Voters in Pennsylvania's 8th Congressional District last month voted against six-term incumbent Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-Pennsylvania), a young, energetic and successful businessman who says he is ready to protect his interests in the nation's capital. I decided to win the election by supporting my family.
Republican Congressman-elect Rob Bresnahan, 34, said in an interview on Fox News Digital that “table issues” have connected with people in northeastern Pennsylvania and that he believes they are helping oust Cartwright, a progressive who has served in Congress for more than a decade. He said it was helpful.
“For 13 months, when we were knocking on doors and talking to people every day, the first thing everyone had to say was, 'I can't afford to pay my bills. I can't afford to pay my rent. I can't afford it. I can't pay my school property taxes, I can't buy groceries,'' Bresnahan said.
Rising food and gas prices are putting the cost of living out of reach for Pennsylvanians, he explained. And voters watched as billions of dollars in foreign aid flowed from the U.S. to other countries, while illegal immigrants were provided free food, housing, and benefits across the southern border. He said he feels he is being treated better than Americans by the government. Bresnahan.
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Democratic Pennsylvania Congressman Matt Cartwright and Republican Pennsylvania House candidate Rob Bresnahan. (Getty Images/Rob, PA)
“We looked around at our neighbors and said, 'Hey, what's going on here?'” And they couldn't help but feel like they had been put in second place for a long time. . ”
Mr. Bresnahan was a success story before he was elected to the House of Representatives. At just 19 years old, the fifth-generation Luzerne County native was appointed CFO of his grandfather's construction company, which builds power infrastructure for municipalities and highways throughout Pennsylvania.
He spent his undergraduate years at the University of Scranton, shuttling between offices and classes to help companies recover from the global financial crisis. His hard work paid off, the business grew, and Mr. Bresnahan became CEO after graduation in 2013.
“Even though I was still living at home with my parents and couldn't legally drink Coors Light yet, I was in and out of my dorm room and running a company with 58 employees. ” he told Citizen's Voice in 2021. This combination was a lot of work, but it would soon take its toll again. ”
But as the years passed, Bresnahan, like many Americans, felt the country was heading in the wrong direction. Decisions made from Washington, D.C., were bad for his business, his employees, and the people they serve. He then decided to enter politics to make a difference.
“I felt like this country was not moving in the right direction with what was happening at our southern border. We were living a life that was basically out of reach for the average person. And I've always been the guy who rolls up my sleeves and throws myself into the fire,''' Bresnahan said.
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Rob Bresnahan, Republican candidate for Pennsylvania's 8th Congressional District, takes the stage at a Trump campaign rally at Riverfront Sports in Scranton, Pennsylvania on October 9, 2024. (Getty Images)
His winning Congressional campaign focused on securing the border, cutting taxes and government spending, creating “family-supporting jobs” in the Keystone State, and supporting law enforcement. In April, Bresnahan received an endorsement from President-elect Donald Trump.
“Rob is a successful businessman who has worked hard to create jobs and grow the economy, unlike his opponent, Matt Cartwright, who relies entirely on Nancy Pelosi and the radical left,” Trump said. ” he posted on Truth Social.
Bresnahan has concluded his campaign and said he and the incoming Republican majority in Congress are ready to hit the ground running on their pro-growth agenda in January.
“It's about securing the border. That needs to be done on day one, the day after we're all sworn into office, January 3rd at 12:01 p.m.,” he told FOX News Digital. “I think we have a big playbook, and it's a win that's immediately tangible.”
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A view of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC on November 4, 2024, ahead of the 2024 presidential election. (Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Regarding inflation, Bresnahan said Congress and the Trump administration can address unaffordability by lowering energy costs. “In Pennsylvania alone, 52% of homes are heated with natural gas. $45 billion a year is generated from the natural gas industry, and $76 billion of GDP comes from the hydraulic fracturing and natural gas industries. '', he argued, as follows: Policymakers must stop “denigrating natural resources.”
Bresnahan argues that the growing national debt, which has reached $36 trillion, is another strain on the economy that Congress must address. “We spend more on debt servicing, including just the national debt and interest, than we spend on the defense budget.”
The junior lawmaker said there would be “tough votes” on discretionary spending when Congress convenes in January. But two of the biggest causes of federal debt and budget deficits remain untouched.
“Obviously, you can't cut Medicare. You can't cut Social Security. We have to preserve it for the current generation, and for our generation and the next generation. We have to find a way to maintain that. But I don't believe there is a one-size-fits-all policy for any situation, let alone the national debt or federal spending.” Bresnahan said.
But he added that illegal immigrants should not receive benefits from programs paid for by Americans, such as Social Security and Medicare.
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House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) is expected to remain in office as Republicans maintain their House majority. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc, via Getty Images)
Republicans are expected to extend the 2017 tax cuts passed during President Trump's first term in office. Mr. Bresnahan supports these tax cuts, arguing that economic growth driven by deregulation, infrastructure investment and American jobs can offset potential revenue losses.
“We have to get people back to work,” he said. “We must create an economic environment that encourages Americans to go to work.”
Part of that includes helping with jobs that don't require a college degree, such as carpentry, plumbers, and electricians. “These are great careers that provide for your family, give you a pension from day one, health insurance for your family, and allow you to earn while you learn.”
Turning to foreign policy, Bresnahan said the United States must remain a global superpower and pursue “peace through strength.”
“But we have to be strong as America,” he added. Asked about growing Republican opposition to foreign aid, including to Ukraine, Bresnahan stressed that he supports efforts to counter Russian aggression, but wants to do so responsibly.
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“President Putin is a war criminal and must be stopped,” he said. “I fully support the provision of weapons, missiles and rockets. In fact, we have large manufacturing facilities within my district. But I want to be held accountable for the production of I want them to be audited to make sure they're going to a good cause.”
Bresnahan echoed President Trump's belief in America First, saying “enough is enough” and that Europe needs to match America's contributions to foreign aid.
“Again, what I look at is 25% of bridges are structurally deficient. Here in the United States, we have aging infrastructure levees that protect over $1 trillion in assets. You're talking about a grid that hasn't degraded and has been reinvested since the 1950s and has a lifespan of 50 years, and you know, we're talking about a few days, maybe a week. Power outages continued.Editor's note: This interview has been postponed due to a snowstorm in the Breshannan area). Europe didn't come and send trucks to help rebuild the power grid. ”
“Obviously there's a lot going on in Ukraine, but we have to take care of our own people. We have to take care of our own Americans. And I think Donald Trump has that story. I believe, and that's why he won the election by a landslide, because it's about us,” he added.
Bresnahan wants to bring “common sense” solutions to the complex problems facing Americans. He has pledged to work with anyone, Republican or Democratic, with a good idea, and has received support from both No Labels and the moderate Problem Solvers caucus. Although he calls himself a “fiscal conservative,” he rejects the political label because “I don't believe confirmation bias is the right way to solve any problem.”
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“I believe that most challenges can be overcome through healthy and robust debate,” he added.
So what about the issues that spark passion on both sides? Prior to this interview, Rep. Nancy Mace, R.S.C., spoke with biologically male transgender lawmaker Rep. Sarah McBride (D-R.C.). made national headlines after introducing a resolution banning women from using the women's restroom in Delaware. National Diet Building.
Bresnahan believes biological males should not participate in women's sports or use women's facilities, but the conflict between Mace and McBride is based on crumbling infrastructure and expensive facilities. He said it would distract from other important issues facing Americans, such as the cost of living.
“I don't want the 119th Congress to be hijacked by what kind of bathroom we should use when we were elected to provide real solutions for real Americans. I'm going to Washington, D.C. to do this.”
Fox News Digital's Emma Colton contributed to this report.
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