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A Republican lawmaker was booted from Pennsylvania’s Democrat-controlled State House chamber over his choice of patriotic attire celebrating the U.S. founding 250 years ago this week in the commonwealth.
The dispute comes as Americans prepare to celebrate the nation’s semiquincentennial and as the Trump administration showcases the Great American State Fair while the Shapiro administration features America250PA concerts and fairs from Pittsburgh to Wilkes-Barre.
America’s most prominent swing state has long enjoyed closely-divided government, with Gov. Josh Shapiro controlling the executive, Democrats holding a one-seat House majority and Republicans holding a four-seat Senate majority – which has led to dustups like that involving state Rep. Eric Davanzo this week.
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Davanzo, who represents a swath of Westmoreland County between Pittsburgh and Greensburg, said he was shocked by the reaction of House Speaker Joanna McClinton, D-Southwest Philadelphia, when he came to Tuesday’s session sporting a red, white and blue suit and tie.
Davanzo told Fox News Digital he walked around the chamber greeting colleagues and eventually stopped to chat 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.”
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“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.
Davanzo initially decided to stay on the floor despite Democratic leaders’ wishes until a House security guard informed him McClinton was demanding he either remove his suit jacket or leave.
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“Instead of taking my jacket off, I walked off the House Floor,” he said.
Davanzo said that while it was clear McClinton objected to his America 250-themed suit, some Democratic lawmakers came up to him afterward in the Capitol and said they did not agree with his ejection.
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.”
Davanzo said House leadership had previously endorsed thematic attire in the chamber.
“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. He 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.”
He noted that the Declaration of Independence was signed 250 years ago Saturday about 250 miles east of his district in Philadelphia and that he is also a “Bicentennial Baby,” born in 1976 and celebrating his 50th birthday this year.
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Davanzo also leads the America First Caucus in the State House, which he said focuses on efforts like onshoring manufacturing in the increasingly postindustrial Keystone State and providing for an “automatic death penalty” for illegal immigrants convicted of murdering Pennsylvanians.
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“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.
Fox News Digital reached out to McClinton for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Hannah Brennan contributed to this report.
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