By Nina McCambridge and Holly Wang
On Sunday, Oct. 29, Pa. Senator Bob Casey Jr., along with Calif. Representative Adam Schiff, former police officer Harry Dunn, and End Citizens United president Tiffany Muller, held a campaign event on public safety and democracy.
The event was held in a community center in Wilkinsburg, Pa. Both Dunn and Rep. Schiff spoke about their experiences during the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. They each highlighted the importance of “defending freedom and democracy.”
Casey, who is seeking re-election, attacked Republican Senate candidate David McCormick on his ties with the Jan. 6 Capitol rioters. Later, during the question and answer period, Casey further accused McCormick of “hiring fake electors to run [his] political action committee” and accepting campaign contributions from Jan. 6 Capitol rioters.
He further added that “[McCormick] should not be empowering the very people that attacked the Capitol.” Casey said that “there’s no common ground between me and David McCormick, none!”
Casey suggested that more funding should be granted to the Office of Civil Rights and the Department of Education to investigate whether college campuses are a “hostile environment,” and if they are, he said that there needs to be “a sanction levied.”
Casey then highlighted the importance of having a “workable definition” when conducting investigations. While saying that he supported First Amendment rights, Casey made it clear that protests should not disrupt campus life.
“No protester has a right to disrupt a campus so that other students can’t get to class,” he said, adding that “no student has a right to engage in racist conduct.”
Casey stressed his desire for not only strong anti-discrimination laws but also for the resources to enforce them.
“We have laws in place that protect people from discrimination,” he said. “The question often is: ‘Will there be enforcement of those laws? Will there be the resources to provide that enforcement?’ That’s part of the record I’ve developed as a United States senator — to ensure we not only speak out against discrimination in all its forms but have the resources to investigate and root out instances of discrimination, whether it’s on a college campus, in a workplace, or anywhere else.”
Casey strongly stated his support for fracking, a key issue for Pennsylvania, in response to questions about his alignment with Vice President Kamala Harris on the campaign trail. Casey emphasized his consistent backing of natural gas extraction, stating, “The people of our state know my record on fracking.” He pointed out that he has opposed efforts in Congress to ban fracking and would continue to lead opposition against any future attempts.
Casey also discussed the role of tariffs in the U.S. economy. He was supportive of “targeted tariffs … that were put in place in the last administration and have remained in place today to focus on steel and aluminum,” which he described as having a positive economic impact, especially for Pennsylvanians. However, he said that Trump is now focusing on “categorical tariffs, broad based,” which he said would have a negative economic impact.
Both Schiff and Casey emphasized the pivotal role young people play in shaping the future of the country, both through public service and voting. Schiff encouraged students to pursue careers in public service, despite the challenges of the current political climate.
“We need good, idealistic young people to pursue careers in public service,” Schiff said, urging young people to “be tenacious about it, don’t take no for an answer … You have the demographic power to run this country.”
Schiff called the coming election “the most important election of my lifetime.” Casey echoed this sentiment, crediting young voters for pushing through significant legislation, such as the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.