Posted May 2, 2018

The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference (PCC) neither supports nor opposes any candidate for public office. In an effort to educate voters, the PCC gave the statewide candidates the opportunity to make their positions known on key specific issues important to Catholics.

On Tuesday, May 15, 2018, the members of Pennsylvania’s two major political parties will choose their candidates to vie for U.S. Senate in the fall.

Here are the responses from Robert P. Casey, Jr. (D) and Louis J. Barletta (R). James J. Christiana III (R) did not respond. (Click on the name of each candidate to learn more.) Joseph Vodvarka withdrew from the race.

  1. What is your position on providing a federal tax credit to businesses that donate to scholarship organizations that provide scholarships for middle and low-income students at private and religious schools in grades kindergarten through 12?

CASEY (D)                   OPPOSE*
* I do not support such a tax credit. Businesses can already deduct charitable contributions.

BARLETTA (R)           SUPPORT

  1. Which statement reflects your position most accurately?

a. I support legalized abortion.
b. I oppose legalized abortion in all circumstances.
c. I oppose legalized abortion, except when the life of the mother is in danger or the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest.

CASEY (D)                   c.*
* I am a pro-life Democrat, which means I am in favor of policies that support women and children before and after birth. This means making a commitment to protect programs like WIC, Pregnant Women Support Act, SNAP, Medicaid, and the Nurse-Family Partnership.

BARLETTA (R)              c.

  1. What is your position on legislation that would permit undocumented immigrants who have lived in the United States for a number of years, have worked and built a life in our country, and who do not have criminal records to register with the government and take steps to earn legal status?

CASEY (D)                   SUPPORT

BARLETTA (R)           DID NOT INDICATE*
* Before we discuss what to do with people in our country illegally we must secure our borders, end the diversity visa lottery, end chain migration, and prove to the American people that this problem will not happen again.

  1. What is your position on 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.)?

CASEY (D)                   SUPPORT

BARLETTA (R)           OPPOSE

  1. Which statement reflects your position most accurately?

a. Congress should maintain federal funding for the Medicaid program to strengthen it as a safety-net for low-income, elderly and disabled people.
b. Congress should cap federal funding and issue block grants for Medicaid giving more responsibility to the states.

CASEY (D)                   a.

BARLETTA (R)           b.*
* I support an improved Medicaid program that gives states the flexibility to provide better quality care for those in need.