By John L. Micek
At first blush, the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine doesn’t look like some flaming hotbed of liberalism.
With a picturesque view of Lake Erie and scenic Presque Isle State Park — as well as campuses across the country — it bills itself as “the nation’s largest medical school,” and the “most applied-to medical school in the country.”
And last month, Republican Rep. Mike Kelly, who represents the Pennsylvania school on Capitol Hill, was only too happy to trumpet the fact that it was the recipient of a $2.2 million, “Kelly-backed grant,” that would “aid healthcare workers during the pandemic.”
The school is a “great community partner whose staff is among those in our district who can benefit from this funding,” Kelly said in a statement posted to his official website. “These funds will greatly impact our front-line heroes who have given so much to our country and their communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Great cause, right? So where’d the money come from? If you guessed the Biden administration’s $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan package, give yourself a star.
And if you guessed that Kelly opposed the COVID relief bill and dismissed it as being packed with “left-wing projects,” give yourself one more star. And if you guessed on top of that that the veteran Erie pol backed a failed effort to topple Biden’s Pennsylvania victory in 2020, take the rest of the day off.
With that one gesture, Kelly placed himself in the growing ranks of Republican lawmakers who have gleefully filleted Biden, opposed his agenda, and then taken credit for its benefits to the folks back home.
One of the more recent public examples, Iowa Rep. Ashley Hinson, was roundly criticized after she slammed the White House’s $1.2 trillion infrastructure law, and then boasted about the $829 million in funding for lock and dam upgrades it would bring to her constituents.
Kelly isn’t even Pennsylvania’s only example of this kind of GOP reality-distortion. Rep. Glenn Thompson, whose 15th District sprawls across the rural north-central part of the state, urged local fire companies last month to apply for a $46 million grant program that received an injection of pandemic relief money.
Of course, Thompson called that relief package “a wish list of the progressive wing of the Democrat party (sic)” and voted against it. But the firefighter grants included in the bill? That’s the good stuff.
“As a volunteer firefighter, I know there is an overwhelming need for additional resources to help first responders better protect our communities,” Thompson said in the Jan. 18 statement his office issued. “I stand ready to assist and provide support for any company in the Congressional District looking to pursue these opportunities.”
In an email, a spokesperson for Kelly said the northwestern Pennsylvania lawmaker “wrote a letter of support” for the medical school “which was seeking grant funding made possible through the American Rescue Plan.”
In an email, a spokesperson for Thompson said the GOP lawmaker has supported the emergency services grant program for years, and that the pandemic relief money had provided a $10 million infusion to a $46 million program already in the federal budget.
“The American Rescue Plan totals $1.9 trillion, and this supplement translates to .00052 percent of the total package,” senior Thompson aide Renee Gamela said. “While Congressman Thompson supports the FP&S grant program, he could not support the bill in its entirety.”
Kelly isn’t the “first to try to take credit for the product of bills that he voted against,” Chris Borick, a pollster and political analyst at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, said. “But apparently he thinks his constituents either don’t care or don’t know about the disconnect between his positions.”
During an appearance in Cleveland last May, Biden played to the crowd, pulling out a list of Republican lawmakers who opposed the pandemic relief bill.
“My Republican friends in Congress, not a single one of them voted for the rescue plan,” Biden said, according to the Independent.
Democrats already are vowing to use these pivots against the GOP in this November’s all-the-marbles midterm elections.
They’re not going to find themselves wanting for material.
An award-winning political journalist, John L. Micek is Editor-in-Chief of The Pennsylvania Capital-Star in Harrisburg, Pa. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @ByJohnLMicek.
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Dennis C Rathsam says
If an old fool, sat atop a giant mountain, and threw 1.9 trillion dollars into village below! You would not be with the rest of your peers, you would say no? Why are all the covid tests from that same old fool,say…..MADE IN CHINA!!!!!
David says
What Covid tests say Made in China? All the ones I’ve seen are made right here in the good old U.S. of A.
Fredrick says
The “free” ones current administration is sending to every household that requests one. Are you getting it yet??
LetsBeReal says
I believe Dennis C Rathsam comment is sarcasm. I received two free tests and they don’t say where they were made.
LetsBeReal says
I made an error on earlier comment. I just double checked my Self-Test At Home sent to me. It says on the back as follows:
Manufactured for iHealth Labs, Inc.
120 San Lucar, Sunnyvale, CA94086,USA
Made in China
Steve says
PS How’d that Trade War with China work for ya
The dude says
Easy to win… clearly
Rick G says
Our own Governor is taking advantage of Biden’s legislation by happily announcing the cut back of gas taxes based on what the state will receive from the American Rescue Plan without 1 Republican vote. Hypocrisy prevails with these people who are practiced in the art of projection.
The dude says
Yet gas is still way more expensive here than in GA… Go figure
Deborah Coffey says
Thank you for continuing to expose these hypocrites. It’s important for the public to know the TRUTH. There’s so little of it left….
LetsBeReal says
NEWSFLASH: Both parties are hypocrites, liars, and corrupt depending on the issue.
Alonzo says
Why vote for those loud mouth lying crooks. They will make Bidrn look like a dying crook, but take the money. Some of them said Biden would not last for 6 months as Pres. he is pass a year. Love to see when lying Repub. white are proven to be wrong. Just love it. Love to see when any white person is proved to be wrong. Good job Biden, good job.
David K says
Yes, many many Republicans were against this spending because they were aware what the result would be, the highest inflation in 40 years and thats what we have. These monies have been allocated and this author now believes that if you opposed this reckless spending your state should not take the funds??? I guess in this authors opinion only states that favored this should be able to spend all America tax dollars because thats where this money is coming from, both Republicans and Democrats taxes.
David says
Ummm, the current economic cycle started way before the current administration. This bill added nothing to it.
coyote says
David, you’re wasting your time ….
“To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead.”
Thomas Paine
“I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it”.
George Bernard Shaw
Steve says
It’s called Supply Chain disruption which started over two years ago exacerbated by C19 and an orange toned village idiot who refused to address it
The dude says
Yet again another sterling example of the “free market” supporters not really understanding how the “free markets” actually work,
Jeremy says
Mini Trump DeSantis will take Democrats money yet he will bad mouth them every chance he gets, I call that a phony.
Now DeathSantis is discriminating against people of color oh and lets not forget the gay community too. I guess he forgets how many of them are residences of Florida and that amounts to a lot of votes that will go against him. He didn’t learn how to count in the Ivy League colleges he attended.
Mark says
Our own Representative Waltz boasted of money coming to his district and how proud he was showcasing the first two projects paid for by a bill that he voted NO on, thankfully the News-Journal mentioned his no Vote along with the story. Not one Republican representing this State Voted for it, yet they all attach their names to the money and have their palms out for it.
wow says
Not only taking the money with glee, they (DeSantis anyway) complains that Florida didn’t get enough. What a bunch of idiots. They vote what they are told to vote, not what the people of their states need. They forget who they are working for.
jake says
As long as Biden and his minions are throwing money around, take what you can, it’s my money and I want as much of it to go for what “I” believe in. We may have been born at night, just not last night.
Steve says
At least you get some of it trump and his minions kept it for themselves
Jimbo99 says
It’s not whether anyone “takes the money & runs”. The funding was going to happen, it’s just a matter of how much. What finally was voted as the amount, D’s & R’s took their cuts. It was a matter of whether the cut was a portion of $ 1.9T or $ 3.6T. If Congress could’ve gotten $ 3.6T, you can bet they all would’ve taken that amount as their portions & run with it. What’s strange ? With a majority of the House of Reps, even strength in the Senate, how come $ 3.6T doesn’t get forced thru ? Because D’s are opposing $ 3.6T obviously. Why would they not tow the D’s party line of rampant spending ? Imagine what inflation would be nearly doubling what the D’s wanted to pass ?