Ted Kennedy (1932-2009) Part 1

Below are highlights of Teddy Kennedy's Senate career taken from his Senate website. I'll write something more personal later.

Why He Was “The Lion of the Senate”

1962

Edward M. Kennedy is elected to the United States Senate.

1964

Senator Kennedy makes his maiden speech to the Senate on the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which was signed on July 2, 1964, and outlawed segregation in public accommodations. He also strongly supported the Economic Opportunity Act, a key bill in President Johnson’s war on poverty, which was signed on August 20, 1964.

1965

The first major bill that Senator Kennedy managed on the Senate floor was the Immigration Act of 1965. It was enacted and stood as a major turning point in immigration and civil rights policy because it eliminated discriminatory immigration quotas which favored European immigration, but restricted immigration from other parts of the world. The National Teacher Corps, which awarded scholarships to college students who agreed to teach for at least two years in economically-distressed rural and urban areas after graduation, a program which continues today. He was also a strong and vocal supporter of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, to end discrimination against minorities in voting.

1968

Senator Kennedy was a strong supporter of the Fair Housing Act of 1968, the third major civil rights legislation of the decade after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. As a result of Senator Kennedy's championing of bilingual education, the Bilingual Education Act of 1968 was passed by Congress.

1969

Senator Kennedy gives his first speech calling for national health insurance for all Americans. His amendment creating a minimum tax — the so-called “Alternative Minimum Tax” — becomes law, setting a limit on the amount of taxation for middle-income Americans.

1970

Senator Kennedy amended the Voting Rights Act to lower the voting age to 18, laying the basis for a constitutional amendment moving the voting age from 21 to age 18. He was also a leader in enacting the Occupational Health and Safety Act to protect workers on jobs and the Older American Community Service Employment Act. To ease the high cost of home heating, Senator Kennedy actively worked to create a fuel assistance program for low-income persons now known as the Low Income Heating Energy Assistance Program or “LIHEAP”. He was also responsible for legislation laying the basis for the “War on Cancer” by quadrupling funds for cancer research and prevention. When President Nixon attempted to pocket veto Senator Kennedy’s Family Protection of Medicine Act, the Senate won a court decision invalidating the pocket veto and enacting the law.

1971

Senator Kennedy becomes Chairman of the Senate Health Subcommittee. He held a series of field hearings around the country on national health insurance, and is a leader in passing the National Cancer Act to expand research on all aspects of cancer.

1972

Senator Kennedy champions the Meals on Wheels Act, which offers nutritional meals to homebound senior citizens and the Women, Infants, and Children Nutrition Program, known as WIC, which offers food, nutrition counseling, and health services to low-income women, infants, and children. Kennedy was also a key supporter of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which protects women from discrimination in educational institutions and increases opportunities for women to participate in college sports.

1974

After the CIA-backed military coup that toppled democratic government in Chile and brought General Pinochet to power, Senator Kennedy leads the fight to cut off U.S. military aid to Chile. His amendment to the foreign aid bill marked the first time that Congress had ended military aid to another nation. Kennedy and Wilbur Mills, Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, introduced comprehensive legislation providing national health insurance.

1975

Senator Kennedy was an original cosponsor of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, which later became the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and requires a free and appropriate public education for children with disabilities in every state.

1978

Senator Kennedy led the successful effort to deregulate the airline industry, enabling airlines to set competitive rates and reduce costs for consumers.

1980

Senator Kennedy introduced the Civil Rights for Institutionalized Persons Act, which enforced the constitutional rights of persons in government institutions such as the elderly, the disabled, the mentally ill, and the incarcerated. The Act ensures humane living conditions and also protected the religious practices of the institutionalized. Senator Kennedy also authored the Refugee Act of 1980, setting a standard for who gets political asylum in the United States and which refugees are rescued from persecution.

1982

Senator Kennedy sponsors the Job Training Partnership Act to educate and train the nation's front-line workforce and reinstates the Summer Job Program. With Senator Mark Hatfield, he proposed a Nuclear Freeze Resolution to halt the nuclear arms race.

1984

Senator Kenedy is a strong supporter of the Comprehensive Crime Control Act and its major reform of federal sentencing standards to end widespread disparities in the sentences of similar offenders.

1985

Senator Kennedy introduces the Anti-Apartheid Act to impose economic sanctions against South Africa in response to pressure that government to end legalized racial discrimination in that country. The Act ultimately won broad bipartisan support in Congress and was enacted into law when Congress overrode President Reagan’s veto.

1986

Senator Kennedy sponsors several bills to assist persons with disabilities, including the Employment Opportunities for Disabled Americans Act, which made work incentives for disabled individuals part of the Social Security Act; the Handicapped Children’s Protection Act, overturning a Supreme Court decision and enabling courts to award attorneys fees to parents of children with disabilities in litigation under the Education Act; and the Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments, authorizing grants for early learning for infants and toddlers with disabilities.

1987

Senator Kennedy led the opposition to the nomination of Robert Bork to the Supreme Court.

1988

Senator Kennedy introduced the Fair Housing Act Amendments to extend the law to prohibit discrimination towards people with disabilities in the sale or rental of housing. Kennedy was also a sponsor of legislation that provided funds to all 50 states to raise awareness about the uses of assistive technology to significantly improve the lives of people with disabilities. Kennedy also introduced legislation to require companies to give sixty-days’ notice to employees before closing a plant that would cost fifty or more workers their jobs — the so-called “WARN Act” whose provisions are in effect today.

1989

Senator Kennedy won passage of the National Military Child Care Act, which established the Defense Department’s child care system that is still viewed as one of the best in the country today.

1990

On July 26, 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act was enacted into law. Introduced by Senator Kennedy, the Act prohibits discrimination against any qualified individual with a disability in job application procedures, hiring or discharge, compensation, advancement or training. Senator Kennedy was also sponsor of the Immigration Act of 1990 to expand immigration quotas to reunite families in the U.S. and to meet economic needs, which was signed into law. Senator Kennedy also introduced, with Senator Hatch, the Ryan White CARE Act, which provides emergency relief to the thirteen cities most affected by the AIDS epidemic, and substantial assistance to all states to develop effective and cost-efficient AIDS care programs, particularly for early diagnosis and home care. Kennedy was also the lead sponsor of the immigration reforms, which increased quotas for family immigration, established a diversity visa program and a temporary safe haven for persons fleeing oppressive governments.

1991

Senator Kennedy was the chief sponsor of the Civil Rights Act of 1991, which strengthened existing protections and remedies available under federal civil rights laws, including the provision of remedies for intentional discrimination and harassment in the workplace. Senator Kennedy also supported a bill to repeal the ban on women serving as combat aviators, making it possible for women to have a full and complete role in our national defense.

1992

Senator Kennedy’s action on the Summer Jobs for Youth Program resulted in a $500 million supplemental appropriation for summer jobs for 300,000 additional youths. Amid serious concerns over the quality of mammography, Kennedy helped pass the Mammography Quality Standards Act to guarantee the safety and accuracy of mammograms and to encourage their use.

1993

Senator Kennedy helped establish the Direct Lending program which allowed the U.S. Department of Education to provide low-cost loans to college students to cover education expenses. In addition, the Senator sponsored the National and Community Service Trust Act, which created AmeriCorps and the Corporation for National and Community Service to expand opportunities for Americans to serve their communities, including education grants for students who agree to volunteer for service after college.

1994

Senator Kennedy’s leadership brought about the passage of the landmark Family and Medical Leave Act and the School-to-Work Opportunities Act, which provided seed money for local school-to-work programs designed and operated by local business, education, community and labor leaders. He also sponsored the Human Services Reauthorization Act, which expanded funding to communities, put Head Start on a path to reach all eligible children and expanded it to cover pregnant women and young children in the 0-3 age group, and reauthorized the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program to help families pay their heating bills. Kennedy was also a leader in the passage of the Crime Act, which funded 100,000 new police officers, imposed new penalties for crimes involving gangs or firearms, and created the Police Corps, a program that provides college scholarships for talented young persons in return for their commitment to serve as police officers in their communities. The Senator’s biggest disappointment of his years in the Senate was the adjournment of Congress this year without passing President Clinton’s call health reform legislation.

1996

Senator Kennedy and Senator Nancy Kassebaum sponsored the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which guarantees the continuation of health insurance coverage for the millions of Americans who change jobs or lose their jobs.

1997

With Senator Hatch, Senator Kennedy led the successful effort to enact the major Children’s Health Insurance Program, which has brought quality health care to millions of children in low and moderate income families.

1999

Senator Kennedy and Senator Jeffords also increased job training opportunities for unemployed and at risk by passing the “Work Incentives Improvement Act.”

2000

Senator Kennedy is the lead sponsor of the Minority Health and Health Disparities Research and Education Act, which addresses the lead to pervasive health disparities between minorities and other Americans, and also included an authorization for significant resources to improve the delivery of health care to minorities. Kennedy also sponsored the Pediatric Graduate Medical Education Act, which provides essential support for training programs at children’s hospitals across the country. Senator Kennedy also led the successful effort to provide federal compensation and medical benefits to Department of Energy employees who become ill because of their dangerous conditions at work.

2001

Senator Kennedy works with President Bush to pass the landmark No Child Left Behind Act, which contains substantial reforms to help close the achievement gaps among students in public schools and improve the quality of education for all students. Following the attacks of September 11th, 2001, Senator Kennedy called together disaster relief and mental health organizations to plan a coordinated response to meet the mental health needs of families of victims of the tragedy.

2002

Senator Kennedy was one of the first in Congress to speak out against going to war with Iraq. He was one of 23 Senators who voted against the war and continued to be one of its leading critics. Senator Kennedy introduced the bipartisan Bioterrorism Preparedness Act to help the country prevent, prepare for, and respond to bioterrorism and other public health emergencies. Senator Kennedy was the lead Democratic sponsor of the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Reform Act to strengthen the security of our borders and improve our ability to screen foreign nationals and deter potential terrorists. To establish positive ties with the people of the Muslim world, Senator Kennedy and Senator Richard Lugar established a program to provide scholarships for secondary school students from countries with significant Muslim populations and enabling the students spend up to one year living in the United States with American host families. Since the program began, 2,700 students from more than 30 Muslim countries have participated in it.

2003

Senator Kennedy led the effort to strengthen law enforcement in case of exploitation or abduction of children. His legislation provided funds for AMBER Alert notification systems along U.S. highways, and grants to states to improve communication.

2004

Senator Kennedy was a lead sponsor of bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The legislation included bipartisan improvements in special education services for six and a half million students in the nation, including 30,000 additional special education teachers, better education training, and expanded technologies for disabled children. Senator Kennedy also sponsored the Project Bioshield Act, to enable medical and biotechnology researchers to create more effective defenses to biological threats.

2006

Senator Kennedy sponsors the Family Opportunity Act, which enables states to expand Medicaid coverage for children with special needs and enables low- and middle-income families with disabled children to purchase coverage under Medicaid. For many disabled children, Medicaid is the only health insurance program offering sufficient benefits to cover the required care, such as physical therapy and medical equipment. After the disasters at the Sago and Alma Mines, Senator Kennedy successfully championed major reforms of the nation’s mine safety laws including updated technology for mines, stricter safety standards, and stricter enforcement. Senator Kennedy was also was a lead sponsor of the Pension Protection Act, the largest reform of the pension system in three decades, which strengthened the financial condition of pension plans, improved their transparency, and added new worker and taxpayer protections.

2007

Senator Kennedy led the effort that renewed the Ryan White Care Act with greater focus on prevention, chronic care, quality of life, and new and emerging therapies. Congress also passed legislation proposed by Senator Kennedy to strengthen FDA’s regulatory authority over drugs after they are approved. The bill was termed by experts to be the most significant strengthening of drug safety in a century. Senator Kennedy’s College Cost Reduction and Access Act authorized the largest increase in student aid since the GI bill in 1944 and established a loan forgiveness program to allow more college graduates to go into public service.

2008

Senator Kennedy worked with Senator Enzi, with the help of Senator Mikulski, to pass the Higher Education Opportunity Act, which reauthorized the Higher Education Act for the first time in a decade. This legislation focused on four major areas: expanding grant aid for the neediest students; addressing the ethical scandals in the student loan marketplace; simplifying the application process for Federal financial aid; and holding colleges more accountable for their costs. After more than 10 years of effort, Senator Kennedy and Senator Domenici worked together to enact the Mental Health Parity Act, requiring insurance companies to provide benefits for mental illnesses equal to the benefits for physical illnesses and assuring equity for 113 million Americans. Senator Kennedy also led the enactment of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, prohibiting insurers and employers from discriminating against people due to their genes.

2009

Senator Kennedy championed the health and employment provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which included incentives for the adoption of health information technology, provisions to expand access to unemployment insurance and to help those who lose their jobs to keep their health insurance, and investments to improve the quality of health. Senator Kennedy was also a leader in passing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to restore workers’ ability to fight pay discrimination, the first major legislation signed by President Obama. In addition, Senator Kennedy and Senator Hatch, led the enactment of the Serve America Act, which expands service opportunities for Americans of every age. Senator Kennedy has long been a leader in seeking to strengthen federal hate crime law. Senator Kennedy’s Health Committee was also the first committee in Congress to pass comprehensive health reform legislation called for by President Obama — the Affordable Health Choices Act that will reduce health costs, protect individuals’ choice in doctors and plans, and assure quality and affordable health care for all Americans.