CONGRESSMAN CHARLIE DENT - AUGUST 25, 2016
Congressman Charlie Dent was the speaker at the August 25, 2016 meeting of Emmaus Rotary Club. Congressman Dent represents the 15th Congressional District in Pennsylvania which includes all of Lehigh County, and portions of Northampton, Berks, Dauphin and Lebanon counties.
Congressman Dent is a member of the House Appropriations Committee and is Chairman of the House Committee on Ethics. In addition, he serves as the Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs. He is also a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies.
Congressman Dent shared an update on the work of his committees including the appropriations bill for Military Construction and Veterans Affairs. This bill, which provides funding to fight the Zika virus in addition to core spending for a variety of military and veterans programs, passed the House in June. But, disagreements on the Zika portion of the bill have so far prevented passage in the U.S. Senate. Congressman Dent also discussed issues involving embassy security and foreign assistance and a recent trip to Estonia and Ukraine regarding these issues.
In response to club member questions, Congressman Dent discussed his views on the 2016 Presidential race, experiences during his time on the House Committee on Ethics, and the complicated interplay between prescription drug benefits under Medicare and VA programs, as well as humorous comments about former House Speaker John Boehner’s statements about Senator Ted Cruz.