Gerlach, Casey to be Sworn in For New Terms

U.S. Rep. Jim Gerlach will now represent all of Tredyffrin and Easttown under redrawn Sixth Congressional District maps.

When U.S. Congressman Jim Gerlach (R-PA6) and U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) are sworn in for their second terms in Washington Thursday they will become part of what may be the most diverse Congress in U.S. History. Under the newly redrawn map of the Sixth Congressional District Gerlach will represent all of Tredyffrin Easttown. Until now a small part of TE was included in the Seventh Congressional District which will again be represented by Patrick Meehan (R-PA7) in the new 113th Congress. A career politician, Gerlach was first elected to Congress in 2002 after serving more than a decade in the Pennsylvania State House and Senate. You can read his official biography on Gerlach's House website. U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) will be sworn in…

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Local Congressmen Defend Cliff Votes

In his last vote representing parts of TE, Meehan joins Gerlach in voting to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff.

Congress voted late Tuesday night to avoid tax increases and spending cuts that would have taken the nation over the so-called "fiscal cliff." The end result is that Congress voted to extend existing tax rates that some in Washington called "the Bush tax cuts." The bill as passed also puts automatic spending cuts on hold for two months. By the time the spending cuts are debated again the new Congress will have been seated. That happens Thursday. Under redistricting, the Seventh Congressional District will no longer include any of Tredyffrin and Easttown.  All of TE will be included in the new Sixth District. Seventh District Congressmen Patrick Meehan (R-PA7) and Sixth District Congressman Jim Gerlach (R-PA6) both issued statement late New…

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Gerlach:President's Budget is 'Groundhog Day'

Congressman Jim Gerlach issues a blunt response to the President's budget proposal.

Congressman Jim Gerlach (R-PA6) issued the following statement on Monday after President Obama unveiled a $3.8 trillion budget proposal for the 2013 Fiscal Year, which begins on October 1st. The President’s plan forecasts another $1.33 trillion deficit and calls for raising taxes by $1.9 trillion to fuel government spending: "The President should have released this budget on Groundhog Day because it is a repeat of his previous three budget proposals: higher taxes, more debt and no real solutions for eliminating wasteful Washington spending. It is extremely disappointing that the President seems eager to accelerate America's descent down the same path as Greece and other European nations that have refused to confront their unsustainable …

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Gerlach Comes Out Swinging on 'CLASS'Act

In a sharply worded press releases the Republican Congressman assails a provision of the 2010 Federal Health Care

U.S. Congressman Jim Gerlach (R-PA6) is taking credit for helping to defuse what he calls "one of the many booby traps set in the Presiden's health care law. In a press release infused with the strong language of election-year politics Gerlach says "when the CLASS Act, which stands for the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports Act, was enacted as part of the 2010 federal health care law, House Democratic leaders and the President said they said the government program would offer premiums of approximately $125 per month. However, two independent, actuarial studies commissioned by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services found that the program would have to charge monthly premiums as high as $3,000 per month just to cover…

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Bob Byrne

12:09 pm on Thursday, February 2, 2012

Hi Kathy, Thanks for commenting. Politics, especially in this presidential election year offer an opportunity for many voices to be heard. If you'd like to, please feel free to offer Patch readers more specifics about what you think is not being said about the CLASS Act, including where to read more. We hope to be a place where all sides of an issue can find a forum for conversations. Thanks for …   more ›

Gerlach:Senate Tax Extension Bill "A Gimmick"

Congressman issues a statement on his vote on extending the payroll tax rate.

The Democrat-controlled U.S. Senate voted for a two month extension to the current payroll tax rate of 4.2 percent which is due to jump to 6.2 percent on January 1. Tuesday the Republican-controlled House of Representatives voted to reject the short-term approach and call on Senate Democrats, who have left Washignton for the Holidays, to return to Capitol Hill to negotiate with the House. U.S. Representative Jim Gerlach (R-PA6) issued a statement on the issue and his vote to reject the Senate Bill. Here is Gerlach's Statement on House Vote Congressman Jim Gerlach (PA-6th District) voted Tuesday to require Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to come back to work and give 160 million American workers a full one-year payroll tax cut extension…

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New Congressional Map Passes PA Senate

After a squeaker majority vote, political website predicts tougher road than ever for Democrat congressional candidates facing Jim Gerlach.

A plan that would shift the borders of Pennsylvania's Congressional Districts is one step closer to reality after a narrow victory in the Pennsylvania Senate Wednesday night. The redistricting bill squeaked by the senate a 26-24 vote and now goes on to the Republican controlled house where a vote is scheduled on Tuesday. Uner the plan, the 6th and 7th Congressional District lines would change, shifting all of Easttown and Tredyffrin into the 6th District, a seat currently held by Republican Jim Gerlach. A portion of Easttown is currently in 7th District, a seat now held by freshman Republican Pat Meehan. The Congressional district re-mapping under consideration in Harrisburg would make it tougher for Democrats win seats in Pennsylvania, …

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9/11 Ten Years Later

Where were you on 9/11? Congressman Jim Gerlach

Jim Gerlach was still a member of the state legislature in Harrisburg.

U.S Representative Jim Gerlach (R-PA6) remembers exactly where he was when the first plane hit the World Trade Center. Ten years later Gerlach is a congressman from the Sixth Congressional District. He says we've come a long way, but there are still some areas the nation should be focused on in the war on terrorism. Click on the clips to hear Congressman Gerlach talk about his 9/11 perspective.

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Gerlach and Meehan Issue Statements on Debt Ceiling Vote

Friday night the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill to resolve the debt ceiling debate. It was immediately voted down in the U.S. Senate.

Congressmen Jim Gerlach (R-PA6) and Pat Meehan (R-PA7) both voted for a bill to raise the federal debt ceiling, the so-caled "Boehner bill", on Friday night. Following the vote each representative issued a statement. Statement by Congressman Jim Gerlach (R-PA6) "This legislation incorporates the key elements that a majority of my constituents have said are important to them. The United States will continue paying its bills on time -- just like families and small businesses must do each month. And the House makes a serious commitment to eliminating $3 trillion in wasteful Washington spending. The plan accomplishes these goals without putting the additional strain of higher taxes on anyone. Raising taxes and prolonging uncertainty about …

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