Robert Casey, Democrat, Candidate for U.S. Senate

There’s no question families are seeing higher prices at the grocery store. That’s why I’m holding big corporations accountable for increasing the price of food and household items while raking in profits. I’m fighting for bills that would crack down on corporate price gouging and go after companies that deceptively shrink their products at the grocery store. I’m also fighting to make sure that all of our nation’s seniors have the right to age with dignity and financial security by strengthening the earned benefits of Social Security and Medicare. I worked to give Pennsylvanians immediate relief with an expanded Child Tax Credit, which I'm fighting to make permanent, and by capping the cost of insulin at $35 per month for seniors. I’ve supported legislation that will reduce the deficit by $1.8 trillion dollars by making the wealthiest and big corporations pay their fair share. While my opponent supports tax cuts for billionaires, I’ll prioritize a tax cut for the middle class.

I believe all Pennsylvanians should have access to safe, secure, and affordable housing. I have secured $12 million to build and protect affordable housing in Pennsylvania. In the Senate, I introduced the Visitable Inclusive Tax Credits for Accessible Living (VITAL) Act to address the housing affordability and accessibility crisis for people with disabilities by increasing investment in the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program and ensuring that developers are building more accessible housing units for people with disabilities. I’ve convened a hearing to call attention to the need for more affordable and accessible housing, and I’ve ensured Pennsylvanians have resources on how to modify their homes to improve safety and accessibility.

No one should ever have to go without quality health care because they can’t afford it. That’s why I am fighting to ensure that every Pennsylvanian has access to safe, reliable, and affordable health care. I took on the insurance and pharmaceutical companies to cap insulin costs at $35 a month for seniors and cap all out-of-pocket costs for those on Medicare Part D by passing the historic Inflation Reduction Act. I’m fighting to expand CHIP and enroll every child in Medicaid at birth. I am also a champion for caregivers and those who need long term care, including seniors and people with disabilities. I’m also working to pass the bipartisan Rural Hospital Support Act to provide hospitals with the financial stability they need to continue treating patients. As the Affordable Care Act faces threats once again, I will continue to stand strong to protect and expand health care for people across the Commonwealth and protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.

We must secure our border and ensure border patrol agents have the resources they need to do their jobs. That’s why I strongly supported the toughest border bill in modern history. It’s also why I’ve voted over 25 times to secure our southern border, voting for more border patrol agents, fencing, and screening technology for fentanyl. I will continue to work across the aisle to ensure that this is a priority in the Senate. I’m also working with law enforcement to address cross-border fentanyl tracking and I’m pushing for technology to detect fentanyl in vehicles at points of entry. I will continue to support reforms that treat people with dignity, secure our border, and protect the safety of our communities.

I believe that our daughters shouldn’t have fewer rights than their mothers or grandmothers, and it was a mistake to overturn Roe v. Wade and 49 years of legal precedent. I oppose Republican efforts to ban abortion which is why I voted for the Women’s Health Protection Act in 2022, which would restore abortion rights as they existed under Roe. I also voted to protect IVF and have consistently supported efforts to expand women’s access to family planning care and contraception.

I’ve worked with law enforcement on common-sense measures to prevent gun violence while respecting the Second Amendment rights of responsible gun owners to have a gun for self-protection or hunting. I also worked across the aisle to crack down on illegal gun trafficking, which has stopped hundreds of illegal gun sales and have co-sponsored legislation to ban military-style assault weapons and to extend background checks to all gun sales. Gun violence is the number one cause of death for children and teenagers in the United States, and we must take action to confront this uniquely American problem and keep our children safe.

Pennsylvania has a strong legacy of environmental conservation and a critical energy industry that has powered the country for generations. I understand Pennsylvania’s unique energy needs and have fought for what’s best for the Commonwealth. That’s why I have the support of both the United Mine Workers of America and the League of Conservation voters. I passed the Casey Credit which is making it easier to create the next generation of energy jobs in Pennsylvania. I also secured funding for two hydrogen hubs which will create thousands of good-paying union jobs. I also support liquid natural gas extraction through fracking and job training programs that will boost Pennsylvania's economy, and I voted against a fracking ban in Congress. While creating thousands of good-paying Pennsylvania jobs of the future and taking care of Pennsylvania workers, I have also worked to protect our environment. I’ve brought home federal funding to reduce carbon emissions and build new infrastructure to support electric vehicles. I also secured tens of millions of dollars in federal funding to clean up contaminated brownfield sites and remove dangerous PFAS chemicals from drinking water.

I have been a champion for Israel’s defense and security in the United States Senate before and during the Israel-Hamas War. Since the deadly terror attack on October 7 2023, I have worked with my Senate colleagues to call for freezing Iranian assets, co-sponsoring resolutions standing with Israel against terrorism and condemning Hamas’ attack, and urging Congress to pass additional federal funding for Israel. I will continue to fight to provide aid to our ally Israel to defeat a terrorist organization Hamas, and to support humanitarian aid in Gaza.

I believe no one should be discriminated against due to their gender and sexuality, and I have a long record in the U.S. Senate defending LGBTQ+ rights in our country. In 2022, I co-sponsored the historic Respect for Marriage Act, which repealed the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act and now ensures that same-sex marriages are treated equally under the law. I also backed repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, allowing LGBTQ+ Americans to proudly serve in the military. I am an original co-sponsor of the Equality Act, which would prohibit discrimination on the basis of several factors, including sexual orientation. I am an original co-sponsor of the LGBTQ+ Panic Defense Prohibition Act, which would ban so-called “panic” defenses based on gender identity or expression, and sexual orientation in federal court.

“All public service is a trust, given in faith and accepted in honor.” Those are the words inscribed on the Finance Building in Harrisburg where I started my work in public service, and the words that still guide me today. I bring the Pennsylvania values of hard work and perseverance to my service in the U.S. Senate, where I’m fighting to protect our rights, including voting rights, women’s rights, and workers’ rights. I work every day to lower costs for working families, and combat the fentanyl epidemic that is devastating Pennsylvania communities. Throughout my time in the Senate, I have been dedicated to fighting for the most vulnerable among us, including our seniors, children, veterans, and people with disabilities.