Five members of Pennsylvania’s U.S. Congressional delegation, led by Rep. Mike Doyle, are calling on Gov. Tom Corbett to immediately speak out against an Electoral College reapportionment bill sponsored by state Republicans, calling the bill a “gross betrayal of all Pennsylvanians.”
In a letter to the governor, Rep. Doyle, Rep. Robert A. Brady, Rep. Chaka Fattah, Rep. Allyson Y. Schwartz and Rep. Matthew A. Cartwright warn of the potential damaging consequences of passing the bill, including the reduction of Pennsylvania’s influence in national elections and loss of revenue related to Presidential elections.
“It’s hard to imagine state legislation capable of doing more damage to the economic well-being and political power of the residents of Pennsylvania than Senate Bill 528,” Congressman Doyle said today. “Enacting S.B. 528 would be like shooting ourselves in the foot. That’s why we urged Governor Corbett to actively oppose this malicious legislation.”
“The governor has avoided questions on his support for this plan for too long. As the chorus of voices against the bill grows louder, his silence only gets more deafening. This bill is a transparently partisan attempt to rig the Electoral College in favor of Republican presidential candidates. Instead of trying to appeal to Pennsylvanians with sound policies, they’re rigging the game at the expense of Pennsylvania. With more and more voters and their representatives voicing strong opposition, we’re confident the governor will be forced to drop this shameful attack on Pennsylvania’s interests,” said Randy Borntrager, Political Director of People For the American Way.
The letter adds to a growing list of prominent opponents to the bill, from gubernatorial candidates to Republican state senators. People For the American Way has been fighting this bill since it was introduced, delivering more than 100,000 petitions to Gov. Corbett, knocking on over 5,000 doors, and hosting press conferences with a number of local leaders and elected officials to show the widespread opposition to this bill.
The letter can be found at: https://www.pfaw.org/wp-content/uploads/pfaw_files/PA-Electoral-Rigging-Bill-Letter.pdf