Anthony Lee Coelho (born June 15, 1942) is an American politician from California who served in the United States House of Representatives.

Coelho attended public schools in nearby Dos Palos, and grew up working on his family's dairy farm.

At age 16, Coelho was injured in a pickup truck accident, which doctors later suggested was the precipitating event for the onset of his epilepsy.

"Off the top of my head I said, 'Well, in the 13 years I have served in Washington I knew a lot of people who went to the White House and had fits.

Specifically, he accepted donations from Drexler executives in order to defeat efforts to prevent the use of junk bonds in the purchase of companies by private equity firms.

As the chief vote counter for his party, Coelho oversaw a series of Democratic victories in the House on measures ranging from the budget to cutting off funds for the war in Central America.

[12] Coelho was credited by congressional colleagues as the primary sponsor[13] of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which was signed into law by President George H. W. Bush.

[14] Since his retirement from Congress, Coelho has pursued careers in business and public service, while remaining active in the disabilities community.

After leaving Congress, he joined investment firm Wertheim Schroder & Company as a managing director.

President Bill Clinton appointed Coelho to serve as chairman of the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, a position he held from 1994 to 2001; he also served as Vice Chair of the National Task Force on Employment of Adults with Disabilities.

In 1998, Clinton appointed Coelho as the United States Commissioner General at the 1998 World Expo in Portugal.

In the summer of 1994, Coelho was the principal Democratic political strategist during the run-up to the mid-term Congressional elections.

The Republican Party won a landslide victory in the fall congressional elections, capturing both the House and Senate by commanding margins.

Before the 2000 Democratic National Convention, Coelho became ill and resigned his position as general campaign chairman.

[19] Coelho serves as a founding partner of Vectis Strategies, a national public affairs firm.