The first meeting of the season of the Delaware County Patriots, tonight, Sept. 22, brought about 80 persons to the Knights of Columbus Hall in Newtown Square to hear Leo Knepper of Heritage Action for America-PA describe how the Pennsylvania’s Republican congressmen are no where near as fiscally conservative as is commonly thought, and the inspiringly enthusiastic Jenn Stefano of American Prosperity Pa explain how it easy it is to win committee seats.
Mrs. Stefano, at the end of her talk, got pledges from a dozen-plus participants to run for the unheralded but important office.
Knepper singled out for special criticism Congressman Pat Meehan, whose 7th District includes Newtown Square. He said Meehan only scored a 48 percent on the Heritage Action Scorecard which charts the votes legislators make as whether they advance or detract from the cause of commonsense conservatism.
“On the big issues, he’s been there, but on the small issues he’s been dropping the ball” Knepper said.
Knepper gave an example as to how Meehan voted against a seemingly uncontroversial bill that would have cut farm subsidies to $250,000 and restrict them to actual farmers rather than seekers of tax breaks.
Knepper said the only members of Pennsylvania’s delegation to score at least an 80 on the score card were Congressman Joe Pitts of the 16th District and Sen. Pat Toomey. No other Republicans scored above a 60 he said.
Knepper said that the United States has reached the point where the debt equals the entire gross domestic product.
“We are going to collapse if we keep going at this rate,” he said.
Mrs. Stefano said time for talking was over and it was now up to Tea Partyers to start doing the walking, namely by running for office, specifically committee seats. Local committee people run at the precinct level and are the ones who pick the leaders of the established parties and write the party bylaws.
It requires 10 signatures to get on the ballot, Mrs. Stefano said.
Republican bylaws require that each precinct be represented by a man and a woman. Often this office is unfilled.
Failing to get involved is a mark of shame, Mrs. Stefano said.
“You cannot say you are a patriot. Our children and grandchildren will have to pick up arms and fight and die for the things we gave away,” she passionately said.
Mrs. Stefano singled out Delco Patriot Lisa Esler for special praise.
“Politicians are afraid of her,” she said.
After the speakers, it was announced that the Delco Patriots were signing onto a push to get HB 42 to a vote in Harrisburg.
HB 42 is the proposed state law that would undermine much of ObamaCare in Pennsylvania. It has been bottled up in the House Appropriation Committee since Feb. 8.
The committee is chaired by Bill Adolph of Springfield who represents the 165th District.
Adolph indicated to the Patriots on May 19 that there would be a vote on the bill before the end of the year.