Bingaman Replaces Clinton, Joins Dodd, Harkin and Mikulski in Expanded Roles

Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), today announced that Senator Jeff Bingaman will lead the committee’s health care reform working group on insurance coverage. Senator Bingaman replaces Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, President-elect Barack Obama’s nominee for Secretary of State.

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), a senior member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, and Chairman of its Subcommittee on Children and Families, today issued the following statement on President-Elect Obama’s announcement of the nomination of former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle to be Secretary of Health and Human Services.  Daschle will also serve as Director of a new White House Office on Health Care Reform and Jeanne Lambrew will serve as its Deputy Director:

On Monday, Roll Call published the following op-ed by Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT). Senator Dodd is the Chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee.

On election night, President-elect Barack Obama said, “This is a defining moment in our history.” If that is so — and I believe it is — then putting our country back on a sound economic footing is our defining challenge. Our economic crisis is the center of gravity to which all our other problems are being pulled.

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), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs and a senior member of both the Committees on Foreign Relations and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, held a press conference today where he announced that he will continue to serve as the Chairman of the Banking Committee and laid out what his priorities will be for Connecticut and the Committee.

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 (D-CT), Chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, today released the following statement after the House of Representatives passed and the President signed the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act:

“I commend Chairman Frank, Speaker Pelosi, and Congressmen Emanuel, Boehner and Blunt for their contributions to this bipartisan, bicameral effort.   

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-CT), Chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, today released the following statement after the Senate passed the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act:

“The legislation that the Senate passed tonight is the product of thoughtful and deliberate bipartisan cooperation, and is a vast improvement over the blank check that the Administration sought just days ago.  The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act will not only provide stability and confidence to our financial markets, but also will help American families who are struggling to make ends meet.  The legislation gives the Treasury Secretary the authority to respond quickly and forcibly to the current crisis, while creating strong protections for American taxpayers, helping to preserve the American dream of homeownership, and cracking down on excessive compensation for corporate executives who made bad decisions.