Ted Kennedy

August 29, 2009 -- Our Lady of Perpetual Help Basilica, Roxbury, Massachusetts -- THE PRESIDENT: Your Eminence, Vicki, Kara, Edward, Patrick, Curran, Caroline, members of the Kennedy family, distinguished guests, and fellow citizens:

Today we say goodbye to the youngest child of Rose and Joseph Kennedy. The world will long remember their son Edward as the heir to a weighty legacy; a champion for those who had none; the soul of the Democratic Party; and the lion of the United States Senate -- a man who graces nearly 1,000 laws, and who penned more than 300 laws himself.    » read more »

Legislation expands grants for families of soldiers killed in action and helps students who have defaulted on their student loans

June 23, 2009 -- 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 this morning, also includes a number of technical amendments to the Higher Education Act of 1965.    » read more »

June 22, 2009 -- 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 authority for FDA to regulate tobacco products. Decade after decade, Big Tobacco has seduced millions of teenagers into lifetimes of addiction and premature death. Enactment of this legislation will finally put a stop to that. It is truly a life-saving act, and a welcome demonstration that this Congress is capable of enacting major health reform.”

Source: Senator Edward M. Kennedy

Bipartisan Talks Continue on Outstanding Key Issues

June 9, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC- For the past year, Chairman Edward M. Kennedy and Democratic Members and staff of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) have been working to develop legislation that reduces health care costs, allows Americans to keep the coverage they have if they want it, and makes health insurance affordable to those who do not have it today.

Today, while discussions between HELP Committee Democrats and Republicans on key outstanding issues continue, Chairman Kennedy released the landmark “Affordable Health Choices Act.” Click here for a copy of the bill, http://help.senate.gov/BAI09A84_xml.pdf.    » read more »

June 3, 2009 -- Text of letter:

June 2, 2009

The Honorable Edward M. Kennedy
The Honorable Max Baucus
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Senator Kennedy and Senator Baucus:

The meeting that we held today was very productive and I want to commend you for your leadership -- and the hard work your Committees are doing on health care reform, one of the most urgent and important challenges confronting us as a Nation.    » read more »

May 27, 2009 -- BOSTON, MA – Senators Edward M. Kennedy and John F. Kerry announced today that The Massachusetts Water Pollution Abatement Trust will receive $185 million in funds through the Environmental Protection Agency’s “Clean Water State Revolving Fund” and the “Drinking Water State Revolving Fund.” The funds were made available through the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009.

The Clean Water State Revolving Fund has awarded $133 million to promote and protect water quality protection projects in Massachusetts through wastewater treatment, pollution control, and watershed and estuary management. In addition, The Drinking Water State Revolving Fund has also provided $52 million to sponsor clean and safe drinking water throughout the Commonwealth.    » read more »

May 27, 2009 -- BOSTON, MA - Senators Edward M. Kennedy and John F. Kerry announced today that Massachusetts will receive $666 million in economic recovery funds through the U.S. Department of Education’s State Fiscal Stabilization Fund. The funds are being made available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed earlier this year.

The $666 million for Massachusetts will be used to protect and create jobs and improve education in the Commonwealth. The funds are intended to save education jobs and keep teachers in the classroom, modernize and strengthen public schools, and provide support to colleges in the current the economic crisis.    » read more »

May 27, 2009 -- BOSTON, MA - Senators Edward M. Kennedy and John F. Kerry announced today that 50 grantees at seventeen biomedical research and research training institutions in Massachusetts have been awarded a total of $9,902,161 in federal funding. The funds come from the National Institute of Health through a program in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to support biomedical research projects that will stimulate the economy, create or retain jobs, increase student-teacher training opportunities in all aspects of biomedical research, and make significant scientific progress in the next two years.    » read more »

May 26, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC -- Senator Edward M. Kennedy today released the following statement on the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court:

“I strongly support President Obama's historic nomination.

"Judge Sotomayor's remarkable life story is an inspiring example of the American dream, and she has a highly distinguished legal background.

"She'll bring intelligence, insight, and experience to the vital work of protecting the fundamental rights and liberties of all Americans.

"She is eminently qualified for the Supreme Court, and I look forward to her prompt confirmation by the Senate.”

Source: Senator Edward M. Kennedy

May 22, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC-- "Rebia Mixon Clay is a full-time home care worker in Chicago who gets up each day and provides quality care to a man with cerebal palsy. She's paid for eight hours a day, but she gives much more. Because she does not have paid sick days, Rebia has not seen a dentist in 13 years. She hasn't gotten the glasses she needs. She hasn't had time to get a mammogram.

"Hard-working Americans like Rebia deserve to know that they can go see a doctor without losing their job," said SEIU Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger, following the introduction late yesterday of "The Healthy Families Act" by Senator Kennedy. Representative DeLauro introduced the legislation into the House of Representatives earlier this week.    » 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 »

April 21, 2009 -- The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act will triple the size of AmeriCorps (from 75,000 to 250,000 members) and focus that service on today’s challenges, including clean energy, education, health care, veterans care, and economic opportunity. The bill will also provide new service opportunities for millions of Americans at all stages of their lives. The legislation will develop a fund to seed and grow successful ideas in the nonprofit sector and build the capacity of the nonprofit sector to use volunteers more effectively.

BACKGROUND ON CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE:

The Corporation for National and Community Service plays a vital role in supporting the American culture of citizenship, service and responsibility.    » read more »

Enactment of Landmark National Service Legislation Provides Innovative Volunteer and Service Opportunities to Meet Needs of New York State Communities

April 21, 2009 -- New York Governor David A. Paterson today applauded President Barack Obama for signing into law the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, as well as Congress for passing this legislation, which will expand national service and volunteer programs, tackle the most pressing community challenges and create a renewed era of civic responsibility.    » read more »

President Obama signs expansion of state and federal AmeriCorps into law; landmark act to honor Sen. Edward M. Kennedy

April 21, 2009 -- DES MOINES – Iowa Governor Chet Culver today commended President Obama for his signing of the “Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act,” which passed the Congress last month with overwhelming bipartisan support. Governor Culver was an early and vocal supporter of the act, which was first introduced in 2007.    » read more »

August 1, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, DC—Today’s jobs numbers showed a loss of 51,000 jobs, the seventh consecutive month of job losses this year. The report also showed that the unemployment rate jumped to 5.7% and the number of unemployed Americans rose to 8.8 million. Anthony Coley, spokesman for Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, released the following statement:

"Today's dismal report confirms that millions of working families continue to struggle to find jobs or keep their jobs. Earlier this summer, Congress passed a temporary extension of unemployment benefits, but Senator Kennedy believes that greater action is needed to create jobs, provide additional unemployment assistance, and rein in runaway energy prices."    » read more »