Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT) today introduced the Best Buddies Empowerment for People with Intellectual Disabilities Act of 2008.  This bill seeks to expand the acclaimed Best Buddies program through federal grants, allowing the organization to raise awareness of their services and ultimately help many more Americans living with intellectual disabilities learn valuable social skills, obtain job coaching, and become more independent members of their communities.

Baucus, Kennedy, Grassley, Enzi, Rockerfeller, Hatch, Dodd met today to discuss prospects for advancing legislation in 111th Congress

Leaders of the Senate Finance Committee and the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee committed today to work together early in the 111^th Congress toward comprehensive health care reform.  Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and HELP Chairman Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) were joined at an afternoon discussion in the U.S. Capitol by Finance Ranking Member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and HELP Ranking Member Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), as well as Finance Health Care Subcommittee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), Health Care Subcommittee Ranking Member Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), and HELP Children and Families Subcommittee Chairman Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.).  The Senators issued a brief statement following the meeting today:

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), a senior member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and the Chairman of its Subcommittee on Children and Families, released the following statement today on a new study by researchers at the University of Missouri indicating that obese children and teens are at risk of heart disease at an earlier age.

Senator Chris Dodd, a senior member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and a longtime supporter of mental health parity, held a press conference at the Institute of Living in Hartford on Wednesday to celebrate the passage of the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008.

Senator Chris Dodd and his wife Jackie Clegg Dodd participated in the Connecticut Walk for Food Allergy in Killingworth on Saturday.  Ms Clegg Dodd was the honorary chair of the walk, which is supported by the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN).

Senator Dodd is a senior member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, and the Chairman of its Subcommittee on Children and Families.  He is the author of the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act, a bill that addresses the critical need for uniform food allergy policies in our schools and early childhood centers while providing the resources schools need to implement them.

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), senior member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) and chair of its subcommittee on Children and Families, welcomed today’s announcement by drug manufacturers that over-the-counter cough and cold medicine should not be given to children under the age of four years old. 

Senators Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), Pete Domenici (R-N.M.), Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), and Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) today praised final House passage of legislation that includes their bipartisan mental health parity agreement that will improve mental health coverage for an estimated 113 million Americans.

In approving the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act (HR.1424) Friday, the House also agreed to a tax extenders package that includes the mental health parity legislation.  The package will now be sent to President Bush, who has indicated his support for the measure.

Senator Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) today joined Senators Pete Domenici (R-N.M.), Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), and Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) to celebrate Senate approval of a broad bipartisan mental health parity agreement and expressed their confidence the Congress would enact the legislation before the impending end of the 110th Congress.

Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Jack Reed (D-RI) today introduced legislation to help Americans better protect themselves from the sun’s harmful rays.  The SUN Act would require the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to strengthen labeling and testing standards for sunscreen products.  Currently, FDA standards require that sunscreen protect against UVB rays, known for causing sunburns and increasing the chance of skin cancer. However, they do not require protection against UVA rays, which are a major cause of skin cancer and premature aging.

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) today joined Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Judd Gregg (R-NH) and Richard Burr (R-NC) in introducing a bipartisan bill which will dramatically improve the way the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) protects the safety of the nation’s food supply. The bill, The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, will give FDA new authorities, tools and resources to comprehensively reform the nation’s food safety systems. The bill is also cosponsored by Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Lamar Alexander (R-TN).