Two months ago, the Republican-led Senate passed a responsible, balanced budget.
It funded our schools, supported our police, helped our veterans, and offered real tax relief for hardworking Pennsylvanians. That budget has been sitting on Governor Josh Shapiro’s desk — untouched.
House Democrats and the Governor have failed to act, leaving our communities in limbo.
Pennsylvania families deserve leadership, not excuses.
👉 No Budget? Ask Josh.
Take a listen to my morning interview on WHP 580 with RJ Harris where we discuss yesterday’s shooting of two Pennsylvania State Troopers near Greencastle, PA.
“I think there is a tone in this country against law enforcement….”
THROWBACK THURSDAY: I was a young lieutenant running the North Lane of Tank Table XII on Range 301, Grafenwöhr—three lanes carved through Bavarian pines where M1 Abrams and Bradleys bounded past each other in live fire. For a month the range shook: Cobras knifed the tree-line, A-10s stitched the sky, and artillery thumped the horizon. The commands were muscle memory—
“Gunner, SABOT—TANK!”
“Identified.”
“On the way!”
Brass clanged, JP-8 hung sweet and sour in the air, and the smell of burnt cordite followed us to the barracks. It was glorious—and dangerous. Graf had its share of tragedies; the range never let you forget the cost of getting it wrong.
On my first live-fire, my squadron commander bussed our wives in from Nürnberg. Of course, I was lashed to my lane—in a Bradley, overseeing safety, comms, the live-fire, basically the whole choreography of the North Lane with no chance to break away. When their bus rattled down the tank trail behind the berm, I caught a glimpse of Rebbie through the dust. I threw up a gloved hand and snapped a quick photo between iterations—half frustration, half triumph. Later, back in the cantonment, every wife swore the tanker waving was her husband. Rebbie kept the photo; I kept the memory of a wave on that crisp Bavarian autumn day when war with the Soviets felt close, love felt closer, and the roar of the range drowned everything but duty. #ThrowbackThursday
Rep. Chad Reichard (R-Franklin) and Sen. Doug Mastriano (R-33) issued the following statement on the Pennsylvania State Troopers who were shot in the line of duty in Franklin County:
Our prayers are with the two Pennsylvania State Troopers who were shot in the line of duty in Antrim Township this evening. I ask the community to join me in those prayers for the troopers and their families.
Too frequently we have seen police officers from across the Commonwealth injured or wounded while serving and protecting us. These incidents are a sad reminder of the dangers our officers face in the service to our communities.
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October 8, 1890 - Birthday - American fighter pilot Ace Eddie Rickenbacker (1890-1973) was born in Columbus, Ohio. He commanded the first U.S. aero unit to take part in World War I and was credited with 26 victories, becoming America`s leading Ace. He was awarded the Medal of Honor. He later got involved in auto racing and headed Eastern Air Lines from 1934-63.
Listen to my remarks on SB 784 Made In America Act!
"A flag is more than cloth. It`s every soldier who carried it, every child that pledged to it and every family that flew it on their porch in hard times and good."
October 8, 1918 - During World War I in the Argonne Forest in France, U.S. Sergeant Alvin C. York took out a German machine-gun element, killing 25 capturing 132. He was awarded the Medal of Honor and the French Croix de Guerre.
Take a listen from current Cadet Lloyd Williams at the Keystone State ChalleNGe Academy VAEP Hearing last week!
He made a positive decision that changes the course of his future and that is so fantastic! Thank you Cadet Williams!
HARRISBURG – Sen. Chris Gebhard (R-48) and Sen. Doug Mastriano (R-33) have introduced legislation to strengthen penalties for criminals who commit offenses against federal immigration enforcement officers and agents operating in Pennsylvania.
Senate Bill 1021 would ensure that individuals who assault, threaten or obstruct immigration enforcement personnel face consequences that reflect the severity of their crimes.
“Immigration enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day to enforce the law and protect our communities from dangerous criminal activity,” Gebhard said. “They deserve our full support and protection from the escalating threats and violence directed against them.”
“Every sovereign nation depends on the rule of law,” Mastriano said. “Immigration enforcement officers are tasked with carrying out that mission on behalf of the American people, yet they are being assaulted, threatened and obstructed at alarming rates. In Pennsylvania, we will not look the other way. This legislation ensures that criminals who target federal officers face justice, and it reaffirms our commitment to law and order.”
Nationwide, immigration enforcement officers have faced a troubling rise in violent attacks. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security recently reported an 830% increase in assaults against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers compared to the previous year. Specific documented incidents include:
• More than 1,000 rioters surrounding a federal law enforcement building in Los Angeles, assaulting ICE officers, slashing tires and defacing federal property.
• A July 4th attack on a Texas ICE detention facility which resulted in the charging of 10 suspects with terrorism and aggravated assault on public servants with deadly weapons.
• An ICE officer being dragged 50 yards by a car while arresting a suspect.
• Organized efforts to release personal information of ICE officers and their families, also known as doxxing, putting them at risk from criminal organizations.
• An attack at an ICE facility in Dallas which took the life of one detainee and injured two others.
Operation Desert Storm Veterans Appreciation Day
Today, we honor the brave men and women who served in the 1991 Gulf War — those who stood tall in the sands of Kuwait and Iraq to defend freedom and restore peace.
Their courage, precision, and unity made Operation Desert Storm one of the most decisive victories in modern history.
We remember those who never returned home and thank every veteran who answered the call with honor.
Let us never forget their sacrifice and service.
