STATE COLLEGE — Republican Donald Trump’s success in Pennsylvania, which helped propel him to an Electoral College victory, was no surprise to U.S. Rep. Glenn “G.T.” Thompson.
Thompson, R-Bellefonte, said in traveling the district during the campaign, it was “very, very clear how lopsided” voter enthusiasm was for Trump over Democrat Hillary Clinton in the race for president.
Now, with a changed political landscape, Thompson sees some “exciting opportunities” in the new Congress, particularly on health care, tax reform and immigration policy.
Representing a state that helped put Trump over the top, Pennsylvania’s delegation is “well positioned” with the new administration, he said.
And what makes him particularly excited, Thompson said, is the opportunity to work with Vice President-elect Mike Pence, a friend from their days working together in Congress.
“Mike is a good friend of mine — one of my mentors,” Thompson said Nov. 21 in an interview with The Centre County Gazette. “We did Bible study together.”
The two served together in Congress from Thompson’s first term in 2009 until Pence became governor of Indiana in 2013.
Thompson said he expects that Pence “will play a large role” in working with Congress.
“He’s an effective legislator, communicator and team builder,” said Thompson, who most recently spent time with Pence on Nov. 17 during a Capitol Hill meeting with GOP legislators.
Pence, Thompson said, “warned us to buckle up; it’s going to be busy. I like that.”
Thompson tackled a range of topics during an hour-long session with the Gazette.
TRUMP’S TRANSITION
“I think he’s done as well as anyone,” Thompson said of Trump’s actions since winning the election Nov. 8. “He’s reached out to President Obama.”
While some of the president-elect’s cabinet choices so far have generated controversy, “he’s building an effective team for the country.”
Thompson said he’s talked to a couple of constituents who have done business with Trump, who noted that Trump’s leadership style is to “surround himself with very talented people” who bring a diverse set of skills to the table.
The congressman said he was pleased that Trump was talking to once bitter rival Mitt Romney about a position in his administration.
POST-ELECTION PROTESTS
Thompson called the “not my president” protests that have taken place around the country, including on the Penn State campus, “very disappointing.”
While noting that he supports people’s First Amendment right to protest, he said he did not recall such protests after Obama was elected.
An orderly transition of power in which the results of an election are respected sends an important message, he said.
“We make leadership transitions at the ballot box, not with bombs and bullets,” he said.
IMMIGRATION
The process of screening people who want to enter the country needs to be improved, Thompson said. “We need to make country secure for those families who are here and for those who want to come here legally,” he said.
The current process is “too loose” on background checks and opens the door for people who want to come here to do harm to the country, he said. “Even one time is not acceptable.”
Strengthening border security is important, he said, whether it be a wall or other barriers and technology already in place.
“What’s coming across (the border) is pretty scary — drugs and all kinds of potential threats,” he said.
At the same time, he said the country needs to make sure that the legal immigration process is “less bureaucratic.”
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
“We have to” repeal and replace Obamacare, Thompson said. “There’s a lot here that needs to be dealt with.”
“It’s unaffordable for people,” he said. “People are opting out of the insurance market at an alarming rate.”
Thompson said he believes the matter can be addressed in the first 90 to100 days of the Trump administration.
His guiding principle, Thompson said, is “whatever we do, make (health care) more affordable and accessible.” Patients should be the decision-makers in consultation with their physicians, he said.
SUPREME COURT
With Trump appointments, Thompson said he is looking forward to seeing the Supreme Court “get back to ruling on questions of constitutionality rather than making law,” adding, “that’s what Congress is for.”
PRIORITIES
Thompson, of Howard Township, was re-elected Nov. 8 to his fifth term in the House, winning every county in the district and getting 67 percent of the vote over Democrat Kerith Strano Taylor.
He said he is still hopeful that some legislation on which he’s worked, including a career and technical education training bill, legislation on private mineral rights and civil rights for people with disabilities, will make it to Obama’s desk before Inauguration Day.
“We have a lot of work to do between now and Jan. 20,” he said.
Other ongoing priorities, he said, include health care, safety of American families, tax reform (“it’s not a fair system” and needs to be simplified), and “making sure we’re doing the right thing in terms of agriculture.”
Thompson said he plans to continue his style of “listening and leading. Hearing home-grown solutions that my constituents have.
“It’s always exciting and a privilege to serve in the people’s house. We’ve had some successes. I’m proud of our record.”
