Pro-life advocates are questioning U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Jr.’s stance on abortion after he was spotted supporting one of the nation’s largest pro-abortion groups last week in Washington, D.C.
Casey, known for being one of the few pro-life Democrats in Congress, attended the EMILY’s List annual conference and gala on April 4, according to Politico.
The core mission of EMILY’s List is abortion on demand, and it spends millions of dollars every year supporting pro-abortion politicians’ election campaigns.
Others in attendance included pro-abortion House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Sens. Mazie Hirono, Amy Klobuchar, Ed Markey, Jeanne Shaheen, Tina Smith and Debbie Stabenow, and more than two dozen Democratic House members, according to the report.
Casey repeatedly has said he opposes abortion. In 2018, he campaigned for re-election on the platform of being pro-life. Recently, he was one of only three Senate Democrats to support a bill protecting babies born alive after botched abortions.
What’s more, the Casey name has a reputation for being pro-life. Casey’s father, Bob Casey Sr., was a Democratic governor of Pennsylvania and a strong advocate for life. But his son’s voting record on the issue is mixed. Casey Jr. also supports Planned Parenthood, the largest abortion provider in America.
And the new report has pro-life leaders questioning him further.
“It is so sad to see the report that Senator Bob Casey was spotted at a pro-abortion fundraiser,” said Maria V. Gallagher, legislative director for the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation, an affiliate of National Right to Life.
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She praised his father, the late Gov. Casey, for risking just about everything to stand up for the dignity and value of unborn babies during his time in office.
“If the report is accurate, the senator has trampled on his father’s distinguished legacy in the interests of political expediency,” Gallagher told LifeNews. “The people of Pennsylvania deserve better than this.”
Charles Camosy, a professor at Fordham University and board member of Democrats for Life, also questioned Casey on Twitter.
“Please, Sen. Bob Casey, tell us that you weren’t at EMILY’s List reception last night? Many of us have defended you in the past, but we cannot defend this,” he wrote. “Those who claim to stand against prenatal violence cannot support orgs which exist to keep such violence legal.”
LifeNews reached out to Casey’s office for comment, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
In 2018, Casey had a 20-percent pro-life voting record from the National Right to Life Committee. In contrast, Planned Parenthood gave Casey a 75 percent on its voting scorecard since 2011, and the radical pro-abortion group NARAL, which attacks groups that support pregnant and parenting moms, gave him a 100 percent rating in 2016 and 2017.
In 2018, during his re-election campaign, Casey defended his voting record in an interview with Politico.
“I think it’s clear to most people that the description of pro-life Democrat is accurate. I’ve been very consistent,” he said. “What it means is I try to support policies that help women and children both before and after birth. Part of that is making sure you are honest about differences but also at the same time trying to focus on ways to reduce both the number of abortions and the number of unwanted pregnancies, and I think my record reflects that.”
EMILY’s List donated $500 to Casey’s 2018 campaign, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. It appears to be the only donation it gave to the senator, though Planned Parenthood also has donated to Casey’s campaigns.
