BOB CASEY JR.

If two people of the same sex fall in love and want to marry, why would our government stand in their way?

After much deliberation, and after reviewing the legal, public policy and civil-rights questions presented, I support marriage equality for same-sex couples and believe that DOMA should be repealed.

I don't support gay marriage, but I also don't support a constitutional amendment banning it. However, I do support same sex unions that would give gay couples all the rights, privileges and protections of marriage.

Pennsylvania is home to some of the hardest-working, toughest, most decent people in America.

I do think there's a difference between what a religious leader says and does and what a public official or legislator does. But there's no question that a lot of our legal underpinnings find a good bit of their foundations in the Scriptures.

I know Barack Obama. And I believe that as president, he'll pursue the common good by seeking common ground rather than trying to divide us.

So often, generalizations don't apply to Catholic voters. Catholics are concerned about the war, the economy, about issues like abortion, issues pertaining to the budget and funding Medicaid and Medicare and what happens to the environment.

Barack Obama and I have an honest disagreement on the issue of abortion.

Pennsylvania couldn't be prouder of our native son, Joe Biden from Scranton. No one knows us better than Joe.

Sometimes I, as a public official, turn to Scripture or hymns - especially hymns, because sometimes we Catholics don't have the Scriptures memorized like we should - to help me explain a public policy position or an idea or to be able to articulate it better when you're talking about justice or mercy or compassion.

Catholics are every bit as diverse as any other sort of voters out there, with conservative Democrats and moderates.

I take my 'advice and consent' duty as a U.S. senator very seriously.

Democrats in 2020 can't just drive by red counties. You have to stop, get out of your car, ask for people's votes, and engage with them on issues that relate to their lives.

Some public officials are blessed - you can't acquire this, but you are blessed with the gift of empathy, being able to empathize with those who are suffering.

There are some templates that are in place for bipartisan investment in ways to make our economy stronger and ways to lift the middle class and help the vulnerable.

You always want to be open to possibilities in the new year.

There are fewer unwanted pregnancies and fewer occasions where a woman is confronted with that decision if she has access to family planning and birth control. That's why I support Planned Parenthood; that's why I support Title X.

Currently, many job seekers must check a box on their applications indicating whether they have a criminal history. These boxes are often used as proxies for job fitness, and job-seekers with criminal histories frequently find themselves screened out of contention. As a matter of basic fairness and also economic sense, it's time to ban the box.

We need a Supreme Court justice who will restore fairness, balance, and independence to the highest level of the judiciary. Based on his record, I do not believe Gorsuch would be that kind of justice.

There's no question that a public official of either party can take it too far, and it's up to the candidate to be able to strike that balance, the balance that is the separation of church and state. The way I've always looked at this is that every candidate has a right to talk as much or as little about their faith as they deem appropriate.

No state can invest the kinds of dollars in infrastructure necessary on their own. They need federal help.

We should all agree that we should repair roads and bridges and water systems.

The broad consensus is that our system should be better structured to deter crimes without giving up on everyone who commits them, and should better balance resources to hold violent criminals fully accountable without imposing unnecessarily harsh sentences on nonviolent offenders.

The most direct path to success is a good job, but the road to employment for those with criminal records is often riddled with barriers. Removing those barriers would allow those with records to leave the past behind, support their families, make a positive future - and improve our economy.

I don't know how many speeches I have given saying, 'No child worse off.'