Keep Americans safe from threats foreign and domestic
Keep Americans safe from foreign and domestic threats.
Occurrences
In Congress, I will fight to protect the people of southwestern PA and keep them safe.
Evidence
Reschenthaler said he introduced the Academic Research Protection Act, which 'protects federally-funded research from foreign threats such as China, Russia, and Iran' and would strengthen the nation's ability to counter those threats.
Congress.gov lists H.R. 8346 as introduced by Rep. Reschenthaler and notes the bill directs federal agencies to protect federally funded academic research from foreign threats and was referred to multiple committees without further enacted action.
In House remarks, Reschenthaler said he supported the bipartisan legislation he introduced with Rep. Dean to address the mental health needs of police officers, citing the Tree of Life attack and the risks officers face in protecting communities.
Congress.gov shows S. 998 became Public Law No. 116-32 on July 25, 2019; the law reauthorizes DOJ grants for police officer family services, stress reduction, and suicide prevention.
The Clerk's roll-call page shows Reschenthaler voted 'Yea' on the rule for H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act, which aimed to restart border wall construction, increase Border Patrol, and strengthen asylum and anti-trafficking measures.
The House passed an amendment authored by Reschenthaler prohibiting federal funding to EcoHealth Alliance, which he said funneled taxpayer dollars to the Wuhan Institute of Virology and supported dangerous research tied to adversaries.
Assessments
As a House member, Reschenthaler took concrete steps tied to this promise during his federal service: he sponsored H.R. 8346 to protect federally funded research from foreign threats, authored a House-passed amendment to block funding for EcoHealth Alliance, voted for the May 10, 2023 rule advancing H.R. 2 on border security, and helped advance officer-support legislation connected to domestic public safety; one related officer-support measure became law on July 25, 2019. But 'keep Americans safe from foreign and domestic threats' is a sweeping outcome, and this record shows limited, incremental legislative action rather than broad delivery of the promised result. That supports partial credit in the same term, not full delivery.
Reschenthaler materially advanced multiple federal public-safety and national-security measures during his House service, including introducing or supporting legislation on officer crisis support, research security against foreign threats, border security, and defunding entities tied to foreign-risk concerns. The strongest delivery evidence is the Supporting and Treating Officers In Crisis Act becoming Public Law 116-32 in 2019, paired with his House-side advocacy and bipartisan work on the measure. Because the promise was broad rather than a single measurable endpoint, the record supports delivery through enacted and materially advanced federal safety actions, while the effort badge remains appropriate because several major foreign/domestic-threat initiatives did not become final law.
Reschenthaler took multiple same-term actions aligned with the promise, including supporting major border-security legislation, introducing research-security legislation targeting foreign threats, advancing an amendment to defund EcoHealth Alliance, and supporting officer-wellness legislation that became Public Law No. 116-32. These actions show concrete legislative effort and at least one enacted domestic-safety measure, but the broad promise to keep Americans safe from foreign and domestic threats was not fully delivered as a comprehensive outcome; several cited initiatives did not become law or were only intermediate House actions.