Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) today congratulated Wallingford resident and Choate Rosemary Hall senior Aditya Rajogopalan for being named one of 40 finalists in the Intel Science Talent Search 2009 competition, a program of the Society for the Science and the Public.  Aditya’s research project focused on Modeling Synergistic Cellulolytic-Hemicellulolytic Enzyme Complexes for Lignocellulosic Hydrolysis.

Remarks as Prepared: A year ago, the CEO of a trusted, respected securities firm and a former Chairman of Nasdaq said the following:

Several members of the Connecticut Congressional Delegation condemned today’s announcement by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) of a new tariff that could force Connecticut-based Nestle Waters North America to lay off 100 workers.  Nestle Waters is the largest American importer of Italian mineral water, which would be affected by the new tariff.  Today’s announcement ignores President Obama’s directive that all pending regulations be halted until his Administration can conduct a full legal and policy review of each matter. 

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, issued the following statement this evening after the Senate confirmation of two key members of President Obama’s economic team who were recently vetted by the Committee.  The Senate confirmed by unanimous consent Mr. Shaun Donovan to be Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Honorable Mary Schapiro to be Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, today released the following statement after the Senate voted against a resolution to block the release of funds authorized by the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act:

“The Senate sent an important message today.  The incoming Administration will face many challenges in the days and weeks ahead, and none will be more important than addressing our economic crisis swiftly and strategically.  With this vote, the Senate is providing the Obama Administration with an important tool to stabilize our economy, to help homeowners keep their homes, and to protect the savings of millions of American families.  I am committed to continuing the Committee’s aggressive oversight of this program and to working with the Obama Administration to provide any additional tools it may need to create jobs, to stem the foreclosure crisis, and to put our economy back on a sound footing.”

Remarks as Prepared: This morning, we meet to consider five distinguished individuals who President-elect Obama has designated for nomination to the Securities and Exchange Commission, to the Federal Reserve and to the President’s Council of Economic Advisers – positions critical to restoring confidence in our financial system and to stabilizing our underlying economy. I want to thank each nominee for appearing before this Committee today.

"As Friday’s dismal job numbers show, the economic crisis continues to cripple millions of American families and businesses. We need to strengthen our fragile financial system so that families can access the credit they need to pay for a home, a car and college tuition for their children, and businesses can stock inventory and meet payroll. Regrettably, the program intended to meet these objectives has been grossly mismanaged by the current Administration and has not achieved these goals. President Bush failed to impose key conditions intended by Congress on the program, to explain to the public why the program was needed, or to be transparent with Americans about how their hard-earned dollars were being spent. As a result, many people are confused, angry, and feel like the wool’s been pulled over their eyes.

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, today made the following statement on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicating that 524,000 American jobs were lost last month, the 12th straight month of decline:

"These latest employment numbers confirm the struggle that many families across this country and in my home state of Connecticut are already experiencing. Unfortunately, the prospect of job loss will continue to loom large for families trying to make ends meet, with the jobless rate predicted to continue to rise in coming months.

Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd today will address the Regional Transportation Forum presented by the Connecticut Sierra Club and the National Corridors Initiative. Dodd will speak about the need for investing in our state and nation’s infrastructure in order to create jobs and spur economic growth.

"We have a golden opportunity in the coming months to not only rebuild existing transportation infrastructure and provide new capacity – and we need to – but to also start thinking differently about the role transportation plays in America – about how we get to work and school, how our businesses move and ship products. Not just how we live our lives today, but how we want to live our lives tomorrow."

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), a senior member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) submitted the following statement for the record at this morning’s HELP Committee hearing for the nomination of Secretary of Labor-Designate Hilda Solis: