Newsletter Archive

Thanking our Public Safety Officers This past week was National Police Week, an annual tradition that began in 1962. Every day, America's public safety officers place themselves in harm's way to protect the rest of us. For this, they deserve our gratitude. Instead, our law enforcement officers have been unfairly maligned and, too often, attacked simply for the uniform they... Read More

Protecting America's Air Travelers On September 11, 2001, Bucks County resident, Captain Victor Saracini, was piloting United Flight 175 when it was hijacked by terrorists and flown into the World Trade Center. In order to help keep America's air travelers safe and to honor the memory of Captain Victor Saracini, Senator Casey and I have re-introduced the Saracini Aviation... Read More

Restoring Fiscal Sanity This week, the Senate was forced to pass one, giant, trillion-dollar bill, on the eve of funding expiring. This $1.07 trillion funding bill is the result of a broken process. It is a disservice to our constituents for Congress to pass a spending bill that could not be amended or sufficiently scrutinized. I voted against it because the bill fails to... Read More

Pro-Growth Tax Reform This week, President Trump released an outline for pro-growth tax reform that focuses on job creation, making the United States a competitive place to do business and expanding opportunity for all Americans. Simplifying the code, lowering high tax rates, and eliminating special interest loopholes will promote domestic economic growth, create jobs, and... Read More

Honoring our Vietnam Veterans  March 29, 1973 was the day the last combat troops were ordered out of Vietnam. Up until this week, there was nothing in federal statute specifically commemorating this date or even formally recognizing our Vietnam veterans. Thankfully, President Trump signed bipartisan legislation last Tuesday that I authored with my Democratic... Read More

Standing Against Animal Abuse There is absolutely no place for the abuse of animals in our society. It is blatantly inhumane and astonishingly cruel. This is why I am renewing my partnership with Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) to pass the Prevent Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act, which would outlaw a heinous, deadly form of animal maiming and torture known as... Read More

Taking Your Questions I stopped by the studios of CBS 3 in Philadelphia in order to take some questions from folks on Facebook. It was helpful to hear their concerns and share my thoughts on the news of the day, such as  health care reform, the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee probe of Russian activities, the confirmation of Betsy DeVos. If you missed this... Read More

Meeting with Judge Neil Gorsuch This week, I sat down with Judge Neil Gorsuch, who is President Trump's nominee for the Supreme Court of the United States. We enjoyed a wide-ranging discussion.  It is clear to me that Judge Gorsuch is eminently qualified and understands the proper role of a judge.  I believe he will apply the law and U.S. Constitution as written,... Read More

The Inauguration My wife Kris and I wanted our older two children to witness this celebration of our democracy.  We brought Bridget and Patrick to the west front of the Capitol Building to see history first hand.  I hope the sight of the three branches of our government, both parties, standing together will teach them - and remind us all - that we were sent here... Read More

The 101st Annual Pennsylvania Farm Show Every year, my family and I have a great time visiting the Pennsylvania Farm Show. Founded in 1917, the Farm Show has become our nation's largest indoor agricultural exposition. Whether it's showcasing Pennsylvania's farmers and the products they grow like mushrooms and cranberries, the numerous agricultural-based competitions, or... Read More

Kicking off the 115th Congress Click here for a behind the scenes look at swearing in day.  Last Tuesday, my family joined me at the Capitol as I took the senate oath of office for the second time. The oath is administered by the Vice President and serves as the kick-off to the new legislative session. It is an honor to serve Pennsylvania in the U.S. Senate. I am... Read More

Weekly Republican Address I had the opportunity to deliver the Weekly Republican Address on Saturday morning and I wanted to make sure you saw it. You can watch the video of my address by clicking here and read the transcript below. Merry Christmas and happy holidays! - Pat Toomey "Hi. I am Pat Toomey, Senator for Pennsylvania. "Each Congress, I make it a point to visit... Read More

Protecting Animals There is absolutely no place for the abuse of animals in our society. That is why I have worked across the aisle to introduce legislation that would be the first-ever law to grant all animals federal protections against cruelty and abuse. It's called the Prevent Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act, and it passed the Senate late last week. The PACT Act... Read More

Protecting Animals Good afternoon, Knowing of your interest in animal welfare issues, I wanted to email you to update you on my bipartisan legislation that would outlaw a heinous form of animal abuse known as "crushing," where deranged individuals maim and torture animals. It's called the Prevent Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act, and it would be the first ever federal... Read More

Supporting Cutting-Edge Medical Research Medical researchers across Pennsylvania are pushing the frontiers of their field by developing state-of-the-art therapies for a number of different diseases that could save millions of lives. For example, Senator Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and I visited Dr. Carl June at University of Pennsylvania last year (photo above) to learn about his... Read More

Fighting Dangerous Sanctuary City Policies Too many Pennsylvanians have fallen victim to crime or are at risk due to dangerous sanctuary city policies. Just this week, federal law enforcement officers finally found Winston Enrique Perez Pilarte - an illegal immigrant from the Dominican Republic. In July 2015, Philadelphia police arrested the 40-year-old for raping a child.... Read More

Next Generation of Civic Leaders I was glad that Imani from my Philadelphia office could attend the annual Perkiomen Valley High School career day. Imani spoke to students about internships in my office, service academy nominations, and opportunities to work in public service.    In addition to learning more about how the Senate works, interns in my office... Read More

Honoring a Fallen Hero Pennsylvania has produced some of the greatest examples of courage, fortitude, and bravery in the history of mankind. Among those examples, one stands out. On the afternoon of December 4, 2006, Specialist Ross A. McGinnis was conducting combat control operations in an effort to reduce and control sectarian violence in Northeast Baghdad, Iraq. While... Read More

Standing Up for Pennsylvania Farmers I am proud to support legislation that helps Pennsylvania farmers thrive and create jobs. Recently, I was recognized for my support of farmers by the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau and the American Farm Bureau Federation. Marta Gabriel, part of my Lehigh Valley staff, accepted the "Friend of Farm Bureau" award on my behalf. She's pictured... Read More

Obamacare Sticker Shock Earlier this week, actuaries in the Obama Administration admitted that premiums for the typical Obamacare plan will be going up by 25% next year. Unfortunately, this sticker shock will be even worse in Pennsylvania. In the commonwealth, premiums for Obamacare plans will skyrocket by 32.5 percent on average in 2017, with some families facing an... Read More