I asked Secretary Arkoosh what can be done to preserve healthcare access in our communities. youtu.be/F7AoOvSmKjY
04.03.2026 21:09
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I asked Secretary Arkoosh what can be done to preserve healthcare access in our communities. youtu.be/F7AoOvSmKjY
Hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians are losing their healthcare coverage due to federal cuts. This puts even more pressure on local hospitals who will see unreimbursed costs rise and will inevitably result in additional hospital closures.
It's traumatic when they witness aggressive and violent immigration enforcement, and it erodes student and community safety. I raised these concerns with Education Secretary Rowe and asked what the Department is doing to help students and their schools as navigate this instability and trauma.
Students from districts with vulnerable immigrant populations are dealing with the fallout of ICE detainments not only in their homes, but in their neighborhoods, at their bus stops, and near their schools.
Students all across Pennsylvania have a growing interest in Career and Technical Education- and careers in these fields are in high demand. We need to help our Career and Tech Centers build up their capacity to meet the needs of these promising students. www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGQ9...
A big issue in PA is small and startup businesses leaving the state for better growth opportunities. I asked Secretary Rick Siger how DCED is working to close that gap and keep these flourishing startups within our state lines. #PABudget youtu.be/Qmk1f89uQAY
I spoke with PA Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding about the processes and programs available to farmers for transferring their farms. I also asked about the resources they might need when it’s time to pass their farm on. youtu.be/UBHWfOHr7SA
Let us apply wisdom from the past, and draw on our community and courage, to meet the present moment. Happy President's Day.
Wisdom from President John F. Kennedy:
"The stories of past courage can teach, they can offer hope, they can provide inspiration. But they cannot supply courage itself. For this, each man must look into his own soul."
Courage, compassion, and the fight for justice are common threads in our local heritage.
Will we continue that legacy by fighting to protect the humanity and rights of our neighbors?
My answer- yes, we must.
In all of the chatter about ICE raids, people will sometimes argue that immigrants don't have constitutional protections like the right to due process.
Reality is that immigrants have many rights, regardless of their legal status. This article is a helpful primer.
www.forbes.com/sites/andyjs...
It was a great reminder that even in divided times, we generally want the same basic things- good healthcare, quality schools, a strong sense of community, safe roads and neighborhoods, and the ability to provide for our families.
Thank you to everyone who turned out to last night's town hall! My team and I had a great time connecting with community members about issues from potholes, to education, to ICE, to local economic development.
“We want to ask our federal government to kind of recalibrate. We want to see proper use of force. We want to see proper use of good law enforcement techniques.”
@repfriel.com
www.abc27.com/local-news/m...
We must each do what we can to stand for our liberties and for equal protection under the law.
Right is right even if everyone is against it and wrong is wrong even if everyone is for it." -William Penn
Apparently, I'm quite skilled at driving a sled pulled by draft horses! It was my first Feed Scurry at the #PAFarmShow and I managed to edge out several of my colleagues to take first place. It was a fun event that raises money for agricultural scholarships for PA students.
This was an important discussion about economic mobility, workforce development, community vitality, and the pivotal role of housing in all of it.
From being able to find a starter house to aging at home, being able to attain and maintain secure housing is a foundational part of a good life.
In response, our office has developed a guide to help answer the question "What Can I Do?". It's not comprehensive, and no doubt we will update it as time goes on, but we hope that it is helpful to you!
The full guide, including in a downloadable form, is here: www.pahouse.com/friel/whatca...
Over the last year, many wonderful folks have reached out to ask what can be done to stand for democracy, protect our neighbors, and create a more vibrant and compassionate community.
www.pahouse.com/friel/whatca...
We are at a critical moment in American history.
Now is not a time for fear, nor is it a time for deference toward anyone who would seek to usurp loyalty that is only owed to the Constitution.
www.pahouse.com/friel/InTheN...
It is indeed time for moral clarity.
ALL Americans, regardless of party, should be horrified by the President threatening violence against duly elected members of Congress who simply said that uniformed service members should only obey lawful orders.We MUST stand together against political violence.
It’s important to understand the lack of funding that impacts our community. Thanks to everyone who came out to our town hall last night with @repciresi.com!
You can watch the full town hall here:
youtu.be/YAxcmIce-4A
Check out my September newsletter- complete with legislative updates, info about upcoming events, and highlights from the last few months:
www.pahouse.com/files/Docume...
It was an incredibly valuable event that brought together a bipartisan, bicameral group of legislators to connect with life science stakeholders from across the region. We had some wonderful dialogue about how we can promote investment, innovation, and growth in this critical industry.
Yesterday I along with my co-chair Senator Kristin Phillips-Hill , and our fellow members of the Economic Competitiveness Caucus held a roundtable at Pfizer to discuss life sciences and technology in PA.
These words are as relevant today as they were then. Our republic, the promise of a nation of laws, not kings, must be kept.
As Benjamin Franklin emerged from the Constitutional Convention on September 17, 1787,
Elizabeth Willing Powel asked him: "Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?"
He replied: “A republic, if you can keep it.”
Today we remember and honor the lives of those we lost on 9-11.
May their memories inspire us to serve and uplift each other, strengthening our community, nation, and world.
"If operating margins are so narrow for cyber charters, why do they have so much $ left over to put in the bank (as well as spending on other areas like marketing)? & given that all of that money comes from the taxpayers, should cyber charters be allowed to continue to collect such large amounts?"
