May 13, 2026 − The following is attributable to Senator Steve Santarsiero (D-10):
“Yesterday, I learned that a man was arrested in Lebanon, PA after posting a hit list of 20 Pennsylvania Democrats, including myself. He claimed he was planning a “Memorial Day operation”, threatened police officers who would stand in his way, and claimed he had a “God given right” to kill authorities. I’m grateful to the local and state police who investigated and arrested the individual responsible for the threats. This particular case involved an individual with a clear history of mental illness. But in a broader sense, this is another example of how political violence is becoming normalized in our country. We need to continue to speak out against that trend and we need to address one of the root causes: a completely unregulated and unaccountable internet and social media environment that too often reinforces the most extreme content because it feeds a sense of outrage that, in turn, makes it too easy to accept violence as an alternative. Congress needs to act, and if it doesn’t, the states need to step in.”
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