Ranking Member's Press

Washington, DC: Last night, Senator Edward M. Kennedy continued his fight on the war on poverty by offering an amendment H.R. 3058, the Transportation, Treasury, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill. Kennedy’s proposal takes into account that the current minimum wage is grossly inadequate to live on in this economy with nearly 37...

“The American people won’t stand for a government that puts irresponsible tax breaks for the wealthy ahead of funding for health care and other assistance for our families that need help the most. Katrina shined a light on the great disparities in the country, and its time for Washington to reevaluate its priorities.Over the last four...

Washington, DC: Last night, Senator Edward M. Kennedy continued his fight on the war on poverty by offering an amendment H.R. 3058, the Transportation, Treasury, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill. Today, to ensure bipartisan support, he changed the amount of the increase to match the amount of the Republican plan, but without their...

Washington, DC – Today, a group of Democratic Senators joined together to urge the Bush administration to lay out its plans to prepare Americans for a potential Avian flu pandemic. In a letter to Secretary Michael Leavitt, the Senators called on the administration to provide crucial information to the Congress and the American people about...

Washington, D.C.- Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) and Senator Pat Roberts (R- KS) joined Senator Bob Dole (R-KS) and national disability advocates to kickoff the Employer Work Incentive Act, a bill that seeks to reduce the high unemployment rate among severely disabled Americans. “This legislation can help our citizens with...

It’s a privilege to join Senator Reid, Senator Obama, Senator Bayh and other Democratic colleagues on this legislation to improve the nation’s preparedness to deal with the danger of avian flu. I look forward to working with the chairman of our health committee, Senator Enzi and our subcommittee chairman, Senator Burr, to report...

In the past five years, over five million more citizens have fallen into poverty. Thirty-seven million Americans live below the poverty line. Three million more working Americans live in hunger or on the verge of hunger today than in the year 2000. It’s shameful that in the richest and most powerful nation on earth, nearly 20 percent of all...

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) ruled that the Bush Department of Education illegally used taxpayer dollars to fund a covert propaganda campaign, aimed at boosting the image of the President’s education agenda. The GAO decision was the result of an inquiry by United States Senators Edward M. Kennedy...

I commend Senator Reid for offering this amendment to deal with avian flu, and I strongly support it. The last thing the country needs now is a major health crisis, but the warning signs are there, and we need to be prepared. The avian flu virus now spreading in Southeast Asia is highly lethal. Unlike typical flu, it kills half the people infected....

Today, the United States Senate passed the amendment offered by Senators Edward Kennedy, Tom Harkin, Harry Reid, Barack Obama, and Evan Bayh that will provide four billion dollars to stockpile vaccines to combat the flu. Kennedy praised the amendment’s passage, “I commend the Senate for providing the resources needed to prepare for the...

Washington, D.C. – Today, Senators Edward M. Kennedy and Michael Enzi sent the following letter to Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General Daniel R. Levinson calling for an investigation into Lester Crawford’s resignation from the FDA. The text of the letter is below, pdf is available upon request: September 29,...

WASHINGTON – The leaders of the two Senate committees with jurisdiction over pension issues today reached an agreement on a pension funding and reform bill, clearing the way for Senate consideration. Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Committee on Finance, Sen. Max Baucus, ranking member, Sen. Mike Enzi, chairman of the Committee on Health,...

Washington, DC: Today Senator Edward M. Kennedy and Senator Mike Enzi introduced major portions of their Katrina Relief package, covering health and work protections for the people impacted by the disaster. Their plan will help ensure that victims get and can pay for the health care they need, that the men and women who work to rebuild the region...

Washington, DC; Today Senator Edward M. Kennedy and Senator Mike Enzi participated in a subcommittee hearing entitled “Katrina’s Displaced School Children” to discuss the education bill they introduced last week. Their bipartisan measure will bring much needed support and relief to students, educators, and schools affected by the...

Washington, DC: Today Senator Edward Kennedy and his colleagues introduced a bill to rescind the President’s suspension of the Davis Bacon law to ensure that men and women of the Gulf Coast get paid a fair wage as they rebuild the region. On September 8, President Bush suspended Davis-Bacon for contracts related to Katrina, ending prevailing...

Washington, D.C.—Today, Senators Edward M. Kennedy and Mike Enzi introduced the Community Services Disaster Assistance Act of 2005 to assist the victims of hurricane Katrina and help combat the widespread poverty that plagues the region. Community Service Block Grant agencies provide low-income communities with the support they need to...

Washington, DC: Today Senators Edward Kennedy and Mike Enzi offered the second part of their comprehensive Katrina relief package and introduced a bill that will help workers displaced by the disaster get back to work and rebuild their lives and communities. This bill, called the “Hurricane Katrina Employment and Training Assistance...

Today, Secretary of Education Margaret spellings spoke at the University of North Carolina in Charlotte on the formation of a higher education commission to develop a national strategy on post secondary education. Below is a statement from Senator Edward M. Kennedy: "I applaud the Secretary's effort to look at the long-term strengths and weaknesses...

On Friday, thirteen of my colleagues and I visited the stricken city of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast to see Katrina’s devastation firsthand and hear from the affected residents. Like so many millions of Americans, I’ve been moved by the news coverage of Katrina and her brutal aftermath for the past three weeks. But nothing I’ve...

Washington, DC; Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, along with colleagues from the United States Senate, traveled to the Gulf Region today to assess Hurricane Katrina’s damage and recovery efforts. The Senator met with local officials, relief workers, and convened a meeting with African American leaders and the clergy in New Orleans to continue...