News & Brews June 23, 2025
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Pa. elected officials respond to U.S. strikes on Iran
U.S. Sens. John Fetterman and Dave McCormick expressed bipartisan support for Saturday’s strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities. McCormick stated, “This is an important step toward ensuring that the world’s largest state sponsor of terror never obtains a nuclear weapon.” And Fetterman posted, “Iran is the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism and cannot have nuclear capabilities. I’m grateful for and salute the finest military in the world.” Pa.’s congressional delegation, meanwhile, was less united, with multiple Democrats criticizing the president. Shapiro, for his part, avoided taking a position on the strikes. He said it’s “good if Iran does not possess a nuclear weapon,” but came short of supporting Trump’s actions (as if Iran would have volunteered to destroy its own nuclear capabilities). He added, “Obviously, the Trump administration holds responsibility for what comes next.”
Shapiro’s ‘next step’?
Philadelphia Magazine has a long-form story on Gov. Josh Shapiro’s highly calculated (or, as some would call it, “strategic”) political career. Is he gearing up for a 2028 presidential run? (Rhetorical question.) While some are fawning over the idea, others view Shapiro as an opportunist. Still, “When it comes to the presidency,” the story notes, “perhaps the real question about Shapiro isn’t whether he wants to run, but how strong a candidate he could be.” Indeed, he’s never really had to play against the other national names on the Left who are also eyeing the White House.
What’s up with the Pa. state budget talks?
Erie News Now gives us a budget-talk run-down as the state barrels toward the June 30 traditional deadline. The big takeaway from the story: “Pennsylvania is estimated to generate $46 billion in revenue for the 2025/26 fiscal year, according to the state’s Independent Fiscal Office. In February, Democrat Gov. Josh Shapiro proposed a $51.4 billion budget—spending $5.4 billion more than what the state makes.”
McCormick’s first six months in the U.S. Senate
The Inquirer spoke with U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick about his first six months in the Senate. “I won a very close election in a purple state,” he says, “and half of the people didn’t vote for me. So my view has always been, I’ve got to work with others to get things done.” The story notes, “Scrawled on a white board in his [McCormick’s] office is a list of the 10 priorities he campaigned on, including: tackling the fentanyl crisis, economic advancement for the state, supporting the energy economy, and improving affordable housing. He said he has tried to tailor his legislation toward those initiatives.”
AG Sunday on Trump: Advocate, don’t litigate
In an interview with the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Attorney General Dave Sunday addressed why he hasn’t been jumping on the “let’s sue President Trump” bandwagon that Gov. Shapiro likes to ride. “As attorney general, like any lawyer,” Sunday said, “I know that when you file a lawsuit, everything changes and communication stops. And so one of the things that we have done is we have advocated and not litigated. We’ve advocated directly to leadership in Washington on a lot of issues facing Pennsylvanians.” Sunday added, “I ran for AG to follow the law and keep the community safe. I’m not the type of guy who’s going to throw lightning bolts from in front of the courthouse. I believe that the best way to show success is by being effective at your job.”