Chris Rabb
DemocraticQ1 PFAS chemicals are widely used in consumer products but have raised health concerns due to their persistence in the environment and humans, and some Pennsylvanian legislators are considering restrictions on its use, such as in House Bill 2145. Should Pennsylvania restrict PFAS in consumer products? What scientific evidence would you use to inform your decision?
PFAS need to be removed from any item used in the creation of ingestible products, for any organic organism. Many of the products that we use on a daily basis, like cosmetics, dental floss, and menstrual products, contain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS,) which are a group of over 7,800 human-made chemicals that are used due to their ability to repel dirt, water, and grease. These chemicals, which do not break down in the environment, have been found to potentially cause serious health problems, such as cancer, immune system suppression, increased cholesterol levels, pregnancy-induced hypertension, liver damage, reduced fertility, and increased risk of thyroid disease.
I have a track record of supporting legislative efforts such as PA HB 2145, which sought to address the issues I’ve stated above. Environmental scientists across the United States have sounded the alarms on this issue since the 1960s. Corporations knew what would happen to our bodies, and part of the accountability I support is holding them wholly responsible for the deaths that’ll be associated with this exposure.
Q2 Measles vaccination rates in Pennsylvania have declined in recent years, from 95.5% in 2020 to 92.5% in 2025. At the same time, measles outbreaks have emerged across the state, with 62 confirmed cases in PA in 2026. As a policymaker, how do you approach engaging with communities that have concerns that center on infectious disease outbreaks and vaccine safety, and what policies, if any, would you support related to these issues?
We desperately need capital investment in political education, sexual health and the sciences, as well as serious federal investment in public health infrastructure.
We must change the antagonistic and adversarial relationship between Americans and their healthcare. The working class is likely to suffer the lion’s share of fatalities when these outbreaks and pandemics take shape. We keep each other safe, and a plan to provide Universal Healthcare is the first step there.
Q3 There have been avian influenza outbreaks in Pennsylvania, with potential impacts on poultry and dairy operations, both industries that provide billions of dollars of economic value to the state. What policies, if any, do you support to strengthen the state’s preparedness and outbreak response? Are there specific strategies you would prioritize to protect farm workers, agricultural communities, and the broader public?
We need to regulate the industrial slaughter of animals to reflect stronger standards on ethical consumption, health and quality life of animals and animal inspections. The money that was robbed by the Trump Administration from research regarding these subjects must be reinstated.
We could look to the European Union’s standards on industrial slaughter as a model of success, compared to the reckless environment our food standards operate under today. Humans and animals across Pennsylvania are served by stricter standards that emphasize safety for workers, animals and consumers.
Q4 Pennsylvania is the nation’s second-largest producer of natural gas and nuclear energy, as well as the third-largest producer of coal, per the Energy Information Administration. In contrast, PA currently ranks 45th in the country in terms of wind, solar, and hydropower energy production. How do you think these energy sources should be distributed across PA’s energy production portfolio, and what policies, if any, would you support to facilitate this?
We should prioritize the development of these energy production resources across cities and areas of land suited for such industrial purposes. I would support consumer credits to switch to green energy across every electronic asset that consumes traditional fuels.
I would also support massive, historic investments in rail services, their expansion, improvement and enhanced aesthetics and maintenance. We have the capital to perform these wonders, and should give it to the people so they can create these incredibly important projects. Green jobs are the future we need.
Q5 Pennsylvania has proposed more reporting, utility oversight, and zoning guidance for large data centers, along with shifting some generation, capacity, and reliability costs onto data center developers rather than ordinary ratepayers. How should the costs and benefits of large data center development be divided between developers and the public, and what requirements, if any, would you support on power, water, and public reporting before a project moves forward?
There will be no Data Center project that I will ever support. The only data center I will ever support is the Free Library of Philadelphia.
I am ecstatic to support libraries and tech centers across the United States. Human ingenuity is an endless, unquantifiable resource we must invest ourselves in.