Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) today accepted the 2008 Good Apple Award, which was presented to him by Connecticut Appleseed for his work in Congress to develop solutions to social problems facing the state.  As a senior member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, and the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, Senator Dodd has worked to improve the lives of children and hardworking families in Connecticut and across the nation, and is committed to restoring the American dream of homeownership. 

D.C. – As part of National Food Allergy Awareness Week, Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee on Children and Families, today convened a subcommittee hearing to examine the impact of food allergies on children and families.  Senator Dodd authored and introduced the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act, a bill that addresses the critical need for uniform and consistent food allergy policies in our schools while providing them with the resources they need to implement them.   

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) today met with Norwich officials, including the Mayor Ben Lathrop, City Manager Alan Bergren, Human Services Officer Beverly Goulet, Emergency Management Officer Gene Arters, Fire Chief Ken Scandariato, and Police Chief Louis Fusaro, to receive a briefing on this weekend’s fire at the 120-unit Peachtree Garden Apartments complex on Westledge Drive. Dodd expressed to city officials that his staff will be available to help the city and the victims cope with this disaster.   

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) commended the President for yesterday signing his bill to educate parents and health care providers about the importance of newborn screening, improve follow-up care for infants with an illness detected through newborn screening, and help states expand and improve their newborn screening programs. Dodd first introduced the “Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act” in 2002 and Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) joined him as the lead cosponsor last year.

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), a senior member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, today lauded Senate passage of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2007 (GINA), a bill that will bar health insurance companies from using genetic information to set premiums or determine eligibility and prevent employers from using genetic information in hiring, firing or promotion decisions. Dodd, who has been a cosponsor of GINA since 1997, went to the Senate floor today to call for the bill’s passage.

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) today made the following statement in honor of Equal Pay Day. Dodd is a senior member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and an original sponsor of The Fair Pay Restoration Act, a bill that would restore the clear intent of Congress that workers must have a reasonable time to file a pay discrimination claim with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), senior member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee and Chairman of its Subcommittee on Children and Families, praised the passage of a Senate Resolution he co-authored with Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN), designating the third week of April as “National Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness Week.”

Introduces Bill to Ensure Access to “PLUS Loans”

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), senior member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee and Chairman of its Subcommittee on Children and Families, was joined by Senators Kennedy (D-MA), Brown (D-OH), Murray (D-WA), Sanders (I-VT), and Clinton (D-NY) in introducing the PLUS Loan Borrower Protection Act today.  The bill is designed to ensure that students and parents can qualify for PLUS loans even if they have had trouble making their mortgage payments in light of the recent mortgage market meltdown.

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), a senior member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee and Chairman of its Subcommittee on Children and Families, made the following statement to honor the Week of the Young Child:

Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the “Week of the Young Child.” With 20 million children under the age of 5 in this country, these children are our country’s future, and we must support and invest in our future. Providing children with access to quality early education programs will help to ensure that all children are not only ready for school, but ready to succeed and reach their full potential.

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), a senior member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, the Chairman of its Subcommittee on Children and Families, and the sponsor of the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act of 2007, made the following statement on the food allergy legislation approved by the House Tuesday.