CONGRESSMAN DAN MEUSER 07/31

Congressman Dan Meuser joins RJ with the latest developments in Pennsylvania politics and the impact of data centers on the state's economy. Talking about recent victories in the House, including the passage of the Save America Act and the Main Street Capital Access Act. He shares his insights on the importance of these bills and how they will benefit small businesses and community banks in Pennsylvania.

The conversation covers a range of topics, from the challenges facing the state's economy to the need for workforce development and career training programs. Congressman Meuser highlights the importance of keeping communities first and putting homeowners at the forefront of decision-making. He also discusses the role of data centers and the need to balance economic growth with concerns about national security and neighborhood impact.

One of the key takeaways from this episode is the importance of finding solutions that benefit everyone, from businesses to residents. Congressman Mueser emphasizes the need to be objective and consider the facts when evaluating the impact of data centers. He also shares his thoughts on the role of unions and private sector programs in promoting workforce development and job creation.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thirty six, twenty four to go until eight o'clock The RJ.
Harris Breakfast Show, and we welcome back to the show.
Congressman Dan Muser. Good morning, Congressman Muser, How are you today, sir? R.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
Jay? Good morning, Top of the morning to you. Great
to be with you.

Speaker 1 (00:17):
Top of the morning to me, and the rest of
the day to you.

Speaker 2 (00:20):
Me.

Speaker 1 (00:20):
Boy, isn't that the way it goes?

Speaker 2 (00:23):
That sounds right?

Speaker 1 (00:24):
I think that's my answer to you. So I have
a great day. Hey. When you look at what's going
on with the House, there have been some big victories there.
I'm not sure how we do in the Senate, but
lots of big victory, stopping insider training, reconciliation three to zero,
which has the Save America Act in it. How's all

(00:46):
that looking?

Speaker 2 (00:48):
Well, it's looking pretty good. It isn't much of it
is in the Senate. Of course, we've got to have
their approval. But their vote, they're a jarity vote in
most cases it requires sixty sixty votes, as you and
your audience knows. Yeah, But we passed the NDAA, we

(01:08):
passed our Budget Resolution, we passed the Stop Inside a
Trading Act, pass something called the Main Street Capital Access Act,
which is extremely important for small business and community banks,
and it's as much of a housing bill and a
small business access to Capitol bill as it is a

(01:31):
banking bill. So yeah, certainly a lot of good things.
We passed the Save America Act again in the House,
along with a continued resolution, yeah, which will keep the
government open as we finish our appropriation bill. So yeah,
we're taking care of business. We got a lot more
to job. We'll be back down in DC this coming

(01:53):
week to be working on JD Vance's Fraud and Scams
Task Force. So I'm looking forward to that because there's
a lot of important work to do there and huge
billions and billions and billions of dollars of likely saving,
which I have to add everything I just mentioned. Democrat colleagues,

(02:15):
with the exception of very few, were completely against voted
against with us, including something that we passed in the BBB,
which was the Rural Health Transformation Fund. You know, there's
a lot of money coming into my district in many districts,
Scott Perry's all throughout Pennsylvania that not one Democrat voted for,

(02:37):
and it's a very important bill helping rural hospitals because
they're struggling. But I'm sure many Democrats, including Governor Shapiro,
will try to take credit for it, even though they
criticized it and ridiculed the bill to no end.

Speaker 1 (02:57):
So once it Jim, it's a different story.

Speaker 2 (02:59):
You know.

Speaker 1 (03:00):
Now Shapiro, Governor Shapiro is running a TV commercial saying
that Pennsylvania's got the biggest tax CREDITITU tax reduction ever
under him, and none of us can figure out what
that tax reduction is.

Speaker 2 (03:16):
Well, good when you do find out, you know, let
us all know. Of course they did do the gradual,
very gradual c n T reduction, but I think that
was done under Wolf. Yeah, much of what I understand,
different school programs and all he's taken credit for. Look,
you know, when your when your job is to you

(03:39):
know your your when your business plan, when you plan
for government of the fifth largest state is get stuff done.
You know, that's more of a honeydew list for me
on a Saturday morning. You know, that's not a business plan.
It's no way to run a railroad, and it's no
way to run and run a state. You know, we
are the most overregulated state, and it just curiates me

(04:00):
because we're trying to do everything we're trying to do
on the federal level, the Tomwealth of Pennsylvania under under
Shapiro is doing the opposite. You know, we're trying to
undo regulations, they're increasing regulations. Where we're trying to open
up bureaucracy, they're adding to bureaucracy. We're cutting the number
of workers that are unnecessary. They're they're doing nothing but adding.

(04:25):
We're lowering taxes and welcoming making manufacturing truly come back again.
When the President said the Golden era of manufacturing, that's
what's taken place. You know, I was on Maria Barberomo
earlier today and we talked about it. We were booming
from a capital expenditure standpoint, and you know what, it's

(04:45):
happening in a lot of places, but it's happening some
in Pennsylvania because we have so many great opportunities and
resources with energy and AI and manufacturing and steel and
you know, so many small business prop up and tech
companies in the southeast and then out in Pittsburgh healthcare.
There's so many good things happening. But we're still, by

(05:07):
the way, number forty two in where in business optimism
and where you'd want to start and continue a business
number forty two.

Speaker 1 (05:19):
Well at a fifty Well, you know, here's the thing
that I hear from business owners, and I mean I
hear it directly. I can't tell you how many times
I've heard it over the last three weeks alone, is
we can't get people to work. And it doesn't matter
what the business is. They could be entry level jobs

(05:39):
to jobs that are paying real money, and people can't
find people to work. So what is that indicative of?

Speaker 2 (05:49):
Well, indicative of many of our young people leave Pennsylvania.
They get educated here, you know, they have their lives here,
and a lot of them do leave. The data shows
that show and then they come back, you know, five, eight,
ten years later. But we need them to stay now.
And you know, certainly that's where the data centers come in.
I mean, there's a lot of tech jobs coming from

(06:12):
the AI centers and all, but it's indicative that they
think that there's greener pastors elsewhere. And there's no doubt
we need to continue to fund and and increase the
availability for young people to our career in technical schools.
I think in so many ways they're the key to

(06:34):
workforce availability. And I got to hand it to the unions.
I mean the unions and Prentice programs, the private sector
union that is, are are really important and we got
to you know, be behind that as well well.

Speaker 1 (06:47):
And they're advertisers.

Speaker 2 (06:50):
Yeah, in Pennsylvania. First, we want people to love Pennsylvania.
And we're the most difficult state in the in the country,
or if not, we're number forty five. Build anything, and
that is that is a research fact.

Speaker 1 (07:06):
Well that that yeah, that impedes business, there's no question
about it. Well, it's just interesting that the unions are
doing a good job at advertising. I see signs all
over the place, including what electricians and others are being paid.
So hopefully that will motivate some to go that way.
In terms of data centers, uh, they've been churned into,

(07:28):
churned up, churned into the worst things on the face
of the earth by a lot of people, many people
who don't even know what they are.

Speaker 2 (07:38):
Well, look, I'll always start this by saying, and we've
got to put home owners first. You got to put
communities first. Certainly, like the fact the idea exactly of course,
that that we're going to keep it local. As far
as the authority goes. You know, Rob Resinhan introduced a
bill on data centers. It needs to be run by
and authorized on a local level. But the level of

(08:00):
disinformation is significant, to say the least. And I know
people say, oh that it can't be true. The most
of the influencing against data centers and the false information
is coming from China.

Speaker 1 (08:15):
Yea is it is?

Speaker 2 (08:17):
I got it from the CIA, I get it from
the State Department. Heck, you could even look up on Google.
Is China trying to influence America's development of data centers?
And it will even Google will say yes it is.
So it's not classified or anything like that. So what
everybody needs to do is take a breath, look at
things in the most objective way possible, and see how

(08:37):
it can bring value. You know, the President gave a
pretty impassionate speech about it the other day, and I'm
glad he did that. And he you know, the President
puts himself out on the limb. He knows that there's
a lot of people that have a lot of concerns
and everything else, but he just said, hey, listen, there's
a way to figure this out. And if there's a
way to figure this out. We should find it for

(08:57):
national security purposes to stay ahead of and also for
the jobs, the revenues, the opportunities, the quality of life increases.
Of course, we've got to keep them away from houses.
Of course, we don't want them in residential areas, right,
but we've got right and we don't want to take
up too much of our farm land and all of that.
But there are solutions that can be found. Well, my job,

(09:19):
I try to just be a good umpire in the game,
call the balls and strikes and just try to help
this alone.

Speaker 1 (09:23):
What's interesting is some of the same people, some of them,
not all, wouldn't have an issue with flooding those fields
with solar and wind, you know. But data centers are
out now. I think there's plenty of room in the
United States of America to build them and keep them
out of neighborhoods.

Speaker 2 (09:42):
Absolutely, they need to be kept out of neighborhoods now.
On the same note, we had, you know, a flurry
of distribution centers built, which is okay. You know, we've
become sort of a distribution epicenter for eastern the United States,
and that's okay. But look, they've got eighteen wheelers coming
in and out all the time. I mean, and largely

(10:03):
they're closer to eighty one and the highways and all.
If we can find a way, we should do our
best to find a way. And I will tell you something.
Those jobs. And people say, oh, there's not that many jobs,
there's tens of thousands for construction and afterwards for each center,
there's eighty to one hundred and twenty jobs. And you
know what, those are high paying jobs going to young

(10:25):
people primarily that wouldn't have the opportunity for such a
tech job. Those that are people that will be leaving.

Speaker 1 (10:33):
All right, So right, I have to push Paus because
we're way over time. But I always appreciate having you
on the air, and we'll look forward to next month,
if not before.

Speaker 2 (10:44):
Absolutely always enjoy speaking with you. The know they gave
me three or four topics. We didn't get to any
of those, all right, Well, we always have a good conversation.

Speaker 1 (10:54):
We did well, nonetheless, So all right, Congressman, take care,
be safe, get the best.

Speaker 2 (11:00):
Jay.

Speaker 1 (11:00):
Thank you very much, Thank you, Thank Congressman Dan Muser.
It is seven forty seven