For Immediate Release
January 6, 2009
Contact: Todd Nyquist
(717) 787-7084
Back

Scarnati Sworn in as Senate President Pro Tempore

Senator Joe Scarnati (R-Jefferson) was re-elected to serve his second term as President Pro Tempore of the Pennsylvania Senate during swearing-in ceremonies today at the State Capitol in Harrisburg.   Scarnati is also serving as Lieutenant Governor, following the death of Lieutenant Governor Catherine Baker Knoll last November.

Scarnati was sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Thomas Saylor after he was unanimously re-elected by his colleagues to the top Senate post.  He was first elected to the position in January 2007.

During remarks on the Senate floor, Scarnati urged all the members of the Senate to work together on tough issues facing the state, particularly the looming economic crisis.

"Today, more than ever, Pennsylvanians want results, not stalemate," Scarnati said. "They want family-sustaining jobs, not more unemployment benefits, and they want a vision for the future that is full of hope, and that what we do today will make tomorrow brighter."

Since his election to the position of President Pro Tempore, Scarnati has been a leader in reforming the way business is conducted in the Senate and remains committed to making the institution more open and accessible to the citizens of the Commonwealth.

Senator Scarnati is also taking on many important issues such as reducing job- crushing taxes, eliminating benefits to illegal aliens, and cutting the cost of government in Pennsylvania.