Joe DeFelice, chairman of the Philadelphia Republican Party, is pleased that Chaka Fattah resigned his congressional seat after being convicted of corruption charges.
A jury last week found him guilty of 22 counts, including racketeering, bribery, fraud and money laundering.
Originally, Fattah was going to wait until his sentencing in October before resigning.
“After decades of serving himself and not the people of the 2nd Congressional District, the least he could do is resign immediately after his conviction,” DeFelice said. “Yesterday, he said he would stay on the remainder of his term, and we were among the first and strongest voices calling for his immediate resignation. We are pleased that he has heeded our calls and the calls of his constituents. It is a fitting end to a dishonorable career.”
Fattah is scheduled to be a super-delegate for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton when the Democratic National Convention arrives in Philadelphia July 25–28.
The congressman’s son, Chaka “Chip” Fattah Jr., was sentenced to five years in prison in February after being convicted in a tax fraud scheme.
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Hillary Clinton released a statement after the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed H.B. 1948, a bill that would ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, except in medical emergencies, and end so-called “dismemberment abortions.”
“In just the first three months of 2016, states across the country introduced more than 400 restrictions on abortion. Now, Republican lawmakers in Pennsylvania are continuing the trend. I strongly oppose this bill. It interferes with women’s constitutional right to safe and legal abortion, while doing nothing to advance women’s health. It’s also a reminder of just how much is at stake in this election,” Clinton said.
“At a time when women’s health and rights are hanging in the balance, Donald Trump has said women should be punished for having abortions, and wants to appoint justices who would overturn Roe v. Wade altogether. As President, I will fight back against the erosion of women’s health and rights, defend access to abortion, and work to improve access to health care for all Americans.”
The bill passed by a vote of 132–65. Reps. John Taylor, Martina White and Mike Driscoll voted in favor of the bill. Reps. Kevin Boyle, Ed Neilson, Jason Dawkins, Mark Cohen and Dwight Evans voted against it. Rep Tom Murt did not vote.
Even if the bill passes the Senate, Gov. Tom Wolf has said he will veto it.
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The Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation political action committee endorsed Donald Trump for president.
“Donald Trump will be a dedicated defender of innocent human life in the White House,” said Maria Gallagher, PAC director. “He has pledged to appoint justices to the U.S. Supreme Court who will interpret the law, rather than aggressively making laws from the bench. In sharp contrast, his opponent, presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, would have a radically pro-abortion litmus test for judicial nominees.”
Trump also supports a ban on what the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation calls “gruesome late-term abortions, in which fully-developed, living babies are killed in their mothers’ wombs.” Clinton voted against the Partial-Birth Abortion Act when she was a senator.
Trump opposes taxpayer-funded abortions, while Clinton is in favor.
“When it comes to safeguarding precious babies and their mothers from harm, Donald Trump is the clear choice for president,” Gallagher said. “He recognizes the distinct value of human life and has pledged to protect it from its earliest stages — something that Mrs. Clinton, sadly and tragically, refuses to do.” ••
