Sen. Casey Releases 2010 Issue Highlights

WASHINGTON, DC— U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) released a summary of the highlights of some of the issues he worked on in 2010.

“I was honored to have the opportunity to serve the people of Pennsylvania in 2010 and progress has been made to address the many challenges faced by the Commonwealth and the country,” said Senator Casey.  “There is much more work to do this year to make sure Pennsylvania’s voice is heard in Washington and to create jobs, grow the economy and put the economy back on the right track.”

Highlights of the Casey Record in 2010

U.S. Senator Bob Casey works everyday to put Pennsylvania first.

Following the near worldwide financial collapse and the recession, Senator Casey has made it his top priority to work to help create and incentivize the creation of family sustaining jobs and to help workers who lost their jobs through no fault of their own.

Senator Casey voted for middle-income tax cuts, a payroll tax cut that will put $1,000 into the pockets of the average family.  He supported tax cuts for small businesses to create jobs.  He was a Senate leader in the effort to extend unemployment insurance benefits for laid off workers.  He pressed the Obama Administration to do more to crack down on the unfair trade practices of China that are hurting Pennsylvania companies and workers.  A recent study by the Economic Policy Institute states 2.4 million manufacturing jobs have been lost in the U.S. since China joined the World Trade Organization in 2001 – 95,000 were lost in Pennsylvania.

His Iran sanctions legislation was signed into law and he has called on the Administration to get tougher on the Iran regime.  Senator Casey has been the leader in the effort to stop the flow of ammonium nitrate, a key ingredient in IEDs targeting our troops, into Afghanistan.

To increase transparency and accountability in government Senator Casey has supported legislation and been involved in efforts to change Senate rules.  To help return to fiscal responsibility, Senator Casey has supported efforts to curb government spending.

As natural gas drilling has exploded in recent years, Senator Casey has sought more public disclosure, greater protections for drinking water, increased safety and emergency response procedures and more job training to ensure that jobs created by the new industry go to Pennsylvanians, not out-of-state workers.

During the health care debate, he was a leader in the effort to improve the quality of care for children and to stop efforts to dismantle the successful Children’s Health Insurance Program.

Senator Casey has been recognized with numerous awards for his work in 2010.  Some of the awards he received include: Federal Public Official of the Year Award presented by Pennsylvania Bio; the Champion for Children Award from First Focus; Pink Ribbon Award from the PA Breast Cancer Coalition and the Golden Triangle Award presented by the National Farmers Union.

Senator Casey believes that the role of a public official is to offer a voice and assistance to all Pennsylvanians; especially those who do not have lobbyists representing them.  In 2010, Senator Casey’s office handled almost 20,000 constituent service cases helping Pennsylvanians with problems on issues like veterans benefits, Social Security benefits, health care, foreclosures and other issues.

Tax Cut and Unemployment Insurance Compromise

Senator Casey voted for the compromise because in this time of economic uncertainty, we can’t risk additional turmoil for Pennsylvania families and the economy by further delaying passage of the tax cut and unemployment insurance extension package.  He did not think the proposal was perfect.  However, it did address his top priorities of economic growth, job creation and providing tax relief to millions of Americans in a fragile economy.

In November, Senator Casey organized an effort joined by 28 senators to call for a vote to preserve unemployment insurance for another year.  The letter sent to Senate leadership urges a continuation of the unemployment benefits program through December 31, 2011.  He also made a request, blocked by Senate Republicans, to pass a stand-alone bill to preserve unemployment insurance benefits.  An estimated 140,000 Pennsylvanians would have lost their benefits in December alone and 413,000 would have lost benefits by April 2011 if these benefits were not continued.

Senator Casey had also called for an extension of the expanded Child Tax Credit and the reduction in the EITC marriage penalty that help working families and 18 million children including over 500,000 in Pennsylvania.

Creating Jobs, Growing the Economy and Helping Laid Off Workers

Hiring Tax Credit: Senator Casey was one of the first senators to propose a tax credit to encourage employers to hire workers. A similar proposal, the HIRE Act tax credit, was eventually signed into law. From February to August 2010, an estimated 8.1 million workers who had been out of work eight weeks or longer were hired by employers who are eligible for the HIRE Act payroll tax exemption.  Pennsylvania is one of the 10 states with the largest number of hires—333,255.  The full impact of the program will not be known until employers file tax returns.

Small Business Tax Cuts and Lending Fund: Senator Casey was a strong supporter of legislation the Senate enacted into law to give small businesses $12 billion in tax cuts, provide $30 billion to community banks to help provide access to capital for small businesses and increase SBA loan limits.

Protecting American Jobs from Unfair Trade Practices: He has been a strong critic of unfair trade policies that put American manufacturing at a disadvantage. He has repeatedly pushed for the U.S. government to take stronger action against China in response to the undervaluing of its currency and other policies that result in American job loss.

Aid to the States: Senator Casey was an advocate for aid to the states that provided $16.1 billion in increased federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) funding to prevent state budget cuts and $10 billion in education funding to prevent teacher layoffs.  He had voted for and preferred the larger FMAP package before it was trimmed in order to gain the votes necessary to pass any sort of relief for the states.  Enactment of this aid decreased Pennsylvania budget cuts.  Because the larger package was blocked by Senate Republicans, some budget cuts were necessary.

Unemployment Insurance: To help laid off workers provide for their families and to stimulate local economies, Senator Casey has been a strong supporter of extending unemployment insurance benefits.  He is also a cosponsor of legislation to create a new tier of benefits to prevent the long-term unemployed from losing benefits.

Life Sciences Jobs: To spur growth in Pennsylvania’s life sciences industry, Senator Casey introduced the Life Sciences Jobs and Investment Act of 2010 to promote innovation and job creation by providing targeted tax incentives for small and mid-sized businesses to invest in life sciences research and development.

Women- and Minority-Owned Businesses: To help women and minority-owned businesses, Senator Casey introduced two bills to provide technical and procurement assistance and prevent contractors from fraudulently adding minority and women-owned businesses to bids without the intention of following through to deliver work to listed sub-contractors.

Flexibility for Working Families: Senator Casey in September introduced the Working Families Flexibility Act to give workers the right to request flexible work options to allow workers to balance responsibilities at work and at home.  This legislation would encourage workers and employers to work out mutually beneficial arrangements without fear of retaliation.

COBRA Health Care Premium Assistance: Senator Casey in June introduced an amendment to the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act of 2010 that would reinstate the expired COBRA health care premium assistance for laid off workers.  This program expired at the end of May.  The average cost of COBRA family coverage is three-quarters of monthly unemployment benefits in Pennsylvania and 40 other states. In some states, health premiums actually cost more than monthly unemployment benefits, slowly driving families further into debt.

Changing the Rules in Washington and on Wall Street

Ending Secret Holds in the Senate: Senator Casey in April called for an end to the Senate practice of secret holds that block legislation and nominees.  He joined other senators in sending a letter to Senate leaders.  Despite measures passed as part of ethics reform legislation enacted in 2007 to require senators who want to place a hold on bills and nominations to be transparent about their objections, senators continue to circumvent the rules and file anonymous holds.

Greater Earmark Transparency: In June, Senator Casey cosponsored bipartisan legislation that would require Members of Congress to make public detailed information regarding earmarked spending projects. Senator Casey is a cosponsor of the Earmark Transparency Act.  The bill would create a searchable database of all requested congressionally directed spending items that will be made available to the public. Senators and Representatives would be required to post detailed information regarding projects on the website within five days of making their requests to individual appropriations subcommittees.

Wall Street Reform: Senator Casey supported the Wall Street Reform legislation that was enacted into law to bring more transparency and accountability to Wall Street.  The bill included provisions authored by Senator Casey to increase funding for foreclosure mitigation, protect pension funds and provide more oversight for property appraisals.

In April, Senator Casey chaired a field hearing in Philadelphia entitled “Bringing Accountability and Transparency to Wall Street.”   At the hearing, Senator Casey heard from witnesses testifying on the immediate need for strong reform to our financial markets.

Cracking Down on Unfair Trade Practices and Sending Jobs Overseas

Removing Incentives to Send Jobs Overseas: Senator Casey voted for legislation to eliminate tax incentives corporations receive to send U.S. jobs overseas.

Compromise Extension of Omnibus Trade Act: In December, Senator Casey was instrumental in negotiations to secure a temporary extension of the Omnibus Trade Act to prevent the expiration of bipartisan trade provisions and of Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) that provides critical services to American workers who have been displaced from their jobs as a result of international trade.  The trade preferences programs extended by the bill provide assistance to developing countries and also help American businesses and workers.  The Omnibus Trade Act is supported by the AFL-CIO, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Retail Federation among other organizations.

Legislation for New Tools to Fight Currency Manipulation: Senator Casey is a supporter of bipartisan legislation that would vigorously address currency misalignments that unfairly and negatively impact U.S. trade. If passed, the legislation would provide less flexibility to the Treasury Department when it comes to citing countries for currency manipulation. It would also impose stiff new penalties on designated countries, including tariffs on the countries’ exports and a ban on any companies from those countries receiving U.S. government contracts.

Pressing Commerce on Currency Manipulation: Following a preliminary decision by the U.S. Department of Commerce suggesting that it would not investigate currency manipulation by China, Senator Casey called on the Commerce Department to reconsider and to protect American manufacturing from China’s unfair trade practices.

Pressing President Obama on Chinese Currency: In August, Senator Casey joined a bipartisan group of senators in sending a letter to President Obama calling for stronger action on behalf of U.S. businesses and workers competing against unfair trade practices conducted abroad, particularly the manipulation of currency by the Chinese government to unfairly boost exports.

Pressing the Treasury Department on Chinese Currency: Earlier this year, Senator Casey spearheaded a bipartisan letter to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner calling on him to list China as a currency manipulator.

Remedies Against Unfair Clean Energy Subsidies: Senator Casey applauded the decision in October by the U.S. Trade Representative to investigate unfair trade practices by China involving manufacturing in the clean energy sector.  Senator Casey had previously voiced support for this petition when it was filed last month under Section 301 of the Trade Act to seek remedies against Chinese subsidies and other policies that have unfairly put U.S. workers at a disadvantage.

National Security and Foreign Policy

As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senate Casey serves as the Chairman of the Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs Subcommittee.  The Subcommittee plays a key role in the foreign policy debates in the critical regions of the Middle East and South Asia.

Protecting Troops and Combating IEDs: To protect our troops in Afghanistan, Senator Casey has been the Senate’s leader to increase international pressure to stop the flow of ammonium nitrate, a prime component in Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) that have killed or wounded thousands of troops and civilians.  Senator Casey is also working with the Department of Defense and State Department to make sure they have the tools they need to stop the IED assembly line.

In May, Senator Casey met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, the late Ambassador Richard Holbrooke and Ambassador Karl Eikenberry on the need to increase the speed at which Afghan security forces are trained to take up more of the fight from U.S. forces, the need to combat corruption and the importance of improving governance.  Senator Casey also discussed additional steps that must be taken to cut off the flow of ammonium nitrate from Pakistan.

In June, the Senate passed a bipartisan resolution introduced by Senator Casey calling for increased support to combat ammonium nitrate — a primary explosive material used in IEDs in Afghanistan.

In November, Senator Casey chaired a Senate Foreign Relations Committee entitled “Jamming the IED Assembly Line: Impeding the Flow of Ammonium Nitrate in South and Central Asia” to examine steps to combat IEDs that target our troops.

Iran Sanctions: To increase pressure on Iran, Senator Casey introduced the bipartisan Iran Sanctions Enabling Act, which would authorize the divestment of public pension money from companies doing business in Iran’s oil and natural gas sector.  Senator Casey also cosponsored the Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act to strengthen the President’s ability to impose sanctions on companies that help Iran import or develop refined petroleum.  Both measures are now law.

Iran Censorship VOICE Act: Senator Casey joined Senators John McCain (R-AZ), Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and others to introduce bipartisan legislation passed by the Senate that will help strengthen the ability of the Iranian people to get access to news and information and overcome the electronic censorship and monitoring efforts of the Iranian regime.

Supporting Demonstrations Against Iranian Regime: In February, the Senate passed a resolution authored by Senator Casey expressing support for Iranian citizens’ rights to freedom of assembly, speech and due process.  The bipartisan resolution passed by unanimous consent after a day of peaceful street demonstrations in Iran were repressed by the government authorities and Basiji militia.

Nuclear Security Leadership: Senator Casey in April held high-level meetings in Brussels and Vienna on multilateral nuclear nonproliferation efforts with our European allies and officials at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO). These meetings came at a key time as we face an array of nuclear nonproliferation issues in the Senate as well as a new nuclear arms agreement with Russia.

Ratification of START: As chairman of the Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs Subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and co-founder of the bipartisan Senate Weapons of Mass Destruction Terrorism Caucus, Senator Casey was a Senate leader in the successful effort to ratify the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (“New START”).  Senator Casey cited the critical national security concerns in delaying consideration of the treaty and warned of the consequences to America’s nuclear security efforts around the globe if the treaty were not ratified and nuclear inspectors were denied access to the Russian nuclear arsenal.

Led Trip to the Middle East: In July, Senator Casey led a Senate delegation to the Middle East to discuss the ongoing threat posed by Iran and to review developments in the Middle East peace process.  Senator Casey traveled to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank, Lebanon and Egypt where he met with top officials.  He met with U.S. troops in Iraq and Kuwait.  In Iraq he also met with Vice President Biden and General Ray Odierno, Commander of U.S. troops.

Speech to the Army War College: Senator Casey gave a speech in September at the U.S. Army War College about the U.S. efforts in Afghanistan.  He highlighted several challenges facing the U.S. in Afghanistan: corruption in the Afghan government, training the Afghan National Army and the importance of development initiatives. He also highlighted his work on the international effort to address the threat posed by ammonium nitrate, the key ingredient used in improvised explosive devices (IEDs). He was joined by officers and students from the Army War College and local officials.

Senator Casey also gave seven major floor speeches to pose tough questions to the Obama Administration on Afghanistan.

Women in Afghanistan: Senator Casey co-chaired a hearing in February entitled “Afghan Women and Girls: Building the Future of Afghanistan,” that focused on ensuring that Afghan women are given the tools and opportunities to play a key role in the future of Afghanistan.

Homeland Security

Securing Nuclear Material at Hospitals: To thwart terrorist attempts to acquire nuclear material, Senator Casey has called on the Obama Administration to increase efforts to secure radiological material at major hospitals.  In a letter to National Nuclear Security Administration Administrator Thomas D’Agostino, Senator Casey called for increased security measures and training for first responders based on a successful model implemented at the University of Pennsylvania.

Securing Air Cargo and Protecting Against Terrorists Attacks: Following the terrorist attempt to ship explosive devices from Yemen in packages, Senator Casey in November introduced the Air Cargo Security Act to expand the 100% screening mandate to all-cargo aircraft.

Aiding First Responders

Tuition for Children of Fallen Emergency Responders: In September, Senator Casey introduced the Officer Daniel Faulkner Children of Fallen Heroes Scholarship Act, a bill that provides college tuition assistance for the children of firefighters, police officers and EMS workers killed in the line of duty.

Federal Emergency Response: Senator Casey in June introduced the National Emergency Centers Establishment Act of 2010, a bill to address shortcomings in the federal response to national disasters and terrorist attacks – specifically, in the areas of training and logistic facilities and housing for temporarily displaced persons. The bill would create National Emergency Centers, including a potential site at the Joint Readiness Center at the Pittsburgh International Airport Reserve Station.

9/11 Heroes Health Care Bill: Senator Casey was a strong supporter of legislation signed into law to ensure health care for the 9/11 heroes who heeded the call of duty to respond to the attack on the World Trade Center (WTC) and who participated in the recovery efforts.  Senator Casey was a cosponsor of legislation introduced previously in the Senate on which the new law was based.

Supporting Military Families and Veterans

Help for Military Spouses in Workforce: In July, Senator Casey introduced the Military Spouses Job Continuity Act, legislation that would help military spouses more easily re-enter the workforce by offering a tax credit to any military spouse who has to renew or transfer a professional license due to a military Change of Station order.

Improving Military Spouse Employment Programs: Senator Casey in September introduced legislation to ensure that military spouse employment programs are properly serving military families.  The legislation requires a complete review of programs to address concerns raised by servicemembers that these programs are underfunded and may not address their needs.

Benefits for National Guard and Reserves: Senator Casey in September introduced legislation to provide more information and assistance to members of the National Guard and Reserves as they and their families navigate the services and benefits available to them.  Senator Casey’s Transition Assistance Advisors Act would expand this successful program to increase the number of advisors available to National Guard and Reserve Component members and their families

Help Veterans to Start Small Businesses: To help veterans start small businesses, Senator Casey introduced the Help Veterans Own Franchises Act, a bill that establishes tax incentives for franchisors who offer qualified veterans a discounted franchise fee and a tax credit to the veteran who purchases a franchise.

The Benefits and Challenges of Marcellus Shale Drilling

Emergency Response at Gas Wells: Senator Casey in July chaired a field hearing of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee entitled “Emergency Response in the Marcellus Shale Region.”  At the hearing, Senator Casey heard from panelists testifying on current emergency response procedures and whether there is a need to increase regulation over emergency response procedures.  Senator Casey also sought input on legislation he would later introduce to improve emergency response at oil and gas wells.  In August, Senator Casey visited the site of the Clearfield County blowout.

Job Training for PA Natural Gas Jobs: Senator Casey in July introduced legislation to help prepare Pennsylvania workers for jobs in the natural gas industry.  The Marcellus Shale On-the-Job Training Act of 2010 will authorize grants to strengthen the On-the-Job Training programs to help ensure natural gas drilling jobs go to Pennsylvanians and not workers from out-of-state.

Protecting Drinking Water: Senator Casey promoted his FRAC Act that calls for greater public disclosure of substances pumped into the ground during fracking and to provide greater protections for drinking water.  While the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) considered regulation of natural gas wells in the Delaware River Basin, Senator Casey wrote the Commission to express concern for water quality and the need to have public input and review of any new regulations.

Expanding Access to Health Care and Holding Insurance Companies Accountable

Health care legislation enacted in 2010 will provide more security for those who have insurance and expand coverage to more than 30 million people who do not have coverage.  It will reduce costs for Americans and reduce the deficit by $143 billion over ten years.

A number of provisions in the new health care law have already taken effect, including: tax credits for over 150,000 Pennsylvania small businesses to help make coverage more affordable and reduce their expenses; preventing insurance companies from denying coverage to the 2.8 million children in Pennsylvania for pre-existing conditions; and stopping insurance companies from dropping coverage if you get sick and will no longer be able to implement annual or lifetime caps on coverage.

Pregnant Women Support Act: The new health care law also includes the Pregnant Women Support Act provisions authored by Senator Casey to provide $1.2 billion in increased adoption assistance and $250 million to create a Pregnancy Assistance Fund.  Both of these provisions will go a long way to reduce the number of abortions.  Senator Casey’s provisions were endorsed by the Catholic Health Association; many of the leading evangelical pastors in America, including Rev. Jim Wallis, President of Sojourners; Rev. Ron Sider, President, Evangelicals for Social Action; and Rev. Joel Hunter, Senior Pastor, Northland Church; as well as dozens of other pro-life and faith leaders.

Children’s Health Insurance: Senator Casey helped lead the successful fight against the effort to dismantle the proven Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).  The new law actually extended funding for the program for an additional two years, through fiscal year 2015.

During HELP Committee consideration of the health care reform bill in July 2009, Senator Casey helped add a number of provisions to improve and protect coverage for children.

He authored provisions to increase outreach and facilitate enrollment for low-income families and children to ensure they are in the best programs to fit their needs.

He worked with Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) to include a number of specific provisions to help children and their families, including: mandating prevention and screenings for children; ensuring pediatric benefits as well as pediatric input into the formulation of benefits packages; ensuring availability of pediatrician-led medical homes; ensuring critical vision and oral health care for children; strengthening the pediatric workforce and expanding drug discounts for children’s hospitals.

Home Visitation: Legislation introduced by Senator Casey and Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) in 2009 to establish or expand home visitation programs proven through rigorous testing to improve the health and well-being of low-income children and families became law as part of the Affordable Care Act.  Funding has already begun to be provided to expand proven home visitation programs that provide care and information to families, help break the cycle of poverty and improve the health and well-being of low-income children and families.

Increased NIH Medical Research Funding: In June, Senator Casey led an effort calling for an 11.9% funding increase for the National Institutes of Health (NIH).  Twenty senators signed a letter written by Senator Casey to Senate Appropriators.  The NIH is the country’s premier institution for medical research and the single largest source of biomedical research funding in the world.  Pennsylvania universities and research institutions benefit greatly from NIH funding.

Children and Education

Bullying in Schools: To help ensure that every child receives a quality education that builds self-confidence, Senator Casey in August introduced bipartisan legislation entitled the Safe Schools Improvement Act (SSIA) to help prevent bullying in schools.

Help for Pregnant Women and Adoption: The Pregnant Women Support Act provisions that Senator Casey authored were enacted into law as part of the health care reform bill and provide $1.2 billion in increased adoption assistance and $250 million to create a Pregnancy Assistance Fund.  Both of these provisions will go a long way to reduce the number of abortions.

Pre-K Education: In April, Senator Casey chaired a field hearing of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) at the Morrisville School District in Bucks County.  At the hearing, Senator Casey highlighted the importance of expanding access to high quality prekindergarten education.

Child Nutrition: Senator Casey was a strong supporter of the child nutrition bill enacted into law entitled The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act.  This bipartisan legislation will make historic investments in child nutrition programs.  Senator Casey added language in the legislation allowing for a socioeconomic survey, like the one in the Philadelphia School District, for universal feeding to make it easier for schools serving very high proportions of low-income children to serve free school meals to all students.   

Food Safety: Bipartisan legislation introduced by Senator Casey was enacted into law to fight the problems of smuggled food and agriculture products which currently pose serious risks to our plants, animals and food and pose a threat to our nation’s health, economy and security.

Fighting Sexual Violence on College Campuses: Senator Casey introduced legislation to combat the problem of sexual violence on college campuses.  The Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act (SaVE Act) will close a serious gap in the law by requiring colleges and universities to clearly spell out their policies regarding sexual assault and intimate partner violence.

Innovation to Combat Poverty: Senator Casey in September introduced the National Opportunity and Community Renewal Act, legislation to utilize 21^st century technology, ideas and policy proposals to confront the complex issues of poverty in America.

National Council on Children: Senator Casey joined Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) in November to call for the creation of a National Council on Children, which will focus on improving the well-being of our nation’s children. The Senators introduced legislation to establish a council that will be responsible for annually assessing the state of American children’s health, education and overall well-being and will be tasked with making recommendations to Congress on how to improve the policies that impact our children’s lives.

Fighting for Older Pennsylvanians

Social Security COLA: Following news in October that there will be no Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) next year, Senator Casey called for a Senate vote on legislation to provide a one-time payment of $250 to Social Security recipients.  Social Security COLAs are by law determined by the Consumer Price Index.  Because of the current economic conditions, there will be no Social Security COLA for the second time since 1975.

Preventing Medicare Premium Increases: Senator Casey in November joined other senators to introduce legislation to protect approximately 12 million seniors and individuals with disabilities who are scheduled to pay increased Medicare premiums next year.

Seniors Bill of Rights: Senator Casey in June joined U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) in introducing a Senate resolution urging Congress to adopt a “Seniors Bill of Rights.” The resolution calls on Congress to ensure our seniors have access to financial security; quality affordable healthcare; protection from abuse, scams and exploitation; a strong economy; and safe livable communities.

Preserving Medicare Choice: Senator Casey introduced the Medicare Beneficiary Preservation of Choice Act to restore the ability of Medicare Advantage recipients to change Medicare Advantage plans.  Senator Casey’s bill will reverse a change made in the Affordable Care Act that eliminated the ability of Medicare Advantage recipients to change plans during the first three months of a calendar year.

Preventing Cuts to Home Heating: Senator Casey has fought to preserve funding for the LIHEAP program that helps Pennsylvanians afford home heating.

Awards Received in 2010

In 2010, Senator Casey received a number of awards for his work on behalf of Pennsylvanians including:

• Federal Public Official of the Year Award by Pennsylvania Bio in March for leadership on behalf of the bioscience industry and for being a “key voice on biosimilars legislation, ensuring a proper balance among key principles of extending access and competition, providing for patient safety, and incenting innovation.”

• Pink Ribbon Award from the PA Breast Cancer Coalition (PBCC)

• Champion for Children award by First Focus Campaign for Children

• Best of Congress Award presented by Working Mother Media and Corporate Voices for Working Families

• Champion of Healthcare Innovation presented by the Healthcare Leadership Council

• Claude Pepper Award for Advancing Healthy Aging through Research from the Alliance for Aging

• Nurse-Family Partnership award for improving the health and well-being of children and families.

• Wallace Award presented by the ALS Association

• Golden Triangle Award presented by the National Farmers Union