Lou Barletta can’t rewrite history: As Mayor, in Congress, and on the campaign trail, he’s pushed a far-right, anti-labor agenda.
PENNSYLVANIA — Despite his latest attempts to dodge questions and rewrite history, Lou Barletta has a long record of supporting dangerous anti-worker, anti-union policies. From his time as mayor to his long tenure in Washington, DC, Barletta repeatedly sided with corporations and the wealthy against Pennsylvania workers — so much so, that he has a 31 percent lifetime rating from the AFL-CIO.
As Mayor, Barletta frequently fought unions and Hazleton workers — he even bragged about throwing out contracts with unions and setting a single day record for the number of anti-union grievances filed against him. In his first 100 days alone, the four unions representing city workers filed “a record number” of grievances against him and his administration.
In Congress, Barletta voted against worker safety and defended companies who ripped off their employees. He voted to cut the budget of the Mine Safety and Health Administration, which works to “ensure safe and healthy work environments for miners,” and he voted against prohibiting federal contracts from going to companies who “willfully and repeatedly” violated the Fair Labor Standards Act. Barletta also voted for the 2017 GOP tax bill, which gave trillions of dollars in tax giveaways to massive corporations, and he repeatedly voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which gave 1.22 million Pennsylvanians access to healthcare coverage.
Barletta’s anti-worker record didn’t end when he left Congress, however. As he prepared to announce his campaign for Governor, Barletta came out in opposition to the American Jobs Plan, which would provide billions of dollars to repair Pennsylvania’s roads, bridges, and infrastructure — while creating millions of jobs. The Pennsylvania AFL-CIO called the plan “heroic,” saying it would “positively impact every worker and every segment of the economy.”
“When Pennsylvania workers needed him most, Lou Barletta deserted them, siding instead with big corporations and the wealthy,” said Pennsylvania Democratic Party spokesman Brendan Welch. “Barletta has voted against worker safety, voted against unions, and defended employers who rip off their employees. Pennsylvania workers need someone who will stand with them, but it’s clear Barletta only comes around when he needs their votes.”
In addition to supporting anti-worker politics, Barletta is pushing a far-right agenda in his bid to win Donald Trump’s support and prevail in the “super MAGA” primary. Barletta has embraced Trump’s absurd and dangerous lies about the 2020 election, endorsed a costly election fraudit, and indicated that he would support a Texas-style abortion ban.
###