Chair's Press

WASHINGTON, DC— Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, released the following statement in response to the announcements by Citibank and Chase to not provide student loans to community colleges or proprietary schools. “The Citibank and Chase announcements highlight the need...

WASHINGTON, DC – Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, released the following statement in celebration of last night’s Senate passage of the Traumatic Brain Injury Act Reauthorization. The bill was passed in the House of Representatives earlier this week, and will now be sent to the...

WASHINGTON, DC— Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy sent the following letter to the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, Ed Foulke, calling attention to the three years that have passed since the disaster at the Texas City Refinery, and the full year that has passed since the Chemical Safety and Hazard...

BOSTON, MA- On Friday, April 4th at 6:00 PM, Senator Edward M. Kennedy will discuss the importance of federal investment in education for students, parents and advocates at the annual Council for Exceptional Children’s Yes I Can! Awards at the Sheraton Boston Hotel. Kennedy will receive the Outstanding Public Service Award for his...

Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Chairman of the Committee on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, issued the following statement in response to today's jobs numbers showing that 80,000 more jobs were eliminated in March, for a total of 232,000 jobs lost this year. The unemployment rate is now up to 5.1%, the highest it has been since...

WASHINGTON, DC— Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Chairman of Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, released the following statement in response to Secretary Spelling’s announcement on No Child Left Behind this morning. “I’m glad that Secretary Spellings recognizes the need to adjust the No Child Left Behind Act....

WASHINGTON, DC— Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, released the following statement in response to the FDA’s announcement that they have identified the contaminant in the blood thinner heparin, a chemical compound called oversulfated chondroitin sulfate. Senator Kennedy...

WASHINGTON, DC— Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, sent the following letters to the FDA and four industry groups urging an investigation into the sourcing of ingredients used in drugs. The text of the letters are below.

BOSTON, MA- Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Chairman of the U.S. Senate's Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, today chaired a Senate field hearing on the challenges of college affordability in today's economy at Northeastern University. In the wake of the turbulence in the credit markets, access to student loan financing is...

WASHINGTON, DC— Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, released the following statement in response to the passage of budget amendment #4023, which will provide an additional $2.1 billion in funding to NIH and $1 billion for LIHEAP. “This vote is a victory in two key areas....

WASHINGTON, DC— Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy released the following statement in response to budget amendment #4198, which will increase the amount allocated to Indian Health Services by $1 billion. “I strongly support the additional $1 billion provided under this amendment for the Indian Health Services. The funds will be used to...

WASHINGTON, DC— Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, issued the following statement on the breakdown in negotiations between the United Auto Workers and American Axle and Manufacturing Holdings Inc.: “I urge American Axle to work to reach a contract with the UAW. The men and...

WASHINGTON, DC— Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, released the following statement in response to the Senate passage of $5.1 billion in LIHEAP funding, which increases the formula allotment for Massachusetts to $154 million. This funding level will provide an average benefit of...

WASHINGTON, DC— Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, introduced the United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act. The bipartisan legislation moves the program beyond the emergency phase of implementation into the sustainability...

WASHINGTON, DC—Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Chairman of the United States Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, released an investigative report entitled “Report on the August 6, 2007 Disaster At Crandall Canyon Mine.” The report discusses the findings of Chairman Kennedy's investigation into...

WASHINGTON, DC— Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy issued the following statement on the launch of the online rally for paid sick days at EverybodyGetsSick.org. “To help stem the alarming outbreak of flu, health officials are urging sick workers to stay home from their jobs and sick children to stay home from school. But for millions...

BOSTON, MA- Senators Edward M. Kennedy and John F. Kerry today announced $ 3.9 million in federal funding has been awarded to Massachusetts under the Emergency Food and Shelter Program to support food, shelter, rent, mortgage and utility assistance programs for persons facing non-disaster related emergencies. “No one in our Commonwealth...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy and Governor Deval Patrick met with Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt to discuss the renewal of Massachusetts’ Medicaid waiver. The waiver helps hundreds of thousands in Massachusetts receive life-saving health care services. Today’s meeting was the first in what...

WASHINGTON, DC— Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, released the following statement today in response to the Supreme Court’s ruling in Riegel v. Medtronic, which prevents injured patients from suing manufacturers of FDA-approved medical devices. “In enacting legislation on...

(As Prepared for Delivery) In these hard economic times, Americans are anxious about the future. Balancing the demands of work and family is getting more and more difficult every day. Times are especially hard for families facing a health care crisis.It’s difficult enough to deal with a serious illness in your family without the added worry...