicate that an all-time high of 19,000 unaccompanied minors were apprehended at the border, passing the previous all-time high set in March.

The Biden/Pelosi/Schumer agenda of ‘open borders’ and ‘defund the police’ are jeopardizing the safety and security of our nation. Worse yet, the double standard is startling. This week, news reports detailed how Missouri Congresswoman Cori Bush has spent tens of thousands of dollars from her campaign account to pay for personal protection. I will remind you that the Congresswoman has consistently called for defunding the police. Click here or below to watch her latest interview.

Our country and our Commonwealth are on the wrong path. To take back the country and our Commonwealth, we must elect Republicans up and down the ballot in November. Winning the important statewide elections in 2022, including winning back the governor's office, maintaining GOP majorities in the state house and senate, and winning back the majority in the U.S. House and retiring Speaker Pelosi starts now. Success in 2022 begins with electing statewide Republican judges in November. I would encourage you to support Supreme Court candidate Judge Kevin Brobson, Superior Court candidate Megan Sullivan, and Commonwealth Court candidates Judge Kevin Brobson and Stacy Wallace.

Have a great week, and we look forward to seeing you soon.