Chair's Press

Washington, D.C.—Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, joined by his Democratic colleagues, sent the following letter to the President Bush, urging him to reverse the decision to end the Medicare Part D transition policy that expires tomorrow, April 1, 2006. Senator Kennedy said, “America’s seniors and the disabled have had months of...

Washington, D.C.—Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, joined by his Democratic colleagues, sent the following letter to the President Bush, urging him to reverse the decision to end the Medicare Part D transition policy that expires tomorrow, April 1, 2006. Senator Kennedy said, “America’s seniors and the disabled have had months of...

Washington, D.C.–Senators Edward M. Kennedy, Pete V. Domenici, Gordon Smith, and Tom Harkin jointly announced the establishment of a Senate Caucus on Mental Health Reform to educate fellow members and highlight the importance of mental health awareness. This caucus coincides with a reconvening of the former Members of the President’s...

Washington, D.C. – Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy released the following statement on the Government Accountability Office (GAO) report outlining the inadequate funding of two New Orleans hospitals devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Kennedy expressed his concern that the dangerously incompetent under funding of these life-saving health care...

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs has proposed to eliminate the Equal Opportunity Survey, which measures how well federal contractors are providing equal employment opportunity. Senators Kennedy, Harkin, Snowe, Chafee, and 24 other colleagues sent a letter today to the OFCCP opposing...

Today's report from the Center on Education Policy provides an encouraging review of the progress underway in our schools, but it also highlights how much remains to be done to ensure that no child is left behind. 78% of school districts report that student achievement is improving, and educators are making great strides to use data in the...

Washington, D.C.—Today, The Bush Administration released one billion dollars in emergency LIHEAP funds for home heating assistance for low-income families. Massachusetts will receive approximately 31 million dollars in assistance. Senator Kennedy has urged President Bush and the Republican Congress to release these vital funds for...

“Today, Congress can finally tell our most vulnerable citizens that their cries have been heard, and that help is on the way. The Senate passed the Reed-Kennedy amendment to fully fund LIHEAP next winter and the House recognized the needs of low-income families struggling to keep the heat on this winter by providing an additional one billion...

This winter low-income families have been struggling more than ever to make ends meet and keep their heat on during the cold winter months. In many places the need for heating assistance is still great.Democrats pressed for months to increase funds for LIHEAP to the authorized level of $5.1 billion. We urged the GOP leadership and the President to...

Washington, D.C. --This afternoon, the Senate passed the Reed-Kennedy amendment to increase funds for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) by $3.318 billion for fiscal year 2007, this would bring total funds for the program to the fully authorized level of $5.1 billion.The increase is paid for by closing corporate tax...

Washington, DC: Today a bipartisan and bicameral group of lawmakers objected to the restructuring of the Department of Health and Human Services because of the proposed consolidation of the Child Care Bureau. Led by Senators Edward M. Kennedy and Chris Dodd and Representatives George Miller and Lynn Woolsey, the lawmakers raised their concerns in a...

The FDA is responsible for assuring the safety of the food we eat, and the medicines we rely on to keep us healthy. An FDA Commissioner must have the vision to lead, the competence to make crucial public health decisions, and the integrity to keep FDA’s decisions free from political manipulation. I look forward to a careful evaluation of Dr....

Washington, DC: Today, the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee continued its negotiations of a Republican plan that would raise the premiums and lower the benefits for millions of Americans who already have health coverage today. Although the bill has been presented as legislation for small businesses, the effects of this bill go...

“By rejecting our amendment, the Republican Senate turned its back on countless struggling students in communities around the country. It’s wrong to deny them the help they need to afford the skyrocketing cost of college. Locking the door to the American dream can only make America a lesser nation in the years ahead.” ###

“By rejecting our amendment, the Republican Senate turned its back on countless struggling students in communities around the country. It’s wrong to deny them the help they need to afford the skyrocketing cost of college. Locking the door to the American dream can only make America a lesser nation in the years ahead.” ###

Money isn’t everything, but it’s a measure of a nation’s priorities. Budgets are moral documents. They represent who we are, and what we value. Just six weeks ago, the President delivered a State of the Union Address that gave hope to many of us in Congress for a budget that meets the needs of the American people. The President...

Washington: DC: Today at his address before the National Newspaper Association’s Government Affairs Conference, President Bush responded to a question on health care and touted the Republican association health care plan being debated in the Senate. Senator Kennedy, who is leading the fight against this plan, responded with the following...

I commend our colleagues for all their work on this legislation and their commitment to strengthening pensions. Millions of Americans are increasingly concerned about their retirement security, and rightly so. For years, each leg of the three-legged stool of retirement—private pensions, private savings, and Social Security—has been...

Washington, DC: Today the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee is considering a Republican plan that would raise the premiums and lower the benefits for millions of Americans who already have health coverage today. Although the bill has been presented as legislation for small businesses, the effects of this bill go far beyond the...

Today’s Senate action to move to debate on increasing funds for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program for this winter will hopefully become a step in the right direction. Democrats have pressed for months to increase funds for LIHEAP to the authorized level of $5.1 billion. We’ve urged the Republican leadership and the President...