Robert “Bob” Casey Jr.

Robert “Bob” Casey Jr.

Senator

United States

Casey represents the people of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the U.S. Senate. He works to support Pennsylvania families by advocating for policies that improve the health care and early learning of children, and policies that will raise wages for the middle class. A Democrat, he serves on four Senate committees, including Finance, HELP (Health, Education, Labor and Pensions) and the Select Committee on Intelligence. He is the chairman of the Special Committee on Aging, which focuses on policies that support seniors and individuals with disabilities.

Casey has served as senator for 14 years.

He is proud to have been the lead Senate sponsor of the bipartisan ABLE Act, which was enacted into law in 2014. The act supports people with disabilities by allowing states to create tax-free savings accounts for people who acquired their disability before their 26th birthday. Many people with disabilities have been able to save for their current disability expenses and for their future with ABLE accounts. The accounts can be used for needs such as health care, housing, assistive technology or education, and can provide people with disabilities with a measure of economic security and peace of mind. For someone with a disability, the ABLE Act also means that they can work and earn money without fear of losing critical Social Security, Medicaid benefits and other federal benefits. This legislation has allowed many Americans with disabilities to attain a new level of economic security and independence.

Casey’s parents taught him and his seven siblings to treat people with respect, to serve their community and to be honest. He tries to read as much as possible about Pennsylvania history, especially political history. “Twenty years ago, my answer to this question would have been playing basketball!” he said.

This profile is part of Lehigh Valley Business' Power 100 list for 2021. Information used in this profile was sourced from the honoree. See the full list at lvb.com or in our digital edition.