Bob Casey Jr.

Robert Patrick Casey, Jr.
United States Senator from Pennsylvania
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2007 Serving with Arlen Specter
Preceded by	Rick Santorum
Personal details
Political party	Democrat
Spouse	Terese Casey
Alma mater	College of the Holy Cross The Catholic University of America
Committees	Foreign Relations, Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, Joint Economic Committee, Special Committee on Aging
Website	Senator Robert P. Casey Jr.

Robert Patrick Casey, Jr. (born April 13, 1960), better known as Bob Casey, Jr. or simply Bob Casey is the junior United States Senator from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and a member of the Democratic Party. Before his election to the Senate in 2006, he served as Pennsylvania’s Treasurer and Auditor General.

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Biography

Casey, one of eight children, was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, of Irish American descent on his father's side. He is the son of Ellen Harding Casey and Bob Casey, the 42nd governor of Pennsylvania.

Casey played basketball and graduated from Scranton Preparatory School in 1978. Following in his father's footsteps, he graduated from the College of the Holy Cross in 1982, and received a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from the Columbus School of Law at The Catholic University of America in 1988. Between college and law school, Casey served as a member of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, and spent a year teaching 5th grade and coaching basketball at the Gesu School in inner city Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He and his wife Terese were married in 1985, and they have four daughters: Elyse, Caroline, Julia, and Marena.

Casey practiced law in Scranton from 1991 until he ran for and was elected Pennsylvania State Auditor General in 1996. He served in this capacity for two terms, from 1997 to 2005. In 2002 he attempted to follow in his father's footsteps by running for Governor. Casey faced former Philadelphia mayor Ed Rendell in the Democratic primary election. Casey performed well in the rural areas of the state, and won a majority of Pennsylvania's counties. However, he lost to Rendell by 12 points, after Rendell was victorious in the state's major population centers. Rendell went on to win the general election.

2006 U.S. Senate race

Main article: Pennsylvania United States Senate election, 2006

In 2005, Casey received calls from U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), the chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, as well as U.S. Senator Harry Reid (D-NV), the Senate Minority Leader. Both men asked him to run for U.S. Senate in 2006. On March 5, 2005, Casey announced he would seek the Democratic nomination for the Senate race. Casey's run for the Senate was his fifth statewide campaign in nine years.

After he announced that he would run, Casey was almost immediately endorsed by Governor Edward G. Rendell, his primary election opponent from 2002. He was endorsed by two Democrats who had been mentioned as possible U.S. Senate nominees: former Congressman Joe Hoeffel who ran against Pennsylvania's other Senator, Arlen Specter, in 2004, and former State Treasurer Barbara Hafer, whom many in the pro-choice movement attempted to convince to run against Casey in the Democratic primary.

In the Democratic primary, Casey faced two Democrats with more liberal viewpoints: college professor Chuck Pennacchio and pension lawyer Alan Sandals. Both argued that Casey's views on abortion and other social issues were too conservative for most Pennsylvania Democrats. However, Casey easily defeated both challengers in the May 16th primary, receiving 85% of the vote.

On election night, Casey won the race with 59% of the vote, compared to 41% for incumbent Senator Rick Santorum. Casey's margin of victory was the highest ever for a Democrat running for the United States Senate in Pennsylvania. Casey's 17.4-point victory margin was the largest victory margin for a challenger to an incumbent Senator since James Abdnor unseated George McGovern by 18.8 points in 1980.

Casey is the first Pennsylvania Democrat elected to a full term in the Senate since Joseph S. Clark was reelected in 1962.

Committee Assignments

• United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
  • Subcommittee on European Affairs
  • Subcommittee on International Development and Foreign Assistance, Economic Affairs and International Environmental Protection
  • Subcommittee on International Operations and Organizations, Democracy and Human Rights
• United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
  • Subcommittee on Domestic and Foreign Marketing, Inspection, and Plant and Animal Health
  • Subcommittee on Energy, Science and Technology
  • Subcommittee on Nutrition and Food Assistance, Sustainable and Organic Agriculture, and General Legislation
• United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
  • Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation and Community Development
  • Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance and Investment
  • Subcommittee on Security and International Trade and Finance
• Special Committee on Aging
• United States Congress Joint Economic Committee

Political views

Immigration

Casey supported the Secure Borders, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Reform Act of 2007 (S. 1348), a bill voted down in the 110th United States Congress, which could have provided a path to legal citizenship for illegal aliens currently residing in the United States. He has also supported the Clinton amendment, the Menedez amendment, and the Alaska amendments.

Abortion

Casey, like his late father, is strongly pro-life. He has publicly stated his support for overturning Roe v. Wade. Casey's election gives Pennsylvania the distinction of being represented in the Senate by a pro-life Democrat and a pro-choice Republican (Arlen Specter); each holds the position opposite to what is common for their respective national parties.

He supports the Pregnant Women Support Act, legislation that grew out of Democrats for Life of America's 95-10 Initiative. The Initiative and the Pregnant Women Support Act seek to reduce the abortion rate by providing support to women in unplanned pregnancies. He supported the confirmation of both John Roberts and Samuel Alito for seats on the Supreme Court of the United States; these judges are believed to be in favor of overturning Roe v. Wade. Casey also opposes the funding of embryonic stem-cell research.

However, Casey voted against barring HHS grants to organizations that perform abortions.

Marriage issues

In a candidates’ questionnaire sponsored by PACatholic.org, Casey stated that he feels that "... employers should be permitted to extend domestic partnership benefits to same-sex couples in committed, long-term relationships". However, Casey opposes making such benefits mandatory.

Casey has, on several occasions, supported same sex partners adopting children, and specifically expressed his opposition to legislation that would prohibit adoption by same-sex couples.

Birth control

Casey is more supportive of birth control than his father was as governor. In the Archdiocese survey, Casey expressed support for "requiring employers or health insurance plans to cover contraceptives in their prescription drug plans". He also stated his support for "a provision in the state’s budget to fund contraceptive services." Casey's views on this extend to the federal funding of contraception, which he also supports. However, Casey also opposes laws that would "force pharmacists to fill a prescription contrary to their moral beliefs."

Economics and education

On economic and education-based issues, Casey falls more closely in line with mainstream Democratic policies.

Casey's website reports he has also criticized what he views as "draconian cuts to Medicare and Medicaid," and has stated that Medicare Part D is "fundamentally flawed" and in need of a "complete overhaul." Furthermore, it states Casey's support for the Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act, which would expand the Family and Medical Leave Act, authored in the early 1990s by Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd, to companies with at least 25 employees.

Casey is an opponent of privatizing Social Security, and is a critic of many recent tax cuts, which he claims have "not caused the 'trickle-down' economic growth" that was promised from them. Casey had also criticized Senator Santorum for voting against increasing the minimum wage.

According to the candidates' questionnaire, Casey opposes school vouchers.

Environmental issues

Casey opposes drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Instead, he supports increased federal investment in hybrid and alternative fuel technology to help wean the United States off of foreign oil. In a debate, Casey criticized his Republican opponent Rick Santorum for not recognizing the danger of global warming. He also supports increased funding for Brownfield cleanup, as well as a reinstatement of the polluter-pays principle for the Superfund program.

2008 Presidential Election

On March 28, 2008, Senator Casey announced his endorsement of Sen. Barack Obama in the Democratic Party presidential primary.

Electoral History

• 1996 Race for Pennsylvania Auditor General
  • Bob Casey, Jr. (D), 56%
  • Bob Nyce (R), 40%
  • Sharon Shepps (Libertarian), 3%

• 2000 Race for Pennsylvania Auditor General
  • Bob Casey, Jr. (D) (inc.), 56.8%
  • Katie True (R), 39.9%
  • Anne Goeke (Green), 1.3%
  • Jessica Morris (Libertarian), 0.9%
  • John Rhine (Constitution), 0.5%
  • James Blair (Reform), 0.5%

• 2002 Race for Pennsylvania Governor (Democratic primary)
  • Ed Rendell (D), 56.5%
  • Bob Casey, Jr. (D), 43.5%

• 2004 Race for Pennsylvania Treasurer
  • Bob Casey, Jr. (D), 61.3%
  • Jean Craige Pepper (R), 36.5%
  • Darryl W. Perry (Libertarian), 1.1%
  • Paul Teese (Green), 0.7%
  • Max Lampenfeld (Constitution), 0.4%

Pennsylvania U.S. Senate Election 2006

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Bob Casey, Jr.	2,392,984	58.7%	+15.2
	Republican	Rick Santorum (Incumbent)	1,684,778	41.3%	−17.4

External links

• U.S. Senator Robert P. Casey, U.S. Senate site

• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
• Profile at Vote Smart
• About.com — Bob Casey, Jr. profile
• Bob Casey for U.S. Senate, Campaign site

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