It would be easier to believe Pat Toomey when he says he’s a “hardworking” Senator, if all the evidence did not point to the contrary. Yesterday, it was reported that Toomey has missed 46 out of 57 of hearings on the Budget Committee since 2013. On at least two occasions he was fundraising for his reelection at a fancy Washington restaurant on the same day — an illustration of his confused priorities.
News of Toomey’s chronic truancy conforms with his failure in recent weeks to show up for a vote to provide resources to track sexual predators and his continued disregard for filling vacancies on the court. Toomey has not only refused to support hearings on President Obama’s nomination to the Supreme Court, he also skipped a confirmation vote on a District level Judge last week.
Pat Toomey is many things. Hardworking is not one of them.
Republican Sen. Pat Toomey, who faces what is expected to be a close race for reelection against Democrat Katie McGinty, has missed over 80% of Senate Budget Committee hearings since 2013, a BuzzFeed News review of hearing transcripts and videos has found.
Toomey, who was appointed to the Senate Committee on the Budget after his election to the Senate in 2010, has touted his spot on the committee as having helped in his efforts to control federal spending. “Pat has used his platform on the Senate Budget Committee to offer several proposals that would balance the federal government’s budget,” his campaign website reads.
From the start of the 113th Congress in 2013 through last month, Toomey missed 46 out of 57 committee hearings. He missed at least two hearings, in June 2013 and July 2014, when he had fundraisers on the same day. According to the invitations, the fundraisers were both thrown at the Washington, D.C., Indian restaurant Rasika by the National Republican Senate Committee for $500-a-head and up.
On Feb. 3 of this year, Toomey missed a 10 a.m. hearing on “Spending on Unauthorized Programs,” but that afternoon appeared on “The Lead” with Jake Tapper to endorse Marco Rubio in the presidential race.
Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey has missed about four out of five hearings held by the Senate Budget Committee — of which he is a member — since 2013, according to an analysis by BuzzFeed.
The website’s report Wednesday said after a review of transcripts and videos, it appeared that Toomey wasn’t in attendance for 46 out of 57 hearings, or about 80 percent, since the start of the 113th Congress through this past April.
During the hearings Toomey missed, the senator attended at least two fundraisers and appeared on CNN to endorse Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for president on Feb. 3. Rubio has since dropped out of the race.
… Toomey is currently running to retain his seat against Democratic candidate Katie McGinty. As BuzzFeed notes, Toomey’s campaign website reads: “Pat has used his platform on the Senate Budget Committee to offer several proposals that would balance the federal government’s budget.”
A spokesperson for Toomey’s campaign was not immediately available for comment.
Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) has missed more than 80 percent of hearings on the Senate Budget Committee since 2013, a BuzzFeed analysis found.
Toomey skipped 46 out of 57 hearings from the beginning of the 113th Congress in 2013 until April of this year, according to hearing transcripts and videos.
BuzzFeed found that he missed two hearings in June 2013 and July 2014, the same days as his fundraisers. He also missed a morning hearing this February, but went on CNN later that day to endorse Sen. Marco Rubio’s (R-Fla.) presidential bid.
The GOP senator faces a tough race against former gubernatorial chief of staff Katie McGinty (D).
It’s never good when Buzzfeed writes about you.
Senator Pat Toomey just found that out the hard way.
Christopher Massie of Buzzfeed analyzed the transcripts and videos of Budget Committee hearings since 2013 and found that Toomey had missed over 80% of them.
Altogether, the freshman Senator was absent from 46 of the 57 meetings during this time period.
Massie also found that two hearings occurred on days when Sen. Toomey had a fundraiser.