Republican Senate candidate Dave McCormick can’t be trusted, and his record is proof positive. That’s the case Bucks County Commissioner Bob Harvie and State Representative Jim Prokopiak made at a gathering of local Democrats outside the Langhorne Sheraton Tuesday where McCormick was set to speak on a panel.
“We’re here today to remind Pennsylvania what [McCormick] really stands for,” Prokopiak said.
Prokopiak and Harvie condemned McCormick’s anti-choice rhetoric and attacked his involvement in funding fentanyl producers in China. Prokopiak spoke first about McCormick’s celebration of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision which took away the constitutional right to abortion.
“As someone who works every day to protect the rights that Pennsylvanians have, it pains me to see someone who’s asking to represent this commonwealth celebrate as access to abortion is being wrestled away,” Prokopiak said.
Prokopiak says the Supreme Court’s ruling in June weighed heavily on him out of concern for his two daughters.
“I believe that everyone is entitled to chart their own path and to live their own life, and make their own decisions about their body,” Prokopiak said. “We know that’s not the case with Dave McCormick.”
Sandi Fein, a resident and committee member of Lower Makefield Township, also expressed concern about her relatives’ rights being affected.
“It frightens me and it frightens me for my granddaughters, my older granddaughter and my 11-year-old granddaughter,” Fein said. “Especially since they’re attacking things like the Department of Education as well as your right to make your own choices about your health care.”
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Prokopiak and Harvie both supported Sen. Bob Casey and his efforts for reelection with Harvie stating the choice could not be clearer.
“We need to reelect Bob Casey. He’s proven that he serves the people of this commonwealth and has the best interest of America at heart,” Harvie said.
Despite McCormick stating his top priority is to stop the flow of fentanyl into the U.S., Harvie challenged this with claims that McCormick was CEO of Bridgewater Associates when it held almost $2 million in stock in Humanwell Healthcare, China’s largest producer of fentanyl.
“We know in the very year that Mr. McCormick made those investments over 4,000 Pennsylvanians died of fentanyl overdoses,” Harvie said. “And seizures of fentanyl in Pennsylvania increased by over 346 percent.”
Harvie emphasized that these cases of overdoses are more than just numbers and said it is easy to lose track that these deaths are people’s loved ones.
“There are hundreds of families across Bucks County, thousands across Pennsylvania, who are suffering every day from the impact of fentanyl, and the fact that Dave McCormick made money off of that investment while thousands died truly shows where his allegiance lies,” Harvie said.
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Within his position, Harvie said that he and the other county commissioners are ensuring access to reproductive healthcare for Bucks County employees and working with social service agencies fighting the opioid crisis.
“We’re using the opioid money that we’ve gotten from the various companies that have settled lawsuits because of their role in the opioid crisis,” Harvie said. “We’re using that to the best of our ability to continue to serve and protect the people of this commonwealth.”
An hour later, America’s Future Tour hosted special guests McCormick, State Rep. Kristin Marcell, and Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn in the hotel’s conference room to discuss strengthening Pennsylvania families. The discussion ranged from IVF to social media. McCormick addressed the fentanyl claims calling it a lie during his response to an audience member’s question.
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Earlier, Fein was one step ahead of McCormick claiming his fentanyl investments were a lie and felt that the ‘Don’t Trust Dave’ tour was important in projecting the politician’s claims for others to hear.
“So, I think it’s so important to share the sentiments so that people don’t say, ‘Oh you made that up,’” she said. “We have to show them speaking their own words.”
