Controversies and criticism
White nationalism
In September 2015, Metcalfe invited ProEnglish's Robert Vandervoora—a man with white nationalist ties and former head of Chicagoland Friends of American Renaissance—to testify before Pennsylvania's state government committee. After facing criticism for his decision by the Southern Poverty Law Center, who called Vandervoora a "white supremacist", Metcalfe countered by arguing that white "nationalism" is not white "supremacy." [20] Metcalfe's response drew praise from The Daily Stormer , a white supremacist, neo-Nazi website. [21] A GOP staffer reported that members of his own party were upset with his comments. "I believe white supremacists and white nationalists are synonymous and Daryl should repudiate both and their recent actions because I certainly do," Philadelphia Republican Representative John Taylor said after the controversy. [21]
Gift ban
As Chairman of the House State Government Committee, Metcalfe has also drawn criticism for failing to hold a vote on a Republican-backed bill for a gift ban for state legislators. [22]
| External video | |
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 Touching incident, PA House video, 1:26 - incident begins at 0:05 [23] |
LGBT rights
On December 5, 2017, Metcalfe strongly took issue with colleague Matthew Bradford touching his arm while speaking to him, saying, "I'm a heterosexual. I have a wife. I love my wife. I don't like men as you might so stop touching me all the time. Keep your hands to yourself. If you want to touch somebody, you have people on your side of the aisle that might like it. I don't." [24] Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf then urged house leaders to demote Metcalfe from his committee position, saying "I urge House leadership to re-examine whether it is appropriate for him (Rep Metcalfe) to continue controlling a committee that oversees civil rights legislation." [25]
Metcalfe opposed Philadelphia's program to market the city to gay tourists. He tried to cut state funding to universities that offer domestic partner benefits. He sued a gay New Hope couple for attempting to get a marriage license. In September 2009, Metcalfe held up a Pennsylvania State Assembly resolution declaring October "Domestic Violence Awareness Month". Metcalfe claimed that the bill "had language in it that brought men into the situation", citing this as evidence of a “homosexual agenda”. [26] This met with criticism from Rep. Babette Josephs who said, "The gentleman from Butler has made this problem even worse and more men may be abused, even killed in their homes," on the House floor in 2009. [27]
In 2011, House Bill 1434 was introduced by Daryl Metcalfe along with 36 cosponsors on May 3, 2011. [28] It was referred to the Committee of State Government. The bill would amend the state constitution stating to ban same-sex marriage and any substantial equivalent. [29] On March 13, 2012, a committee vote on the bill was stopped. [30] In 2013, Daryl Metcalfe reintroduced the bill with 27 cosponsors on May 7, 2013, which is the lowest number of cosponsors the bill had been introduced with. [31]
In June 2013, after the Defense of Marriage Act had been ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court, openly gay state representative Brian Sims tried to make a speech in the Pennsylvania House supporting the decision. Metcalfe, who was one of several representatives who blocked Sims from speaking, said, "I did not believe that as a member of that body that I should allow someone to make comments such as he was preparing to make that ultimately were just open rebellion against what the word of God has said, what God has said, and just open rebellion against God's law." [32]
In April 2018, Metcalfe caused a heavy backlash following a tirade on Twitter against Democrats in Pennsylvania's state legislature, which was called homophobic, writing "I block all substantive Democrat legislation sent to my committee and advance good Republican legislation!" and "Liberals continue their lying attacks in an attempt to stop my work in defense of taxpayers and our liberty!" Metcalfe also targeted some Democrats by name, including former Representative Leslie Acosta, and sitting Representatives Sims and Matthew Bradford, labeling Acosta as a "convict" (as she had been under investigation for money laundering), insulting Sims as a "lying homosexual" and calling Bradford "touchy-feely" following a widely publicized incident involving Bradford and Metcalfe in 2017. Sims responded by denouncing Metcalfe on Twitter as "a gaslighter who threatens people and then backs down and claims victimhood when you're called out", accusing Metcalfe of starting the conflict without justification. The head of the Pennsylvania branch of the Democratic Party responded similarly by strongly condemning Metcalfe, heavily censuring him as "a partisan hack who abuses his power at the expense of making government better for Pennsylvanians" and "a disgusting human being." [33]
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Shooting
Upon seeing student protests in the aftermath of the February 14, 2018 mass shooting in which 17 students and teachers were killed, Metcalfe cited his own experience in the army to criticize the students. [34]
