Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper says she has received “threatening communication” she believes is tied to her vote in support of health care reform.
Dahlkemper released a statement to reporters today detailing multiple “emails, letters, faxes and phone calls that are threatening or menacing in nature as a result of my vote in favor of health care reform.” She said her office hasn’t been able to trace the senders of the messages and noted that while some are from Western Pennsylvania, she does not believe the majority of the messages are from her constituents.
The pro-life Democrat — who agreed to support the legislation after Rep. Bart Stupak and leadership forged a compromise on an executive order handling abortion language with the White House — said she has told authorities about a “threatening letter” sent to her Armstrong, Pa. district office on Tuesday.
Despite the multiple communications, that letter is the only one to merit a look, she said. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that a portion of the note read “You will never sleep through the night again.”
From Dahlkemper’s statement:
It is a great honor to represent the 3rd District of Pennsylvania in Congress. To do my job well, it is essential that I hear directly from my constituents, and I encourage them to reach out to me and my office to voice their opinions on the issues that matter most to them. It is unfortunate that a small but vocal group of people are using insults to convey their opinions and alarming that anyone would make threats against me or my family.
Debate, discussion and dissention are essential to the democratic process. A healthy debate needs strong voices on both sides of the issue. However, threats and insults have no place in our public discourse and I urge my constituents and the American people to reject these tactics that are unworthy of our democracy.
