The grassroots organization MomsRising launched a TV ad Monday to thank Sen. Bob Casey for voting no to a resolution to overturn EPA’s finalized Mercury and Air Toxics Standard. The video, which will air in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton area, is part of a six-figure ad buy which thanks Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) for his vote as well.

MomsRising CEO and Executive Director Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner released this statement:

“Thanks to the leadership of Senators Brown and Casey, the Mercury and Air Toxics Standard, an essential public health protection, remains intact. The more than one million mothers we represent across the country offer their gratitude and are literally breathing a sigh of relief.”

The ad reflects on the EPA estimate that every year the Mercury and Air Toxics Standard saves nearly 11,000 lives, and prevents as many as 4,700 heart attacks and 130,000 asthma attacks among children. The resolution to repeal the standard was put in play by Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK.).

“Because Senator Casey stood up to those who would have allowed industrial power plants to release unchecked toxic mercury and other harmful pollution,” children don’t have to worry about breathing dirty air, the ad narrator says. “Thanks to Senator Casey’s vote, Pennsylvania families will have thousands of fewer asthma attacks, hospital visits and even deaths.”

MomsRising is a left-leaning organization with a long-standing relationship with Senate Democrats. The organization has presented Legislative “Superhero” awards to several Democratic congressmen over the years including Harry Reid (D-NV), Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Rosa Delauro (D-CT) and Tom Harkin (D-IA).

They have also rallied behind liberal policies like the Affordable Care Act. Forbes Magazine named MomsRising.org one of the Top 100 Websites For Women the last three years in a row.

Casey’s challenger Tom Smith, a former coal miner and coal company founder, criticized Casey for his vote against the resolution, calling it another example of the “Obama-Casey war on coal.”

The Smith camp has also responded to this latest advertising blow as well:

“It’s no surprise an ultra-partisan organization would support a liberal senator who votes with President Obama 95 percent of the time.  The fact remains, in casting his vote in support of Obama’s activist EPA, Casey voted to kill Pennsylvania jobs,” said Smith Communications Director Megan Piwowar.

PA Dems spokesman Mark Nicastre said Tom Smith has no room to talk with it comes to clean air regulations.

“Tea Party Tom Smith is far outside the mainstream. First, he joined the climate change deniers to say it is ‘the biggest hoax the American people have had rammed down their throats in my lifetime.’ Now he is fighting to undo efforts to protect children from mercury pollution.”