| | Ending the Government Shutdown | On Friday, Congress and President Trump reached an agreement on a three-week funding bill that will re-open the government and pay 800,000 federal employees. Over the next three weeks, the President and Congress will have an opportunity to craft a workable solution. As I have said all along, the obvious, necessary resolution is a compromise that improves border security - including physical barriers where they make sense - and delivers on some Democrat priorities, too. I hope Democrats, who promised to negotiate in good faith if the government were open, will now compromise with the President so the country can put this frustrating episode behind us. | | | Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. | On Monday, I joined the Bethlehem chapters of the NAACP and the YWCA in honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King committed his life to ensuring that liberty is colorblind - and believed that we should be judged solely on our character, not the color of our skin. I had an opportunity to speak at the event, and I shared with the attendees that thanks to Dr. King's devotion, wisdom, and the righteousness of his cause, much progress has been made. But there is still important work left to do, and it's up to us to continue the mission Dr. King started. | | | Visiting the Nation's First Historically Black University | Cheyney University of Pennsylvania is the oldest African-American higher education institution in the country. Located just outside of West Chester, the university has a storied history of providing education in arts, trades, and agriculture to its students. I visited the campus recently and sat down with the school's president, Aaron Walton. President Walton has worked hard to ensure Cheyney's long-term success, putting students and a high-quality education first. I look forward to the continued success of Cheyney University and all its graduates. | | | Protecting the Rights of the Unborn | Every life is a gift from God. This year, like every year since 1974, thousands of Americans traveled to Washington, D.C. to participate in the March for Life - the largest pro-life event in the world and a symbol of the strength of our movement. The crowd filling and walking down Pennsylvania Avenue is an awe-inspiring sight, and is a testament to the righteousness of our cause. I appreciate the work of all those who help made this year's march possible, and am thankful for everyone who marched and stands up for the rights of the unborn. | | | Vetting Federal Judges for the Federal Bench | This week, President Trump re-nominated three candidates for the federal bench in Pennsylvania. Judge John Milton Younge and Joshua Wolson have been nominated to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, while Nicholas Ranjan has been nominated to the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. I am pleased that President Trump will re-nominate these three qualified candidates. These nominees possess the intellect, experience, and character necessary to excel on the federal bench. Since joining the Senate in 2011, Senator Casey and I have worked together, in a bipartisan fashion, to fill vacancies on the federal bench in Pennsylvania. Together we have vetted, recommended, and confirmed 18 Federal District Court Judges for Pennsylvania. Only two states - California and New York - have had more district court judges confirmed to their federal benches during this time. I hope the Senate will move swiftly to confirm these highly qualified nominees. Read more in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. | | |