Staff Reports
The story was simple: Pennsylvania was going to be missing from the Great American State Fair on the National Mall — until two senators decided to fix it. When Governor Josh Shapiro said the state would not send an official, taxpayer‑funded display because no private sponsors stepped up, U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick (R‑PA) and U.S. Sen. John Fetterman (D‑PA) quietly assembled a privately funded partnership to get Pennsylvania there. That move tells you everything you need to know about common sense versus political posturing.
Senators McCormick and Fetterman: Bipartisan, Practical, Effective
The headlines should read exactly that: two senators from opposite parties worked together and delivered results. McCormick and Fetterman partnered with Pennsylvania trade groups — the state Chamber, PennAg, the Farm Bureau, NFIB, manufacturing groups and others — and even secured kids’ activities from Crayola. They coordinated with the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to make sure the Pennsylvania booth opened and was staffed. No new taxes, no press stunts, just old‑fashioned problem solving.
Why This Matters: Image, History, and the America 250 Stage
The Great American State Fair is part of the America 250 celebration, a rare national stage where states can remind the country what they do best. Pennsylvania is the birthplace of American independence and a manufacturing and agricultural powerhouse. Letting that go unrepresented would have been embarrassing — especially given Governor Shapiro’s public shrug that “none were interested” in sponsoring a booth. If you plan to run for higher office, showing you can rally support and showcase your state is called leadership, not political calculus.
Private Sponsors Stepped Up — And That’s the Point
The best part of this whole episode is that private organizations stepped up. Businesses and trade groups funded the booth and supplied materials, proving the private sector still shows up when leaders demand it. Critics who claim the event is too political or too costly are missing the point: the senators didn’t force the state to spend money. They asked the people and groups who benefit from Pennsylvania’s brand to invest in it. That’s how federalism actually works — civic pride powered by private initiative, not political theater funded by taxpayers.
Here’s the takeaway: when an administrator shrugs and calls it a partisan event, someone has to roll up their sleeves. Senators McCormick and Fetterman did that, and Pennsylvania didn’t go missing from the national celebration. If more leaders acted that way — putting the common good ahead of short‑term headlines — the country would be better off. For now, at least, Pennsylvania has its booth, its story is being told, and the rest of the states that baulked have an example of how to turn complaints into action.
