Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) announced today that Connecticut resident Mary Beth Bruder, Ph.D., has been named a 2008 Angel in Adoption for her work as an advocate for adopted children with special needs.  Senator Dodd nominated Dr. Bruder for the award, which is presented by The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI). CCAI honored Dr. Bruder, along with 180 other Angels, at an awards ceremony and gala event in Washington, DC today.

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), senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Chairman of its Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps, and Narcotics Affairs, took to the floor of the U.S. Senate this afternoon to offer an amendment to the Department of Defense Authorization Bill.  Dodd’s amendment, co-sponsored by Ranking Member Richard Lugar (R-IN), would temporarily ease restrictions on certain regulations in order to address the humanitarian crisis in Cuba caused by Hurricanes Gustav and Ike and Tropical Storms Fay and Hanna.

“The economic crisis facing our country is deepening, as we saw over the weekend with the failure of Lehman Brothers and the sale of Merrill Lynch.  To fully understand the implications of these events, we need to learn more about the Administration’s involvement, and its plans going forward.  At the Treasury Secretary’s request, I have postponed tomorrow’s hearing.

“Millions of Americans are struggling to make ends meet as unemployment rises, home values plummet, and everyday necessities like food and gas cost more than ever before.  The Banking Committee has played a vital role both in revealing the pattern of lax regulatory oversight that helped to create this financial crisis, and in addressing related economic problems by crafting comprehensive legislation passed earlier this year.  As Chairman, I will continue to work on solutions to help Americans weather this storm, including strengthening the housing sector, developing a second stimulus package, and restructuring the regulation of the financial sector.”

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), a Returned Peace Corps volunteer and one of the Senate’s leading champions of national service, today attended the ServiceNation Summit in New York City.   Dodd spoke about his current efforts to expand volunteer opportunities for Americans of all ages.

The full text of Senator Dodd’s remarks as prepared for delivery is below:

Prepared Remarks: I want to take a minute to thank my friend and colleague, Ted Kennedy.  While he may not be here today – he’s here today, believe me.  There is no greater champion of the ideals and goals we are discussing this week.  And he’ll be fighting with us every step of the way to turn them into a reality.

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Chairman of its Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps, and Narcotics Affairs, released the following statement today on the Venezuelan government’s decision to expel United States Ambassador Patrick Duddy.

Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Joe Lieberman (ID-CT), along with Representatives Christopher Shays (R-CT-4) and Chris Murphy (D-CT-5), today sent a letter to Federal Aviation Administration Acting Administrator Robert Sturgell requesting that the FAA carry out the analyses recommended by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in its report on the FAA’s proposed airspace redesign.  The Connecticut elected officials also requested that the FAA respond to several shortcomings highlighted in the GAO report and present a detailed airspace redesign implementation plan to Congress that includes a time and cost schedule, risk mitigation plan, transition planning, and monitoring and evaluation plan.

Senator Chris Dodd, a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Chairman of its Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps, and Narcotics Affairs, released the following statement today on the Bolivian government’s decision to expel United States Ambassador Philip Goldberg.

“I condemn the Bolivian government’s decision to expel U.S. Ambassador Goldberg from La Paz.  This action is unjustified and only serves to further undermine the relationship between the United States and Bolivia.  
 
“I have urged – and continue to urge – Bolivians on all sides of current tensions to “lower the temperature” and restrain from undemocratic, destabilizing actions of any kind.  We do not condone illegal acts by either side, including the violent attacks against economic targets this week.
 
“The United States, including our Embassy in La Paz, is committed to working closely and constructively with all members of Bolivian society on stemming the illegal production and flow of narcotics and other matters of mutual interest.”

Today, Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, issued the following statement on Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data released by the Federal Reserve, which showed that denial rate differences based on race widened from 2006 to 2007:

“This data is further proof of a disturbing and continuing trend of unfair lending practices in our country.  At a time when turmoil in the mortgage markets caused by unfair and unsound lending practices is making credit less available to all Americans, minority borrowers are confronted with significant racial and ethnic disparities when trying to purchase a home.  The Banking Committee will continue to focus on how to address discriminatory lending practices and end these disparities in order to ensure that homeownership is equally available to all Americans.”

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), a senior member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) and the Chairman of its Subcommittee on Children and Families, today announced the final two pieces of legislation in a comprehensive strategy to expand and strengthen service opportunities for all Americans.  He was joined by Senators Thad Cochran (R-MS) and Edward Kennedy (D-MA), the Chairman of the HELP Committee, in introducing the Semester of Service Act and the Encore Service Act.  These bills will target two distinct and critically important populations – young adults and Americans 55 years of age and older.