GOP putting the ‘mean’ in meaningless legislative efforts
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
Fall, that time of year when a young man’s fancy turns to…a budget crisis, political dysfunction, a renewed health care mess and, oh, yeah, off-year elections.
So, let’s see, the state still lacks a revenue plan to pay for a spending plan it passed some months ago, so now some bills aren’t being paid. The state House Republicans have come up with a wacky plan...
Comey firing raises the stakes for 2018 elections
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
Just when the healthcare mess seemed ready to drown our local Congressvictims in a Jonestown Flood like deluge, President Trump’s firing of FBI Director James B. Comey, Tuesday, swooped in and saved them by changing the subject.
And by saving them, I mean sparing them from a looming electoral firing squad by hitting them with a flaming asteroid.
While Pennsylvania’s...
Chesco Congress members split on ACA repeal vote
Updated 5:10 p.m.: Adds comment from Patrick Meehan
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
Chester County’s Congressional delegation split Thursday in a closely contested vote to pass the American Health Care Act — the controversial bill that would repeal some sections of the Affordable Care Act, a vote that will likely turn the 2018 Congressional Elections into a referendum on healthcare, much as was...
Chester Co.: Where men are men and the congressmen are nervous
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
That loud sigh of relief you might be hearing is coming from our three local members of Congress — Ryan Costello (R-6), Pat Meehan (R-7) and Lloyd Smucker (R-16) — when it became clearer that the White House wouldn’t force a vote on the revised replacement for the Affordable Care Act this coming week.
While the text of the revised legislation isn’t out, multiple...
Costello, Meehan dodge bullet on health care bill failure
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
In the end — for at least two of Chester County’s members of Congress — the decision to withdraw the American Health Care Act, the Republican’s much touted replacement for the Affordable Care Act (known more commonly as Obamacare) may have ended up as the best of a lot of bad possible outcomes.
Both Ryan Costello (R-6) and Pat Meehan (R-7) said following the...
Chesco Congress members feeling heat on health care vote
At last count, Meehan, Costello and Smucker appear to be yes votes
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
The fate of a controversial health care reform bill may end up in the hands of local members of the U.S. Congress — as two of them were seen as being on the fence on the bill but now said to be leaning toward “yes” votes — as the Trump Administration and Congressional Republicans scramble to...
Congress members can’t hide from the voters
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
The phone rang the other night during dinner, it was a phone “town hall” for U.S. Rep. Pat Meehan (R-7) — I happen to live in the 7th — but the timing was lousy and as a practicing journalist, I kind of feel like it is inappropriate as a journalist to participate in such events.
And to be honest — Meehan and his colleagues need to put on their big boy pants...
A brave new world for local Congress members
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
It is a brave (cough-cough) new world for some of our elected officials — specifically the three gentlemen who hold congressional seats in Chester County and find themselves coming home to districts this week they may not recognize.
Yes — we’ll grant everything is new for U.S. Rep. Lloyd Smucker, who is little more than a month in from joining the world’s most...
A shiny new year: things are about to get interesting
Congressional, legislative officials face new political minefields in 2017
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
From Harrisburg to Washington, D.C., it is a bold, bright new year in politics.
From fresh starts to fresh panics, 2017 looks to be among the most interesting ever in the history of our little republic — and possibly not in a good way, but time will tell.
To kick off the year, we’ll gloss...
Trump puts local candidates in a deplorable situation
No good choice for down ballot GOP candidates
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
Um, now what?
If you think the average American doesn’t know what to think about the tapes revealed Friday involving Donald Trump’s comments on women, imagine if you happen to a Republican appearing on the Nov. 8 ballot for Congress or the State Legislature.
I’m not going to address the actual content of the comments...
