Pennsylvania veterans rally behind US Sen. Bob Casey

Frank Walsh was a Republican for nearly four decades, almost entirely because he felt the GOP did a better job on his top priority: national security. 

From the time Walsh registered as a Republican in 1978, the native of Pennsylvania’s Mid Valley region had the country’s safety top of mind every time he cast a ballot. National security has dominated his career as well, first when he served in an Army Reserve intelligence unit in the mid-1980s and then during his 32-year career with the Central Intelligence Agency.

Then, during Walsh’s final years with the CIA, Donald Trump ran for president. In light of the interference by Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian intelligence services in the 2016 election in support of Trump, Walsh switched his affiliation to the Democratic Party. 

“National security to me is the first among every other issue,” Walsh told the Pennsylvania Independent. “Because I care about national security like I do, I was a Republican. Not anymore. Those days are over. I’ll die a Democrat.”

Alarmed by the Kremlin’s ongoing support for Trump and determined to see Democrats maintain control of the White House and the Senate in the November election, Walsh joined other veterans on Aug. 12 to rally in support of Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey. Casey is being challenged by Republican Dave McCormick in the Nov. 5 election. During the event in Moosic, a borough about three miles from downtown Scranton, veterans also voiced strong support for Vice President Kamala Harris’ and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s bid for the White House.

Veterans of a range of military branches and wars attended the gathering organized by VoteVets, a liberal political action committee that launched in 2006 and advocates for veterans’ issues and supports veterans running for office. They praised Casey’s support for the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act, which President Joe Biden signed into law in 2022 and which expands medical benefits for military veterans who were exposed to burn pit toxins. Millions of veterans were exposed through the burn pits, which the U.S. military regularly used in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere until the mid-2010s to get rid of waste from military bases.

Those at the VoteVets gathering criticized McCormick, a Gulf War veteran, for previously serving as the CEO of Bridgewater Associates, a hedge fund that invested about $1.7 million in the Chinese fentanyl manufacturer Yichang Humanwell during McCormick’s tenure, according to federal tax forms. 

Foreign Policy reported in July that Yichang Humanwell does not export fentanyl to the United States. Still, those attending the event said that any investment in a company dealing in fentanyl, which caused the overdose deaths of about 1,550 Pennsylvanians in 2022, is a slap in the face of those harmed by addiction.

“Sen. Casey stands in stark contrast to Republicans, including his opponent, David McCormick,” said Gil Canevari, a Mechanicsburg resident and a former Pennsylvania state trooper who served in the U.S. Navy from 1972 to 1975. “After his separation from the military, McCormick frequently put his bottom line ahead of Pennsylvanians, even his own country, so he could make millions of dollars.”

When asked for comment, McCormick’s campaign sent a link to a Philadelphia Inquirer story that explores why fentanyl has become an issue in the Senate race. In the story, McCormick said the accusations that he’s made money from illegal fentanyl manufacturers are false.

“I never made any investments in the makers of illegal fentanyl. Ever,” McCormick says in a campaign ad.

For Travis Tazelaar, VoteVets’ political director, McCormick’s support for a company dealing in fentanyl is unforgivable, particularly because he’s known veterans who have died from fentanyl overdoses.

“Some of them were in deep emotional pain — you know, fighting PTSD,” Tazelaar, who served in the Marine Corps from 1998 to 2002, said of veterans who have overdosed. “Some of them had 20 and 30 surgeries and just couldn’t get the right medications that are going to help them get through the pain.”

Tazelaar lauded Casey’s support for the FEND Off Fentanyl Act, which Biden signed into law in April. The law declares fentanyl trafficking to be a national emergency and places additional sanctions on the leaders of trafficking organizations.

Similar to Walsh, a number of the veterans who spoke with the Pennsylvania Independent pointed out that they had been longtime Republicans but started to see the Democratic Party as more supportive of their needs. Tazelaar pointed to U.S. House Republicans passing legislation in 2023 that would have slashed funding for veterans’ health care.

“There’s been this move inside of the Republican Party that is sort of a little bit shocking,” Tazelaar said. “Why aren’t they supporting veterans?”

“From a veteran’s perspective, I’m going to be with the folks that are actually stepping up and protecting troops, our national security, our veterans, and our veteran families,” Tazelaar continued.

Casey told the crowd that, if reelected, he will continue to fight for funding for veterans’ health care. In response to a question from the Pennsylvania Independent, Casey said that he and his office aim to further connect more eligible veterans with PACT Act benefits.

“The most important thing is to make sure that veterans are aware that the PACT Act is in effect and that many veterans have already benefited across the country,” Casey said.

The senator criticized Republicans who have opposed federal funding for veterans, both in the PACT Act and in other legislation.

“So don’t tell me, if you’re a member of Congress, that you support veterans, and you support our national security, and you’re a great patriot if you vote against VA health care and the appropriations for VA health care,” Casey said during his remarks to the audience. “You’re not worthy of the valor of our veterans and our military fighting men and women and their families if you’re voting against funding for VA health care.”