Chris Dodd

June 2, 2009 -- Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), released the following statement today praising the Senate’s vote to confirm Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Gina McCarthy as the new Assistant Administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

“Connecticut’s loss is a win for our nation. Gina McCarthy brings to the EPA a depth of knowledge on environmental issues that few can rival,” said Dodd. “She has been universally recognized as a uniquely talented environmental advocate. President Obama could not have picked a better candidate to help him in developing and implementing policies to address climate change.”

Source: Senator Chris Dodd

May 26, 2009 -- PROVIDENCE, RI – In an effort to help Americans better protect themselves from the sun’s harmful rays, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) is championing legislation requiring the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to strengthen labeling and testing standards for sunscreen products.    » read more »

Historic Nomination Would Place the First Hispanic on the Supreme Court

May 26, 2009 -- Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) released the following statement today after President Barack Obama announced his choice of Judge Sonia Sotomayor as the next Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.

“President Obama has promised to bring change to Washington and he continues to do that with his choice for Supreme Court Justice. Judge Sotomayor is a highly qualified and historic nominee.

"She would bring extensive legal experience and a unique perspective to the Supreme Court.

"I look forward to the Senate’s consideration of her nomination over the next few weeks.”

Source: Senator Chris Dodd

May 22, 2009 -- In an effort to help Americans better protect themselves from the sun’s harmful rays, U.S. Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Jack Reed (D-RI) are teaming up with dermatologists and consumer rights advocates to introduce legislation requiring the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to strengthen labeling and testing standards for sunscreen products.

The FDA has not updated its sunscreen labeling standards to include UVA protection, despite working on it for over 30 years. The current standards only require testing and labeling for UVB rays, known for causing sunburns and increasing the chance of skin cancer. However, they do not require standards for UVA rays, which are a major cause of skin cancer and premature aging.    » read more »

May 22, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC -- Senators Edward M. Kennedy and Christopher Dodd yesterday evening introduced the Healthy Families Act, which will allow American workers to earn paid sick days to care for themselves and their families without risking their jobs.    » read more »

May 20, 2009 -- Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), a senior member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, praised the Committee’s passage of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. Dodd chaired the mark-up of the legislation over the last two days. The bill passed out of the Committee by a vote of 15 to 8.

“For far too long the tobacco companies have been targeting our children. This bill will put an end to that. It represents an historic and long overdue victory for our nation’s children. This Congress has a moral obligation to act and the moment is now.”    » read more »

Dodd Attends Signing Ceremony Joined by Two Connecticut Residents

May 20, 2009 -- Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd, the Chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, today attended President Obama’s signing ceremony for the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act, legislation that Dodd sponsored to help prevent foreclosures and increase the availability of credit for consumers and businesses.

Dodd was joined at the ceremony by two supporters of the bill from Connecticut: Tony Emerson, the Executive Director of the Credit Union League of Connecticut, and Carol Walter, the Executive Director of the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness.    » read more »

May 19, 2009 -- Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), a senior member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, delivered the following statement at today’s committee mark-up, which he chaired, of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act:    » read more »

May 19, 2009 -- Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, released the following statement after President Obama announced an increase in the national emission limits for vehicles as well as an industry fuel efficiency standard average at 35.5 miles per gallon.

“I want to commend President Obama for recognizing the importance of emission limits and fuel efficiency for the future of our environment,” Dodd said. “Connecticut has been leading the way, fighting for these higher standards and I am glad that we have a President that recognizes the need for these standards.    » read more »

Historic Legislation will Establish Strong New Consumer Protections, Crack Down on Misleading and Deceptive Practices

May 19, 2009 -- Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, today hailed Senate passage of his legislation to put an end to the abusive, misleading, and deceptive practices employed by credit card companies. Dodd’s Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure Act was approved by a vote of 90 to 5, and will now be sent to the House of Representatives for consideration.    » read more »

May 19, 2009 -- Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) announced last week that Social Security recipients should begin to receive the $250 economic recovery payments, which were provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The Social Security Administration will deliver the payments by check or direct deposit depending on how the individual normally receives their benefits.    » read more »

Senators say they plan to engage the Organization of American States on matter

March 4, 2008 -- WASHINGTON – As tensions in South America persist following the movement of Ecuadorian and Venezuelan troops to the Colombian border, two members of the Senator Foreign Relations Committee who are prominent on Latin American issues today called for increased diplomacy in the region.    » read more »

February 26, 2008, Cleveland, OH - Today, at a press conference in Cleveland, Ohio, United States Senator Christopher Dodd endorsed Barack Obama for president.

Below is Senator Dodd's statement:    » read more »

President Bush Signs Defense Authorization, Enacts Measure to Expand FMLA to Families of Wounded Warriors

January 29, 2008 -- Washington, DC – Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) today applauded the enactment of their legislation, the Support for Injured Servicemembers Act, which was signed into law by President Bush late yesterday.    » read more »

January 23, 2008 -- Today Representatives Henry A. Waxman, John D. Dingell, Frank Pallone, Jr., Rosa L. DeLauro, and Edward Markey, and Senators Edward M. Kennedy, Patrick J. Leahy, and Christopher J. Dodd, questioned the basis for a new Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposal that was apparently designed to shield pharmaceutical and device companies from liability for injuries sustained by American consumers as a result of unsafe products.    » read more »