Ranking Member's Press

Washington, DC: Today Senators Kennedy and Enzi offered an amendment to the reconciliation bill that provides one-time, temporary impact aid to local school districts and private schools impacted by Katrina. The measure also cuts fees on student loans so that college is more affordable for all Americans. The amendment takes advantage of extra...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Edward Kennedy and Jeff Bingaman today said they are pleased that an amendment Bingaman wrote and Kennedy cosponsored boosts funding for migrant education, Hispanic Serving Institutions and other initiatives has been made part of an education spending bill that passed the Senate today. The proposal, which sets aside...

Washington, D.C. – Today, Senators Kennedy’s amendment to address the underachievement of American students in history passed in the Senate as part of the Labor-H Appropriations bill. Senators Kennedy and Alexander offered this bill, acknowledging that students still consistently score lower on American history than on any other course....

Washington, D.C. – Today, Senators Kennedy’s amendment to address the underachievement of American students in U.S. history and civics passed in the Senate as part of the Labor-H Appropriations bill. Earlier this year, Senators Kennedy and Alexander offered S. 860, the American History Achievement Act, to encourage states to make...

Washington, DC- Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy released the following statement on thepassage of his flu plan in the Senate: This is a major step forward in our efforts to protect America from the deadly threat of avian flu. This amendment is necessary because the Bush Administration is lagging far behind inresponding to this looming danger. The...

Washington, DC- Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy released the following statement on the newly released Wal-Mart internal memo: “I was disappointed to read today about an internal Wal-mart memo describing despicable company tactics to increase their bottom line on the backs of the working men and women who keep their businesses running....

WASHINGTON, DC- TODAY, Senator Edward M. Kennedy and Senator Tom Harkin will offer an amendment to the Department of Labor and Health and Human Services appropriations bill to help ensure that the United States is prepared for a pandemic flu outbreak. Senator Kennedy joined Senator Harkin to attach an amendment to the Department of Defense...

“Over the last four years, the rich have gotten richer, while four million more Americans fell into poverty. Families are facing a 60% increase in energy costs to heat their homes this winter, the nation is running a record deficit, we are facing billions of dollars in costs to fulfill our commitment to rebuild the gulf coast, and last month...

Washington, DC: Today Senators Kennedy, Schumer, Dorgan, and Harkin joined working men and women impacted by Hurricane Katrina to discuss how the Administration’s policies have hurt those who have already lost everything. They heard firsthand from Diana Hill and Trina Daniels who were living in the lower Ninth Ward at the time of the storm...

It’s a privilege to join Senator Harkin, Senator Reid, and other Democratic colleagues on this needed proposal to improve the nation’s preparedness to deal with the danger of avian flu. We need to act, because the Administration has failed to prepare adequately for a flu pandemic. The danger of a major hurricane hitting the Gulf Coast...

I was pleased to hear that Wal-Mart CEO, H. Lee Scott, Jr. called on Congress to raise the minimum wage. When even the head of Wal-Mart, one of the most anti-worker companies in the world, says that a minimum wage of $5.15 an hour is out of date, we know it’s long past time for an increase.Katrina has shined a spotlight on poverty in this...

Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy offered an amendment to increase the amount awarded to Pell grant recipients from $4,050 a year to $4,250 a year. This critical increase can mean the difference between a student being able to attend a four year institution or community college or forgoing the opportunity to receive a college education. In...

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS- Senator Edward M. Kennedy today outlined the importance of health information technology at the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association’s health care policy conference entitled, “Saving Lives: Safeguarding Care.” Health IT can not only save an estimated $140 billion in excess cost to our health care system, but...

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS- Senator Edward M. Kennedy outlined his plan to prepare for a pandemic flu outbreak at the opening of the new UMASS Medical School/Massachusettls Biologic Laboratories Facility in Mattapan. Senator Kennedy has introduced a bill in the United States Senate that calls for a national flu plan and sets forth a set of guidelines to...

Washington, DC: Today Senators Kennedy and Enzi added to their relief package for Katrina victims an education bill that provides one-time, temporary impact aid to local school districts and private schools. They developed the bill with their colleagues Senators Alexander and Dodd. The bill provides immediate relief to the schools – both...

· NCLB Waivers: Encourages the Secretary to use waiver authority with respect to reporting requirements, 3-8 assessments, and school improvement/corrective action under ESEA for States, local educational agencies, and schools affected by Hurricane Katrina, and requires the Secretary to report on state and district waiver requests due to the...

Thank you Senator Enzi for convening this important oversight hearing. The basic federal programs we’re considering today are meant to serve the important public purpose of providing the opportunity for thousands of people with disabilities to go to work. Disabled Americans want to work and contribute to their communities in the same way as...

Students are making real progress in reading and math in the nation’s classrooms. The hard work of school reform is beginning to pay off and the nation will be the real winner in the years ahead. The improvement in math is especially significant. The number of students mastering the NAEP has doubled in eighth grade and nearly tripled in...

Washington, D.C.- Tomorrow, Senator Edward M. Kennedy will speak before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee on protecting the employment rights of our National Guard Members returning from Iraq. Senator Kennedy, after having met several times with Massachusetts members of the National Guard and Reserves, requested a GAO...

Washington, DC: Today at 4:30 pm the Senate will vote on two proposals on minimum wage: Senator Kennedy’s amendment and the Republican plan that contains anti-worker poison pills. Last night, to ensure bipartisan support, Kennedy changed the amount of the increase to match the amount of the Republican plan, but without their poison pills....