Pride prez plans run for U.S. Congress

EXETER, Pa. ­- Pride Mobility Products President Dan Meuser put the rumors to bed last month and confirmed that he plans to run for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. “I love the idea of public service, of helping people,” Meuser said. “And I love the idea of helping our industry. I do believe that what we do (as an industry) is cost effective, beneficial to seniors and the disabled who choose to use our products and stay in their homes. All the things we advocate for, I truly believe in because the data is on our side.” Over the last five years, Meuser has participated extensively in industry advocacy efforts. While those efforts have not generated huge victories, they have produced enough success to convince Meuser that “we made a difference.” Pride, for example, has been instrumental in convincing Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa, that homecare is cost effective and patient preferred. In turn, Specter has supported industry efforts on Capitol Hill. As he cranks up his campaign for the 10th district seat in Pennsylvania, Meuser, a Republican, said he'll take a leave of absence from Pride and will announce the exact date of his departure shortly. Given the company's experienced senior management team, he expects the transfer of his duties at Pride to be seamless. Rep. Christopher Carney, D-Pa., currently holds the 10th district seat. “The long and short of it is that many people in our area felt that I could be the right candidate,” Meuser said. “I do believe in keeping taxes as low as possible to make a competitive business atmosphere. I am a Republican and the district is Republican and has conservative values that I share. We also have a high number of senior citizens, and I have tremendous experience and history advocating for seniors.”