Robert Casey

August 5, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, DC- After learning from General David Petraeus that he has formed an “Electrical Safety Joint Planning Team” to oversee the theater-wide assessment of all facilities following a series of electrocutions in Iraq, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) today released the following statement:

“Last week's House hearing put on display that the Department of Defense was too slow and hesitant to respond to an emerging threat in Iraq: electrocutions of U.S. military personnel.    » read more »

August 1, 2008 -- Washington, DC – Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D-DE) and Senators Chuck Hagel (R-NE), Bob Casey (D-PA), George Voinovich (R-OH) and Jim Webb (D-VA) today introduced legislation which prohibits the Bush Administration from entering into a binding security agreement without the approval of Congress.    » read more »

June 13, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, DC-Following the death of Tim Russert, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) released the following statement:

“America lost a giant in the world of quality journalism and Buffalo lost her favorite son. He was a tough but fair cross-examiner of candidates and public officials and few journalists understood American politics and history better than Tim.

“He earned the respect of Presidents here at home and world leaders as well as members of Congress. He was a faithful son, a devoted husband and father who never forgot where he came from. I speak for the Casey family in extending our condolences to Maureen, their son Luke and the entire Russert family."

Source: Senator Bob Casey

June 12, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, DC- Speaking on the Senate floor today U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) urged President Bush to work with Congress on any future long-term security agreements with Iraq.

“Unfortunately, the Administration is handling these negotiations in the same manner that has characterized its entire approach to Iraq since 2003: with unnecessary secrecy, a disdain for Congressional input and an arrogant insistence that its course of action is the only reasonable option,” said Casey.    » read more »

May 7, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Johnny Isakson (R-GA) today introduced a bipartisan bill to help prevent injured veterans from losing their homes while awaiting adjudication on their disability claims.

The Disabled Veterans Homeownership Preservation Act would help disabled veterans who are caught up in the extensive backlog of claims pending in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Wounded Iraq veterans: Photo by soldiersmediacenter (CC)    » read more »

May 5, 2008 -- PHILADELPHIA, PA - U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) today proposed landmark legislation to reverse chronic underfunding of child care and increase the availability of high-quality child care to children in low-income and working class families. This gross underfunding over the last seven years has left only one in seven eligible children receiving federal assistance and the national average wage for child care workers is barely above the poverty line.    » read more »

April 17, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey expressing concern over a statement he made, which appears to be inaccurate, regarding Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) safeguards.

Code Pink protesters: Photo by Talk Radio News Service (CC)

In the letter, Senators Casey and Whitehouse asked Attorney General Mukasey to correct remarks he made on March 27, 2008 in San Francisco, CA that implied that FISA safeguards may have stopped the U.S. government from preventing the 9/11 terrorist attacks.    » read more »

April 16, 2008 -- WASHINGTON – A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators—including Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Gordon Smith (R-Ore.), John Kerry (D-Mass.), Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), Ken Salazar (D-Colo.), and Evan Bayh (D-Ind.)—today unveiled their plan to provide the men and women of our National Guard and Reserves with benefits that better reflect their increased service to our country.

A National Guardsman returns after extended deployment: Photo by Poppyseed Bandits (CC)    » read more »

April 16, 2008 -- Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Robert Casey (D-PA), and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today wrote to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Committee asking that they include $100 million in the supplemental appropriations bill for emergency funding for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). The program provides assistance to local food banks, which are currently experiencing severe food aid shortages and seeing higher demand from families strained under our ailing economy.    » read more »

April 10, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, DC- U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) today requested the Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigate all accidental electrocution-related deaths or injuries of military and contract personnel in Iraq as well as any other military installation where such an incident has occurred.

Senator Casey made the request in response to the death of Staff Sergeant Ryan Maseth, from Shaler, Pennsylvania, who was electrocuted while taking a shower in his living quarters in Baghdad.

“This is a troubling and serious problem that must be investigated and resolved to eliminate this avoidable danger,” Casey said.    » read more »

April 7, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, DC-Today, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) introduced an amendment to the Truth in Lending Act to combat mortgage fraud and prevent “house flipping schemes.” The amendment, introduced with the support of Senator Mel Martinez (R-FL), would require a second independent appraisal for high-risk, high interest mortgages.

“A disturbing byproduct of the increased rates of foreclosures is unscrupulous individuals trying to profit from other people’s losses,” said Senator Casey. “Stopping these flipping schemes will help give confidence to those buying homes that appraisals on their new homes are accurate and won’t come back to haunt them later.”    » read more »

April 2, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, DC –U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Bob Corker (R-TN), members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, introduced a bipartisan resolution to urge other nations, especially Iraq’s neighbors, to carry through on earlier pledges to fund Iraq’s reconstruction activities. The United States has already spent approximately $29 billion on reconstruction activities and has authorized another $16.5 billion more for reconstruction assistance.    » read more »

March 19, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) launched an online petition to give Pennsylvanians an outlet to express their opposition to the National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor (NIETC). Senator Casey launched the petition in reaction to the Department of Energy’s (DOE) decision to deny a rehearing of its decision to designate three-quarters of Pennsylvania’s counties as part of the NIETC.    » read more »

March 18, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, DC - Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) released the following statement today ahead of the fifth anniversary of the start of the war in Iraq:

“Five years ago this week, President Bush misled our nation and took us into a war with Iraq that was poorly executed and grossly mishandled. Today, we mark the sacrifices of the 183 Pennsylvanian and almost 4,000 American heroes who have given their lives in the ultimate sacrifice and to the more than 29,000 wounded American soldiers, some of them with crippling and lifelong injuries.    » read more »

Senators Say Medically-Discharged Troops Should Not Be Penalized

March 14, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Senate approved a bipartisan amendment introduced by U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA), Jeff Sessions (R-AL) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) to the 2009 Budget that would create a reserve fund to guarantee that veterans who are wounded in combat are able to receive full payment of bonuses and incentives.    » read more »