Page 4 - ARUBA TODAY

A4 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 30 august 2017

Pennsylvania Rep. Barletta set for Senate run against Casey

By MICHAEL RUBINKAM in the country.”
Associated Press “Pennsylvania deserves
U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta, a better than an obstruction-
former small-city mayor ist senator,” he said.
in Pennsylvania who shot Democrats hit back, at-
to national prominence tacking Barletta’s support
by trying to combat ille- of Trump-backed legisla-
gal immigration through tion to overhaul the health
tough municipal laws, an- system.
nounced Tuesday he will “If Congressman Lou Bar-
run for the seat held two- letta thinks voting to raise
term Democrat Bob Casey. health care costs for se-
The Republican congress- niors, gut protections for
man, a staunch and early those with preexisting con-
supporter of President Don- ditions, and send premiums
ald Trump and co-chair of skyrocketing will earn him
his presidential campaign a promotion, he’s in for
in Pennsylvania, said in a rude awakening,” said
a campaign video that Pennsylvania Democrat-
Casey is being bankrolled ic Party spokesman Max
by “the most extreme lib- Steele.
eral special interest groups Barletta’s entry into the

Rep. Lou Barletta, R-Pa., right, talks with reporters at Trump Tower
in New York. Barletta has announced his candidacy for U.S.
Senate. The Republican representative released a campaign
video on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, announcing his run for the seat
held by two-term Democrat Sen. Bob Casey.
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
race was widely expected have denied permits to
after The Associated Press businesses that hired peo-
reported last month that ple in the country illegally
he had relayed his plans and fined landlords who
to GOP officials and activ- rented to them. His strategy
ists. He’s the most recogniz- was copied by dozens of
able among a half-dozen other cities across the U.S.,
would-be GOP challengers but the laws were never
to Casey, who’s seeking his enforced before the U.S.
third six-year term. Supreme Court struck them
Barletta was mayor of Ha- down in 2014.
zleton at a time when its His- Barletta’s visibility on the
panic population was surg- immigration issue helped
ing from under 5 percent in him politically, and he de-
2000 to nearly 40 percent in feated 26-year incumbent
2010. He argued that many Democratic Rep. Paul Kan-
of the recent arrivals were jorski on his third try to win
in the country illegally, a seat in Congress in 2010.
bringing drugs, crime and Barletta, 61, was among
gangs to his city of 25,000 the first members of Con-
and overwhelming police, gress to publicly endorse
schools and hospitals. Trump.
Accusing the federal gov- Trump, in turn, encouraged
ernment of failing to en- him to run against Casey,
force immigration laws, 57, the son of a former gov-
Barletta got City Council to ernor who has held state-
approve a pair of immigra- wide elective office for two
tion measures that would decades.q