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Geisinger named 2016 Guardian of Excellence Award winner

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Trump suggests ‘consequences’ for any flag-burners

<p>Following a one-hour meeting at Trump Tower with President-elect Donald Trump, U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta said the two discussed the Cabinet position of labor secretary.</p><p>In a brief meeting with media in the lobby of Trump Tower, Barletta said &#8220;I will consider what we talked about. I&#8217;m going to consider it.&#8221;</p><p>Barletta said he and Trump &#8220;had a good conversation &#8212; discussing everything from a top level Cabinet post to the impressive victory in the Nov. 8 general election and Pennsylvania&#8217;s role in that win.</p><p>During a telephone conversation after the meeting, Barletta said he will take a couple of days to consider the position of labor secretary.</p><p>&#8220;I want to take a good look at it and look into the Department of Labor,&#8221; Barletta said. &#8220;I intend to weigh my options &#8212; whether I could help President-elect Trump more as Secretary of Labor in his cabinet, or as a member of Congress.&#8221;</p><p>Barletta said his position in the U.S. House of Representatives will be considerably strengthened by having the support of President Trump.</p><p>&#8220;I want to weigh all the options,&#8221; Barletta said. &#8220;And then I will decide where I would be the most beneficial.&#8221;</p><p>Barletta said he loves representing the people of the 11th Congressional District, that&#8217;s why he will give the decision careful consideration.</p><p>If Barletta becomes the labor secretary nominee, he would have to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate through a confirmation hearing. All Cabinet members are nominated by the president and then presented to the senate for confirmation or rejection by a simple majority vote. Barletta said he believes he would not have to resign his seat in Congress until after he was confirmed as labor secretary.</p><p>As far as the details of how Trump proposed the offer, Barletta said he prefers to keep that conversation confidential.</p><p>&#8220;We talked about a lot of things,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We have formed a great relationship. I am sincerely honored that President-elect Trump would have that kind of confidence in me.&#8221;</p><p>Jeff Sheridan, press secretary for Gov. Tom Wolf, explained the process should Barletta accept Trump&#8217;s offer and he is confirmed as labor secretary.</p><p>&#8220;The election code says the governor must call a special election within 10 days of the effective date of the resignation and an election cannot be held before 60 days from the day the governor sets the date,&#8221; Sheridan said in an email.</p><p>Barletta said the conversation at Trump Tower also centered on moving Trump&#8217;s ideas forward.</p><p>&#8220;We talked about the role I will play in helping him implement his ideas, whether it be in Congress, as secretary of labor or something else,&#8221; Barletta said.</p><p>Barletta, 60, told reporters that he and Trump discussed Trump&#8217;s infrastructure plan and &#8220;making sure there&#8217;s a smooth transition&#8221; moving forward.</p><p>The Associated Press reported that Barletta said he and Trump&#8217;s did not discuss the President-elect&#8217;s recent tweets. Asked if Trump should stop tweeting, Barletta said, &#8220;Well, it&#8217;s his way of talking to the people, and he&#8217;s got a lot of people listening.&#8221;</p><p>Earlier in the day Trump chose Elaine Chao, the former labor secretary, to be his transportation secretary, according to <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/29/politics/trump-picks-elaine-chao-for-transportation-secretary/index.html" target="_blank">a report on CNN.com</a>. The report cited an official briefed on the matter.</p><p>Trump&#8217;s camp formally announced Chao&#8217;s appointment Tuesday afternoon.</p><p>Barletta, R-Hazleton, was believed to be under consideration for the secretary of transportation position.</p><p>Chao, 63, was labor secretary under President George W. Bush and the first Asian American woman to serve in a president&#8217;s Cabinet. She also is the wife of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.</p><p>Chao came to the U.S. from Taiwan with her family when she was 8, settling in New York, where her father became a wealthy shipping magnate. She became head of the Peace Corps and deputy secretary of Transportation before taking over the Labor Department.</p><p>As Labor secretary, her job was to protect the nation&#8217;s workforce, including setting safety standards and addressing issues related to wages and retirement. She updated overtime regulations for &#8220;white-collar&#8221; workers and rules intended to force unions to disclose more details on their financial condition to members.</p><p>Barletta is a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and chairs the panel that oversees federal management of emergencies and natural disasters. He also serves on the House committees on Homeland Security and Education and the Workforce.</p><p>On Nov. 8, Barletta, a former mayor of Hazleton City, easily won re-election to a fourth term in Congress.</p><p>After the election, Barletta said during his time on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, he helped save more than $3 billion for the taxpayers.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Barletta </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_Barletta_mug-7.jpg</photo0><caption0>Barletta </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_Trump_mug-cmyk-5.jpg">
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<div class="neCaption">Rep. Lou Barletta, R-Pa., talks with reporters after a meeting with President-elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower, Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016, in New York. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_113776635-72e69a43a5e64762a5a3dffd6f0998ae-2.jpg</photo2><caption2>Rep. Lou Barletta, R-Pa., talks with reporters after a meeting with President-elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower, Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016, in New York. </caption2><photoCredit2>(AP Photo/Evan Vucci) </photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Bill O&#8217;Boyle</p><p>boboyle@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p><strong>Inside</strong></p><p>&#8226; For information on all appointments made by President-elect Donald Trump, turn to page 8A.</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Bill O&#8217;Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

CNN: Trump names Chao, not Barletta, secretary of transportation