Senator Pat Toomey joined the U.S. Senate from Pennsylvania in 2011 on a platform of economic and job growth, restoring fiscal responsibility, and creating stronger, safer communities.
Sought out by his colleagues for his views on financial reform and budgetary issues, Senator Toomey was labeled by the Philadelphia Inquirer as "a leading voice on money matters."
During his time in the Senate, Senator Toomey has successfully led efforts to cut taxes for families, make our business tax code more competitive, end wasteful federal spending, and protect children from abusers.
With almost 60,000 farms, Pennsylvania produces two-thirds of America's mushrooms and ranks in the top five dairy producing states. Pennsylvania is an agricultural powerhouse and its farmers play an essential role in feeding America and bolstering the state's economy.
Senator Toomey has visited many farms and met with countless Pennsylvania farmers to get their take on the challenges they face every day. Their message has been clear-new federal regulations are making it increasingly difficult for farmers to make ends meet. All too often, Washington bureaucrats are oblivious to the real-world implications their actions have.
There is a growing bipartisan consensus that Congress should push back against unreasonable regulations. During his first term, Senator Toomey successfully passed legislation that allows states to ease federal regulations that unfairly hinder farmers from transporting their crops and farm equipment. Senator Toomey also worked with his colleagues to successfully pressure the Department of Labor into retracting a proposed rule that would have prevented young farmers from working on family farms.
Unfortunately, federal agencies are still trying to enact new regulations that will harm farmers. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently devised two new massive frameworks to regulate rainwater on farmland. These regulations preempt Pennsylvania state law, threaten the viability of our farmers, and will have little if any impact on our environment.
While he shares the EPA's desire to have a clean and healthy environment, Senator Toomey believes that the agency needs to be a cooperative partner, not an overbearing regulator. Accordingly, he joined several Congressional colleagues in filing an amicus curiae brief on behalf of Pennsylvania farmers in their case against the EPA before the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and he has cosponsored legislation to protect farms from excessive regulation. Subsequently, the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit is now preventing the EPA from enforcing its nationwide rainwater rule until the Court can more thoroughly review it.
Senator Toomey also has worked to ensure that our farmers and food producers are able to grow and create jobs by selling their products in the global marketplace. In 2014, Senator Toomey led a bipartisan effort to oppose the European Union's attempt to prohibit American dairy producers from using common cheese names such as feta, parmesan, and muenster. A majority of Senators joined his effort to oppose this unfair treatment.
As global trade negotiations continue, Senator Toomey wants to ensure that Pennsylvanians are given more opportunities to sell their cheese, vegetables, meat, and other high-quality products in the world's largest markets. Recently, Senator Toomey helped to pass the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015, which specifically instructs the administration to make bolstering export opportunities for American farmers a top priority in future trade negotiations.
These issues are just the tip of the iceberg for Pennsylvania's farmers. Federal red tape continues to grow and stifle our farmers, making it harder for them to stay in business. Senator Toomey will continue to fight against excessive, harmful regulations and for expanded market access. For the sake of our farm families and Pennsylvania's economy, this is a fight we cannot afford to lose.
Senator Toomey is working to streamline burdensome regulations and reform tax policies that are hindering job creation and economic growth in this country. Senator Toomey has cosponsored legislation that would reform our tax code for small businesses, undo Washington's costly health care mandates, cut through red tape that undermines economic growth and affordable energy, and eliminate costly taxes and regulations that directly impact jobs in Pennsylvania. Senator Toomey also supports simplifying the tax code and lowering tax rates for all Americans to encourage economic growth and make American companies more competitive.
Senator Toomey is committed to restoring economic growth and private-sector job creation in this country and putting our federal government on a sustainable fiscal path. These two goals are inextricably connected. We cannot maximize economic growth without getting our government's finances in order, and we can't get our finances in order if we don't maximize economic growth and reform unaffordable programs.
One of the primary drivers of economic growth and job creation is small businesses. Unfortunately, our nation's tax code is a labyrinth of outdated and confusing rules that drain job creators of the time and money they need to hire more workers and grow. To fix this problem, Senator Toomey has introduced the bipartisan Start-up Jobs and Innovation Act. This legislation would make it easier to create a small business by doubling the amount of start-up expenses new companies can deduct, would make it easier to expand an existing business by permanently renewing sec. 179 expensing provisions, and would ease tax compliance burdens by allowing more small businesses to use the simpler cash accounting method.
The Start-up Jobs and Innovation Act follows up on Senator Toomey's successful efforts in passing the bipartisan JOBS Act to provide relief for small businesses. The core of the JOBS Act included three bills that Senator Toomey had introduced. The Small Company Capital Formation Act (with Senator Tester), the Reopening American Capital Markets to Emerging Growth Companies Act (with Senator Schumer), and the Private Company Flexibility and Growth Act (with Senator Carper) all cut regulatory burdens on small businesses and make it easier for them to raise much-needed capital.
Our nation faces a daunting fiscal challenge that can no longer be ignored. The federal government ran a staggering $435 billion deficit in 2015, bringing the total government debt to more than $18 trillion. In addition to slowing economic growth and crowding out private investment, our financial situation is eroding people's faith in our economy and undermining the credibility of our government. It would be tragic to pass along such massive, unsustainable debt on to our children and grandchildren and leave them with a country that is poorer and less productive than the one their parents inherited.
Moreover, if left unchecked, our runaway debt will eventually have to be paid for with trillions of dollars in tax increases. These tax increases will further hamper job creation and permanently lower the standard of living for all Americans.
Senator Toomey believes that it is imperative that we bring spending under control and have a federal government that lives within its means. That is why Senator Toomey has cosponsored a balanced budget amendment to the U. S. Constitution that would require the federal government to stop spending money it doesn't have. He is also proud to have supported the fiscal year 2016 budget resolution that provides a blueprint to rein overspending and reach a balanced budget within 10 years.
Senator Toomey realizes the importance of cutting wasteful spending and ending the all-to-common use of budget gimmicks. Senator Toomey introduced the bipartisan Earmark Elimination Act which would permanently ban earmarks. He also led the effort to curtail one of the most outrageous spending gimmicks - Congress' routine raiding of the Crime Victims Fund. The Fairness for Crime Victims Act ensures that the fines collected by federal courts from criminals are disbursed to those who have been victimized by crime, rather than being used to offset the cost of other spending. This legislation passed in the Budget Committee in 2015. Additionally, Senator Toomey has cosponsored the Bonuses for Cost-Cutters Act to provide bonuses for federal employees who identify wasteful spending and also has supported legislation to put an end to wasteful taxpayer subsidies, such as those for ethanol.
Senator Toomey believes that all children are precious and deserve protection.
No child should have his or her innocence shattered by abuse or exploitation. That is why Senator Toomey has fought to protect our children from abuse, to provide additional funds to ensure child abuse victims receive all of the assistance they need to begin healing, and to support law enforcement efforts to take predators off of our streets.
Every year, hundreds of school workers across America are arrested for sexual misconduct with children, including many in Pennsylvania. 2014 saw 459 school employees arrested nationwide, including 26 Pennsylvania teachers.
Thanks to Senator Toomey's leadership, in December 2015, the U.S. Congress acted for the first time to protect our children from child molesters infiltrating the classroom. Congress passed, and President Obama signed into law, a bipartisan education bill that included Senator Toomey's measure to ban "passing the trash." This is the horrific practice of a school learning it has a pedophile on staff and helping that pedophile move onto a new job and new child victims-often, by writing letters of recommendation.
Senator Toomey also has introduced the bipartisan Protecting Students from Sexual and Violent Predators Act, which requires schools receiving federal funds to perform background checks on all employees and contractors who have access to children. Under the bill, a school may not hire a person if he or she has committed certain crimes, including any violent or sexual crime against a child.
Senator Toomey understands that when a child is victimized, it is imperative that the child receives the best medical and emotional care possible.
Senator Toomey has successfully fought to have hundreds of millions of additional dollars directed to victims of child abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence, and other crimes—with no additional costs to taxpayers. He has done so by working to reform the Crime Victims Fund. The Crime Victims Fund receives no taxpayer dollars; it is funded by criminal fines and penalties collected by the federal government. Money in the fund is supposed to be used to assist victims of crime. But, for over a decade, Congress has diverted billions from victims of crime and used the money for other discretionary spending projects. The result is that victims of child abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence, and other crimes have been denied the services they desperately need, even though the money is there for them.
Thanks to Senator Toomey's efforts, Congress has increased disbursals from the Crime Victims Fund from $745 million in 2014 to over $2.3 billion for 2015 and 2016. Senator Toomey's Fairness for Crime Victims Act will make these reforms permanent. Under Senator Toomey's bill, Pennsylvania groups that assist victims of child abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence, and other crimes will see available funding more than quadruple, rising from $17.5 million in 2014 to $80 million in 2016. The Senate Budget Committee has approved this legislation unanimously, by voice vote, and it currently awaits a vote in the full Senate.
Senator Toomey was proud to co-sponsor the bipartisan Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, which President Obama signed into law in May 2015. This legislation targets a modern form of human slavery-the forced prostitution of individuals, typically women and young children. The legislation increases prison terms and penalties for those who exploit and traffic children, and increases funding for Child Advocacy Centers and other groups that provide services to victims of abuse.
Additionally, Senator Toomey has worked to ensure that victims of child pornography are able to obtain full restitution from all wrongdoers by introducing the Justice for Amy Act. Senator Toomey's approach was incorporated into a bill that Senator Toomey co-sponsored and was passed by the Senate unanimously.
It is crucial to catch child predators and get them off of the streets. That is why Senator Toomey introduced a proposal to increase funding for the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which tracks down child pornographers and human traffickers on the Internet and brings them to justice. Senator Toomey's measure would also increase funding for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which works with law enforcement to find missing and exploited kids and to enforce the requirements of the national sex offender registry.
Senator Toomey is pro-life and believes that all children should be welcomed into the world and protected by its laws.
While reasonable people may differ on the question of abortion rights, we should all be able to agree on policies that encourage adoption over abortion, that avoid taxpayer funding of abortions, and that allow more parental involvement in decisions that involve minors.
Senator Toomey supports policies that further these important goals, including the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2015 (S. 582), of which he is a co-sponsor.
Senator Toomey believes that the family is the basic building block for society.
Senator Toomey understands the challenges that face many families today, especially working mothers. This is why he is a co-sponsor of the Working Families Flexibility Act of 2015, which enables employees to obtain up to four additional weeks of paid leave. The bill provides private sector employees the same work flexibility that employees of the federal government currently enjoy. Under the Working Families Flexibility Act, an employee may choose how she wishes to be compensated for overtime-whether by receiving overtime pay at time and a half, or with extra vacation time, at a rate of 1 ½ hours of leave for every hour of overtime worked.
Thanks to Senator Toomey's efforts, law enforcement has an additional tool to find parents who refuse to pay child support. Senator Toomey's Child Support Assistance Act, which was signed into law by President Obama in December 2015, enables law enforcement to obtain, without delay, employment verification for delinquent parents, so these parents can be found and, if needed, their wages garnished to ensure their children receive the support they need and deserve.
Our country's future rests with our children and grandchildren. For our country to grow and thrive, they deserve a high-quality education in a safe environment so they can live up to their fullest potential.
This is why Senator Toomey has worked across the aisle to advance policies that will help improve our elementary and secondary schools, keep our children safe, make higher education more affordable, and provide high quality vocational and technical training for those students who choose not to attend college.
Every child in our country deserves a high-quality education, regardless of zip code or income level. Unfortunately, many children are still trapped in failing schools and are suffering the consequences: 62% of high school seniors are not proficient in reading and 74% are not proficient in math. These disappointing figures are even worse among children from low-income families. We need to take action.
First, Senator Toomey believes in more parental and local control over elementary and secondary schools. He is working to end years of Washington bureaucrats dictating local schools' policies. He has voted for the bipartisan Every Child Achieves Act, which provides that the federal government will no longer be able to coerce states into adopting Common Core-or any other standards, curriculum, or testing requirements. The bill also takes decisions regarding school accountability, school improvement, and teacher evaluations away from Washington and returns them to parents and the states.
Second, Senator Toomey supports school choice and believes that parents should have the power to decide what is best for their children's education. Pennsylvania is currently home to 162 charter schools, public schools that provide choices for parents seeking the best education for their kids. Senator Toomey voted for the bipartisan Every Child Achieves Act, which authorizes grants to open new charter schools, gives existing charter schools more flexibility in how they use federal funds, and authorizes grants to replicate and expand those charter schools with a record of success. These reforms will enable more Pennsylvania children to attend innovative, successful charter schools.
Senator Toomey has worked to protect state school-choice programs from federal obstruction. When the Department of Justice sought to block 570 needy children in Louisiana from attending the school of their parents' choice, Senator Toomey led a group of 30 Senators in protesting the Department's actions. The Department backed down and allowed those 570 children to escape their failing schools. And when the Administration sought to end the highly successful D.C. school voucher program, Senator Toomey fought back, co-sponsoring the bipartisan Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Act of 2011 (S. 206), to preserve the program. The legislation was included in the Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act of 2011, which President Obama signed into law in April 2011.
Third, Senator Toomey has also fought to protect federal funding for Pennsylvania schools. Senator Toomey pushed back against an amendment to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act that would have reduced Pennsylvania's education funding by over $120 million each year. Senator Toomey successfully worked across the aisle with his colleagues in the Senate and with Pennsylvania educators, including the Superintendent of the Philadelphia School District, William R. Hite, Jr., and the Superintendent of the Pittsburgh School District, Linda A. Lane, to stop this significant spending cut for our Commonwealth's schools. Due to Senator Toomey's efforts, Pennsylvania will not lose any of its federal funding.
Every year, hundreds of school workers across America are arrested for sexual misconduct with children, including many in Pennsylvania. Thanks to Senator Toomey's bipartisan efforts, in July 2015, the Senate acted for the first time to protect our children from child molesters infiltrating the classroom. The Senate unanimously passed Senator Toomey's measure to ban "passing the trash." This is the horrific practice of a school learning it has a pedophile on staff and helping that dangerous person obtain a new job at another school and become someone else's problem-often, by writing letters of recommendation.
Senator Toomey has also introduced the bipartisan Protecting Students from Sexual and Violent Predators Act, which requires schools receiving federal funds to perform background checks on all employees and contractors who have access to children. Under the bill, a school may not hire a person if he or she has committed certain crimes, including any violent or sexual crime against a child.
Senator Toomey understands the challenges posed by the skyrocketing costs of college. Over the past two decades, tuition at public universities has risen 127% while tuition at private universities has grown by 70% after accounting for inflation. Student loan debt has risen dramatically as well, and many Pennsylvanians are concerned about this burden.
In the Senate, Senator Toomey has supported common sense efforts to address this problem. He voted in favor of the Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act of 2013, which stopped a hike in student loan rates and saved Pennsylvania students an average of $1,500. This year, he also joined a bipartisan effort to reauthorize the Perkins Loan Program, which provides critical financial aid for low-income students.
Senator Toomey also has co-sponsored the Know Before You Go Act, a bill introduced by Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) that provides parents and students more information on graduation rates, post-graduation income, and student debt about our nation's colleges. Families should not be expected to invest tens of thousands of dollars in a college education without knowing whether that education can lead to a good, high-paying job.
For the one-third of Pennsylvania students who choose not to attend college, vocational and technical training can be a successful pathway for securing high-skilled, high-paying jobs.
That is why Senator Toomey voted for the bipartisan Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. The legislation, which was signed into law by President Obama in 2014, modernizes America's federal worker training programs, reduces administrative burdens, and provides additional flexibility so States can provide the best possible services to workers.
While this law's enactment was a positive step forward, Senator Toomey believes that more needs to be done to ensure Pennsylvanians can find employment, increase their paychecks, and have more financial security. That is why Senator Toomey introduced the CAREER Act- or Cutting Administrative Red-tape for Education and Employment Reinvestment Act. The CAREER Act increases the amount of education and training the federal government provides and ensures that the programs are effective.
The CAREER Act consolidates 37 federal worker training programs into 5 programs. By cutting red tape and duplication, Senator Toomey's bill redirects an estimated $359 million from red-tape to additional education and training, while also reducing the federal deficit by an estimated $26 million.
The CAREER Act ensures that America's education and job training programs yield results for Pennsylvanians. First, Senator Toomey's bill eliminates onerous federal restrictions-some decades old-that prevent states from developing effective programs, and have made it difficult for states to help underserved populations, such as youth from broken homes. Second, the CAREER Act lifts artificial caps on how long worker training can last—caps which the New York Times has reported can leave some individuals with thousands of dollars in debt and "significantly worse off than when they started" a federal program. Third, the CAREER Act adds much needed accountability. Currently, many federal job programs have no meaningful performance or accountability measures, making it impossible for officials to determine whether they are effective. Senator Toomey's bill requires federal programs to use uniform accountability measures, so officials can compare programs and direct funds to those that provide the best results.
Senator Toomey believes that a clean environment is important and supports common sense pollution controls designed to protect public health and our natural resources. He believes that state agencies have the knowledge, experience, and accountability to properly safeguard these important assets. During his first term, Senator Toomey successfully worked on bipartisan legislation to preserve historic battlefields, combat the spread of invasive Asian carp in the Ohio River, and increase contributions to the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund. Senator Toomey has also worked with Senator Casey to remediate waste coal piles across Pennsylvania.
Mindful of environmental concerns, Senator Toomey is committed to sensibly unlocking our nation's energy resources and reforming regulations so the American people can have access to safe, affordable energy. Over the past decade, domestic energy production-including natural gas from the Marcellus Shale-has proven to be a bright spot in America's economic recovery. Cheaper energy prices not only help Americans fuel their cars and heat their homes, but also help make American manufacturers more competitive in the global marketplace and create good-paying jobs.
Senator Toomey believes we should take action to make America less dependent on oil from unfriendly nations. As such, he supports allowing more oil exploration in Alaska, the Outer Continental Shelf, and the vast oil shale reserves in America's western states. Senator Toomey is a supporter of the Keystone Pipeline, and helped to pass bipartisan legislation out of the Senate to approve the pipeline in 2015. Senator Toomey also recognizes the unique potential of the Marcellus Shale - one of the largest natural gas reserves in the world - to increase job creation, boost economic growth and provide more affordable energy for Pennsylvanians.
Senator Toomey opposes wasteful government handouts for special energy interests and he believes all sources of energy should compete on a level playing field. Senator Toomey has introduced bipartisan legislation to repeal the federal corn ethanol mandate, an outrageous crony-capitalist program that lines the pockets of large agribusinesses while driving up food and fuel prices for middle-class Americans. Senator Toomey also has co-sponsored legislation to repeal a variety of subsidies and credits for traditional as well as alternative sources of energy.
Senator Toomey believes that coal is an essential part of America's energy future, not to mention an important part of Pennsylvania's economy. Unfortunately, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been especially aggressive in pursuing regulations that specifically target coal power plants. These regulations have already put hundreds of Pennsylvanians out of work and will continue to cause economic distress while yielding negligible benefits for our environment. Senator Toomey strongly opposes these unreasonable regulations and he will continue to fight for commonsense polices that allow Pennsylvanians to thrive in today's economy.
As work continues in Washington to promote a pro-growth, environmentally responsible energy agenda, Senator Toomey will advocate for improved access to our energy resources, common sense regulatory reform, and the repeal of the wasteful corn ethanol mandate.
Letter to Secretary of the Navy and Secretary of the Air Force regarding contaminated drinking water near Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base at Willow Grove, the Naval Air Warfare Center at Warminster, and the Horsham Air Guard Station.
We can make progress on gun safety while still fully respecting the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. It is reasonable to make it as difficult as possible for terrorists, the dangerously mentally ill, and violent criminals to obtain firearms. We can do better by immediately addressing three shortfalls in our current system.
First, we must strengthen our background check system with legislation that I introduced with Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) several years ago. Much like Pennsylvania law, it would require background checks for all commercial sales, including sales at gun shows or over the Internet that are not currently subject to background checks.
We must also address the fact that people who are on the No Fly List are still able to purchase a firearm. I have introduced legislation with Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) so terrorists cannot purchase firearms. If you have been deemed too dangerous to board an airplane, you should not be able to purchase a gun.
Finally, we need to make sure we're enforcing existing gun laws. I've introduced a bill with Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) that directs the FBI to notify state law enforcement when a person who's prohibited from getting a gun lies about their criminal background in an attempt to buy one. That is a felony - and it goes almost entirely unprosecuted today.
Senator Toomey believes that Israel is the United States' greatest ally and friend in the Middle East and is among its best allies in the entire world. Israel is a beacon of democracy and freedom in an area of the world largely suffering under dictatorships and political persecution. A strong relationship with Israel strengthens both countries in the continuing fight against global terrorism.
Unfortunately, Israel faces a number of threats to its existence from Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah. An Iran armed with nuclear weapons poses an unacceptable risk to Israel, the United States and the rest of the world. Senator Toomey believes that merely talking with Iran is not sufficient. He supports imposing and enforcing the strongest possible sanctions on Iran as well as on companies that violate the United States' sanctions by engaging in business with Iran.
You can listen to my speech on the Iran nuclear deal here.
Senator Toomey also believes that there is no place for Hamas or Hezbollah in the future of a peaceful Middle East. Israel's efforts to defend itself from terrorist-led attacks should be supported, and we should demand that Palestinian leaders eradicate terrorist groups like Hamas. Senator Toomey strongly supports American military aid to, and military cooperation with, Israel. He also believes the United States should recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and he has cosponsored a bill that would move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Finally, Senator Toomey believes that Israel has a right to secure borders. Moreover, Palestinian renunciation of violence and recognition of Israel's right to exist must be a non-negotiable precondition for any peace agreement.
Senator Toomey visited Israel where he and Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho) met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem. The senators and prime minister discussed a variety of issues: the importance of the Israeli-American relationship; the threat of a nuclear armed Iran; cooperation on military, intelligence and other vital matters; and the Middle East peace process.
Senator Toomey has co-sponsored bipartisan legislation in support of U.S. interests in the Middle East and the security of Israel, including multiple bills strengthening sanctions against Iran. Deeply concerned about the situation in Syria, he also cosponsored a bill to sanction the brutal regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
The most important responsibility of the federal government is to defend the United States and protect the American people. Senator Toomey is therefore committed to ensuring that our armed forces, the intelligence community and homeland security agencies have the resources and tools they need to fulfill their missions.
Senator Toomey supports our strategic missile defense program to protect our country from the threat of a missile attack. He believes we must support our democratic allies around the world and be firm when it comes to dealing with rogue nations such as Iran, making sure we prevent them from acquiring nuclear weapons. He has co-sponsored legislation aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring such weapons and worked relentlessly to oppose the President's dangerous nuclear deal with this country. Senator Toomey also has introduced legislation to ensure judgements sought by victims of Iran's acts of terror are fully paid, and Iran is held accountable for its deadly actions.
Terrorist attacks pose one of the greatest threats to America, and we must remain committed to fighting against those who use terror as a weapon. We cannot afford to stand by while networks of terrorists assemble, plan and act against free and open societies, and we should not hesitate to take action in defense of our freedom and our national security. Violent Islamist extremists have committed horrendous and barbaric acts throughout the globe. These include targeting and killing Americans, beheading civilians, and committing other mass atrocities. The spread of violent Islamist extremism is fueling a refugee crisis, increasing instability and military conflict in the Middle East, and threatening our allies and our national security interests.
With so many global challenges, Senator Toomey believes we must also make sure that American military action is guided first and foremost by the country's national interest. We must balance our commitment to expanding freedom and human rights around the world with our immediate national security interests and the needs of our armed forces. The United States cannot be engaged in every conflict around the globe, and we must be cautious in how and where we choose to use our military might.
As a strong supporter of the reserve component of our armed forces, Senator Toomey is a member of the U.S. Senate National Guard and Reserve Caucuses. He believes that in this time of great national security and fiscal challenges, we must ensure our Reserve Components get the resources they need to fulfill their expanded role in our national defense since 9/11. Our reserves provide a combat proven, cost effective force that can rapidly and effectively augment our regular armed forces abroad as well as respond to natural and manmade disasters at home. Senator Toomey co-sponsored the National Guard Empowerment Act, which was signed into law in 2011 and elevated the chief of the National Guard Bureau to a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In addition, Senator Toomey co-sponsored legislation to reauthorize the successful State Partnership Program, which partners states with allies overseas for training.
Our national security must also include a comprehensive program to address the needs of our nation's service members and veterans and ensure their continued well-being. Among other things, Senator Toomey has supported legislation to protect and increase the pay of service members and to boost funding at the Department of Veterans Affairs so our veterans have improved access to medical care.
Finally, our national security is being threatened by cyber-attacks from other countries, including China. In May of 2014, Senator Toomey sent a letter to the Chinese Ambassador to the U.S. regarding cyber-attacks against business and organizations in the United States. Senator Toomey followed up that letter in September of 2015 and wrote to President Obama urging him to press the Chinese president to stop harmful cyber activities.
All across the Commonwealth, Pennsylvanians are struggling with the rising cost of health care and worried about the government's growing control over our health care decisions.
The experience of the past several years has proven that Obamacare is fundamentally flawed in its approach to improving the nation's health care system. It forced people to buy overpriced health plans they do not want, hiked taxes, and put important and personal health care decisions in the hands of politicians and bureaucrats instead of patients and their doctors. Further, Obamacare exacerbated the already perilous fiscal condition of Medicaid, America's largest health care program, by adding millions to its rolls without any reforms that could make the program sustainable for the long-term.
Senator Toomey believes the best way to lower health care costs is to empower patients to make choices and increase transparency within the health care system. He helped lead the fight to repeal the individual mandate, an ill-conceived tax that punished those who either could not afford, or did not want, government-approved insurance products. Senator Toomey also supports measures giving consumers in the nongroup market the same tax advantages individuals enjoy when they purchase health insurance from their employer, providing targeted assistance to help those with costly and chronic conditions afford care, and making the reforms necessary to preserve important safety net programs for future generations.
As Chairman of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Health Care, Senator Toomey has pursued a three-pronged approach to combatting the epidemic of opioid and heroin abuse that is ravaging our communities. This includes stopping illegal diversion of prescription painkillers, reducing the overuse of opioids for treating long-term pain, and helping those battling addiction receive appropriate treatment.
In 2016, Senator Toomey worked across the aisle to pass the Stopping Medication Abuse and Protecting Seniors Act (Section 704 of Public Law 114-198). This important law will help prevent inappropriate opioid use in the Medicare program and improve patient care for at-risk beneficiaries.
Senator Toomey serves as co-chair of the Bipartisan Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer's Disease. Since being elected to the Senate, he has worked to bring focus to the challenges an Alzheimer's disease diagnosis imposes for families, chairing a Congressional hearing on the subject in the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Health Care. Additionally, Senator Toomey has supported successful efforts to improve Medicare coverage for Alzheimer's disease victims and bolster the research and innovation being done at the National Institutes of Health.
Senator Toomey has worked hard to protect the American people. In addition to his efforts to protect children from sexual and physical abuse, Senator Toomey has fought to end gun violence, support our public safety officers, and fill vacancies on the federal bench in Pennsylvania.
Senator Toomey believes that Congress can and should take common sense steps to protect the American people from gun violence. This is why he joined Sen. Joe Manchin in introducing the bipartisan Public Safety and Second Amendment Rights Protection Act, which would make it tougher for criminals and the dangerously mentally ill to obtain a gun.
The legislation provides a balanced approach. It ensures that the same criminal background checks that are required when a licensed dealer sells a gun also apply to commercial sales over the Internet or at gun shows. The legislation also adds new protections for the Second Amendment rights of members of the Armed Forces, veterans, and other law-abiding citizens.
The terror attacks in San Bernardino, California and Orlando, Florida demonstrate the need to keep firearms out of the hands of terrorists. Senator Toomey introduced the Fighting Terrorism and Upholding Due Process Act, which would give the Attorney General the flexibility to stop any terrorist from purchasing a firearm. Senator Toomey's bill was the only proposal to include two layers of due process for gun-buyers: (1) meaningful judicial review to help ensure that innocent Americans are not wrongfully placed on a suspected terrorist list; and (2) for those who are still mistakenly barred from buying a gun, the ability to challenge such a decision in court, including receiving attorney's fees if the challenge is successful. Senator Toomey also joined 51 of his colleagues in supporting bipartisan legislation offered by Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) to bar those on the terrorist "No-Fly List" from purchasing firearms.
As a champion of the Second Amendment, Senator Toomey has long believed that Americans have an individual right to bear arms for self-protection, hunting and recreation. For example, Senator Toomey is a co-sponsor of the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act. However, requiring a brief background check for commercial gun sales, to help keep firearms out of the hands of criminals and the seriously mentally ill, is a common sense way to help reduce gun violence. Indeed, such common sense measures are already the law in Pennsylvania law.
Although the Senate has twice failed to pass Senator Toomey's background check legislation, in 2013 and 2015, Senator Toomey remains committed to this bipartisan effort.
Everyday our law enforcement officers and first responders place their lives at risk to protect our neighborhoods. They deserve our respect, admiration, and support.
Instead of receiving the thanks they deserve, too often, our police officers find themselves under attack-from cold-blooded killers ambushing officers across the country as well as from rioters calling for murdered cops.
Like any profession, there are a few bad actors in law enforcement that should be held accountable, but almost all police officers are honorable, hard-working public servants who keep our communities safe.
Senator Toomey has consistently supported America's law enforcement officers and first responders.
Senator Toomey believes we must never forget our fallen law enforcement heroes. This includes 25 year-old Philadelphia Police Officer Danny Faulkner, who was viciously murdered in the line of duty in December 1981. That is why Senator Toomey successfully led the bipartisan opposition when the Obama Administration nominated an attorney who volunteered to defend Danny Faulkner's unrepentant killer and helped spread false information concerning the tragedy. Senator Toomey helped convince seven Democrat Senators to join their Republican colleagues in defeating the nominee.
Recently, America has seen a number of police officers violently attacked solely because they wear a blue uniform. Senator Toomey's Thin Blue Line Act sends a clear message: If you kill or target a law enforcement officer, prosecutor, firefighter, or other first responder, you will be held accountable. The bill provides that if a defendant murdered or targeted a law enforcement officer, prosecutor, firefighter, or other first responder, this fact shall constitute an aggravating factor in favor of imposing the federal death penalty.
Our law enforcement officers deserve every tool they need to defend themselves. That is why Senator Toomey pushed back against the Obama Administration's executive actions to restrict local law enforcement from obtaining lifesaving federal equipment, including riot shields, helmets, and armored personal transport vehicles.
Senator Toomey was proud to co-sponsor the bipartisan Rafael Ramos and Wenjain Liu National Blue Alert Act, which provides a nationwide system of "blue alerts" to warn law enforcement officers when police are threatened or attacked. President Obama signed this bill into law on May 19, 2015. Senator Toomey also co-sponsored the bipartisan Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Program Reauthorization Act, which became law on May 16, 2016.
Federal corrections officers face high risks of violence - both from inmates seeking retribution and their fellow gang members outside of prison. Our federal corrections officers are sometimes placed on duty without any defensive weapons or back-up. Officer Eric Williams paid the price for this misguided policy: Eric was on duty alone in a federal prison in Pennsylvania when a gang member serving a life sentence for first degree murder ambushed Eric and then beat and stabbed him to death. Senator Toomey was proud to work with Eric's parents, Don and Jean Williams, to introduce the bipartisan Eric Williams Correction Officer Protection Act, which requires the federal government to issue non-lethal pepper spray to federal corrections officers. President Obama signed this bill into law in March 2016. Senator Toomey has also introduced the Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati Correctional Officer Self-Protection Act to allow federal correctional officers to carry firearms to and from work. In June 2016, President Obama signed into law Senator Toomey's Federal Law Enforcement Self-Defense and Protection Act, which ensures federal law enforcement officers on furlough maintain their right to carry a firearm for self-protection.
In the tragic event that a law enforcement officer, firefighter, or first responder falls in the line of duty, we have a duty to provide for their families.
Senator Toomey was proud to co-sponsor the bipartisan Don't Tax Our Fallen Public Safety Heroes Act, which was signed into law in May 2015. The measure prevents taxation of death benefits paid to families of fallen law enforcement officers, firefighters, and other first responders under the Public Safety Officer Benefits program.
Senator Toomey also joined Senator Casey in introducing the Children of Fallen Heroes Scholarship Act, which provides that children of fallen law enforcement officers, firefighters, and other first responders are able to receive the maximum college scholarship under the Pell Grant program. The Senate passed this bill on May 10, 2016.
After a lifetime of service, our public safety officers deserve a secure retirement. That is why Senator Toomey introduced the Federal Public Safety Retirement Fairness Act, which eliminates the early withdrawal penalty on retirement funds for federal law enforcement officers, firefighters, other first responders, and air traffic controllers. This bipartisan legislation was signed into law in June 2015.
Our firefighters also face special dangers on the job. When people are fleeing a burning building, firefighters run into it to save others. It is a testament to their bravery and professionalism that Pennsylvania has more volunteer firefighters than any other state in the nation.
In addition to Senator Toomey's efforts to help firefighters as part of the Thin Blue Line Act, Don't Tax Our Fallen Public Safety Heroes Act, Children of Fallen Heroes Scholarship Act, and Federal Public Safety Retirement Fairness Act, Senator Toomey has introduced other initiatives to help these brave men and women who are critical for public safety.
Senator Toomey introduced legislation to clarify that that volunteer firefighter departments, which are critical to the safety of so many Pennsylvania communities, are not subject to Obamacare's harmful employer mandate. This legislation prompted the Internal Revenue Service to clarify that volunteer firefighters are exempt from the mandate.
Senator Toomey has worked across the aisle with Senator Casey and the Obama Administration to fill 16 vacancies on the federal bench in Pennsylvania-14 on Pennsylvania's district courts and two on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. Only two states-New York and California-have had more federal judges confirmed to the bench during the same time period.
Thanks to these bipartisan efforts, Pennsylvania now has a federal judge who will sit in the Reading courthouse, which had been vacant for 3 years, and has federal judges in the Williamsport and Easton courthouses, which were also vacant. This helps ensure that the people of Pennsylvania are able to obtain justice, without having to travel many hours across the state.
Our tax system is in need of serious reform and simplification. If done properly, pro-growth tax reform will make the United States a competitive place to do business and expand opportunity for all Americans. Simplifying the code, lowering marginal tax rates, and eliminating special interest loopholes will promote domestic economic growth, create jobs, and raise wages.
Our country's current corporate tax rate of 35 percent is one of the highest in the developed world, far higher than the average 25 percent rate of our economic competitors. Without a significant reduction in business tax rates, the U.S. will never be the best place to invest and create jobs. And with the increasing international mobility of capital, a significant burden of business taxes now falls on workers, undermining wage growth.
The best economic stimulus for the middle class, who have seen their wages stagnate and tax bills rise over the last decade, is a well-paying job. Tax reform will help deliver on this goal with its focus on lower rates, investment, and growth.
As a state with a storied industrial heritage and aging infrastructure, Pennsylvania needs continued investment in roads, bridges, railroads, and waterways to keep its economy growing. Senator Toomey believes the federal government can play an important role in supporting our infrastructure priorities, and he has been proud to promote fiscally responsible legislation to fund infrastructure maintenance and expansion.
Since joining the Senate, Senator Toomey has supported three bipartisan bills to continue federal support for Pennsylvania's vital roads, bridges, and other transportation projects. That said, Senator Toomey believes that these efforts are not enough to meet America's infrastructure demands. He has proposed a fully offset, long term strategy that increases federal transportation funding by more than $100 billion without raising taxes.
He also has worked to develop America's ports and inland waterway transportation network. As a strong advocate for the Port of Philadelphia, Senator Toomey is working to keep the port competitive well into the future. He has met with senior leadership at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency to ensure that the Delaware River is deep enough to accommodate the world's largest container ships and that the port has adequate customs staff to minimize cargo delays.
Senator Toomey also supported the bipartisan Water Resources Reform and Development Act, which authorized funding for badly needed water infrastructure projects, including locks and dams along the Monongahela River.
Senator Toomey is also committed to transportation safety. In the 112th Congress, he supported the FAA Air Transportation Modernization and Safety Act, which funds and reforms our national aviation programs. Senator Toomey was an original cosponsor of the bipartisan Reducing Flight Delays Act of 2013, which prevented the closure of 149 air traffic control towers across the United States.
Working across the aisle, Senator Toomey hopes to have more opportunities to support responsible transportation and infrastructure legislation and he will keep the needs of our state's motorists, truck drivers, transit passengers and shippers in mind.
Senator Toomey is proud of our men and women in uniform who are currently serving to protect the United States. The son of a former U.S. Marine and representing a state with one of the largest veteran populations in the country, he is also acutely aware of the nation's commitment to our veterans and their families who have sacrificed to preserve our freedom. He understands how important it is that we continue to provide quality medical care and other benefits to veterans, both to those who served a generation ago, and to those just returning from fighting in the war against terrorism.
Since joining the Senate, Senator Toomey has been constantly working to help Pennsylvania's veterans obtain the services and benefits they rightfully deserve and welcomes the opportunity to be of assistance. On a bipartisan basis, he also looks forward to working with his Senate colleagues on additional ways to help ensure the welfare of our veterans and their families.
His hard work for veterans has included:
As a member of the bipartisan VA Backlog Working Group, Senator Toomey is deeply concerned about the logjam of veterans' disabilities claims which has caused severe delays since 2005. In addition to introducing legislation to address the issue, Senator Toomey has asked the VA to inform him about how the department will accomplish its strategic goal of reducing the backlog. He also signed a letter to President Obama asking for his direct personal involvement in resolving this issue.
Working with lawmakers from both sides of the aisle, Senator Toomey will continue to support sensible legislation protecting the welfare of our veterans. He also encourages veterans to contact him at (610) 434-1444 for assistance with federal programs and services.
Since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, there has been understandable concern and uncertainty. Those on the frontlines-health care professionals, emergency responders, retail workers, public transit workers, and many others-have worked day and night to help ensure our safety and well-being, and to try to provide a degree of normalcy in our daily lives. While these times are challenging, we will get through this together.
I've set up this page to provide useful resources and information to help you, your family, your neighbors, and the small businesses that sustain communities all across Pennsylvania. This page will be updated regularly. While my offices are all currently operating remotely, we stand ready to help as best we can. if you have a constituent casework question regarding the CARES Act or any of the legislation passed to combat COVID-19, please email Covid19Response@toomey.senate.gov. All other comments should be submitted through our traditional web portal here.