Chair's Press

Washington, D.C. – As the Senate Finance Committee began consideration of itshealth care reform bill today, U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., said he would offeramendments to reduce health care costs for average Americans, scale back the totalspending in the bill, and protect American workers from new taxes and costly mandates. “The...

Washington, DC – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, issued the following statement on the ban on candy flavored cigarettes that goes into effect today. The ban is a provision of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, legislation that will allow the FDA to regulate...

(As Prepared for Delivery) Every day, families across America rely on the Food and Drug Administration in ways they barely realize. When they put dinner on the table, they are counting on FDA to see that it is free from contamination. When they care for a sick child, they are trusting FDA to make sure the drugs prescribed are safe and effective....

Washington, D.C. – Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee today defeated anamendment from Senator Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) that would have protected Americans fromdramatic increases in health care costs caused by the health care bill being considered bythe committee. The Enzi amendment would have prohibited provisions in the bill from going into...

Washington, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) praised the U.S. House of Representatives today for passing the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act by a vote of 253 to 171. Consistent with the momentous agenda to increase education success laid out by President Obama, the House legislation provides for significant increases in the maximum...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, today issued the following statement on the health reform proposal unveiled today by the Senate Finance Committee. “In just the last week, the health reform debate has been reinvigorated. The President's address to the...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today issued the following statement regarding President Obama’s address to a joint session of Congress. “Tonight President Obama reclaimed the health reform initiative in a powerful way. He illustrated that failure is not an option when it comes to health reform and he made a powerful...

Washington, D.C. – A new report from the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) shows that the House of Representatives’ appropriations bill would raid HIV/AIDS treatment funds from every metropolitan area in the country to direct money to San Francisco and New York. “Under the House bill, every city across the country...

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) today said negotiators on the Senate Finance Committee have not set a mid-September deadline for bipartisan health care reform talks, and he reiterated that getting health care legislation right is more important than getting it done quickly.“I have not and will not agree to an...

WASHINGTON, DC— Today, Senator Kennedy delivered the following statement on the floor of the United States Senate in advance of the minimum wage increase that will go into effect tomorrow, July 24th. Senator Kennedy led the fight for this increase and his bill was passed earlier this year and signed into law in May. Below is a transcript of...

WASHINGTON, DC— Senator Edward M. Kennedy today released the following statement in response to being named by President Obama as a 2009 recipient of the Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honor: “I am profoundly grateful to President Obama for this extraordinary honor. My life has been committed to the ideal of public...

HYANNIS PORT — Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, today released the following statement regarding the   Affordable Health Choices Act:   “This room is a special place. In this room, my two brothers declared their candidacy for the presidency. Today, the...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee today passed The Affordable Health Choices Act, landmark legislation that will reduce health costs, protect individuals’ choice in doctors and plans, and assure quality and affordable heath care for Americans. The bipartisan bill includes more...

Washington, D.C. – Despite evidence that Medicaid beneficiaries have poorer health than other Americans and have difficulty getting the care they need because many doctors do not accept Medicaid patients, Democrats on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee today rejected an effort to provide Medicaid patients with...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Democrats on the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee today reaffirmed their commitment to pass health reform legislation that reduces health costs, protects choice of doctors and plans, and assures quality and affordable health care for Americans. The senators’ statements follow the...

WASHINGTON, DC— Senator Chris Dodd and Senator Patty Murray, senior Democrats on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, today held a press conference to call attention to the millions of Americans who have lost their health insurance during the economic downturn. They were joined by Families USA, who brought an...

WASHINGTON, DC— Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), senior Democrats on the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, held a press conference today to discuss The Affordable Health Choices Act and the need for health reform legislation that enables individuals with pre-existing medical conditions to access...

Washington, D.C.—The House today unanimously approved legislation that expands grants for survivors of veterans killed in action and reduces credit problems by enabling the Department of Education to purchase rehabilitated loans from guaranty agencies. The bill, H.R. 1777, passed unanimously by the Senate yesterday, also includes a number of...

WASHINGTON, DC— Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, today released the following statement praising the signing of H.R. 1256, legislation to empower the FDA to regulate tobacco products: “Today is a day for special celebration as President Obama signs into law this long-overdue...

WASHINGTON, DC— Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Chairman of the HELP Committee, and Senator Max Baucus, Chairman of the Finance Committee, issued the following statement affirming their commitment to seek common ground on health reform legislation, despite some media reports to the contrary: "For both of us, reforming the nation's health...