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News...

What Others are Saying
Reduce Pitts's benefits
by E. P. Peters, East Hempfield
Lancaster New Era, 7/11/2008

In his July 5 letter, Mr. Bill Rutherford was of the opinion that Mr. Joe Pitts lacked "compassion" because he voted against a series of bills that benefited "the young, the old and the middle class."

Perhaps, or maybe Mr. Pitts is suffering from "amnesia" or "duplicity." Why, because Mr. Pitts benefits from one of the most lucrative "retirement and medical plans.''

If Mr. Pitts is so motivated to reduce "entitlements,'' then the best place to start is with his benefits.

Position on Iran
By Bruce A. Slater, Congressional Candidate
July 7, 2008

Nobody except our worst enemies wants to see Iran build a nuclear arsenal.  The real question is: what's the best way to prevent it?  

Since 9/11, the Bush administration's policy, blindly supported by my opponent, Joe Pitts, has been to demand regime change in Iran, repeatedly threaten military action, and refuse to seriously talk to anyone there until Iran unilaterally meets a set of US-dictated “pre-conditions.”

The results speak for themselves.  The most radical factions in Iran have been strengthened, and they are currently doing everything in their power to defy the US and speed up their nuclear program.  The most recent Bush/Pitts responses continue to be more ineffective saber-rattling. There has to be a better way. Read more...

CELEBRATING THE 4TH OF JULY
By Bruce A. Slater, Congressional Candidate
July 4th, 2008

I would love to spend Independence Day with my daughter at our favorite swimming hole, and with my wife in the garden, and with my son sitting on our porch having a beer and shooting the breeze.  I would love to have my parents and brothers and sisters and nieces and nephews over for that hot summer afternoon picnic so I can share my garden’s first and best produce.

I would like to be celebrating the founding fathers of our nation for having the courage to even think about liberty. 

But the “Fourth” is just another working day for the self-employed and those with service-to-the-public jobs who cannot afford health insurance or even gas for their cars so they can get to work.  (Have you noticed how many people are riding the bus these days, or riding a bicycle to work?)

What Others are Saying
Pitts Votes Against Us Again...
by Bill Rutherford Lititz, PA
7/01/2008 

According to the Thomas Report Inc. for this week ending June 27th,   Congressman Joe Pitts voted as follows:

1. No to Child-Abuse Program that would set federal health and safety rules for residential facilities that oversee troubled teenagers. HR 6358 passed 318 to 103.

2. No to Medicare’s Doctor Payments that would avert the administration’s planned 10.6 percent cut in Medicare payments to Doctors set for July 1. HR 6331 passed 355-59.

3. No to Temporary Tax Relief to exempt 22 million middle income filers from the Alternative Min Tax in 2008. The bill’s $61.5 Billion cost would be offset, in part, by tax increases to oil and gas firms and managers of hedge funds. HR 6275 passed 233-189.

4. Yes to a GOP Tax Plan that would strip the $61.5 Billion in tax hikes from HR 6275 above and add this cost to the national debt. Defeated by a vote of 199-222.

Congressman Pitts shows no compassion for the young, the old and the middle class. It would be a bargain for us to pay him to stay home. The real bargain would be to send him home for good.

Joe Pitts is the leading sponsor of HR 2279, a bill that promotes the construction of oil refineries on at least three decommissioned military bases. The bill has not moved from committee because the majority and Republican and Democratic Congress men and women question the validity of Pitts’ assumption that oil would be available for refining.

According to Pitts, the bill is intended to expedite the expansion the country’s oil refining capacity. However, it is indisputable that the supply of imported oil is shrinking and the ability to develop new producing oil fields along America’s coastlines is in doubt.

Pitts’ new refineries will take a decade to bring on-line and by the time they are ready to produce gasoline, they may be obsolete. Read more...

Republican simple-mindedness was evidenced again recently with a "Joe Pitts called me" show. I was enjoying Al Gore's book "The Assault on Reason," when I was interrupted by a call from Congressman Pitts. He was soliciting questions from people he had called.

A caller from Willow Street sure didn't get it. His solution was to buy a fuel-efficient car. Why, that's wonderful. Too bad American car manufacturers got around to that idea way late.

Read more from What Others Are Saying...

The House passed the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act which reauthorizes $14.4 billion in funding for Amtrak over the next five years. The bill was passed by a margin of 311 to 104. Joe Pitts voted NO.

The federal government spends hundreds of billions a year on highways, airports and air traffic control. Billions more are spent on air security and highway law enforcement. Rail travel is more ecologically sound than air or auto travel, and most of the cost of maintaining railways is borne by private industry. Just as important states are developing local rail networks to interface with Amtrak system. Read Bruce Slater's response...

Recently, Congress passed a landmark Farm Bill addressing some of today’s most critical issues facing farmers, related agricultural businesses and the environment. This bill is of particular importance to the tri-county 16th Congressional District. With total disregard for his constituency, Joe Pitts voted against the bill and supported the Bush veto. Happily, the veto was overturned by large margins due to bipartisan support.

When Joe Pitts voted to sustain the President's veto, he placed himself once again in the dwindling group of extreme 'rubber-stamp' Republicans who will back Bush no matter what. Pitts bucked the advice of many Pennsylvania farmers and farming experts. According to Pennsylvania’s Agriculture Secretary Wolff, many of the enhancements in this bill were based on recommendations made by Pennsylvania officials after two years' of hearings and compromise.

Read Bruce Slater's policy statement on the Farm Bill...

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 2008 on July 12, 2008. This bill would provide for 13 more weeks on unemployment benefits to workers exhausting their regular unemployment compensation in states with unemployment rates above 6 percent. The bill passed the House by a vote of 274-137. Representative Joe Pitts, PA -16, voted against the bill.Pitts' opponent in the 16th Congressional race, Democrat Bruce Slater, attended the retired AFSCME picnic today held at Penn Manor Community Park near Millersville and was asked if he supported the bill. Slater said "YES!" and pledged to support the bill when he is elected.

Slater said, "Many Americans are struggling to make ends meet. With rising gas and food prices and a weakening labor market, this bill will help those hardest hit in our sluggish economy."

"This bill is not 'pork'" said Slater. "This bill is about Americans helping Americans who are in need. Extending unemployment benefits is a real stimulus package which will help heal this economy, not destroy it." Read more...

View pictures of this event...

The House passed 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act (H.R. 3021) on June 4, of this year. The bill make grants and low-interest loans to local educational agencies for the construction, modernization, or repair of public kindergarten, elementary, and secondary educational facilities. The measure passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 250 to 164. Joe Pitts voted NO.

In response to the NO vote, Bruce Slater said:

"This is one of the most common sense bills to be passed by the House of Representatives in the last two years. It provides aid to states and local government by providing funding that has been eliminated by the Bush and Pitts record budget deficits. Joe Pitts has voted for the largest deficits in U.S. history.

"His advocacy for tax breaks for the very wealthy have led to the decline of our economy, the mortgage crisis, the weakening dollar and a deepening recession. Now he refuses to vote for a bill that would offer a real stimulus package by creating high-paying, sustainable jobs for American families and improve our schools at the same time.

"More and more, this is a typical vote by Joe Pitts, refusing to vote for any legislation that benefits our children, even though he has voted to over 111 times to support George Bush’s costly war in Iraq."

Read more...

Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act - Vote Passed (263-160, 12 Not Voting).

The House passed this bill to extend temporary tax provisions that expired at the end of 2007. Rep. Joseph Pitts voted NO.

The bill expands tax incentives for renewable energy, retains and creates hundreds of thousands of green jobs, spurs American innovation and business investment, cuts taxes for millions of Americans, and closes loopholes allowing U.S. corporations and executives to avoid U.S. taxes by shipping jobs and investment overseas.

To reduce our dependence on foreign oil and to protect the environment, this legislation would increase the production of renewable fuels and renewable electricity, and encourages greater energy efficiency. It extends and expands tax incentives for renewable electricity, energy and fuel from America’s heartland, as well as for plug-in hybrid cars, and energy efficient homes, buildings, and appliances. The bill would be paid for by keeping hedge fund managers and corporate CEOs from escaping income taxes by using offshore tax havens, while middle-class families play by the rules and pay their fair share of taxes.

Bruce Slater's Response...

Bruce Slater has spoken in support of this Act: "In 2000, gas at the pump was about $1.70/gallon. That's when the Bush Republicans decided that the best way to assure Americans cheap, reliable sources of energy was to abandon any serious public support for alternative, renewable energy and instead give Big Oil companies huge tax incentives - with absolutely no accountability.

The result?  Ordinary Americans struggle to pay for fill-ups at $4/gallon, while Big Oil - and their OPEC buddies - are raking in mind-boggling, record-breaking profits still topped off by those now-obscene tax breaks.

This bill, which I strongly support, is a modest but important attempt to reverse that disastrous direction and restore some common sense and balance to our national energy policy. Too bad Pitts has said 'NO' to this bill, and instead is pushing the same disastrous energy agenda as before.  But you can say 'YES' in November by voting to send a new voice to Congress. Isn't it finally time for some energetic change in Washington?"

Overriding the Veto of the Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act - Vote Passed (316-108, 11 Not Voting).

The House voted to override the President's veto of the farm bill, but a clerical error required that the House vote on the bill again. Rep. Joseph Pitts voted NO.

The Farm Bill met with some controversy because of continued subsidies to commercial farms through price supports. But the bill also reauthorized essential nutrition and distribution programs, assisted farmers with loans on certain commodities, provides assistance for school lunch programs that reduces local school district costs, established mandatory labeling standards and expands the Food Stamp program, now called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Agriculture and food production are major Pennsylvania industries. Seventeen of Pennsylvania's 19 member Congressional delegation in the House voted for this bill. Joe Pitts voted to sustain the President's veto. Read more about this bill...

The U.S. House of Representative passed HR 6074, the “Gas Price Relief for Consumers Act”, on Tuesday, May 20th. The bill passed by a veto-proof margin of 324 to 84.  102 Republicans joined 221 Democrats in voting for passage. 

The bill empowers the Justice Department to act against oil companies and oil-producing nations to prevent collusion in price setting. The bill also directs the Department of Justice to establish a Petroleum Industry Antitrust Task Force to investigative and enforce policies related to petroleum industry antitrust issues under federal law.

Congressman Joe Pitts voted “NO.” Pitts takes petroleum PAC money and his voting record reflects his protection of Big Oil while his constituents pay the price.

Joe Pitts is supported by the Independent Petroleum Association of American. IPAA is a lobbying organization that represents independent oil and natural gas producers and service companies across the United States. The IPAA lobbies Congress, regulatory commissions and government agencies like the U.S. Department of Energy. Joe Pitts has a 100% voting record for the IPAA.