Pittsburgh Review

Rep. Summer Lee, a member of the U.S. Congress representing Pennsylvania’s 12th district since 2023, shared several statements on February 11, 2025, addressing issues related to social welfare, criminal justice, and defense spending.

In her first statement on February 11, Rep. Lee criticized the Republican party for their lack of funding to replace stolen food benefits. She highlighted the plight of families reaching out to her office for assistance with essential needs such as food for children and seniors. According to Lee: "Republicans made sure there’s no funding to replace stolen food benefits. Now, struggling families are calling our office desperate for help. We’re talking about food for kids, seniors, and people just trying to survive." She further remarked that this perceived neglect was intentional: "Their cruelty isn’t a mistake. It’s the point, as always."

Later that day, Rep. Lee announced the release of Marc Fogel after three years of imprisonment which she deemed unjust. She attributed his release to his family's persistent advocacy and community support: "After three long years of unjust imprisonment, Marc Fogel is finally coming home. His release is a testament to his family's unwavering love, their relentless advocacy, and a community that never stopped fighting for him."

Finally, Rep. Lee questioned the necessity of allocating an additional $150 billion in taxpayer money to the Department of Defense (DoD). She called attention to the agency's history of audit failures and suggested scrutiny from figures like Elon Musk and Donald Trump regarding wasteful spending: "The Department of Defense doesn’t need another $150 billion of your taxpayer money. If Musk & Trump actually cared about ‘waste, fraud, and abuse,’ they’d start with the agency that has failed 7 audits in a row."