Daryl Metcalfe

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Daryl Metcalfe
Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
from the 12th district
In office
January 5, 1999 – January 3, 2023
Preceded byPatricia Carone
Succeeded byStephenie Scialabba
Personal details
Born (1962-11-09) November 9, 1962 (age 61)
Syracuse, New York, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseElke Metcalfe
ResidenceCranberry Township
Alma materKansas State University, Manhattan

Daryl D. Metcalfe (born November 9, 1962) is an American politician who served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Metcalfe is a member of the Republican Party and represented the 12th legislative district from 1999 until 2023.

Background[edit]

Metcalfe is a graduate of Charles W. Baker High School in Baldwinsville, New York, and he attended Kansas State University[1] while serving in the United States Army at Fort Riley in Kansas. He later was stationed in Germany.

Metcalfe was employed with Dade Behring (formerly DuPont Diagnostics) for 13 years as a field engineer.

Political career[edit]

Metcalfe was elected in 1998 to replace retiring representative Pat Carone. He has won re-election nine times.

Since 2011 he has been the majority chairman of the House State Government Committee.[2]

Main article: Pennsylvania lieutenant governor election, 2010

Metcalfe ran as a candidate for lieutenant governor in 2010.[3] He came in third place in the Republican primary, losing to Jim Cawley.[4]

In 2022 Metcalfe did not seek reelection in November of that year, to retire at the end of the term.[5][6]

Committee assignments[edit]

  • Environmental Resources & Energy, Chair[7]

Political positions[edit]

Immigration[edit]

Metcalfe is the founder of State Legislators for Legal Immigration (SLLI),[8] an organization opposed to birthright citizenship.[9] The State Lawmakers for Legal Immigration works closely with the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), an anti-illegal alien organization.

On March 1, 2011, Metcalfe reintroduced HB 738, a bill which would direct police officers "to attempt to verify the immigration status of suspected illegal aliens." It would also create a new third-degree misdemeanor "for illegal aliens who violate federal law by either willfully failing to register as an alien or failing to possess proper proof of such registration when stopped for another primary offense, such as a traffic violation," crack down on employers who hire illegal aliens without first checking to see if they had registration papers and are in the state legally, create a new third-class felony "for intentionally smuggling illegal aliens (into the state) for profit," and would allow police officers "impound any vehicle driven by an illegal alien or used to transport illegal aliens." The proposed law is based on Arizona's Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act (SB 1070), which was passed in April 2010 and largely struck down as unconstitutional.[10]

Environment[edit]

In October 2009, Metcalfe criticized Operation FREE, a coalition of veterans and national security organizations that advocates on environmental issues, by saying: "As a veteran, I believe that any veteran lending their name, to promote the leftist propaganda of global warming and climate change, in an effort to control more of the wealth created in our economy, through cap and tax type policies, all in the name of national security, is a traitor to the oath he or she took to defend the Constitution of our great nation!"[11]

On February 19, 2019, at House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee informational meeting on Department of Environmental Protection, Daryl Metcalfe suggested that efforts to reduce CO2 emissions could deprive vegetables of the CO2 they need to grow.[12]

As chair of the Environment and Energy committee, Metcalf hosted an informational hearing in March 2019 to feature Gregory Wrightstone,[13][14][15] whose testimony was at odds with the scientific consensus on climate change.[15]

2020 presidential election[edit]

Metcalf participated in attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election. After Joe Biden won Pennsylvania, Metcalfe unsuccessfully filed suit to decertify the result. The suit was based on debunked conspiracy theories and allegations of irregularities which had previously been dismissed by courts.[16] Metcalf urged the legislature to override the state's result by appointing electors for Trump, an action state legislative leaders said they had no authority to do.[17][18] Metcalfe additionally urged the legislature to intervene by issuing subpoenas to investigate the election process, and to impeach Governor Wolf.[17] [19]

Controversies and criticism[edit]

White nationalism[edit]

In September 2015, Metcalfe invited ProEnglish's Robert Vandervoora—a man with white nationalist ties and former head of Chicagoland Friends of American Renaissance—to testify before Pennsylvania's state government committee. After facing criticism for his decision by the Southern Poverty Law Center, who called Vandervoora a "white supremacist", Metcalfe countered by arguing that white "nationalism" is not white "supremacy."[20] Metcalfe's response drew praise from The Daily Stormer, a white supremacist, neo-Nazi website.[21] A GOP staffer reported that members of his own party were upset with his comments. "I believe white supremacists and white nationalists are synonymous and Daryl should repudiate both and their recent actions because I certainly do," Philadelphia Republican Representative John Taylor said after the controversy.[21]

Gift ban[edit]

As Chairman of the House State Government Committee, Metcalfe has also drawn criticism for failing to hold a vote on a Republican-backed bill for a gift ban for state legislators.[22]

External videos
video icon Touching incident, PA House video, 1:26 - incident begins at 0:05[23]

LGBT rights[edit]

On December 5, 2017, Metcalfe strongly took issue with colleague Matthew Bradford touching his arm while speaking to him, saying, "I'm a heterosexual. I have a wife. I love my wife. I don't like men as you might so stop touching me all the time. Keep your hands to yourself. If you want to touch somebody, you have people on your side of the aisle that might like it. I don't."[24] Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf then urged house leaders to demote Metcalfe from his committee position, saying "I urge House leadership to re-examine whether it is appropriate for him (Rep Metcalfe) to continue controlling a committee that oversees civil rights legislation."[25]

Metcalfe opposed Philadelphia's program to market the city to gay tourists. He tried to cut state funding to universities that offer domestic partner benefits. He sued a gay New Hope couple for attempting to get a marriage license. In September 2009, Metcalfe held up a Pennsylvania State Assembly resolution declaring October "Domestic Violence Awareness Month". Metcalfe claimed that the bill "had language in it that brought men into the situation", citing this as evidence of a “homosexual agenda”.[26] This met with criticism from Rep. Babette Josephs who said, "The gentleman from Butler has made this problem even worse and more men may be abused, even killed in their homes," on the House floor in 2009.[27]

In 2011, House Bill 1434 was introduced by Daryl Metcalfe along with 36 cosponsors on May 3, 2011.[28] It was referred to the Committee of State Government. The bill would amend the state constitution stating to ban same-sex marriage and any substantial equivalent.[29] On March 13, 2012, a committee vote on the bill was stopped.[30] In 2013, Daryl Metcalfe reintroduced the bill with 27 cosponsors on May 7, 2013, which is the lowest number of cosponsors the bill had been introduced with.[31]

In June 2013, after the Defense of Marriage Act had been ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court, openly gay state representative Brian Sims tried to make a speech in the Pennsylvania House supporting the decision. Metcalfe, who was one of several representatives who blocked Sims from speaking, said, "I did not believe that as a member of that body that I should allow someone to make comments such as he was preparing to make that ultimately were just open rebellion against what the word of God has said, what God has said, and just open rebellion against God's law."[32]

In April 2018, Metcalfe caused a heavy backlash following a tirade on Twitter against Democrats in Pennsylvania's state legislature, which was called homophobic, writing "I block all substantive Democrat legislation sent to my committee and advance good Republican legislation!" and "Liberals continue their lying attacks in an attempt to stop my work in defense of taxpayers and our liberty!" Metcalfe also targeted some Democrats by name, including former Representative Leslie Acosta, and sitting Representatives Sims and Matthew Bradford, labeling Acosta as a "convict" (as she had been under investigation for money laundering), insulting Sims as a "lying homosexual" and calling Bradford "touchy-feely" following a widely publicized incident involving Bradford and Metcalfe in 2017. Sims responded by denouncing Metcalfe on Twitter as "a gaslighter who threatens people and then backs down and claims victimhood when you're called out", accusing Metcalfe of starting the conflict without justification. The head of the Pennsylvania branch of the Democratic Party responded similarly by strongly condemning Metcalfe, heavily censuring him as "a partisan hack who abuses his power at the expense of making government better for Pennsylvanians" and "a disgusting human being."[33]

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Shooting[edit]

Upon seeing student protests in the aftermath of the February 14, 2018 mass shooting in which 17 students and teachers were killed, Metcalfe cited his own experience in the army to criticize the students.[34]

Personal[edit]

Metcalfe lives in Cranberry Township with his wife, Elke, and daughter, Lisa.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Representative Daryl D. Metcalfe - PA House of Representatives". PA General Assembly. Pennsylvania General Assembly. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
  2. ^ "PA State Rep. Daryl Metcalfe - Committee Chairmanship". www.repmetcalfe.com. Archived from the original on 2019-04-26. Retrieved 2011-04-15.
  3. ^ "2010 General Primary, Not Final Unofficial List of Candidates - In Ballot Order" (PDF). PA Department of State. Bureau of Commissions, Elections & Legislation. March 19, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 31, 2010. Retrieved March 20, 2010.
  4. ^ "Pennsylvania Elections - Office Results". www.electionreturns.state.pa.us.
  5. ^ Deto, Ryan (January 4, 2022). "Recounting Daryl Metcalfe's career as he announces retirement from Pa. legislature". Pittsburgh City Paper. Retrieved 2023-08-05.
  6. ^ Maruca, Julia (October 25, 2022). "Metcalfe delivers retirement address". Cranberry Eagle. Retrieved 2023-08-05.
  7. ^ "Representative Daryl D. Metcalfe". The official website for the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  8. ^ Legislators for Legal Immigration. "About the Coalition".
  9. ^ Kelly, Erin (January 5, 2011). "State lawmakers seek to overturn birthright citizenship". The Arizona Republic.
  10. ^ Barnes, Tom (May 5, 2010). "Pennsylvania legislators hope to mirror Arizona's immigration bill". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  11. ^ "Pa. lawmaker: Global warming 'leftist'". UPI.com. UPI. October 26, 2009. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
  12. ^ "Daryl Metcalfe at House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee informational meeting". Pittsburgh City Paper. February 19, 2019. Retrieved February 26, 2019 – via YouTube.
  13. ^ Richardson, Jessica (March 27, 2019). "House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee - Climate Change Hearing". Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen & Conservationists. Pennsylvania Legislative Services. Retrieved 2019-04-21.
  14. ^ Wrightstone, Gregory (March 30, 2019). "STATEMENT TO THE PA ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES & ENERGY COMMITTEE". Inconvenient Facts. Retrieved 2019-04-21.
  15. ^ a b Meyer, Katie (March 28, 2019). "Pa. House panel hosts climate change doubter, draws rebuke from scientists". WHYY. Retrieved 2019-04-21.
  16. ^ Stinelli, Mick (December 9, 2020). "Court denies Rep. Metcalfe's attempt to overturn election certification". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2021-01-05.
  17. ^ a b Caruso, Stephen (November 11, 2020). "Pa. conservatives' hopes for subpoena-fueled election investigation quashed by political reality". Pennsylvania Capital-Star. Retrieved 2021-01-05.
  18. ^ Otterbein, Holly (November 10, 2020). "Pennsylvania GOP rallies to Trump's defense". POLITICO. Retrieved 2020-12-07.
  19. ^ Erdley, Deb (November 30, 2020). "Pennsylvania GOP lawmakers continue election attacks, promise report on 'sizable irregularities'". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Retrieved 2020-12-07.
  20. ^ Giammarise, Kate; Langley, Karen (September 25, 2015). "Rep. Metcalfe: A 'white nationalist' is not a 'white supremacist'". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  21. ^ a b Briggs, Ryan (August 14, 2017). "GOP shrugs off new ire over Metcalfe's defense of white supremacist". City & State PA.
  22. ^ "More arrests in state Capitol in protests over gift-ban bill". Associated Press. May 23, 2017.
  23. ^ Couloumbis, Angela; Navratil, Liz (December 5, 2017). "Daryl Metcalfe: 'I'm a heterosexual … keep your hands to yourself'". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
  24. ^ DeJesus, Ivey (December 6, 2017). "Pa. lawmaker to colleague: 'I'm a heterosexual ... stop touching me all the time'". The Patriot-News.
  25. ^ Deto, Ryan (December 6, 2017). "Pa. Gov. Tom Wolf says Rep. Daryl Metcalfe's committee seat should be re-examined in light of homophobic comments". Pittsburgh City Paper. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  26. ^ Worden, Amy (September 19, 2009). "Pa. lawmaker sees gay agenda in a resolution". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
  27. ^ Denvir, Daniel (July 27, 2011). "Right Makes Might". Philadelphia City Paper. Archived from the original on October 3, 2015. Retrieved May 9, 2013.
  28. ^ "The Pennsylvania General Assembly". Legis.state.pa.us. Retrieved December 1, 2011.
  29. ^ "Regular Session 2011-2012 House Bill 1434 P.N. 1724". Legis.state.pa.us. May 3, 2011. Retrieved December 1, 2011.
  30. ^ Worden, Amy (March 15, 2012). "Gay-marriage bills stalled in Pennsylvania". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved April 4, 2012.
  31. ^ Worden, Amy (May 8, 2013). "Bills against gay bias on move in Harrisburg". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on December 12, 2013. Retrieved May 9, 2013.
  32. ^ Reilly, Mollie (June 27, 2013). "Brian Sims, Pennsylvania Lawmaker, Silenced On DOMA By Colleagues Citing 'God's Law'". The Huffington Post. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
  33. ^ Routh, Julian (April 23, 2018). "Democrats react angrily to Daryl Metcalfe's 'lying homosexual' Facebook tirade". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved November 21, 2018.
  34. ^ "RepMetcalfe". Facebook. Retrieved February 21, 2018.

External links[edit]

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