Senator Chris Dodd visited Norden Systems in Norwalk on Monday to announce new funding that will allow this defense contractor to continue building critical radar equipment for the U.S. Military. Dodd made the announcement in a meeting with company employees and also toured the plant.

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), a senior member of the Foreign Relations Committee and Chairman of its Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps, and Narcotics Affairs, today spoke in support of the U.S. – India Nuclear Cooperation Agreement currently being considered by the Senate.  Dodd is serving as the manager of the bill on the Senate floor today. 

Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Joe Lieberman (ID-CT) today announced they secured more than $19.2 billion for the Connecticut defense industry and $106 million for military construction projects in the state.  The funding, which was approved by the Senate today as part of the Defense and the Military Construction/Veterans Affairs Appropriations Acts, will boost Connecticut’s economy and help ensure that soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen - active duty, national guard, and reserve forces, have the resources and support they need to successfully perform their missions. 

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) made the following opening statement at today’s Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the U.S. – India Peaceful Nuclear Cooperation Agreement.  Dodd, who is a senior member of the Foreign Relations Committee and Chairman of its Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps, and Narcotics Affairs, chaired the hearing at the request of Chairman Joe Biden (D-DE). 

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), released the following statement today after the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense approved a preliminary version of the Fiscal Year 2009 Defense Appropriations Bill.  If passed by the Congress and signed into law by the President, the bill will provide critical funding for Connecticut’s defense industry, particularly in the areas of submarine and aircraft purchases, as well as critical radar technology research. 

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) released the following statement today in remembrance of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.  Today, Dodd will attend the dedication of the Pentagon Memorial to victims of the 9/11 attacks.

“Today, Jackie and I have the victims and family members of the innocent Americans who lost their lives in the attacks of September 11^th in our thoughts and our prayers.  We will never forget that dreadful day and the unfathomable loss that our country suffered.

Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Richard Shelby (R-AL), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, today announced that they have reached a bipartisan agreement on legislation that will expand U.S. sanctions on Iran with respect to weapons proliferation, support for terrorism, and the destabilization of its neighbors in the Middle East.  The Banking Committee will consider the legislation on Thursday.

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) released the following statement today after President Bush signed the FISA Amendments Act into law.

“With one stroke of his pen, the President has ensured that the truth behind his unprecedented domestic spying regime will never see the light of day. But the fight must go on. I will continue to stand up for the rule of law and the civil liberties of all Americans at every opportunity, and will strongly support efforts to challenge the constitutionality of this decision in the courts.  I can only hope that the courts will be able to correct the mistake the Congress and President have made.”

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) made the following statement today after the Senate voted to pass the FISA Amendments Act:

“Today, the United States Senate faced a very fundamental question that has been asked for generations: Does America stand for the rule of law, or the rule of men?  But by passing FISA legislation that grants retroactive immunity to the telecom companies that allegedly participated in President Bush’s warrantless wiretapping program, we gave the wrong answer.   

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) today responded to the announcement by the Department of Defense that the Air Force will hold a new competition to select the manufacturer of the next generation of air refueling tankers.  This decision comes shortly after the Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) decision to uphold a protest by the U.S.-based Boeing Corporation that the Air Force improperly awarded the $35 billion contract to Northrop Grumman and European aircraft manufacturer Airbus.