Houlahan Sworn In For Third Term Representing All of Chester County

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan took the oath of office to serve a third term representing the Sixth District of Pennsylvania early Saturday morning, following participating in 15 rounds of voting for a new speaker.

Houlahan, a Democrat, won a third, two-year term, defeating Republican Guy Ciarrocchi in the November election. She represents all of Chester County and southeastern Berks County, including the city of Reading.

The law requires a speaker to be selected before the members of Congress are sworn in.

The swearing in ceremony followed five days and 15 votes before Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican, garnered enough votes to become the nation’s 55th speaker of the House.

Houlahan voted for New York Democrat Hakeem Jeffries, the House minority leader.

Houlahan said she could never truly express how humbled she is that the people of Chester and Berks counties have again put their faith in her to continue serving the community.

“This responsibility is about service,” Houlahan said in a prepared statement.

She said service includes recommitting to civility and decency and serving the nation and putting progress over partisan politics.

Houlahan said her constituents asked what her priorities are since the House leadership is now Republican.

“They are all the same,” she said, noting they have included helping to restore healthcare to southern Chester County following the closure of two hospitals and assisting veterans in Coatesville with their benefits.

Houlahan noted that she was awarded ‘best in Congress’ for advocating for constituents in need and closing 4,045 cases of constituent services and returning $26.6 million in backlogged federal benefits to constituents.

Houlahan provided a list of these accomplishments in the 117th Congress, which began in January 2021 and concluded at the end of December 2022:

• Delivering bipartisanship: All 31 of Houlahan’s legislative initiatives that became law received support from Republicans, continuing her record of being one of the most bipartisan members of the House.
• Championing paid leave expansion for the military: The historic Military Moms Matter Act, guarantees 12 weeks of parental leave for primary and secondary caregivers, as well as 6 weeks of convalescent leave for the birth parent.
• Securing community project funding: She secured $6,207,402 and $10,079,774 two dozen local organizations ranging from higher education to first responders.
• Serving veterans by saving the Coatesville VA Medical Center and passing the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxins Act: Houlahan invited Secretary of Veteran Affairs Denis R. McDonough to tour the Coatesville VA Center to convince him not to close it. In October, the VA decided not to close the medical center. The PACT Act expand health care and benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits.
• Combating the infant formula crisis: Houlahan worked to secure federal funding for an infant formula manufacturer in Berks County. She also introduced the first-ever comprehensive legislation to improve access to donor milk.
• Hosting a job fair: The COVID-19 global pandemic greatly impacted Pennsylvanians. In response, Houlahan organized a Job Fair with 125 companies and hundreds of job seekers.

• Addressing post office issues: Houlahan organized a tour of the Gay Street – West Chester Post Office after receiving several complaints from constituents about the state of the building. Soon after, repairs began and Houlahan continues to address Post Office services issues there and at centers across the state.
• Keeping oil and gas at home: Following reports that U.S. entities were selling oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to Chinese-affiliated companies, Houlahan introduced the bipartisan Banning Oil Exports to Foreign Adversaries Act.
• Championing the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act: Houlahan was a key part of the coalition that ensured the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was approved in the House. To date, $7.9 billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding has been announced and is headed to Pennsylvania with over 150 projects.
• Lowering the cost of prescription drugs: Supporting the Inflation Reduction Act so Medicare recipients pay no more than $35 a month for their insulin. Starting in 2025, out-of-pocket pharmaceutical costs are limited to $2,000 per year.
• Passing gun violence prevention laws: Houlahan helped pass the first comprehensive gun violence prevention legislation.