As part of a statewide effort to educate about candidates and their positions on issues important to Catholic voters, the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference (PCC) sent a questionnaire to Pennsylvania’s candidates for U.S. Senator to give them the opportunity to make their positions known on key issues. The answers they provided are listed here for educational purposes only; the PCC does not endorse candidates for political office.
For a printer friendly version of this voters guide, visit:
http://www.pacatholic.org/faith-politics/know-the-positions-of-pennsylvania%e2%80%99s-u-s-senate-candidates/
REPUBLICANS: David Alan Christian, Tom Smith, Marc Scaringi, Sam Rohrer, Steven Welch
DEMOCRATS: Joseph Vodvarka, Bob Casey, Jr.
Do you support or oppose legislation to continue and expand current federal laws that provide educational benefits to students and teachers in private and religious schools on an equitable basis in comparison to the benefits received by public school students and teachers?
CHRISTIAN (R) Support
SCARINGI (R) Support
WELCH (R) Support*
*I fully support legislation that would expand choice within our school system.
SMITH (R) Did Not Respond
ROHRER (R) Support
VODVARKA (D) Did Not Respond
CASEY (D) Oppose*
* I attended and taught at Catholic schools. We can’t divert funding from public schools.
What is your position on providing a federal tax credit to businesses that donate to scholarship organizations that provide scholarships for low-income students at private and religious schools in grades kindergarten through 12?
CHRISTIAN (R) Support*
*I support merit scholarships.
SCARINGI (R) Support
WELCH (R) Did Not Indicate*
*I think such decisions should be made at the state level not at the federal level.
SMITH (R) Did Not Respond
ROHRER (R) Support*
*I would support this approach as it is quite similar to our EITC in PA.
VODVARKA (D) Did Not Respond
CASEY (D) Oppose
Do you support or oppose legislation that would permit undocumented immigrants who have lived in the United States for a number of years, have worked and built equities in our country, and who do not have criminal records to register with the government and take steps to earn legal status?
CHRISTIAN (R) Support*
*There should be a reasonable probation while working toward government registration. I support a path to residency status, but not citizenship for current undocumented immigrants.
SCARINGI (R) Oppose
WELCH (R) Oppose*
*I fully support legal immigration and believe it is something that has made this country what it is. We are also a country of laws that must be followed. I would not reward those who have broken these laws.
SMITH (R) Did Not Respond
ROHRER (R) Support*
*I oppose amnesty, but do support productive individuals who are holding down a job and willing to engage the lawful immigration system.
VODVARKA (D) Did Not Respond
CASEY (D) Support*
*I have supported comprehensive immigration reform with increased enforcement.
Do you support or oppose current levels of poverty-focused development assistance to reduce global poverty and increase the percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) contributed in foreign aid?
CHRISTIAN (R) Oppose*
*Foreign aid, including poverty assistance, should have performance requirements attached.
SCARINGI (R) Oppose
WELCH (R) Did Not Indicate*
*I support poverty-focused assistance. In these tough economic times we need to be evaluating the level of funding that all federal programs are receiving.
SMITH (R) Did Not Respond
ROHRER (R) Oppose*
*The distinction here is “federal government” financial aid. Aid and compassionate assistance for the poor & needy is a duty of all. Government should encourage assistance, but not forcibly take dollars from the citizens to do so.
VODVARKA (D) Did Not Respond
CASEY (D) Support
Do you support or oppose current levels of aid for refugees who are fleeing from persecution abroad and to provide adequate funding for the U.S. refugee admissions and resettlement programs?
CHRISTIAN (R) Oppose
SCARINGI (R) Oppose
WELCH (R) Did Not Indicate*
*I support aid for refugees who are fleeing from persecution abroad. In these tough economic times we need to be evaluating the level of funding that all federal programs are receiving.
SMITH (R) Did Not Respond
ROHRER (R) Did Not Indicate*
*I am unable to answer this as I am not certain of the actual “current level.” I do believe we should continue to assist those who are persecuted by oppressive governments in a number of ways.
VODVARKA (D) Did Not Respond
CASEY (D) Support
Do you support or oppose legislation to prevent federal agencies and states that receive federal funds from discriminating against health care providers who do not perform or participate in abortions (Hyde-Weldon Amendment)?
CHRISTIAN (R) Support*
*I am pro-life.
SCARINGI (R) Support
WELCH (R) Support
SMITH (R) Did Not Respond
ROHRER (R) Support
VODVARKA (D) Did Not Respond
CASEY (D) Support
Do you support or oppose embryonic stem cell research?
CHRISTIAN (R) Oppose
SCARINGI (R) Oppose
WELCH (R) Support
SMITH (R) Did Not Respond
ROHRER (R) Oppose
VODVARKA (D) Did Not Respond
CASEY (D) Oppose
Do you support or oppose legislation that would guarantee comprehensive freedom of conscience for health care professionals, providers and institutions?
CHRISTIAN (R) Support
SCARINGI (R) Support
WELCH (R) Support
SMITH (R) Did Not Respond
ROHRER (R) Support
VODVARKA (D) Did Not Respond
CASEY (D) Support*
*I voted for the Blunt amendment to protect religiously-affiliated institutions.
Do you support or oppose efforts to pass legislation (i.e., the Federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act) that would make sexual orientation and gender identity or expression protected classes that are equivalent to other protected classes (e.g., race, religion, sex, etc.)?
CHRISTIAN (R) Oppose
SCARINGI (R) Oppose
WELCH (R) Oppose
SMITH (R) Did Not Respond
ROHRER (R) Oppose
VODVARKA (D) Did Not Respond
CASEY (D) Support
Do you support or oppose the overturning of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)?
CHRISTIAN (R) Oppose
SCARINGI (R) Oppose
WELCH (R) Oppose
SMITH (R) Did Not Respond
ROHRER (R) Oppose
VODVARKA (D) Did Not Respond
CASEY (D) Did Not Indicate*
*I have not cosponsored legislation to repeal DOMA.
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