HARRISBURG (TNS) – Months after facing a painful election loss that ended his 18 years representing Pennsylvania in the U.S. Senate, former U.S. Sen. Bob Casey is back — and still on brand.

Casey, who narrowly lost reelection in November to Republican Sen. Dave McCormick, spoke at a ‘Federal Fight Back’ summit by progressive Pennsylvania Policy Center in Harrisburg on Wednesday to encourage local Democrats to reject proposed slowing of Medicaid spending that will disproportionately affect children, seniors and people with disabilities, the groups he focused much of his career on protecting.

The Scranton native remains mild-mannered, but was energized in his first public appearance since December to talk about the wide-ranging impact that Medicaid reductions would have on Pennsylvanians in rural, suburban and rural areas of the state.

In an interview following his 45-minute speech about Medicaid cuts and how Democrats can stop them, Casey said he believes the path forward for his party requires them to stay focused on one strong message: The middle class will get ‘screwed’ if Republicans in Congress pass major tax cuts. In reflection of his reelection loss, this is a message he said he wishes he hammered home while on the campaign trail months ago.

‘I was talking about greedflation and about costs to families, and maybe that’s why I got so close,’ he added. ‘Sometimes, when you’re governing and legislating, you’re not communicating. It’s on to the next priority in the Senate.’

Casey said he’s still figuring out what’s next for him, and is in talks with several organizations about his next chapter. He seemed to be closing the book on running for another elected office, something he did not rule out before: ‘I was blessed to have a long tenure in public service, and right now, it’s time for something different.’

He’ll still help Democrats whenever he is needed, he added.

He’s worn a suit only a few times per month since he left office in December, he said. He’s even had time to watch the 6 o’clock news. And best of all, he said, he’s gotten to take a bunch of trips to the Lackawanna County Recycling Center, emptying out storage containers filled with old campaign mailers. As is expected from Casey — who was known as a loyal friend to many in the Senate — he would not join criticism of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., for failing to block a spending bill earlier this month, nor of his former colleague Sen. John Fetterman for his support of several of President Donald Trump’s cabinet picks, among other criticisms.

Casey wouldn’t comment at all on challenges to Schumer, adding that the issue is old news. But on Fetterman, Casey said he believes the now-senior Democratic senator will ‘do the right thing when it comes to protecting the most vulnerable and protecting the middle class. John will be fighting the fight on our side on this,’ Casey added.

Much of Casey’s speech looked back at the unsuccessful GOP effort in 2017 to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and how new tax cuts would result in Medicaid coverage loss for the most vulnerable people in the country, and how the recent spending bill vote started the process so Republicans can cut it in the future.

‘Any House members who say, ‘Oh, I voted for that budget resolution, but it’s OK, I didn’t cut Medicaid.’ Well maybe not yet, technically, but they’ve begun a process which will lead to Medicaid cuts if they’re going to hold true to their tax cuts for rich guys in big companies,’ he added during his remarks.

‘Are we going to … just sit there and watch them in Washington rig the tax code again?’ Casey asked the crowd. ‘I don’t think so. I think you’re going to fight back. I think your families are going to fight back, and if we keep talking to our neighbors, I think some of our neighbors are going to fight back, because (Republicans) weren’t talking about cutting Medicaid in the campaign last year.’

Bob Casey