Casey wants to take a 'sober, comprehensive' look at war
BUTLER TWP — U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., addressed the recent withdrawal from Afghanistan that ended America's two-decade long presence there during a visit Tuesday afternoon with members of the Butler County Democratic Committee in Alameda Park.
He called for a hard look at the war in Afghanistan as well as accountability, not just from the executive branch but also in Congress.
“This is an inquiry and a review that is important for the county,” Casey said. “But let's be honest about it, and let's do a review that is sober, comprehensive and thorough.”
He said while he would like to see fair scrutiny of the war in Afghanistan, he noted that about 2,000 Pennsylvanians have been wounded and about 300 have died between the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“We cannot in the interest of finger-pointing forget what our servicemen and women did,” he said. “We cannot forget and fail to acknowledge what our diplomats did and so many Americans who worked night and day to do their best in the midst of that conflict.”
The comments came just a couple of hours before President Joe Biden's special report about the withdrawal from Afghanistan, in which he said his administration had adhered to a deadline set by the previous administration.
Biden also voiced his agreement with the departure. He said the threat to the U.S. homeland no longer existed, and it was time to leave.
“It was time to end this war,” Biden said in his televised remarks. “This is a new world.”
Casey visited Tuesday afternoon with members of the county Democratic committee as well as local Democratic candidates in the Masonic Pavilion.He described what he believed to be progress being made during Biden's presidency. He said the progress can be seen in efforts on the American Rescue Plan, the infrastructure bill and the Budget Reconciliation Bill.Casey also applauded the Butler County Democratic Committee for helping chip away at the Republican hold on the county.Casey said he appreciated their continued focus on upcoming elections, despite the lack of a presidential race.“These elections are the ones that build a foundation for the future,” Casey said. “I'm grateful for the work you've done.”Catherine Lalonde, Butler County Democratic Committee chairwoman, said Casey's appearance is a testament to the effort and growth of the party in the county.“Thank you for all the work you do for the people of Pennsylvania,” said Lalonde, as she introduced the senator.
After Casey departed the park, he drove to the Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. Butler Works to have a private meeting with executives from the company.Butler County Commissioner Kevin Boozel spoke briefly at the Alameda Park event, but he also tagged along with Casey's visit to Cleveland-Cliffs, which he said is a vital part of the county's workforce.Boozel said the plant provides 1,400 jobs and is the only producer of grain-oriented steel left in North America.“We have to protect that, and the senator has been very instrumental,” Boozel said. “We appreciate everything he's been doing.”Boozel said the meeting was a productive one at the steel facility. He said Casey had toured the facility a few years back and reiterated his support of the company and stressed its importance to the region and country.“He was there more to listen and learn more than to speak,” Boozel said. “He was focused on how technical the steel is.”Boozel said executives explained that the previous administration had made more than 10 exceptions that caused setbacks in the fight against foreign interests in the industry.Although the type of steel produced by Cleveland-Cliffs has faced stiff competition from China, Boozel said executives informed Casey on new avenues for future growth.“They believe this can be done without using punitive tariffs,” Boozel said. “They believe this can be managed through negotiations with Mexico and Canada, allowing that steel to flow through their borders.”Boozel said the update gives direction to further efforts in keeping the local facility stable and competitive.“Overall, I think this meeting needed to be had,” Boozel said.
