A Republican lawmaker was kicked out of Pennsylvania’s Democrat-controlled State House chamber for what many are calling one of the most “insane” reasons imaginable.People are getting ready to celebrate the country’s 250th birthday, and the Trump administration is hosting the Great American State Fair, while the Gov. Shapiro administration is hosting concerts and fairs from Pittsburgh to Wilkes-Barre as part of America250PA.
For a long time, America’s most famous swing state has had a very divided government.
Gov. Josh Shapiro runs the executive branch, Democrats hold a one-seat House majority, and Republicans hold a four-seat Senate majority.
This has led to fights like the one this week involving state Rep. Eric Davanzo.
Davanzo, who represents a part of Westmoreland County between Pittsburgh and Greensburg, said he was shocked by how House Speaker Joanna McClinton, D-Southwest Philadelphia, reacted when he wore a red, white, and blue suit and tie to the meeting on Tuesday.
It was Davanzo’s job to greet his coworkers as he walked around the chamber, and he eventually stopped to speak with House Minority Whip Timothy O’Neal, R-Washington.
“We were talking, I turned around when a House photographer got a picture… and the next thing I know Whip O’Neal is gone.”
“He comes back a few minutes later and he says, ‘hey, you’re not going to like this,’” Davanzo said, going on to recount that McClinton informed minority leadership that his attire was inappropriate.
“I’m like, ‘what? You’ve got to be kidding,’” Davanzo said, before learning McClinton wanted him off the House floor.
At first, Davanzo chose to stay on the floor even though Democratic leaders told him to leave.
That is, until a House security guard told him that McClinton was telling him to take off his suit jacket or leave.
“Instead of taking my jacket off, I walked off the House Floor,” he said.
After the event, some Democratic lawmakers went up to Davanzo in the Capitol and said they didn’t agree with the fact that McClinton was kicked out because of his suit with an America 250 theme.
One Philadelphia Democrat, Rep. Jordan Davis of Gray’s Ferry, had remarked to Davanzo the suit was “a very colorful jacket the representative is wearing today. Very patriotic, I see, my friend.”
“They were asked to dress in pride colors because they were going to do a House photo on the floor,” Davanzo told Fox News Digital, noting June is Pride Month.
“That’s OK. We can take our photos for pride but we can’t show up as a patriot and take a photo or even get on the House floor apparently,” Davanzo said.
Davanzo then read from a statement from McClinton about Pride Month and how it encourages people to be “authentic” and “love freely.”
“You’re only able to love freely because the brave men and women died for this flag,” Davanzo said.
“They died for our country. This is complete hypocrisy. You’re allowed to wear tennis shoes on the floor. You’re allow to wear top hats. You can wear camo-jackets. Everything across the board, but don’t show up with a patriotic outfit on because you’re going to be asked to leave.”
“I introduced bills that we would give $250 checks out to every family household in Pennsylvania so that we can celebrate America [250]. This is what I stand for, this is what believe in. I’m just representing my folks back home of who I am,” he said.
“This is a big celebration coming up. I want to be patriotic, why not? What is so wrong with what I have on?” said Davanzo, who wore the very same suit during his interview.