A REPLY FROM MY SENATOR, SENATOR CASEY

Dear Mr. Seretis:

Thank you for taking the time to contact me about the performance of Congress and the need for a clean, accountable government. I appreciate hearing from all Pennsylvanians about the issues that matter most to them.

As a United States Senator, I take very seriously the responsibilities that come with my job as a public official. Sadly, all too often I hear from constituents across Pennsylvania who fear that Congress has lost sight of its mission to represent the American people and solve the serious problems facing our Nation today. They express concern about fiscal responsibility, failed congressional oversight, earmark reform, partisanship and reports of corruption or conflicts of interest on the part of other members. While I can’t speak for my colleagues or how they manage their offices, I can assure you that I am vigilant in making sure that my Senate office, which truly belongs to the people of Pennsylvania, is run transparently and without undue influence from special interests.

The Nation's fiscal health is of the utmost importance to me. I, too, am concerned about the escalating amounts of debt incurred by our government, particularly over the last eight years. Moving forward, we must develop a policy that is responsible both in terms of spending and paying down our accumulated debts.

I am proud to support targeted initiatives designed to promote economic growth and improve the quality of life in Pennsylvania, but recognize that federal spending, including some contained in earmarks, has been wasteful in recent years. Each project submitted to my office is subjected to considerable scrutiny, and I have made it a point to provide the public with timely information on the projects I have sponsored in federal spending bills.

While earmarks represent a small portion of the annual federal budget (about one half of one percent of all spending in fiscal year 2009), the need for transparency and accountability is essential to ensuring the public’s confidence in this process. In 2007, I joined my colleagues in enacting new rules designed to strengthen the public’s ability to identify the Congressional sponsors of these projects. As a result of these efforts, the name of the Member(s) of Congress who have advocated for a particular project now appear in the text of the statement accompanying the bill. Additionally, reforms that I supported now require Members of Congress to certify that they have no financial interest in the projects they have sponsored. These changes constitute an unprecedented commitment to reforming Congressionally-directed spending practices. As the 111th Congress continues its work, I will continue to support steps to further increase the transparency of this process.

I have also been gratified to hear from my constituents regarding the need to put partisanship aside, and I wholeheartedly agree that the challenges facing our country leave little room for partisan squabbling. I have cosponsored important bills with Independent, Republican and Democratic Senators in both the 110th and 111th Congresses, and I will continue to reach across the aisle to find legislative solutions to the problems facing Pennsylvania.

Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. As your Senator, I highly value hearing what Pennsylvanians think about the actions of Congress as well as my own performance here in Washington. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future about any matter of importance to you.

If you have access to the Internet, I encourage you to visit my web site, http://casey.senate.gov. I invite you to use this online office as a comprehensive resource to stay up-to-date on my work in Washington, request assistance from my office or share with me your thoughts on the issues that matter most to you and to Pennsylvania.

Sincerely,
Bob Casey
United States Senator