Senator Bob Casey Town Hall in Lancaster Today

Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey (D) is holding a town hall today, Saturday, June 24, 2017 at 2 p.m. at the Roschel Performing Arts Center, Franklin and Marshall College, 639 College Avenue, Lancaster, PA. Doors open at 1:30 p.m.. The event is scheduled to last until 3:30 p.m. and is open to the public on a first come, first serve basis.

Senator Casey, Rep. Dent and Rep. Fitzpatrick Update

Pennsylvania Senator Casey(D), Representative Dent (R -15; Allentown), and Representative Fitzpatrick (R-8th District; Green Lane, Marlborough) have all spoken out against the Executive Order on Immigration.

Senator Casey has announced that he will vote NO on the nominations of DeVos (Secretary Education), Sessions (Attorney General), and Pruitt (Secretary of Environmental Protection Agency).

Beginning at  6 p.m. tonight, Monday, January 30, 2017, on the steps of the United States Supreme Court Building in Washington, D.C.;

Congressional Democrats (Senators and Representatives) will lead a press event and vigil with refugees, immigrants, and members of the community to call on President Trump to reverse the recent hateful, anti-refugee and anti-immigrant executive orders.

 

Muslim Ban – Action Update

Many may be wondering what, if anything, is being done about the outrageous, unAmerican, and ultimately unConstitutional Executive Order essentially banning Muslims from seven countries from entering the U.S., regardless of 2 year vetting for refugee entry, green card status (10 year visa granting legal status to live in U.S.), family connection (spouse of U.S. citizen), student visa (university student, for example), work visa (those working for Microsoft, for example), those with dual nationalities (e.g. UK and one of seven banned countries),etcetera.

Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey has come out against this Executive Order and his office was reported to be reaching out to the Department of Homeland Security in an attempt to help the two Syrian families currently being detained at Philadelphia Airport.However, according to other news reports, it may be too late;

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney says the Trump administration may have given two Syrian families reportedly turned away at Philadelphia International Airport “a death sentence.”

NBC Philadelphia is reporting that two Syrian families who arrived at PHL Airport this morning from Qatar “were briefly detained and then sent back on a return 18-hour flight to the Middle East, according to a family member from Allentown, Pennsylvania.” They were reportedly immigrating to the country legally and working to gain citizenship.

rest of report, with complete statement by Mayor Kenney

Pennsylvania Congressman Dent has publicly asked Trump to halt action on the Executive Order;

“This is ridiculous,” said Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.). “I guess I understand what his intention is, but unfortunately the order appears to have been rushed through without full consideration. You know, there are many, many nuances of immigration policy that can be life or death for many innocent, vulnerable people around the world.”

Dent, who represents a large Syrian community in the Allentown area, said he was contacted Saturday by a constituent who had family members turned away early in the morning at Philadelphia International Airport. Six family members who had secured visas and even bought a house in Pennsylvania arrived on a Qatar Airways flight but were returned back within hours, he said.

Dent called on the Trump administration to halt immediately action on the order.

“This family was sent home despite having all their paperwork in order,” Dent continued, “so this 90-day ban could imperil the lives of this family and potentially others, and it’s unacceptable, and I urge the administration to halt enforcement of this order until a more thoughtful and deliberate policy can be reinstated.”

More Republicans are speaking out against Trump’s refugee ban. Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell aren’t among them. – Washington Post, January 28, 2017

Protests are currently being held at several major international airports in the United States, including New York’s John F Kennedy Airport, and Philadelphia International Airport, with many more scheduled for tomorrow, Sunday, January 29, 2017.

Philadelphia International Airport Protest – Sunday, January 29, 2017 from 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. Terminal A West (Arrivals)

White House No Muslim Ban Protest, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, D.C. – Sunday, January 29, 2017 from 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.

 

You can make a difference!

Phone calls and emails worked towards pressuring the Republican controlled Senate to delay four cabinet confirmation hearings today (3 of the nominees have not yet been cleared by Office of Government Ethics), and to back down last week from destroying (for all practical purposes) the Office of Congressional Ethics.

The most important factors in making this kind of difference are to call the D.C. office or local office of your Representative and/or Senator, and to talk about one specific issue per call (or email).

Find the list of your federal and state elected officials and contact information here.

Vote!

Polls open from 7 a.m. – 8 p.m. on Tuesday, November 8, 2016.

Remember, vote Democrat up and down the ballot -President Hillary Rodham Clinton will need a Senate and House of Representatives who will work with her!

East Greenville – Open Link/Upper Perk Senior Center, 517 Jefferson Street

Pennsburg – Pennsburg Borough Hall, 76 West Sixth Street (by the Police Station)

Red Hill – Red Hill Borough Hall, 56 West Fourth Street (by Red Hill Park)

Green Lane – Green Lane Ambulance Assoc., 209 Walnut Street

Marlborough Township – Marlborough Township Building, 6040 Upper Ridge Road

Upper Hanover 1 – Upper Perkiomen Educ. Center, 2229 East Buck Road, Pennsburg

Upper Hanover 2 – St. Philip Neri Church, 1325 Klinerd Road, Pennsburg

Upper Hanover 3 – Palm Schwenkfelder Church, 883 Gravel Pike Road (Route 29), Palm

Upper Hanover Township voting districts – map

Still not sure? The Polling Place Search will help you locate the polling place for a given residential address. Begin by typing the county of residence. After the county has been selected, the city field will activate, allowing you to enter a city. Then enter the street name and the house number.

Yard Signs!

We have a limited number of Clinton/Kaine signs, some Josh Shapiro for Attorney General signs, a very few Joanne Jackson for State Representative signs, and by Monday night we will have a few Katie McGitny for Senate signs.

If you’d like some for your front yard, you may pick them up at any time in East Greenville. In a few cases we may even deliver! Show your support and let “secret supporters” in town know that they aren’t alone.

Email updemclub@gmail.com for more information or to reserve a sign – all free!

Looking forward to January 2016

The Upper Perkiomen Democratic Club is taking the month of December off so its members may pursue other (non-political) activities, and rest up for what will be a very busy year ahead! In other words, no meeting on the 2nd Tuesday in December.

We will be meeting on Tuesday, January 12, 2016, beginning at 7 p.m. at the Upper Perkiomen Valley Library, 350 Main Street, Red Hill. It will be a relatively short meeting, so that everyone who wants to be home in time to watch President Obama’s last State of the Union address (scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. that night) may do so. At this meeting we will be making plans for the annual January Potluck, along with starting to sketch out ideas for the year ahead (with major races including for the Senate; Senator Toomey is up for re-election and two strong Democrats, Joe Sestak and Kate McGinty, are running in the primary for the opportunity to defeat this staunch, very conservative, Republican in November, and the Democratic National Convention taking place down the road in Philadelphia in July, they’ll be lots to do in 2016).

All democrats in the area are invited to the annual UPDC Potluck on Saturday, January 23, 2016 at the Upper Perk Senior Center, 517 Jefferson Street, East Greenville, PA, from 6 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Bring your favorite hot or cold dish, or salad, or dessert, or beverage, to share with the group. This is always a good time and there is always good food and good company to enjoy.