KERSEY – Pennsylvania Treasurer and US Senate hopeful Bob Casey
Jr. made a campaign stop at the Elk County Fair on Wednesday night
where he spent an hour meeting his supporters and listening to
their concerns.
Health care is a primary concern for Casey.
“It’s an economic issue for businesses. They can’t afford the
cost of health care,” he explained. “Since President George Bush
took office and Sen. Rick Santorum assumed a leadership position in
the Senate, 714,000 Pennsylvanians have lost their health
insurance. Santorum doesn’t have an answer for it.”
Casey supports legislation introduced by Sens. Richard Durbin of
Illinois and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas to create a Small
Employers Health Benefits Program.
The plan is based on the successful Federal Employees Health
Benefits Program, which has provided wide benefit choices at
affordable prices to federal employees for decades.
Casey said he will help make sure that all the homeland security
recommendations of the independent and bipartisan 9/11 Commission
are effectively implemented. In its recent report detailing lack of
progress on the homeland security front, the Commission awarded the
Bush administration and Congress with five Fs and 12 Ds.
“I think they have failed miserably,” Casey said.
Casey slammed Santorum on his rubberstamping of the Bush
administration and oil company subsidies.
“I have made it very clear I am voting against the Santorum
subsidies. That’s a big difference between us. You should also know
Mr. Santorum is number two in all of the Senate and Congress of oil
contributions.”
Santorum passed an energy bill this summer that contained $2.6
billion in subsidies for the oil and gas industry. This was at the
same time that Americans were paying record gas prices.
When asked about a national ID card and Santorum’s support of
it, Casey said, “He’s for a lot of things that are extreme. I don’t
think that’s the answer. I really don’t.”
He felt that securing the border was important and making
employers responsible for hiring legal workers only is the first
step towards homeland security.
“I think the most important thing you have to do is crack down
on employers who are violating the law right now. Rick Santorum
voted against a measure to toughen enforcement of existing laws
targeting employers who hire illegal immigrants. I would have
supported that amendment. Further, President Bush and Senator
Santorum have had five years to secure the border and they’ve
failed. The number of illegal entrants from Mexico has increased 87
percent during the Bush Administration.”
