US Senate candidates in Pennsylvania are touting their record on issues essential to war veterans, trying to win votes from nearly everyone 800,000 veterans call the Keystone State home.
With just over 100 days until the 2024 election, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and Republican candidate Dave McCormick, a former hedge fund CEO and military veteran, both addressed American Legion events in the state over the past week. Pennsylvania has the fourth-largest veteran population in the country.
Casey praised his work by sharing PACT Actwhich provides health care to veterans who were exposed to toxic burn pits. President Joe Biden signed it into law in 2022.
In a speech Friday at the American Legion Post 21-William P. Roche in Philadelphia, Casey slammed the actions of some Republicans who oppose the PACT Act, adding that he is “furious” at those who “kick the hell out of government every day” and do not support veterans’ welfare.
“You can’t wave a flag as a politician and pat everybody on the back and say you support veterans if you don’t support the damn funding,” Casey said. “So I’m sick of these people and you know what? This election, we’re going to hold them accountable for their positions on a range of issues, including veterans.”
McCormick, a U.S. Army veteran, spoke Saturday at the 105th Pennsylvania American Legion Convention in Harrisburg and said leadership is needed now to support the military.
“What’s happened over the last three and a half years is that our military has lost its direction,” McCormick said. “It’s lost its warfighting purpose, so we need leadership that renews the warfighting spirit and focuses on the types of capabilities we need to deter our adversaries.”
McCormick also said recent leadership is needed in Washington to ensure recruiting goals are met, that the GI Bill needs to evolve and address the veterans’ mental health crisis.
Casey also praised ABLE Age Adjustment Actwhich raised the age of eligibility for special tax-advantaged savings accounts for disabled people. This is an example of legislation he supports that affects veterans. Casey also spoke about how the opioid crisis has affected veterans, mentioning his proposed legislation which would lower the costs of treating opioid apply disorder. He also criticized Republicans who opposed bipartisan border legislation that he said would lend a hand prevent fentanyl from entering the United States through the southern border.
He also highlighted legislation that increases the degree of recognition for Purple Heart recipients, who are service members who were wounded or killed in the line of duty.
“We’re going to continue to fight those fights and make sure that we not only speak the right words, but we vote the right words,” Casey said.
During his speech, McCormick spoke about the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at a July 13 rally in Butler. McCormick spoke at the rally shortly before Trump took the stage.
Speaking to a room full of veterans after hearing the first shot, he said “all of you recognized those shots,” adding that “many of you know what it means when bullets fly,” and called the day tragic but said Trump’s response of pumping his fist in the air was a sign of confidence and strength.
Much of McCormick’s speech touched on themes he echoes in his campaign speech, in which he argues that America is in “deep trouble” and that leadership is needed to lend a hand move the country in the right direction.
“He was a follower, not a leader,” McCormick said of Casey. “He voted with Joe Biden 98 percent of the time.”
“If you look at open borders, or you look at sky-high inflation, if you look at crime, Bob Casey was at the scene of the crime,” McCormick added. “He voted for all of those issues.”
McCormick said he supports policies that will improve the economy, secure the border and solve the fentanyl crisis.
He also detailed his military service in the U.S. 82nd Airborne Division and expressed his view that the United States must lead the international arena in resolving various conflicts.
McCormick, who ran for the U.S. Senate in 2022 but lost the Republican primary by fewer than 1,000 votes to Mehmet Oz, has cited the Biden administration’s 2021 troop withdrawal from Afghanistan as a reason he previously ran for office.
Veterans’ problems during the election campaign
During the election campaign, both candidates placed veterans’ issues at the center of their attention.
Casey the first TV commercial of the series was a 30-second ad featuring Chad Baer, a U.S. Army veteran, thanking Casey for his work on the PACT Act. One of the McCormick’s first TV commercials general election, he talked about attending West Point Military Academy and how it affected him.
In 2023 Casey’s campaign launches veterans coalition including the endorsement of various veteran leaders in the state and military veterans, U.S. Reps. Chris Deluzio (D-17th District) and Chrissy Houlahan (D-6th District).
McCormick’s campaign recently announced its endorsement Concerned Veterans for America Actionthe group that describes himself as “committed to electing political champions who will promote the well-being, prosperity, and self-sufficiency of veterans, their families, and communities.” All of his 2024 candidates are Republicans.
The data shows that 63% of military veterans nationwide identify with or lean toward the Republican Party, while 35% identify with or lean toward the Democratic Party. Pew Research Center.Veterans’ issues have also been in the spotlight top of the ticketwith both presidential campaigns having their representatives focused on his community.
