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Priorities

Jobs & Growth

Frank has fought the outside forces that have taken an economic toll on the people of Cambria County for years. When the state attempts to fund big-government projects using the hard-earned dollars of our people, Frank has opposed both Republican and Democratic administrations.

Frank has fought for legislation to even the playing field and bring back opportunity for our people, especially where international corporations have spent years attempting to take away union jobs that have been the backbone of our community and the state.

Frank has fought to bring investment into the county through the designation of opportunity zones within the district, as well as invited top job-producing companies to the area to show how the working people of Cambria can be a valuable asset for their businesses. Most recently, Frank has gone toe-to-toe with Governor Wolf’s hypocrisy on reopening businesses in the County, calling him out for allowing families to struggle while he marches in crowded streets, going against his own marching orders.

While in office, Frank has:

  • Advocated for returning revenue surpluses from the state to the people through tax breaks for working families, and for surplus funding to go to much-needed rural road projects.

  • Secured a Keystone Opportunity Zone that would incentivize businesses to relocate to and invest in the region.

  • Proposed the American-Made Jobs Plan, with bipartisan support, requiring companies to use 100% American made steel. This drove businesses to buy American and have an America First mentality when using public dollars for their projects.

  • Passed the E-Verify bill that would mandate construction contractors to hire American citizens for American jobs.

  • Voted three times to end the economic shutdown in the state. Was one of the first legislators to push the governor to allow businesses to have curbside pickup and delivery, so businesses across the state could stay open and not succumb to added economic hardship. And ensured that Cambria County could enter the green phase.

  • Spearheaded a bill that would prevent the state government from taxing stimulus checks during a time of economic hardship for many.

Healthcare

Frank will continue to fight for lower prescription drug prices, access to affordable healthcare options, and against the opioid epidemic that has been a scourge to regions across the state, including Cambria County. Where so many have been unable to access even the most basic of healthcare needs, Frank has worked tirelessly to assist struggling families who should never be in a position to face financial crisis as a result of needing to seek healthcare treatment.

While in office, Frank has:

  • Advocated to bring pharmaceutical manufacturing back to the US, and to not allow marked up prices on foreign made products that are sold to US consumers who need their life-sustaining medication to live.

  • Fought against the Wolf administration to keep the Ebensburg State Center open. Individuals in the community with intellectual disabilities deserve top shelf treatment, not to be thrown out on the street. Our most vulnerable needed a strong advocate, and Frank was there to stand up for those who need it most.

  • Proposed legislation to reign in out-of-control drug prices that have forced families within the county to choose between paying their bills or paying for medication.

  • Worked with the Attorney General's office to hold pharmaceutical companies accountable for the opioid epidemic. These companies are profiting from the pain of people in the district, and they need to face the consequences of their actions.

  • Voted to ensure that the people of Cambria County had access to expanded Medicaid so they wouldn’t have to choose between getting proper medical treatment and being able to pay their bills.

  • Voted to protect the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) so our county’s children could access proper medical care.

Education

Frank will continue to bring in much needed resources for the local school districts as well as continue his push for innovative educational programs to prepare students for the jobs of the future.

While in office, Frank has:

  • Worked to provide more than $500,000 in grants to expand health sciences at St. Francis University and prepare students for careers in the medical field.

  • Brought more than $500,000 in state grants for Cambria County schools to train and equip school officers who keep our classrooms safe.

  • Secured funding for innovative educational programs that provide students with the knowledge and skillset to be competitive job candidates after graduation.

  • Worked to close a loophole for military families that prevented the children of service members from receiving in-state tuition rates at public colleges and universities.

  • Worked to provide thousands of dollars in grant funding for healthy school lunch programs, innovative after school programs, and computer science programs.

Public Safety

Frank strongly supports the men and women who serve in our local and state law enforcement agencies — the people who put their lives on the line to protect and serve the community. He has a long history of supporting our local EMS and firefighters, who deserve the most up to date resources to save lives in our community. Frank pledges to support all first responders with added resources from the state and any support he can provide during these trying times.

While in office, Frank has:

  • Sponsored legislation to make assaulting a police officer a hate crime. No officer of the law who is on duty deserves to be put in harm's way. With physical altercations likely on the job, police officers deserve the protection of hate crime statutes so they can protect their communities in as safe a manner as possible.

  • Worked with the federal government to secure nearly $100,000 for local law enforcement to be prepared to work during the pandemic.

  • Co-sponsored a bill to give $30 million in grants to our fire and EMS companies in this time of crisis, when fundraising is all but impossible and demands for service are increasing.

Infrastructure

Frank has secured grants for public projects and renewal projects for municipalities to reinvest in our water systems, sewer systems, beautification projects for local parks and recreation areas, with more than $200 million in grant money brought on over the past 12 years for these much needed expansions of our public goods and services.

While in office, Frank has:

  • Led the charge to bring in $499,800 to Portage Borough for the Trout Run Flood Protection project, $247,000 to Washington Township for the Memorial Park Trail, $70,616 to Gallitzin Borough for the Gallitzin Athletic Field Park, $60,000 to Washington Township Central Mainline Sewer Authority and countless other projects that have made Cambria county a more thriving community.

  • Helped secure more than $79 million in PennVest funding for projects across the district since 2009.

Conservative Values

As the incumbent candidate endorsed by the PA Pro-life Federation, the Fraternal Order of Police, the NRA, as well as Firearm Owners Against Crime, Frank is the only candidate who has proven time and time again that he is committed to the traditional values of Cambria county. He fights for those who have a love for God, Country, and our Constitutional Rights, and will be the strongest representative to fight at the state level for our most sacred values that must always be defended.

While in office, Frank has:

  • Sponsored bills that defend gun owner rights, and allow for shooting ranges, sportsman clubs, and hunting facilities to reopen as well as deem businesses relating to the sale of guns and ammunition as life-sustaining businesses — a win for both small business and gun owners.

  • Fought against a gun registry bill that would force law abiding gun owners to pay unnecessary fees and weaken people’s ability to defend themselves.

  • Advocated for our nation’s military heroes by working with the state and federal government to allocate thousands of dollars of funding to the Veterans rural outreach program in Upper Yoder and host yearly meetings with veterans to connect them with state services.

  • Supported legislation to protect the unborn.