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Rep. Madeline Dean tells Jenkintown students and voters she will fight to codify Roe, curb gun violence and rein in corporate price-gouging
Summary
At a forum hosted by Jenkintown School District, Rep. Madeline Dean, D-Pa., discussed her record and priorities — including codifying Roe v. Wade, banning assault-style weapons, raising the minimum wage and addressing corporate profit-taking — and answered voter questions on trade, democracy and equality.
Madeline Dean, the Democratic incumbent for Pennsylvania's 4th Congressional District, told a crowd at a forum hosted by the Jenkintown School District that she will work to codify Roe v. Wade, tighten firearms regulations and press for economic policies she said will lower costs for ordinary families.
"Abortion care is health care," Dean said during a question-and-answer session that followed her prepared remarks. She described the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision as having "struck at freedom for women and girls" and said she would "do everything in my power" to codify the protections that Roe provided.
Dean opened by describing her local roots — she said she was born and raised in nearby Glenside and thanked school faculty, staff and students for hosting the event — and reviewed her legislative work since her 2018 election to Congress. She cited her service on the House Judiciary Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee and listed priorities including gun violence prevention, addiction and veterans' services.
On foreign policy, Dean noted her new assignment to the House Foreign Affairs Committee and described work with the Ukrainian-American community in the district. She also addressed the Israel-Hamas war, saying hostages must be returned while pursuing a two-state solution and peace.
During the forum, audience members asked about trade and tariffs. Dean criticized proposals she said would impose "massive tariffs" and deportation policies, calling them both inhumane and economically harmful. "That will be a tax on us," she said, adding that economists have estimated large tariffs could add about $4,000 a year to a typical family's expenses.
On public safety, Dean called gun violence a "public health crisis," supported a ban on assault-style weapons and said she favors universal background checks and "red flag" laws for people in crisis. "Prayers and thoughts are not enough," she said in response to a question about school safety.
On the economy, Dean said the current federal minimum wage ($7.25) is inadequate and voiced support for a $15-an-hour goal while acknowledging the need to work with small businesses. She pointed to pandemic-era assistance policies, including the American Rescue Plan and Paycheck Protection Program, as examples of government support for businesses and families.
Dean also discussed racial and environmental inequities that affect maternal health and lower-income communities, citing maternal mortality disparities and a local infrastructure investment — $40 million secured for gas-pipe replacement from the Infrastructure Act — as work to address those issues.
The candidate repeatedly framed the election as a choice about "decency" and the health of American democracy, recounting experiences on January 6 and urging voters to pay attention to candidates' words and record. She closed by encouraging civic engagement and asking attendees to hold elected officials accountable.
The event concluded with a brief period of audience questions and Dean thanking the school community before turning the program back to the moderator.
