WPSU is interviewing candidates running for Congress in our listening area. In this interview, you'll hear from Senator Bob Casey. He’s running for reelection to the U.S. Senate, facing Republican challenger Dave McCormick. We also heard from McCormick.
Anne Danahy
Senator Casey, thank you so much for talking with us.
Bob Casey
Sure.
You're running for your fourth term in the U.S. Senate. The race with your Republican opponent, Dave McCormick, is now being rated a toss up by some political analysts. What do you think is happening this election? Are you having a difficult time getting that message across to voters?
Bob Casey
Look, it's a it's a state that's always close. As you know, the last presidential race was a 1-point race. So we... I expected this race to be close the whole time. For some that's a surprise. It wasn't a surprise for me. And I think there's a factor in this race that probably is not something that's as big a factor in other Senate races around the country is this opponent I have is not only wealthy, but he's got a kind of an extra funding source, a big super PAC that has really spent not just a lot of money, but the most money in any individual candidate PAC in the country. So it's a close race, and we expected it to be close, and I'm not a bit surprised.
But look, I do think as people get down to the the voting decision, they're going to ask some basic questions, who's going to be on my side? They're going to ask, who's going to defend my rights, and who's delivered for Pennsylvania. And while I was delivering investments in high speed internet or infrastructure, investing in our public schools, investing in families through the Child Tax Credit, delivering the cap on insulin at $35 a month, and delivering so much for communities across the state, my opponent was running a big hedge fund, and he was delivering for China, delivering for China's military by investing in them, delivering for Vladimir Putin, when he invested in and helped the Russian government with their debt. He was delivering for foreign adversaries while I was delivering for the people of Pennsylvania. The last point I'd make is also on the basic question of rights, whether it's voting rights and democracy, women's rights, workers' rights in all three instances. I'm on one side; he's on the other. I voted for the Women's Health Protection Act to restore Roe. He will never vote for that bill. He's he's opposed to it. He's opposed to the John Lewis voting rights legislation, and he's opposed to the PRO Act to strengthen and protect unions. So couldn't be a more clear contrast.
Anne Danahy
It is very clear choice, and you both have different positions on many of the issues. But it sounds like you're saying that that's not why it's such a tight race. It's not about the issues.
Bob Casey
Well, look, we're a pretty we're pretty purple state, we're pretty closely divided. But I do think that that I think one of the big factors in this race is when you have a super PAC that's on its way to spending $50 million of negative ads against one candidate, I happen to be that candidate, you're going to have a close range.
Anne Danahy
Yeah, what do you see as the biggest issue facing Americans, and what would you want to do about it?
Bob Casey
I think the biggest, certainly domestic issues, are the cost of living or cost generally, when people go to the grocery store and they're they're buying food or buying household items, things that they need every week or every other week, food or paper towels or toilet paper or the staples, whether it's milk or eggs or bread. I mean, just kind of feeding their family and getting through their week, getting through their month, and they're paying more for that. They're paying more for childcare over the last number of years. And I think they want to know which side of the political divide is going to help them. And the good news for me is I've delivered in terms of helping families with the child tax credit, making sure that we're investing in families that are raising children. It helps them and the number one utilization of those dollars for families just was food the in in the midst of the the pandemic. And that's why we gotta reinstitute or bring back the generous version of the Child Tax Credit, make it permanent law. And that will be decided next year, one way or the other. And that's why it's a big issue in this race. But one of the drivers of higher prices and inflation is corporate greed and corporate profits. We know that...
Anne Danahy
Right, and you've mentioned. I'm sorry, you mentioned the inflation, and you've sponsored legislation to address the so called shrinkflation, companies shrinking the size of products, but charging the same price. But do you think it's fair for the federal government to start telling companies how they can handle packaging or pricing on different sizes?
Bob Casey
No, and that's not what the price gouging legislation would do. Basically what we would what we would have in place if, if the bill that I'm leading would would pass into law, we've got to try to pass it in 2025 — I hope it passes, whether I'm in the Senate or not — which is the Federal Trade Commission would be empowered in the same way that state attorneys general are right now. State attorneys general in state after state do price gouging investigations on a routine basis. I remember listening a couple months ago, back during the convention in August, to Andy Beshear, the governor of Kentucky. He was the attorney general of that state. He talks about price gouging investigations, where you go after these big companies. But sometimes, if you have the biggest companies in the world, these big food conglomerates or other or other companies can hire more than one huge law firm and just grind a state into the ground and defeat them. We need a federal agency with the power of the federal government, with the funding and the resources and the staff to support tough price gouging investigations, but the result of that is an investigation and then you have to go into a court of law and prove it. And so the company can can rebut that presumption of price gouging, could put on evidence to dispute it, and at the end of it, either the Federal Trade Commission will prove price gouging or it won't. And if a big company is not engaged in price gouging — and many of them are — they, if they're not doing that, they have nothing to worry about, but they should be held accountable, number one. And number two, we should roll back their big corporate tax breaks, because when corporate profits are up 75%, as they were between the middle of 20 and the middle of 2022. The Federal Reserve told us that that explosion of corporate profits like we'd never seen before, drove more than 40% of all the inflation in the United States of America. And I don't think we should just accept that and say, "Oh, well, corporations can do whatever the hell they want." No. If they're involved in price gouging, we should investigate them and hold them accountable.
Anne Danahy
One of your campaign ads bills you as an independent and highlights your agreement with former President Donald Trump, action on NAFTA and tariffs on China, and I wondered, if you're trying to distance yourself from the Democratic Party.
Bob Casey
Not at all. Look, I've run for the Senate a couple of times, and in every race I've been in, I make it clear to the people of our state that that I work independently on behalf of the people of our state. And I think it's important for people to hear where are there instances where you've worked with the other party, whether it's getting bipartisan legislation passed and into law, or whether it's working with a president of the other party to get something done. And the fact of the matter is, on a big, big issue that affects the whole country and affects the world — trade — I was in agreement with the last administration on their trade deal. Now Democrats made that a much better deal than it would have been if we're just left to that administration. But I give them credit as an administration for pushing a new approach to trade where we were going to finally say workers' rights have to be a core part of a trade agreement, in this case with Canada and Mexico. Those labor rights have to be forced in the agreement, not out of some side agreement, or some "hope will do it," kind of thing, but making it core to the foundation of a trade agreement. So it's just, it's pointing that out for for voters before they make a decision. But, but I've been a strong supporter, as you know, of Vice President Harris in this race.
Anne Danahy
One issue that's at the top of the mind for many voters is abortion. And in the past, you have supported federal action, a federal ban, on abortion after 20 weeks. Is that something that you would support again?
Bob Casey
Well, I think most people know that, not just with regard to what a Senator does in terms of voting, but most Americans had to confront a new reality on abortion after the Dobbs decision in 2022. Everything that happened prior to that kind of came to a screeching halt, and most Americans were asking themselves, are we going to be a country that bans abortion or not? That's the choice going forward. And I had to make a decision as a United States Senator. Am I going to vote in favor of policies that that ban abortion, or am I going to vote to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade? And I voted to advance in the Senate the Women's Health Protection Act, which will have the effect of restoring Roe. Now that priority is it has to be what we emphasize in terms of what we do next. We're either going to restore Roe v. Wade or we're not. After those rights are restored, sure, there'll be debates about, a continuing debate about limitations, but you can't do anything if you have a ban on abortion. Right now we're operating as a country with a series of bans, state after state after state. They've already banned abortion. And Republicans in the Congress want to pass a national abortion ban. The big difference between me and my opponent is, not only does he not want to restore Roe and will not vote for the Women's Health Protection Act if he were representing Pennsylvania, but when Roe was overturned, his reaction was that it made him, quote, very, very happy, unquote. So I think that's a pretty clear choice for the people of our state.
Anne Danahy
Senator Casey, thank you so much for taking the time to talk with us.
Bob Casey
Hey, thanks so much, Anne. Appreciate your time.
WPSU also interviewed Bob Casey's Republican challenger, Dave McCormick.
