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HAZLETON — U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta, now a candidate for U.S. Senate, continued his call Thursday for term limits for all members of Congress to give control of government back to the American people.

“We need to drain the swamp, and the way to do that is through term limits,” Barletta said. “Twelve years in the Senate is long enough. The American people are tired of career politicians more concerned with protecting their jobs than working for the people who elected them. I pledge to serve no more than two terms in the U.S. Senate and will support a constitutional amendment imposing term limits.”

Barletta is seeking the Republican nomination to run against two-term Democratic incumbent Sen. Bob Casey, of Scranton, next year. Barletta is giving up his seat in the House to run against Casey, who has spent 20 years in statewide elected office in Pennsylvania.

During his successful campaign against 26-year incumbent Democrat Paul Kanjorski in 2010, Barletta pledged to serve no more than five two-year terms in the House. He is currently in his fourth term.

“I started a business, created jobs and signed the front of a paycheck,” Barletta said. “Unlike Bob Casey, I didn’t go to Washington for a job — I went to get things done for the American people.”

Barletta said Casey has served his 12 years in the Senate.

“It’s time for someone who will actually fight for the middle-class and working families, not against them,” Barletta said. “As a member of the Senate, I will always fight to put Pennsylvania workers and families first.”

Max Steele, a spokesman for the PA Democratic Party, offered a statement on behalf of the Casey campaign.

“For four-term Congressman Lou Barletta to complain about the swamp when he was handpicked to run for Senate by Mitch McConnell is truly laughable,” Steele said. “This dishonest, hypocritical spin from a politician on his twelfth run for office in the last 22 years is exactly what Pennsylvanians would expect from a swamp dwelling congressman like Lou Barletta.”

Casey
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/web1_CaseyMug.cmyk_-2.jpg.optimal.jpgCasey

Barletta
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/web1_Barletta_Lou-CMYK-1.jpg.optimal.jpgBarletta

By Bill O’Boyle

[email protected]

Reach Bill O’Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.