Robert P. Casey Jr.
Forever an advocate for the young; Sen. Bob Casey has made name for himself with children's issues
January 2, 2008
Source: Allentown Morning Call
By Josh Drobnyk
WASHINGTON - In mid-summer, Sen. Bob Casey stood at the lectern at a liberal advocacy group gathering here and spoke about a topic that dominated his voice on domestic issues in his first year in office.
''I've been guided … by an enduring belief that every child in America -- every child -- is born with a bright light burning inside them,'' Casey told the crowd gathered at the Center for American Progress. ''I feel a real abiding obligation to do everything I can as a public official to keep that bright light burning.''
For Casey, it's been all about the children. From children's health insurance to early childhood education to toy safety, the Pennsylvania Democrat has positioned himself during his freshman year as an advocate for youth.
In many ways, it's a natural fit for Casey, a former schoolteacher whose tenure as a state official focused in large measure on children and whose father started the state's health insurance program for children in the 1990s. ''It springs from who I am and where I came from,'' Casey said in a recent interview.
And it comes with a political upside: Who doesn't like children?
''It is certainly an issue that personally and politically fits him,'' said Michael Young, a Harrisburg pollster. ''It is one that resonates within his constituency.''
The renewal of the popular children's health insurance program, which subsidizes coverage for youth from low-income families, became an unexpected high-profile battle on Capitol Hill last year, with Democrats proposing a massive expansion and President Bush pushing for a much smaller boost in funding. No issue consumed as much of Casey's time as he aimed to rally public support for an expansion.
In May, Casey introduced legislation authorizing $35 billion over five years to expand states' pre-kindergarten education programs, a measure similar to what Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., is proposing on the presidential campaign trail.
Casey argues both issues are about fairness and economic development. ''These children, if they get the kind of health care and early learning we all support, will do better in school,'' Casey said in a speech on the Senate floor in September. ''They will achieve more. They will learn more. And if they learn more, they can earn more.''
In recent weeks, Casey has spoken out about toy safety, asking the head of the Consumer Product Safety Commission to detail its outreach and toy inspection efforts in the wake of a wave of toy recalls.
Critics say he is spending too much time on an easy political issue.
''It is admirable to care about children, but everybody cares about children,'' said Pennsylvania GOP Chairman Robert Gleason Jr. ''We need guys down in Washington looking out for the economic opportunities that are available for the people in Pennsylvania so that they can have jobs and take care of their children. We don't need government handouts.''
Not all of Casey's time has been focused on children's issues. He argues that he has done his part for economic development in Pennsylvania as well. He points to several successful amendments to a massive farm bill the Senate approved -- including measures intended to make crop insurance more affordable and boost milk prices paid to farmers -- and to more than $16 million in projects he is credited with securing in spending bills, tops among Senate freshmen.
Regardless, Casey's work on children's issues has yet to bear much fruit. Democrats were unsuccessful in convincing enough Republicans to support a $35 billion expansion of the children's health insurance program that would cover an additional 3.4 million youth. Bush, who twice vetoed the measure, argued it would push the country toward socialized medicine.
Congress renewed the program through March 2009 at current spending levels, punting further debate about an expansion until after Bush leaves office.
Casey secured $425,000 in a year-end spending bill for a pre-kindergarten program in Harrisburg. But the national pre-kindergarten bill he introduced last spring is sitting in committee with only four co-sponsors.
His letter about toy safety, meanwhile, appeared to fall on deaf ears. When he didn't get a response, he sent an angry follow-up letter.
''I once again ask you what assurances you are giving to parents that the toys they are going to give to their children will be safe and what protections you have in place to respond to any toy safety incidents,'' Casey wrote to Nancy Nord, Consumer Product Safety Commission acting director, last month.
Casey said his focus, though, is on the big picture.
''I think over the long term what you have to develop here is a sense of respect and seriousness of purpose,'' he said. ''I think people know that I came here to spend a lot of serious time on big issues.''
Casey's found a purpose. Accomplishing it will take more time.
