dan meuser Rep p a
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AN 12 24
A House Republican’s interpretation of the constitutional role of Congress has left some stunned, after he suggested it is not a co-equal branch of government, but rather, intended to be supportive of “President Trump,” and “implement” his agenda.
The U.S. Constitution is clear: Congress’s role is to make laws, the executive branch’s role is to implement and enforce them.
U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser (R-PA) appeared to get the roles reversed.
“The president was elected by the people. What was on the ballot was the America First agenda,” Congressman Meuser told Fox Business Friday (video below). “The president’s plan is what we should be backing.”
“You know, our role is really to be more of a of a supportive board of directors, so we can implement what the American people voted for,” he claimed, conflating two co-equal branches of government. “Republicans need to get on board with President Trump. He is the commander in chief. He is the president. He is the decider in chief, and he’s the CEO.”
READ MORE: ‘Sick’: Dems Slam Johnson’s Refusal to Negotiate as Government Hurls Toward Shutdown
Meuser also claimed that the original bill Speaker of the House Mike Johnson put forth on Tuesday should have had the provision to extend or eliminate the debt ceiling that President-elect Donald Trump had wanted. Trump notified Congress via a post on his Truth Social platform Wednesday after 5 PM — well after the text of the first bill has been released on Tuesday —that he wanted the debt ceiling language in the bill.
“I mean, this, on the entire problem began because we received almost 1500 pages on Tuesday evening, and there was a lot that was in it that was unexpected, and there were things that were not in it that were expected, apparently, particularly uh, the president’s request for for a debt ceiling. Uh, uh, now we uh we we we’re here at the eleventh hour.”
Meuser also insisted Congress needs to pass a bill “with any revisions that the White House can live with — that President Trump can live with, because again, this is his plan that should be implemented.”
Critics expressed concern over Congressman Meuser’s claims.
“What Constitution is he reading? Because it’s definitely not the American one,” remarked former Obama White House advisor and Deputy Communications Director TJ Adams-Falconer.
READ MORE: Trump Threatens Shutdown, Says Biden Will Be Blamed
“Ah yes, who could forget Article 1 Section 1 of the Constitution, establishing a ‘supportive board of directors,'” snarked Tim Mulvey, who has an extensive resume in government, including serving as communications director for the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol, and communications director for the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
“Someone should tell @RepMeuser he’s the member of a co-equal branch of government,” commented MSNBC columnist Michael A. Cohen.
Watch the video below or at this link.
9 24
Daniel Philip Meuser[1][2] (/ˈmjuːzər/ *MEW-zər*; born February 10, 1964)[3] is an American businessman, politician, and philanthropist serving as the U.S. representative for Pennsylvania's 9th congressional district since 2019.[4]
A Republican, he previously served as the secretary of revenue in the cabinet of Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett. He was previously president of the Pride Corporation, a manufacturer of motorized wheelchairs in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton metro area of Pennsylvania, and currently serves the company as a board member and consultant.[5] He has testified before Congress regarding the criticality for federal practices surrounding rights and caring for the disabled.
On January 6, 2021 Meuser was among the 147 Republican members of Congress who voted against the certification of the results of the 2020 United States presidential election.[6]
Business career
Meuser was an executive at Pride Mobility Products, a business he built with his brother Scott and his father Stan.[7] His brother, Scott Meuser, is the chairman and CEO of the company.[8] Meuser left the company in August 2008 to pursue a career in public service. He had worked there since 1988. Although he left his position, he remained on the company's board of directors.[9] During Meuser's tenure at Pride, the company grew from $2 million in sales to over $400 million.[10] In 2002, Pride paid $80,000 to settle a government investigation that a Pride customer referral program intended to connect interested consumers with Pride product retailers was not compliant because retailers were required to pay Pride between $10 and $25 per referral as opposed to a flat annual fee.[11]
In 2006, Meuser received HomeCare magazine's HomeCaring Award, which recognized his work in the home medical equipment industry.[10]
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
2008
See also: 2008 United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania § District 10
Meuser was a candidate for the GOP nomination in Pennsylvania's 10th congressional district, having announced the launch of his campaign in September 2007. He lost the Republican primary to fellow businessman Chris Hackett, who went on to lose to Democratic incumbent Chris Carney in November 2008. Meuser heavily underscored his conservative values, referencing Ronald Reagan and emphasizing his work at Pride Mobility as part of a larger effort to embrace small-scale government and low taxes. The endorsements he received included many prominent Pennsylvania conservatives, including former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum and then-Hazleton mayor Lou Barletta.
Hackett attacked Meuser for hiring undocumented immigrants at Pride Mobility and funding prominent national Democratic politicians. In 1997, Pride Mobility was fined $41,000 for hiring three undocumented immigrants in 1995; the fine was reduced to $23,000 after Pride Mobility appealed.[12] The individuals in question had presented false documentation to Pride before technology like E-Verify was available. Pride took the incident seriously and took steps to ensure they wouldn't recur.[13]
The discovery that Hackett had previously hired an undocumented immigrant as a maid in his home—though he claimed to have dismissed her once he learned of her status—was perceived to seriously damage his image. On the night of the primary, the very close returns—despite initially displaying a comfortable Meuser lead—soon indicated a virtual tie for much of the night, with little more than 100 votes separating the candidates at one point. But as time passed, Hackett took a lead. By roughly 11:15 p.m. ET, local news media and the Associated Press projected Hackett as the winner, with 52% of the vote to Meuser's 48%.
When Meuser ran for the 10th congressional district in 2008, he lived in the 11th congressional district, where Lou Barletta was running for Congress against incumbent Paul Kanjorski. Meuser promised that he would actually live in the district by the time voters cast their ballots in the primary election; he had purchased a house in Harvey's Lake, which is in the 10th district. He still resides in Dallas, Pennsylvania.[14]
"I am running because I love my country and I want a government people can have faith in again. My twenty-five years in business and four years as PA Secretary of Revenue have given me the experiences necessary to be an effective, conservative member of Congress."
Dan Meuser[15]
2018
See also: 2018 United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania § District 9
Meuser was reelected in the 2018 general election with 59.7% of the vote, versus Denny Wolff's 40.3%.
In October 2017, Meuser announced that he would run as a Republican to represent Pennsylvania's 9th congressional district. The district had previously been the 11th, represented by Lou Barletta, who was running for the United States Senate.[16][17]
In March 2018, over 100 members of the Lebanon County Republican Committee endorsed Meuser. Meuser "strongly backed" President Donald Trump's "America First agenda".
The Republican primary candidates were Meuser, Scott Uehlinger and George Halcovage. The Democratic candidates were Susan Quick, Denny Wolff and Gary Wegman.[17] The primary election was held on May 15, 2018.[18]
On April 18, 2018, the Making America Great PAC endorsed Meuser. The PAC's chairman said, "Dan is a business-minded problem solver, a conservative, and he is focused on results, not rhetoric. Dan will go to Washington and join President Trump to fight for the America First Agenda."[19]
In early May 2018, the Republican Committee of Columbia County met with all three candidates running for the 9th congressional district seat. After a series of questions about their campaign priorities, the committee voted to support Meuser.[20]
Among Meuser's local endorsements were Shamokin Mayor John Brown and City Councilman Dan McGaw.[21]
Before a debate in Berks County, Meuser told opponent Denny Wolff to "go to hell", which he originally denied before later acknowledging.[22]
In May 2018, Meuser's campaign announced an initiative called "Women for Meuser", a group of women supporters of Meuser for Congress.[23] Meuser was endorsed by at least 31 prominent elected or politically active women, including State Senator Lisa Baker, television host Tiffany Cloud, State Representative Tarah Toohil, State Representative Karen Boback, and Luzerne County District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis.[23]
2020
See also: 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania § District 9
Meuser was reelected in 2020 with 66.3% of the vote, defeating Gary Wegman.[24]
Tenure
In December 2020, Meuser joined over 120 Republican members of the House of Representatives in signing an amicus brief in support of a Texas lawsuit that sought to invalidate Pennsylvania's 2020 presidential election votes. The Pennsylvania Attorney General called the case a "seditious abuse of the judicial process".[25][26] The Supreme Court issued orders on December 11, declining to hear the case on the basis that Texas lacked standing under Article III of the Constitution to challenge the results of an election held by another state.[27][28]
In August 2021, LegiStorm reported that Meuser had violated the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act of 2012, a federal transparency and conflict-of-interest law, by failing to properly disclose stock trades made by his wife and children in March 2021 worth as much as $600,000.[29]
Meuser was a candidate to be the Republican Party nominee for Speaker of the House in the October 2023 Speaker of the United States House of Representatives election, but dropped out on October 23, 2023.[30]
Committee assignments
Caucus memberships
- House Aluminum Caucus
- Congressional Candy Caucus
- Bipartisan Military Depot and Industrial Facilities Caucus
- House Small Brewers Caucus
- Congressional Fire Services Caucus
- Congressional Coal Caucus
- Congressional Chemistry Caucus
- Copper Caucus
- Congressional Cigar Caucus[31]
- Servicewomen & Women Veterans Congressional Caucus
- House Paper and Packaging Caucus
- Republican Main Street Partnership[32]
- Republican Study Committee[33]
- Problem Solvers Caucus[34]
Electoral history...
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MAGA runs wild with random poster’s “ABC whistleblower” claims
How the right works to “create stories”
Written by Matt Gertz
Published 09/16/24 MMA
A wildly flimsy internet rumor launched by a random pro-Trump X poster about an “ABC whistleblower” who purportedly claims that the network rigged the September 10 presidential debate went viral in MAGA spaces over the last several days, with Donald Trump and his allies floating congressional investigations and potential regulatory retribution against ABC News in response.
The right-wing pundits and Republican politicians pushing the story don’t actually know who the “ABC whistleblower” is, if their claims are credible, or even if the person actually exists — but the purported document supposedly supports their preferred narrative that ABC News’ moderators were biased, so they’re running with it.
The saga, while laughable, shows the right's ongoing tendency to embrace and elevate anything that confirms their worldview. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) laid out that strategy in a Sunday interview on CNN, admitting that he pushed a debunked, racist, and demagogic claim about Haitian immigrants eating pets because he wants to “create stories” that drive news coverage of immigration.
In the instance of the absurd “whistleblower” claim, Trump's allies trotted it out as they tried to cover for his flailing September 10 debate performance. Right-wing media figures lashed out at ABC News and its moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis with deranged invective and absurd conspiracy theories. And Trump himself said in an interview the following morning that “they ought to take away their license,” reiterating his support for government retribution against news outlets that displease him.
Then on September 12, a “verified” but obscure X poster with the handle “Black Insurrectionist--I FOLLOW BACK TRUE PATRIOTS” claimed they would release “an affidavit from an ABC whistleblower” by the end of the weekend. “The affidavit states how the Harris campaign was given sample question which were essentially the same questions that were given during the debate and separate assurances of fact checking Donald Trump and that she would NOT be fact checked,” the poster wrote.
Right-wing pundits had no reason to take claims from “Black Insurrectionist” at face value — other than the fact that the story confirmed their preexisting biases.
A casual review of recent activity from the “Black Insurrectionist” account — which has posted to X more than 32,700 times over the 10 months since its November 2023 launch — reveals a strong tendency for unhinged, conspiracy-minded, and violent pro-Trump rants.
One August post describes Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as “disgusting creatures” and their supporters as “the delightful cesspool of humanity we are fighting here today” who may be “just plain flat out disgusting pedophiles.”
Other posts detail the need for “70 million people to do mass civil disobedience that will halt this country” to prevent Harris from winning, perhaps via a mass withdrawal of cash from banks aimed at damaging the economy unless “the government just does what we want.”
It beggars belief that this is the person a credible “whistleblower” would entrust with an exclusive story of this magnitude, rather than a mainstream news outlet that would verify it or even an established right-wing one willing to promote the claims without due diligence.
The previewed “whistleblower” claim nonetheless went viral in MAGA spaces — and got all the way to Trump himself in less than seven hours. The former president claimed on Truth Social that evening that “people are saying that Comrade Kamala Harris had the questions from Fake News ABC” and that “ABC’s license should be TERMINATED” if that is the case, before reposting an account claiming that an “ABC whistleblower allegedly will release an affidavit” showing that “the Harris campaign was given sample questions.”
ABC News denied the allegations, with a spokesperson telling The Daily Beast, “Absolutely not. Harris was not given any questions before the debate.”
On Sunday morning, hours before the affidavit was to be released, a new wrinkle emerged as MAGA figures began suggesting the “whistleblower” had (conveniently for ABC) died.
“The ABC whistleblower who claimed Kamala Harris was given debate questions ahead of the debate has died in a car crash according to news reports,” wrote Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) on X, echoing random accounts.
Please note that this makes absolutely no sense: How could reports detail the death of a person who had never been identified?
NBC News’ Brandy Zadrozny ultimately tracked down the source of the story, an article headlined “ABC News Whistleblower in Kamala Harris Debate Question Scandal Dies in Maryland Crash” posted on a “junk AI-written website.” A few hours later, Greene acknowledged that “this story appears to be false and I’m glad to hear it” but added, “We need a serious investigation into the whistleblower’s report that Kamala Harris was given debate questions ahead of time from ABC!”
The totally implausible idea that news reports had revealed the mysterious death of a “whistleblower” who had never been publicly named served to drive more attention to the “affidavit,” as Greene demonstrated.
“Black Insurrectionist” then released what they claimed was the “affidavit” that afternoon. It appears to be a Microsoft Word document whose text features internal inconsistencies and grammatical errors. All identifying information about its author and any evidence it had been notarized or submitted to a court is redacted.
The purported affiant claims to have worked in “technical and administrative positions” but nonetheless offers detailed claims about communications between ABC News and the Harris campaign. And remember, the document was published by a random pseudonymous X poster with a history of unhinged statements.
“Black Insurrectionist” explained that the report could be trusted due to the poster’s record, which included apparently having prior knowledge of the July attempt on Trump’s life: “A couple days before Trump attempted assassination, I made a post (which I had never done before) was something big was about to go off.”
And indeed, that was enough for the likes of MAGA figures like Benny Johnson (2.7 million X followers) and Eric Trump (4.6 million) and Bill Ackman (1.4 million).
By Monday morning, Rep. Dan Meuser (R-PA) was telling Fox host Maria Bartiromo that Congress would investigate claims from the ABC “whistleblower.”
Video
CitationFrom the September 16, 2024, edition of Fox Business' Mornings with Maria
“Fortunately we now have a whistleblower, and I'm going to tell you something, Maria, we're going to do what we can to bring ABC in and have them answer some questions and as well as have this whistleblower and see what's going on as they're trying to tear down the First Amendment,” Meuser told Bartiromo on Fox Business’ Mornings with Maria.
“I'm glad you mentioned this because Fox News is reaching out to ABC for response to that affidavit,” she replied. “We've reached out to ABC to verify the affidavit and for a statement on these accusations, congressman, but this affidavit and this whistleblower story is gaining traction.”
“Yes, absolutely, and as it should,” Meuser replied. “We actually don't need a hearing to know what we saw. But we're going to look to do it so as we can provide some evidence as to how manipulative they are.”
In the past, Bartiromo’s willingness to run with extraordinary but evidence-free claims that happened to bolster her preexisting views helped secure a massive defamation settlement from her employer.
Apparently that wasn’t enough to change her approach. But her behavior, while deplorable, is not anomalous — this total rejection of evidentiary standards in order to “create stories” is a hallmark of the conspiratorial right, from lies about election fraud to Haitians eating pets.