“This story of corporations lining their pockets at the expense of the public good is not new to our region. When globalization and lousy trade deals killed so many factories and gutted the economy in Western Pennsylvania, we learned what it means when huge and powerful corporations could not care less about the people who toiled to make them rich. They wanted to strip us for parts. Never again. We know a thing or two about standing strong against raw corporate power, and we never shy from a righteous fight.”

REP. CHRIS DELUZIO | TRIB LIVE Thursday, Aug. 3, 2023

 

BIOGRAPHY + EXPERIENCE

Chris Deluzio was born and raised in the western part of Pennsylvania. He returned there after graduating from the US Naval Academy, two deployments in Iraq, completion of his law degree at Georgetown Law School, and employment with the Brennan Center for Justice, working on voting rights and election security issues. He was appointed a legal and policy scholar at the University of Pittsburgh Institute for Cyber Law, Policy, and Security.

 

Deluzio holds strong progressive values, beginning his political career as a delegate for Bernie Sanders to the 2020 Democratic Convention. He was elected to the US House of Representatives for District 17 in 2022 by almost seven points against Republican Jeremy Shaffer. Deluzio is married to Zoe Bunnell, whom he met at Georgetown, and they have three children.

ISSUES 

• Defends democracy and freedom to vote

  • Supports the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act

  • Supports Overturning Citizens United

• Stands with the labor movement.

  • Supports the PRO Act

• Supports a woman’s right to choose

  • Supports the Women’s Health Protection Act

• Supports antitrust enforcement and corporations paying their fair share of taxes.

• Supports bringing good, well-paying jobs back to America and western Pennsylvania

• Supports health care as a right, not a privilege

  • Supports lowering Medicare eligibility age

  • Supports including dental, vision, and hearing services in Medicare

  • Supports negotiation for lower drug prices

  • Supports Medicaid expansion

  • Supports the goal of universal health coverage

• Supports investments in clean energy and the jobs that come with it

• Supports protection of Social Security

• Will never vote to send Americans to war unless absolutely critical to our national security

 

 

POLITICS IN PENNSYLVANIA

PA-17 is a new district (2020) on the Ohio border, composed of liberal-leaning suburbs around Pittsburgh as well as rural, conservative areas. Although Deluzio won his race by almost seven points against a strong opponent in a Biden +6 district, it is considered to favor more moderate views and Deluzio’s opponents often accuse him of being “too progressive” for the district. The race was very expensive and his fundraising has not been strong ($368,127 cash on hand at end of second quarter.)  Rev. Jim Nelson, an African-American vet  and former law enforcement official, has declared his candidacy, but he has raised little ($28,000.) State Rep. Rob Mercuri, a West Point grad and Iraq vet, is considering a challenge.

 

COMMITTEES

Veteran’s Affairs: Vice Ranking Member Subcommittee on Health, subcommittee on Disability Assistance, and Memorial affairs

 

Armed Services: Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces, Subcommittee on Cyber, Information Technology, and Innovation.

 

CAUCUSES

Progressive Caucus

Dads’ Caucus

Fentanyl Prevention Caucus

Labor Caucus

LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus

For Country Caucus

Manufacturing Caucus

Steel Caucus

Pro-Choice Caucus

Voting Rights Caucus