HAZLETON, Pa. — U.S. Sen. Bob Casey was in Hazleton on Wednesday to announce $200,000 in federal funding going to the city to continue its construction at The Hub and The Launchbox, a business development and resource center on West Broad Street that opened in 2019.
"This kind of space, I think, is essential for really every community," Sen. Casey said.
After talking about how the place will help the Hazleton area, we asked the senator about something hurting everyone here: inflation and what he thinks can help.
"The Federal Reserve changing rates will have an impact. But I think in the Senate, what I hope we would do is to do more of what we did in 2021, which is provide direct help to families," said Sen. Casey.
The senator wore a pin showing support for Ukraine on his jacket, and we asked him about that.
"I still am not convinced that we shouldn't think seriously about providing aircraft or at least allowing other countries to do that and backfilling those aircraft. I haven't heard a good case, a compelling case, against it," he said.
Sen. Casey, a Democrat originally from Scranton, thinks the U.S. should continue what it's doing in terms of funding.
"Regardless of what we do, we have to keep that military support going. Use the dollars we have appropriated for humanitarian support. Keep ratcheting up the sanctions, especially the energy sanctions," he added.
Finally, about the race to fill his counterpart Sen. Pat Toomey's position in the upcoming Senate race, Casey said he's not supporting anyone in the primary.
"I think we'll have a strong nominee, and I kind of like seeing the Republican primary get as cantankerous and acrimonious as it is. That's always helpful for our side but, but I think we can win the seat," he said.
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