The Spire

Colette Potter ’26

Staff Writer

This past summer, I wanted to have a better understanding of what was happening in government. I did so by attending a town hall meeting of one of my senators, Senator Dave McCormick of Pennsylvania. As Senator McCormick made his introduction, I found one key mistake that I think epitomizes America’s current problems: Senator McCormick said he was responsible to party, not just the people of Pennsylvania. 

I humbly rebuke Senator McCormick’s introduction. It’s “We the people,” not “We the party.” We the people of Pennsylvania elected him, and pay his salary through our tax dollars – not the Republican party. I desperately wanted to remind Senator McCormick that he is the representative for the people of Pennsylvania, and is simply affiliated with the Republican party. This is especially true for a swing state: McCormick narrowly won over incumbent Bob Casey. Pennsylvania is not a deep red state, and though McCormick is a Republican, he is first and foremost a representative of all Pennsylvanians, regardless of their political affiliation. That is who he is responsible to, not to the Republican party. 

Senator McCormick also continuously emphasized the new Republican party line of “promise made, promises kept,” which included President Trump’s promises. This encapsulates my frustrations with the current political system: Senator McCormick needs to determine his own platform. Some of Trump’s policies will help Pennsylvanians, and some will harm. As an example, look at the trade deal with the European Union. The fuel export deal will help Pennsylvania’s natural gas industry, yet the tariffs will harm ordinary Pennsylvanians by increasing prices and hurting industry. Why is Senator McCormick discussing a shared agenda with little regard to what is the best for Pennsylvania? I think political support deserves a little more nuance. It is not about blind support for presidential decisions – that defeats the purpose of checks and balances. Senators will, of course, often agree with the standing president over legislation, but there is also a reason senators have six-year terms and not four. Why is there blind support for Trump policies that go against Senator McCormick’s stated values? Unknown. I think here lies the issue: partisan support over values, and party over people. 

I’m singling out Senator McCormick, but this is a bipartisan issue. Our elected officials have their priorities very mixed up. The focus should be on constituents. There needs to be more discernment about what policies are helpful for the people that actually elected these officials. During the same town hall, Senator McCormick also was repeatedly asked about the “Big, Beautiful Bill” and tariffs. While McCormick is a good speaker, he failed to fully articulate how these policies would help Pennsylvanians. I wish he was pushed more on Medicaid cuts hurting rural hospitals, but this is expressly my frustration with our current elected officials. Was the “Big, Beautiful Bill” good for Pennsylvania? Are tariffs good for Pennsylvania? I certainly have my own opinions, but I wanted to hear Senator McCormick fully defend his decision to support these Republican party initiatives. I want reasons beyond party allegiance. 

I also fully recognize that this is our political system. However, to blatantly hear a senator, in his first few introductory sentences, admit to prioritizing his party, was dismaying. This was a townhall, not an event for party sponsorship. He was talking directly to his constituents and decided to announce his dedication to the Republican party. Certainly a bold move for such a narrowly elected candidate. I applaud bipartisanship, as well as critical thinking by our elected representatives. Going back to the “Big, Beautiful Bill,” I admired Senator Tillis of North Carolina defying the pressure of the Republican party. It takes courage to go against one’s party, and this bravery often only seems to be found when representatives aren’t running for reelection. Those willing to support bipartisan legislation show the American people that our representatives can step out of the confines of partisan politics and use the critical thinking skills I certainly hope they have. This discernment about what policies are good for constituents, and not just party, is something I think the United States could desperately use more of. 

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