HARRISBURG – Today 40 chambers of commerce from across the state sent the following letter to Sen. Bob Casey, D-PA, seeking clarification on his position regarding potential changes to the U.S. Senate’s long-held operating procedures, which some are advocating for in a quest to ram a far left-leaning and progressive agenda through the upper chamber. The chambers cited a letter Senator Casey signed in 2017 and comments he made to the media this past March. A Copy of the Letter is Below: Dear Senator Casey: On behalf of our chambers of commerce, representing thousands of Pennsylvania employers, we write regarding the prospects of significant rule changes in the U.S. Senate. A defining principle of the U.S. Senate throughout its existence has been respect for rights of the minority party and the ability for Senators to engage in extended debate, which helps facilitate compromise and moderation. Protecting these rights has historically been a bipartisan priority, and for good reason: a party serving in the majority may have the power to curtail minority party rights, but recognizes they will someday rely on those rights when the power dynamic shifts. We were heartened when you were among a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators who wrote a letter on April 7, 2017 urging preservation of “existing rules, practices, and traditions” and pushing back on calls to eliminate or weaken the filibuster. You opposed “any effort to curtail the existing rights and prerogatives of Senators to engage in full, robust, and extended debate as we consider legislation before this body in the future.” At the time, Republicans controlled the White House, U.S. House and Senate and some were advocating for filibuster reform or elimination in order to advance the Republican agenda. While pieces of that agenda may have benefited Pennsylvania employers, we did not support filibuster reform at that time, recognizing the harm it would inflict on the institution and instability it fosters by discouraging compromise and leading to more dramatic swings of the pendulum as power shifts over time. Ultimately, Senate Republicans did not pursue broad filibuster reform. We now find ourselves with Democrats in control and some advocating to curtail the filibuster, including organized labor seeking to pass the PRO Act, an extensive anti-employer rewrite of national labor law that will also harm many workers. As power has predictably shifted, it appears your views may have shifted as well. A March 24, 2021 WLVR article indicated you now support filibuster reform and were quoted saying “Two years ago, I probably wouldn’t have said that. I just have reached the point where I no longer believe the Senate is the institution that it used to be or that I used to believe it was…” We wish to better understand your position and would welcome the opportunity to discuss your views on potential Senate rule reform. Thank you for considering this request and our views on this important matter. Sincerely, Back Mountain Chamber Beaver County Chamber of Commerce Bedford County Chamber of Commerce Blair County Chamber of Commerce Butler County Chamber of Commerce Cambria Regional Chamber Carlisle Area Chamber of Commerce Central PA Chamber of Commerce Chamber of Commerce for Greater Montgomery County Chester County Chamber of Business & Industry Clarion Area Chamber of Business & Industry Erie Regional Chamber & Growth Partnership Exton Region Chamber of Commerce Greater Latrobe-Laurel Valley Chamber of Commerce Greater Pittston Chamber of Commerce Greater Reading Chamber Alliance Greater Waynesboro Chamber of Commerce Greater Chambersburg Chamber of Commerce Hanover Area Chamber of Commerce Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC Huntingdon County Chamber of Commerce Indian Valley Chamber of Commerce Indiana County Chamber of Commerce Juniata River Valley Chamber of Commerce Lebanon Valley Chamber of Commerce Norwin Chamber of Commerce Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry Peters Township Chamber of Commerce Pittsburgh Airport Area Chamber of Commerce Pittsburgh North Regional Chamber Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce Somerset County Chamber of Commerce Southern Chester County Chamber of Commerce The Chamber of the Northern Poconos The Main Line Chamber of Commerce Venango Area Chamber of Commerce Washington County Chamber of Commerce West Shore Chamber of Commerce Williamsport-Lycoming Chamber of Commerce Wyoming County Chamber of Commerce