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Five congressmen took the same stage to talk business in the Lehigh Valley Friday, but most of the discussion centered on President Trump and fired FBI Director James Comey. The lawmakers, Republicans Brian Fitzpatrick, R-8, Charlie Dent, R-15, and Leonard Lance, R-N.J., and Democrats Matt Cartwright, D-17, and Dwight Evans, D-2, were in town for a taping of WFMZ-TV's "Business Matters" in Hanover Township, Lehigh County. Host Tony Iannelli, president and CEO of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, started the show by questioning the panel on Trump's decision to fire Comey amid an FBI investigation of contacts between Russia and the Trump campaign in 2016. Fitzpatrick, a newcomer to Congress who previously worked at the FBI, called Comey a "decent and honorable man," and said Trump's decision needs some time to settle. "Let's figure out what the facts are, but we need to be suspect about what's going on," said Fitzpatrick, whose district includes Bucks and Montgomery counties. Cartwright said he expected Comey's days were waning as FBI head, and that many in Congress had grown weary of his "grandstanding." "But the timing of this firing is very unfortunate and critical, and it's hard for people not to jump to the conclusion that something nefarious is being covered up," he said. Iannelli asked lawmakers if they could do without the drama of Trump's presidency. Cartwright, whose district includes Easton and portions of Northampton County, said Trump made "tall promises" during the campaign, including investing $1 trillion in such things as roads and broadband. "I was dismayed to find none of that showed up in the president's budget," he said. Evans, whose district includes much of Philadelphia, also said he wishes the health care issue can be resolved. The House voted last week on a GOP bill that has drawn criticism in some circles and still requires Senate action. "You pay for our health care," Evans told the audience of approximately 150 business and government leaders in attendance at St. Luke's University Health Network Center. "We should ensure that our constituents also have access to health care." Lance, whose district covers Phillipsburg and most of Warren County, N.J., said his top domestic goal is reforming the U.S. tax code. On foreign policy, Dent, whose snakes east-west across much of the Lehigh Valley, called Russia and President Vladimir Putin serious threats. "This man, we need to deter him," said Dent. "If he sees an open door, he will walk through it." Dent also addressed an audience question about giving veterans more convenient access to health care. "Why are we schlepping people up to Wilkes-Barre from here for procedures that can be done right down the street?" he asked. While the nearest major Veterans Administration hospital is in Luzerne County, Dent and others argue that the VA should permit vets access to hospitals close to their homes. Lance and Cartwright took shots at the media for failing to highlight how parties came to agreement on last week's budget. "The spending bill was bipartisan," Lance said. "There was no government shutdown. It was not a big story because the government did not shut down." Added Cartwright: "It doesn't make the newspapers when we we're getting along in Washington." Iannelli asked if Congress can operate in similar harmony. "We have to get there," Fitzpatrick said. "We don't have any choice." Read the original article here.