Toomey Visits Lock Haven
LOCK HAVEN – U.S. Senator Pat Toomey spent an hour in Lock Haven Tuesday afternoon, fielding questions and conversing with about a dozen local business and educational leaders at the Best Western Hotel.
The GOP senator opened with an update on the Washington scene, calling the current political environment “an unusual moment” in that the Republican Party has captured the presidency and control of both the House and Senate.
He offered high praise on the tax reform bill passed last December; his staff provided bullet point sheets to those attending the private event. He called the bill “the most sweeping tax reform in 30 years.” Toomey highlighted provisions including removal of the individual mandate in the Affordable Care Act and the opening of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska for oil drilling.
Toomey said he opposed President Trump’s 25-percent tariffs on steel and aluminum. Meeting participants included David Schultz from Jersey Shore Steel in South Avis. Schultz said his company has seen its prices rise, indicating the tariffs will retroactively raise the costs on already ordered items.
Toomey said the president is “mistaken in his focus on trade deficits.” He said unintended consequences of the tariffs could be to raise taxes, which would be harmful to firms relying on imported steel and aluminum.
He offered thoughts on a variety of additional topics, including the legal marijuana industry (he believes the federal government needs to work better with the states on problem areas); career training programs (expressing concerns over the massive numbers of federal programs in the CTE area); and the opiod crisis (he called for a focus to make federal policies smarter and the need for regulations to stop the diversion of prescription drugs).
Toomey spent several moments with the press at the conclusion of the informal program. Asked about President Trump’s periodic tweets and their impact, he said it “is not my job to react” to the voluminous tweets. He said he instead focuses on what he can get done for his Pennsylvania constituents.
