Delaware County Council Chairman Jack Whelan recently issued a Declaration of Disaster Emergency for the county in light of Hurricane Irene.

According to a statement from the county, the disaster declaration "authorizes resources to help municipalities in the response and recovery efforts."

The declaration will remain in effect for a week. As part of this declaration, the county's Department of Emergency Services "will work with affected municipalities to take all appropriate action to respond to the effects of Hurricane Irene," states the release.

Gov. Tom Corbett also issued a state of emergency.

U.S. Rep. Pat Meehan, R-7, of Upper Darby, discussed legislation Wednesday that would benefit children with traumatic brain injuries through a seven-year initiative known as the National Pediatric Acquired Brain Injury (PABI) Plan.

Meehan is a cosponsor of the PABI Plan as outlined in House Resolution 2600. The resolution was introduced last month by U.S. Rep. Leonard Lance, R-N.J. Meehan said this legislation is important because the human brain develops until age 25 and traumatic brain injuries can occur as a result of several events such as athletic activity and wartime combat.

This legislation would create a Center of Excellence in each of the 50 states along with the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. He said these centers would allow for the collection of records and research on traumatic brain injuries in each state and eventually form a standardized, evidence-based system.

Meehan was joined by Patrick Donohue, whose daughter, Sarah Jane Donohue, was the victim of shaken baby syndrome just five days after she was born in 2005. In October 2007, Patrick Donohue, of New York, founded The Sarah Jane Brain Foundation in an effort to gain awareness about the syndrome and traumatic brain injuries. In January 2009, the international advisory board of the Sarah Jane Brain Foundation put the PABI Plan together.

Pennsylvania’s 1st Congressional District, which includes a slice of Delaware County, was recently ranked the second-hungriest place for households with children in the country, according to a new report issued by Food Research and Action Center (FRAC).

The 1st district encompasses portions of Philadelphia and the City of Chester. The congressman who represents the district, U.S. Rep. Bob Brady, D-1, of Philadelphia, said FRAC’s report was “a grave reminder of the toll hunger is having on our nation’s families."

Here is the full article.

***
Do you think this report accurately depicts the hunger situation in the 1st district?

A newly-formed organization known as Accountability PA blasted U.S. Rep. Pat Meehan on Thursday, arguing he broke a campaign promise.

Specifically, the watchdog group criticized Meehan’s support of U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan’s budget plan earlier this year, arguing the plan would privatize the current Medicare system.


One of the group's founders, Bob Finkelstein, was previously a spokesman for Bryan Lentz, Meehan’s Democratic opponent in the 7th Congressional District race last fall. The group plans to launch an ad this weekend.



Meehan's chief of staff, Brian Schubert, blasted the group and its ad.

“This web video is more of the same false, negative attacks that have been discredited by nonpartisan watchdogs and news organizations,” Shubert said.

He said organizations like Politifact have given similiar ads by Democratic operatives a "Pants-on-Fire" rating.

U.S. Rep. Pat Meehan, R-7, of Upper Darby, recently introduced legislation that would ensure intelligence analysis and information sharing related to chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons.

House Resolution 2764, known as the Weapons of Mass Destruction Intelligence and Information Sharing Act of 2011, would amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002.

It would “establish weapons of mass destruction intelligence and information sharing functions of the Office of Intelligence and Analysis of the Department of Homeland Security and require dissemination of information analyzed by the department” to partnering agencies, states the bill summary.

This is the first bill Meehan introduced as a prime sponsor since he took office in January.

U.S. Rep. Pat Meehan, R-7, of Upper Darby, has plans to travel to Israel next week as part of a congressional delegation focused on a strategic partnership between the United States and Israel.

Meehan said a strategic partnership with Israel “is critical to our security and stability of the region.”

The delegation is hosted by the American Israel Educational Foundation, a charity affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Meehan said no taxpayer dollars are being spent on this trip.

The Washington Post reports about 80 House members will travel to Israel -- reportedly the largest group in 20 years.

It's official.

A legislator from Pennsylvania will join the super committee charged with reducing the federal government’s budget deficit by more than $1 trillion. That's U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa.

During a conference call with reporters Toomey, a staunch conservative, acknowledged that Republicans will need to work with Democrats on this plan.

Let's hope so. We don't need another agency to downgrade the United States' credit rating.

The committee has until late November to come up with a plan. Do you think it will happen?