Senate advances Toomey bill on child sex abuse

WASHINGTON - Sen. Pat Toomey (R., Pa.) scored a victory Thursday as the Senate advanced a plan to help rein in potential child sex abusers, a proposal he has featured in early campaigning for reelection.

The Senate voted, 98-0, in favor of a Toomey amendment to make it illegal for school districts to write letters of recommendation for employees who are known sex offenders against children or who face credible accusations of sexual misconduct. Districts that violate the policy could lose federal funding.

Toomey warned that writing recommendations is sometimes used by schools to quietly oust suspected molesters on their staffs.

"The sad truth is, it has happened so frequently that it even has a name - it's called 'passing the trash,' " Toomey said on the Senate floor. He called his bill "a huge victory for America's children."

His plan was attached to a larger education bill. That bill's fate, and the final outcome on Toomey's measure, is pending.

The campaign for Joe Sestak, the former congressman running for the Democratic nomination to oppose Toomey, called the measure "a campaign talking point akin to saying, 'I like children,' " quoting a Philadelphia Daily News column.

Toomey has pushed his bill relentlessly and in the last two weeks began running television ads highlighting his effort.

Asked about the link to his reelection, Toomey said, "This has been a long-standing effort," dating back more than a year.

Reps. Mike Fitzpatrick and Patrick Meehan, Republicans from Bucks and Delaware Counties, have pushed a similar plan in the House. But that chamber approved a different version, setting up a process to iron out the differences if the Senate approves the overall education bill.