Sparks fly between Bresnahan, Cognetti in Pennsylvania House debate

Rep. Rob Bresnahan (R-Pa.) and Democrat Paige Cognetti clashed on the debate stage Thursday night over the ongoing war in Iran, the growing presence of data centers in their district and other hot-button issues.

Cognetti, who has served as the mayor of Scranton, Pa., since 2020, and Bresnahan are vying to represent Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District, which is rated as a toss-up by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. The Thursday debate was hosted by WVIA News.

One key issue ahead of the Nov. 3 midterms has been the Iran war, which has contributed to voter frustration as Americans grapple with rising gas prices and mounting economic concerns.

Cognetti argued that the Trump administration and Congress have not been transparent about the military operation, saying, “we need real diplomacy, and we need to make sure that we are treating our American service members with respect.”

“Congressman Bresnahan has voted for it six times, as recently as last September,” Cognetti argued. “The American people deserve answers. I’m concerned about the munitions depletion that we’re seeing. I’m concerned that we are less safe now because of this war than we would have been. This has been a war of choice, and the American people are waiting for answers, and we are not getting them.”

Bresnahan split from President Trump and said that the war has gone on “far too long” and feels the mission has “been accomplished.” The Republican also said he doesn’t support boots on the ground, and that the war “absolutely needs to end.”

He added that “we can’t let a conflict that’s six thousand miles away from the United States dictate what’s happening here in the United States.”

“It’s a perfect reason why we need to domestically produce and refine natural gas and energy right here in the United States,” Bresnahan continued. “We have the quantity, we have the supply, we have the ability. It can be done in a responsible way, but there’s no reason we should be depending on Middle East oil in order to provide for people in northeastern Pennsylvania and in the United States.”

Cognetti bashed Bresnahan when asked whether she supports data center development, and what role the federal government should play in regulating it.

“There are so many data center proposals that are out there, in part because Congressman Bresnahan invited them…We need to make sure that if data centers do go through, and there are some in Pennsylvania that can work. I think Berwick can work. It’s a nuclear site, but the table has to be set properly. No nondisclosure agreements. The end-user tech company, the developer, local union labor- they all need to be at the table,” she said.

Bresnahan fired back at Cognetti, arguing that “there has been a data center ordinance inside of Scranton City Council now for over eight months that has yet to be acted on.”

“I actually was the first member of Congress to actually write a bill, [the Local Control Protection Act], because the best decision and the only decision needs to go back to the local community. They need to figure out what’s best for their friends, their families, and their neighbors, and what’s going to be in their backyard,” he said.

Towards the end of the debate, Bresnahan noted that he’s stood up to his party and Trump, whose approval ratings have fallen since he took office.

Bresnahan mentioned his decision to sign a Democratic-backed discharge petition to force a floor vote on legislation that would extend the now-expired Affordable Care Act subsidies.

“Every single time I put my voting card into that machine, it’s for northeastern Pennsylvania,” the Republican incumbent said.

The Hill’s partner Decision Desk HQ forecasts that Cognetti is narrowly favored to win the Keystone State’s House seat.