White House Scandal – UPDATE

Representative Jim Gerlach doesn’t want you to know about this and that is why he is throwing mud at Bob Roggio. Gerlach doesn’t have anything to offer except more of the White House shenanigans.

The Keystone Progressive has this to report.

The House Committee on Oversight has documented that senior Bush political aides used federal funds to support the re-election campaign of Gerlach and Murphy by sending federal officials to their Congressional Districts for campaign events disguised as official business. White House communication records show that the trips were specifically intended to help Gerlach and Murphy win re-election – the very definition of political activity.

The report shows that Rep. Gerlach accepted taxpayer-financed help for his 2006 campaign on four separate occasions. The four events were:

1) 3/10/06 – Visit by Commerce Secretary Gutierrez (Exton, PA)
2) 5/15/06 – Visit by Commerce Secretary Gutierrez (Malvern, PA)
3) 9/18/06 – Visit by EPA Administrator Johnson (Pottstown, PA)
4) 10/2/06 – Visit by HUD Secretary Jackson (Reading, PA)

Haven’t we had enough of all these White House scandals and dishonesty?

We don’t need more Bush politics after Bush leaves office and that is why it is time to “Fire Gerlach” and vote for Bob Roggio in the PA 6th Congressional District.

UPDATE:

Jim Gerlach failed the voters, again

For Immediate Release
September 29, 2008
CONTACT: Liz Conroy
(610) 251-0550
liz.conroy@bobroggioforcongress.com

8 years of Bush/Gerlach Policies Lead to Economic Collapse
House Fails to Pass Rescue Package

MALVERN, PA – The US House of Representatives failed to pass a financial relief bill today, plummeting the stock market to a record-setting low. Jim Gerlach took advantage of another opportunity to pander while failing to act.

“Jim Gerlach took a pass at confronting an enormous challenge and strengthening our economy,” said Roggio Campaign Manager Liz Conroy. “For 6 years, he has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with George Bush and supported the disastrous policies that have led to this massive meltdown. He has accepted almost $1.5 million from the Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate sectors, but claims to have the leadership and independence to solve this problem. Jim Gerlach has failed in his representation of middle class families who are struggling to protect their retirement and save for college. This was his chance to act. This was his opportunity to lead. This was his time to show some guts and find solutions and he foundered.”

After 8 years of the Bush/Gerlach policies that led to this enormous crisis, voters of the 6th district deserve new leaders who can bring a fresh perspective to Washington and work to fix our problems. We cannot trust those who got us into this problem to find a way out.

What is Jim Gerlach hiding from his Constituents

Let’s take a look at Jim Gerlach’s voting record and who sends him money.  One thing that I noticed is that Jim Gerlach has voted time and time again against Veterans.  Shame on him.

Proposed increased funding for Veterans’ programs and billions of dollars for Veterans’ services. [H Con Res 312, Vote #141, 3/13/08; SCR 21, Vote #377, 5/17/07; H Con Red 99, Vote #212, 3/29/07]

He is anti-choice. He also opposed an amendment to promote family planning that would reduce abortions. The Philadelphia Inquirer, 10/06; HR 2764, Vote #533, 6/21/07]

Gerlach received the largest FEC fine in Pennsylvania history; He was forced to pay $120,000 for misreporting more than $2 million in campaign contributions. [The Philadelphia Inquirer, 4/12/07]

Voted to increase burden of pharmacy co-pays on military families. [HR 5112, Vote #139, 5/11/06]

Supported earmarked funds for catfish disease, grape research, and lobster research. [HR 2419, Vote #238, 5/1/08; HR 3161, Vote #809 and #810, 8/2/07; HR 3093, Vote #735, 7/26/07]

Gerlach on government waste: “I work everyday to eliminate…government waste in Washington.” But Gerlach’s taxpayer-funded mail was criticized for being “campaign literature,” and he was condemned for using “taxpayer money to support officeholders.” [The Philadelphia Inquirer, 9/8/06]

He voted against providing housing assistance, grants, and loans for working families suffering with foreclosure. [HR 5818, Vote #299, 5/8/08]

Voted against removing tax breaks for Big Oil. [HR 4297, Vote #121, 5/3/06]

Repeatedly voted against helping low income families heat their homes while energy costs were on the rise. [HR 3010, Vote #321, 6/24/05; HR 2863, Vote #668, 12/19/05; S 2320, Vote #66, 3/16/06; HR 4939, Vote #59, 3/16/06]

Taxpayers in Gerlach’s Congressional District will pay $1.8 billion for total Iraq war spending approved to date. For the same amount of money, we could provide 439,811 people with health care for one year. [National Priorities Project]

Voted to cut Medicaid and Medicare by billions of dollars, imposing large burdens on poor families and seniors. [S 1932, Vote #670, 12/19/05]

Despite the fact that Pennsylvania lost nearly 25% of its manufacturing jobs since NAFTA, Jim Gerlach voted for the passage of CAFTA in 2005. [HR 3045, Vote #443, 7/28/05; Public Citizen]

Before the CAFTA vote, Gerlach received an influx of Pro-CAFTA PAC money – $251,703 from Jan-Sept. 2005 – more than doubling the amount of money he received from such PACs in the past. [Public Citizen]

Voted to cut housing and emergency funds for hurricane victims, and opposed strengthening levees. [HR 1427, Vote #389, 5/22/07; HR 2206, Vote #333, 5/10/07; HR 4939, Melancon Amendment, Vote #51, 3/16/06]

Voted for a $70 billion tax cut bill that was called a “windfall for the rich” and designed to “benefit a sliver of the population that doesn’t need the help.” [HR 4297, Vote #135, 5/10/06; The Washington Post, 5/11/06]