Sen. Casey undergoes successful surgery for prostate cancer

Sen. Robert P. Casey Jr. (D-Pa.) underwent a successful surgery for prostate cancer on Tuesday, his office said.

Casey, 62, announced the cancer diagnosis and planned surgery in January. The senator said he was expected to make a full recovery.

In a statement Tuesday, Casey’s spokeswoman Mairéad Lynn said the senator’s procedure went well and confirmed that he “should not require further treatment.”

“Senator Casey and his family appreciate the well-wishes and extraordinary support from every corner of the Commonwealth, and he looks forward to getting back to a normal schedule after a period of rest and recovery,” Lynn said.

Casey, a moderate Democrat who’s a close ally of President Biden, was elected in 2006 and is up for reelection in the swing state of Pennsylvania in 2024, when Democrats will have more seats to defend as they try to hold their majority in the Senate. Democrats prevailed in the 2022 midterms in the state, with Josh Shapiro easily winning the governorship and John Fetterman capturing an open Senate seat that gave the party a 51-49 advantage in the chamber.

The son and namesake of a former governor, Casey serves on a number of committees, including Senate Finance as well as Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. Because of the surgery, Casey missed votes on judiciary nominees Tuesday.

His office did not say when it expects the senator to be back at work in the Capitol. Because Democrats hold a single-seat majority in the Senate, any absence could affect their agenda. But with Republicans in control of the House, there is little major legislation under consideration in a divided government.

And while Casey underwent surgery Tuesday, he still shared a Valentine’s Day message flavored with his trademark social media humor on his Twitter account earlier in the day:

“Roses are red, Instagram’s a grid,” Casey tweeted. “The Republican plan for health care? You’re on your own, kid.”