Weekly Recap: What You Might Have Missed

9 min readOct 13, 2020

Your voice matters now more than ever. October 19th is the deadline to register to vote. Don’t procrastinate!

Register to vote or update your registration at http://Register.VotesPA.com.
Already registered? Sign up to vote by mail-in ballot at http://VotesPA.com/ApplyMailBallot.

Your vote is safe. Your vote is secure. And your vote matters.

Keep updated on important dates in Delaware county here: https://www.delcopa.gov/vote/index.html
Keep updated on important dates in Philadelphia County here: https://www.philadelphiavotes.com/en/voters/registering-to-vote

In addition to the Election Day countdown, we are rapidly running out of time to get everyone counted in the 2020 census. There is still time to fill out the 2020 Census. Complete yours TODAY: 2020census.gov. Doing the right thing has never been easier, safer, or more critical!

You can respond online at 2020census.gov or you can respond by phone at 844 — 330 — 2020.

Here’s how I spent the past couple of weeks working for you:

Hosted a tele-town hall to answer all your questions about voting in the upcoming election.

We are just under a month away from one of the most historic elections of our lifetime, and I’m so amazed by the enthusiasm and preparedness of the Pennsylvania voters I meet every day.

I was proud have this important conversation to make sure each and every person in PA-05 has access to the ballot box. It was great to be joined by wonderful panelists who have been working to ensure that this election will be fair and secure:

Marianne Jackson — Delaware County, Bureau of Elections.
Omar Sabir — Commissioner, City of Philadelphia
Ken Lawrence — Montgomery County, Bureau of Elections

Held a press conference outside of the Lindburgh Boulevard USPS Facility to demand answers ahead of Postmaster DeJoy’s anticipated visit this evening

Just this weekend, a letter carrier of 31 years wrote into our local newspaper saying “Congresswoman. Please help. They are still making us hold back mail and not allowing us to get the mail out on time.” And yesterday, another paper published photos of sorters which have not been reinstalled, but are in the scrap heap out back.

I joined my colleagues to tell Pennsylvanians that what is going on with the Post Office is completely unacceptable, but also to say that there are so many ways that are safe and secure to cast your vote.

I was proud to be joined by Attorney General Josh Shapiro, members of the APWU, and Representatives Madeleine Dean, Bendan Boyle, and Dwight Evans. It’s rare to see so many members of the delegation in one place at the same time , but it’s no surprise that the sweeping detrimental and ongoing changes made to the way USPS operates has brought us together.

Listen to the press conference here: https://twitter.com/repmgs/status/1314296721111949314?s=21

NBC10 Philadelphia: https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/pa-politicians-call-for-changes-at-postal-service-to-better-handle-mail-in-ballots/2558527/

Attended vigil for Breonna Taylor

My heart is with Breonna’s family and those she held dear. We must continue to say her name. This decision to not charge any officers directly in her death is devastating and the reason we must change the system and continue to demand justice.

Joined city-wide clean up project “Chester Sweeps”

It’s always great to find time to volunteer while socially-distanced outdoors with community members passionate about taking care of our community. I spent time on Saturday morning with volunteers cleaning litter from the streets of Sunhill and was once again inspired by the spirits of the energetic crew organized by Chester Uplifting Program in partnership with ACEO Inc and Unapologetically Speaking.

Find more information about Chester Sweeps and Chester Uplifting Program on their Facebook page here: https://m.facebook.com/Chesterup610/

Visited Anna’s Place, a Franciscan Hospitality Center sponsored by the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia

We discussed the exponential growth in need they have seen during the pandemic. The issue of hunger in our community has only worsened as COVID-19 has upended all of our lives. I will not stop fighting in Congress to protect the programs we need to end food insecurity in our region.

Discussed sports based youth development programs to benefit Chester youth in the time of COVID-19 with Chester Upland Youth Soccer Executive Director, Jeannine Fallon Anckaitis.

Kicked off Saturday morning with a visit to thank volunteers with Delaware County Citizens Corps

It was great to visit with volunteers doing their part to support our community on Election Day by packaging PPE for poll workers. State, local, and federal officials. are working together to make sure that everyone can vote and work at the polls safely, and to make sure that everyone’s vote is counted.

Spoke on the House floor about the right to vote without obstacle, without fear, without intimidation, and with the assurance that every vote will be counted.

Our elections are foundational to our democracy, the pulse of our nation, and the most sacred form of protest we as Americans have at our disposal. We have a right to vote without obstacle, without fear, without intimidation, and with the assurance that every vote will be counted.

I wanted to take a moment to assure the American people who are receiving mail-in ballots for the first time, making a plan to vote on election day, looking for locations where early voting is taking place, signing up to volunteer, or have felt a sense of uncertainty as we participate in one of the most important elections of our lifetimes: Your vote is safe. Your vote is secure. And your vote matters.

Listen to my remarks here: https://twitter.com/repmgs/status/1311745462895026178?s=21

Voted to pass an updated Heroes Act

This updated Heroes Act will provide the resources families, first responders, state and local governments, and small businesses need as we continue to combat COVID-19. Now we need the Senate to act.

Joined Senator Bob Casey on a letter calling on the DOJ to take steps to address accessibility in advance of the general election

The right to vote is a fundamental right in our democracy, and no American should have to worry that their age or disability will hinder their right to vote.

When it comes to voting rights, older Americans and Americans with disabilities are often overlooked, as are the barriers preventing them from making their voices heard at the ballot box. Every day, but particularly during this pandemic, we must ensure that every eligible voter has access to the ballot and can vote safely.

Read our letter here: https://www.aging.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/9.30.20%20Polling%20Location%20Accessibility%20Concerns%20Letter%20Sig.pdf

House Judiciary Hearing on “Copyright and the Internet in 2020: Reactions to the Copyright Office’s Report on the Efficacy of 17 U.S.C. § 512 After Two Decades”

I regularly meet with small businesses and artists from my district who struggle to effectively use the notice-and-takedown system to enforce their copyrights online.

In addition to lacking the resources of larger creators or corporations, smaller creators have difficulty accessing tools that could make navigating this regime easier. This is simply not fair.

I was grateful for the opportunity to hear the thoughts of expert witnesses and have a conversation about. how we can improve copyright protections.

Listen to the hearing and learn more here: https://judiciary.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=3370

Managed the Rule for H.Res. 1153 and H. Res. 1154

I was proud to run debate to bring to the house floor two critical resolutions — one addressing allegations of gross human rights violations conducted in the name of the United States, and the other, a long overdue resolution that forcefully condemns “Qanon,” an anti-Semitic, racist, and unhinged conspiracy theory that has fully permeated the right-wing of our nation’s politics.

Participated in Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial, and Administrative Law hearing on on “Proposals to Strengthen the Antitrust Laws and Restore Competition Online”

Over the course of this past year and half we have laid out how Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google use monopolistic tactics to exert undue market power.

In doing this, these companies stifle innovation, kill competition, and harm the American public.

I have every reason to believe that, without regulatory intervention, these companies will continue to act in self-interest rather than in the interest of free and fair competition.

Over the course of the investigation it became clear that we need to rethink traditional antitrust law to address the major competition issues of our time.

Watch the hearing and learn more here: https://judiciary.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=3367

Joined House Judiciary Markup of H.H.R. 7370, the Protecting Employees and Retirees in Business Bankruptcies Act of 2020; H.R. 2648, the Student Borrower Bankruptcy Relief Act of 2019; H.R. 8366

Every week, I hear from constituents on the difficulty of repaying student loans and the impact these loans have on their financial future. I am proud to cosponsor the Student Borrower Bankruptcy Relief Act of 2019 to make our bankruptcy code fairer to student loan borrowers who are forced to consider bankruptcy.

Watch my remarks here: https://www.facebook.com/2317303261926393/posts/2924451361211577

Watch the hearing and learn more here: https://judiciary.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=3369

Joined the Friends of Ireland Caucus to meet with the Irish Foreign Minister regarding Brexit negotiations with UK

Members of Congress met with the Irish Foreign Minister and Irish Ambassador Dan Mulhall to discuss strategies to protect the Good Friday Agreement in the wake of Brexit.

People of Irish descent have historically formed the largest ethnic group in our district, and to this day we proudly continue to welcome new Irish American citizens. With almost a quarter of its population claiming Irish heritage, Delaware County is even sometimes referred to as the 33rd county of Ireland.

I look forward to supporting and celebrating our Irish neighbors, both at home and abroad as I work with Chairman Neal and the Friends of Ireland Caucus to protect the integrity of the Good Friday Agreement and maintain the peace and prosperity of our friends and allies in Ireland.

I continue to meet with our local public health and community leaders each week as we work together to map our path out of this pandemic and towards recovery. Thank you for everything you’re doing to keep your friends, family, and neighbors safe. Keep social distancing. Keep wearing your mask. We know that these are challenging times, but we can support each other to come through stronger.

Our office is here to help as we navigate this crisis together. You can reach us by phone at 610 — 626 — 2020 or by sending me a message through our website at scanlon.house.gov/contact.