Bob Casey Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bob Casey
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Official portrait, 2016
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| United States Senator from Pennsylvania |
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| In office January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2025 |
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| Preceded by | Rick Santorum | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Dave McCormick | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| 74th Treasurer of Pennsylvania | |||||||||||||||||||||
| In office January 18, 2005 – January 3, 2007 |
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| Governor | Ed Rendell | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Barbara Hafer | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Robin Wiessmann | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 49th Auditor General of Pennsylvania | |||||||||||||||||||||
| In office January 21, 1997 – January 18, 2005 |
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| Governor | Tom Ridge Mark Schweiker Ed Rendell |
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| Preceded by | Barbara Hafer | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Jack Wagner | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Born |
Robert Patrick Casey Jr.
April 13, 1960 Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| Political party | Democratic | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse |
Terese Foppiano
(m. 1985) |
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| Children | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Relatives | Bob Casey Sr. (father) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Education |
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Robert Patrick Casey Jr. (born April 13, 1960) is an American lawyer and politician. He served as a U.S. Senator for Pennsylvania from 2007 to 2025. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Casey is the son of Bob Casey Sr., who was a former governor of Pennsylvania. After studying at the College of the Holy Cross and the Catholic University of America, he worked as a lawyer in Scranton. His political career began when he was elected Pennsylvania Auditor General in 1996. He held this job until 2005.
In 2002, Casey ran for governor of Pennsylvania but did not win the Democratic primary election. After his time as auditor general ended, he was elected Treasurer in 2004. In 2006, Casey ran for the U.S. Senate and won against the Republican Senator, Rick Santorum. He was reelected in 2012 and 2018. This made him the first Democrat in Pennsylvania to win three Senate terms in a row. In 2024, he lost his reelection bid to David McCormick.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Casey was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He was one of eight children of Ellen (née Harding) and Bob Casey Sr.. His father was the 42nd governor of Pennsylvania. Casey has Irish family roots.
He played basketball and finished Scranton Preparatory School in 1978. He then went to the College of the Holy Cross, just like his father, and graduated in 1982. In 1988, he earned a law degree from the Columbus School of Law at the Catholic University of America. Before law school, Casey was part of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. He spent a year teaching 5th grade and coaching basketball in Philadelphia. From 1991 to 1996, he worked as a lawyer in Scranton.
Starting His Political Career
State Auditor General Role
Casey ran for and was elected Pennsylvania State Auditor General in 1996. He was re-elected in 2000. He served two terms in this role, from 1997 to 2005.
Running for Governor in 2002
Casey tried to become Pennsylvania Governor, following his father's path. He ran against former Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell in the Democratic primary. The Pennsylvania Democratic Party supported Casey. However, Rendell won the nomination by winning key counties, including Philadelphia and its nearby areas. Rendell later won the main election.
Serving as State Treasurer
In 2004, Casey was elected State Treasurer. He could not run for Auditor General again because of term limits. He served as Treasurer from 2005 to 2007.
Becoming a U.S. Senator
Senate Elections
2006 Election for Senate
In 2005, Senator Chuck Schumer and Senator Harry Reid asked Casey to run for the U.S. Senate. They wanted him to run against the Republican Senator, Rick Santorum. On March 5, 2005, Casey started his campaign. This was his fifth statewide campaign in nine years.
Governor Ed Rendell, who Casey had run against in 2002, quickly supported him. Casey's more traditional views were seen as an advantage. He easily won the Democratic primary on May 16, getting 85% of the votes.
On election night, Casey won the Senate race with 59% of the votes. Senator Rick Santorum received 41%. Casey's win was the biggest difference in votes for a Democrat running for the U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania ever.
2012 Reelection Campaign
Casey ran for reelection in 2012. He had supported President Obama early on. However, as the election got closer, Casey began to disagree with the president on some issues. This was to show voters he was different from a president whose approval ratings in Pennsylvania were not very high.
In December 2011, the AFL–CIO spent over $170,000 on TV ads to support Casey. Casey easily won the Democratic primary against Joseph Vodvarka. He then faced Republican Tom Smith in the general election. Casey won on November 6, 2012, with 53.7% of the votes. This made him the first Democrat from Pennsylvania to win a second Senate term since 1962.
2018 Reelection Campaign
Casey won against his Republican opponent, U.S. Congressman Lou Barletta. He received 55.7% of the votes, while Barletta got 42.6%. This victory made Casey the first Democrat in Pennsylvania's history to be elected to a third Senate term. It was also his sixth statewide election win overall.
2024 Election
Casey ran for a fourth Senate term in 2024. On November 8, 2024, the Associated Press announced that Casey's Republican opponent, Dave McCormick, had won the race. Casey did not immediately accept the election results.
What He Did in Office
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Casey supported Barack Obama in the 2008 Democratic presidential primaries. This early support gave him special access to the White House. He campaigned for Obama across Pennsylvania.
Casey was known as a moderate politician. However, after Donald Trump became president in 2017, Casey became more vocal in his opposition. He often spoke out against many of Trump's actions. One local news outlet said his strategy before his 2018 reelection was to "Oppose Trump every chance he gets."
In February 2018, Casey warned special counsel Robert Mueller not to release his report on the 2016 election investigation too close to the 2018 midterm elections. He said it could "distract from elections or cause people to question the election's integrity."
Committee Work
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As a senator, Casey served on several important committees:
- Committee on Finance
- Subcommittee on Health Care
- Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness
- Subcommittee on Social Security, Pensions, and Family Policy
- Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
- Subcommittee on Children and Families (Chairman)
- Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety
- Select Committee on Intelligence
- Special Committee on Aging (Chairman)
Groups He Joined
- Afterschool Caucuses
Political Views
Economy and Jobs
In January 2010, Casey voted to keep Ben Bernanke as Federal Reserve Chairman. He also supported the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA), which was a bill to fight online piracy.
In January 2014, Casey released a report about income inequality in Pennsylvania. He asked Congress to help close the income gap. He suggested raising the minimum wage, extending unemployment benefits, and giving more money for early education. Casey believes the U.S. should do more to stop other countries from selling too much steel in America. He also wants the government to support nuclear power in Pennsylvania.
In April 2017, Casey and seven other Democratic senators wrote to President Trump. They noted that China was selling government-supported steel in the U.S. for less than it cost to make. This hurt the American steel industry. They asked Trump to discuss this issue with China's President Xi Jinping.
Education
When he ran for State Treasurer in 2004, Casey did not support school vouchers. He believed state money should be used to make sure families could find safe, good, and affordable childcare and early education programs.
Energy and Environment
In a debate, Casey criticized his Republican opponent Rick Santorum. He said Santorum did not understand the dangers of global warming.
In February 2021, Casey was one of seven Democratic U.S. senators who voted against banning hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking.
Foreign Policy
Casey joined over 70 other senators in asking the European Union to call Hezbollah a terrorist group. In 2014, he and Senator Rubio urged the Obama administration to focus on how ISIS was getting money. He introduced a bill called the STORM Act of 2016. This bill would punish countries that allow terrorist groups to get money from their citizens or within their borders. Casey also voted for the Protect and Preserve International Cultural Property Act. This law was designed to stop the U.S. from being a market for ancient items stolen from Syria.
Casey spoke out against the harm to the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar. He asked for a stronger response to this crisis.
In April 2019, Casey was one of 34 senators who wrote to President Trump. They asked him to change a decision that they believed would hurt U.S. national security. They said Trump was undermining efforts to help U.S. security and economy by stopping certain funding for Central American countries. The senators argued that helping these countries would lead to less migration to the U.S.
Government Spending and Taxes
In December 2012, Casey proposed a law to extend the payroll tax cut for another year. He also wanted to give tax credits to businesses that created new jobs.
In December 2016, Casey joined other Senate Democrats who wanted to extend benefits for retired coal workers. Casey said he would vote against a bill needed to keep the government running if the coal miners' benefits were not extended.
Casey voted against the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. He said it was a "giveaway to the super rich." He also suggested expanding the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit.
Healthcare
Casey supported President Barack Obama's health reform laws. He voted for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in December 2009. He also voted for the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010.
In January 2019, Casey was one of six Democratic senators to introduce the American Miners Act of 2019. This bill aimed to help fund health care and pension plans for retired coal miners. It also aimed to ensure miners affected by company bankruptcies would not lose their health care.
In August 2019, Casey was asked if he supported Medicare for All. He did not answer directly but said he supports "universal coverage" for everyone.
In September 2019, Casey and five other Democratic senators wrote a letter to Congress. They asked for a law that would permanently fund health care and pension benefits for retired coal miners. They noted that families in several states would soon lose their health care if nothing was done.
Housing
In April 2019, Casey was one of 41 senators who signed a letter about the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development's Section 4 Capacity Building program. They praised the program for helping local community development groups. They were disappointed that President Trump's budget planned to stop this program. The senators hoped the subcommittee would continue to fund Section 4.
Immigration Laws
Casey supported the Secure Borders, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Reform Act of 2007. This bill would have offered a way for undocumented people in the U.S. to become legal citizens. He also supported other related amendments.
During his 2006 Senate campaign, Casey supported the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006. He voted to continue federal funds for cities that were called "sanctuary cities."
He took part in a protest at Philadelphia International Airport against President Trump's January 2017 travel ban. He tweeted that he would not "stand by as the promise of America is diminished."
In May 2017, Casey and other lawmakers asked the Homeland Security Secretary to stop holding four children and their mothers at the Berks County Residential Center. Many families had been held there for a long time without legal help. Casey also used social media to speak out for a 5-year-old boy and his mother from Honduras. They had fled violence and sought asylum but were facing deportation. Casey said, "This child and his mother deserved better from this Administration. They got the absolute worst."
In June 2019, Casey and six other Democratic senators sent letters to government offices. They cited reports that showed some federal contractors were not providing good care for children. They urged officials to check if these contractors were breaking rules and should face financial penalties.
Judicial Nominees
Casey supported the confirmation of John Roberts and Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court of the United States. He also voted for the confirmation of Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court.
In March 2017, Casey voted against confirming Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. He said he had "real concerns" with Gorsuch's "rigid and restrictive" legal ideas. He also mentioned Gorsuch's past opinions on worker safety and disability rights. Casey also voted against the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court.
Personal Life
Casey and his wife, Terese, got married in 1985. They have four children.
In 2023, Casey received treatment for prostate cancer.
His brother, Patrick Casey, is a lobbyist. He has worked to influence the U.S. Senate on various issues. Casey's brother-in-law is also a lobbyist. This has led to some concerns about whether the senator's actions might benefit companies that hire his relatives.
Images for kids
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Official portrait, 2016
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County results of the 2006 U.S. Senate race in Pennsylvania. Casey won the counties in blue.
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Casey speaks at the 2019 Agriculture Progress Days
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Casey chairing the Senate Committee on Aging
See also
In Spanish: Bob Casey para niños
