Today, Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), a senior Democrat on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), Chairman of its Subcommittee on Children and Families, and author of the Combating Autism Act, released the following statement in recognition of World Autism Awareness Day:

“At a time when the number of children and families living with autism has grown exponentially, it is important that we recognize the need to expand our federal commitment to combating this disability.  Autism is the fastest growing developmental disability in the United States, yet we are not committing enough of our federal resources to develop the type of scientific breakthroughs that are needed to combat autism. It is time to redouble our efforts and help the thousands of families who are raising children with autism.”

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), a senior Democrat on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) and Chairman of its Subcommittee on Children and Families, lauded last night’s passage of his amendment to the FY2009 Budget Resolution that increases funding for the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Block Grant by $184 million.  Under the President’s budget, the MCH Block Grant will be funded at $666 million for the second consecutive year.  This amount represents a cut of $65 million from five years ago when funding peaked at $731 million. Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) joined Dodd as the lead co-sponsor of the amendment.

Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Gordon Smith (R-OR) announced passage of several key provisions of their legislation, “The Global Pediatric HIV/AIDS Prevention and Treatment Act of 2007,” as part of the “Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde U.S. Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008 by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee today.  If enacted, Dodd and Smith’s legislation would help prevent thousands of new pediatric HIV infections, improve the treatment of children living with HIV/AIDS throughout the world, and improve outcomes for HIV-affected women and families. 

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), a senior Democrat on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) and Chairman of its Subcommittee on Children and Families, lauded the passage of his amendment to the FY2009 Budget Resolution that increases funding for autism research, education, and early detection by $197 million.  This increase brings autism funding up to its authorized level and then provides for a doubling of funding research into the causes of and treatments for autism. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) joined Dodd as the lead co-sponsor of the amendment.

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), senior member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and Chairman of its Subcommittee on Children and Families, announced the introduction of the Disabilities Savings Act of 2008 at an event with Autism Speaks Co-Founders Bob and Suzanne Wright, Stuart Spielman, the father of a teenage son with Autism, Kathy Neas of Easter Seals, and families of children with autism and other disabilities.

Purpose:

To encourage individuals with disabilities and their families to save private funds for disability-related expenses to supplement, not supplant, benefits provided by other sources (including Medicaid and private insurance) so that people with disabilities can maintain health, independence, and quality of life.

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) today applauded Senate passage of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) bill.  The bill contains two provisions authored by Senator Dodd; one that would implement a federal safety standard for equestrian helmets sold in the United States and another that would prohibit the manufacture or sale of swimming pool drain covers that do not meet anti-entrapment safety standards and pose a threat of accidental drowning.   

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), a senior Democrat on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) and chairman of its Subcommittee on Children and Families, lauded last night’s House passage of the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Parity Act.  If enacted into law, this legislation would help ensure that all Americans who have insurance coverage for physical ailments cannot be discriminated against for needing comparable insurance coverage for a mental illness.  The Senate approved mental health parity legislation last year, which Senator Dodd cosponsored.    

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Remarks as prepared: I’d like to thank you all for coming to this important hearing on the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP. For 27 winters, since 1981, LIHEAP has helped millions of people pay their heating bills and keep their families warm.

Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Jack Reed (D-RI) yesterday continued their years-long fight to ensure that Americans are adequately informed of the level of protection contained in sunscreen products against harmful UVA and UVB rays. In the latest of a series of correspondence between the Senators and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner, Dodd and Reed sent a letter urging the FDA to finalize a rule it has proposed that will strengthen labeling and testing standards for sunscreen products.  Currently, the FDA requires that sunscreen protect against UVB rays, known for causing sunburn and increasing the incidence of skin cancer, but does not require protection against UVA rays, which are a major cause of skin cancer and premature aging.