Letters to the Editor | Aug. 5, 2026

Regarding President Donald Trump’s now-abandoned plan to pull Todd Blanche’s attorney general nomination, for decades, the Senate required 60 votes to end debate on cabinet nominees, forcing presidents to choose consensus-building moderates. That changed in 2013, when lowering the threshold to a simple majority intensified partisanship and eroded the standard of qualifications for nominees.

When merit and integrity become subordinate to political ideology, it creates a logjam in the confirmation process. This is the case with U.S. Department of Justice nominee Todd Blanche. Blanche’s current confirmation mess highlights the dangers of this simple majority shift.

As the president’s former personal defense lawyer, Blanche has consistently prioritized absolute loyalty to Trump over the sacred constitutional oath required of the nation’s top law enforcement officer. This blatant expression of fealty over objectivity perverts the process by choosing personal loyalists instead of independent public servants. To mend our impaired political system, the Senate must end this fast-track approach and restore the 60-vote barrier.

Jim Paladino, Tampa, Fla.

Like the rest of the country, Pennsylvania’s population is aging quickly, meaning the demand for services that support seniors’ health and well-being is increasing. For many, that includes access to physical therapy.

Physical therapy is a lifeline for seniors struggling with balance or mobility issues. It was a topic we had the opportunity to discuss when Rep. Madeleine Dean recently visited our facilities. Every day, we help older adults stay safe on their feet and reduce their risk of falls, the leading cause of injury-related deaths among Americans age 65 and older.

Deaths and injuries related to falls have increased significantly over the past couple of decades. Tens of millions of older Americans experience a fall each year, and one out of every five falls results in a serious injury. Beyond the personal toll on individuals and families, falls also contribute to tens of billions of dollars in healthcare costs annually.

That’s why I want to voice my support for the Stopping Addiction and Falls for the Elderly (SAFE) Act (HR 1171). This bill would ensure Medicare beneficiaries can receive a falls risk assessment at no cost as part of their annual wellness visit. These assessments allow physical therapists to identify risks early and recommend strategies to prevent falls before they happen.

Rep. Dean’s support for the SAFE Act would help advance this important legislation and improve access to preventive care for older adults. Together, we can help keep seniors safer, healthier, and independent while reducing unnecessary healthcare costs.

Timothy Flaherty, regional vice president-Northeast, ATI Physical Therapy, Ambler

It is shameful to read The Inquirer’s extensively documented story about the city taking over Philadelphia’s only crisis rape center when public officials, hospital executives, and Drexel administrators could not come up with the small amount of $300,000 to keep the center open. Meanwhile, we spent millions of dollars to host the World Cup and stage the Semiquincentennial events, including that costly Fourth of July concert. Only one Council member, Nina Ahmed, stepped up to help. After she did, the mayor passively agreed to send money their way and have the Department of Public Health take over the center. Soccer, fireworks, and concerts are great, but this is yet another example of badly misplaced priorities.

Koert Wehberg, Philadelphia

As an Inquirer subscriber for whom SEPTA is essential, I appreciate the Editorial Board’s budget recap highlighting the severe lack of new transit funding while showcasing SEPTA’s proven results with the funds it receives. What’s encouraging are the concrete steps underway across state government to solve the 2027 transit crisis.

Through initiatives like PennDot’s Shared Ride Advisory Committee and the Transportation Funding Assessment Study Task Force, state legislators and transit leaders are coming together to build real solutions. Moreover, transit is becoming more of a bipartisan issue. Republican lawmakers in the General Assembly, like State Sen. Frank Farry and State Rep. Martina White, have joined the growing chorus calling for new funding to benefit disabled and older neighbors.

Public transit is a lifeline for me, my friends, and neighbors in every corner of our state. The 2026 budget passed without new funding, but riders have built real momentum to rally around. I encourage anyone statewide who relies on transit to join us at Transit for All PA as we keep organizing for a full 2027 solution.

Catherine Moran, West Chester

As the president and his terrified enablers look at their dismal poll numbers, they are obsessed with the SAVE America Act and preventing “election fraud.” Well, the ultraconservative Heritage Foundation (the authors of Project 2025) maintains a database that covers elections from 1982 to 2025. It found about 1,600 proven cases of voter fraud out of hundreds of millions of votes cast. According to an analysis by the New York Times, that’s about 0.000008% of more than 1.3 billion votes in presidential elections during that time. Infinitesimal. Meanwhile, the White House’s silence on the following numbers speaks volumes: Donald Trump has pardoned 1,800 felons during both of his terms thus far, and nearly 100 of the criminals from Jan. 6, 2021 (approximately 1/16) have been rearrested for such acts as child molestation, domestic violence, and drunken driving. Hopefully our free, fair, state-run elections will SAVE us from more of this madness.

Neil M. Cohen, Philadelphia

The possibility of voter fraud seems to be a concern to some people, even in the absence of credible evidence to suggest it is a problem. Numerous lawsuits and investigations and studies have found no significant issues with election safety.

A recent “glitch” in New Jersey allowed the incorrect voter registration of about 6,000 people, and 400 of them voted.

These “ineligible” voters did not realize there had been an error in their receiving a voter registration card. And they thought enough of that right to vote, so they voted. They should be commended. Unlike the hundreds of thousands (maybe millions) of legally registered voters in Pennsylvania and New Jersey who do not vote.

Rather than be concerned about the few ineligible votes, we all should be concerned about the missing votes from eligible voters. A few “ineligible” votes are not going to be a significant factor in an election. However, getting all the missing “eligible” votes will affect the outcome of an election. The more votes that are received in an election, the more truly representative the outcome will be.

Karen Inverso, Springfield

Instead of asking Anthony Fauci absurd, demeaning, and accusatory questions, Rand Paul, the junior Republican senator from Kentucky, should introduce a bill to erect a statue in Fauci’s honor. Dr. Fauci, a true servant leader, served this country faithfully and with great success for more than 40 years. He could have likely become wealthy in the private sector, but he chose public service instead. Dr. Fauci has been pilloried by his critics for far too many years. Now, at age 85, he’s highly deserving of living out his remaining years in peace. Sen. Paul, stop hectoring this poor man. Have you no shame?

Ken Derow, Swarthmore

It occurred to me that since it is so costly to retrofit the new Air Force One, perhaps President Donald Trump, having made so much money this year, should consider footing the bill.

Penny Orloff, Elkins Park

Join the conversation: Send letters to letters@inquirer.com. Limit length to 150 words and include home address and day and evening phone number. Letters run in The Inquirer six days a week on the editorial pages and online.