Midstate congressmen have blunt message to hard-line GOPers

(Harrisburg) — As President Donald Trump approaches 100 days in office, three midstate GOP congressmen are reminding conservatives they’re not going to get everything on their wish list.

Representatives Lou Barletta, Charlie Dent, and Scott Perry all spoke bluntly about the challenges ahead for Republicans.

Congressman Charlie Dent is a leader of a group of moderates in Congress known as the Tuesday Group and he was the most direct.

He points out in recent years major pieces of legislation – raising the debt ceiling, Hurricane Sandy relief, the Violence Against Women Act – all required bipartisan support.

And he highlighted one number: 60.

Republicans control 52 seats in the Senate, meaning they need eight Democratic Senators to support any legislation.

“I think that’s the lesson that we all have to understand. Drill it in our heads. It’s not that complicated, but it is difficult,” says Dent.

Congressman Lou Barletta says November’s election proved voters want results, and the GOP has to seize the moment.

“We are going to have to find a way to govern. We are going to have to find a way to prove to the American people that we can govern,” adds Barletta. “We can’t get stuck that we’re not getting the perfect and leaving nothing because I think the American people are going to have a very short tolerance with that right now.”

But, Congressman Scott Perry says he believes Democrats are often opposing bills because they want to stop the president from succeeding.

It’s a stance many Republicans adopted under former President Barack Obama.

Perry also urges the Senate to do away with the 60-vote threshold in some cases, as it recently did for President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch.