August 26, 2009

CONTACT:

“I was deeply saddened by the passing of Senator Kennedy.  He was a great man who dedicated his life to public service.  

“It’s especially remarkable that a man from such a privileged background would make it his life’s work to improve the lot of the poor, the elderly, the disenfranchised, and the disabled – but like his brothers, Teddy Kennedy was committed to giving back to the country that had given his family so much.  

“In more than 4 decades in the Senate, Ted Kennedy led the fight to make our nation’s health, education, labor, and civil rights policies more progressive – and did more to improve the lives of regular Americans than most elected officials could ever imagine.  He held a unique position in the Senate, with friends on both sides of the aisle and the gifts necessary to cross ideological divides and find common ground that benefited the nation.  

“Our country has lost a strong and skillful leader with his passing – and, sadly, we’ve lost him in the midst of a struggle to achieve his life-long dream of affordable, high-quality health care for all Americans.  I hope that Congress will cap his career and complete his legacy by finding common ground and passing meaningful health care reform in the coming months.”

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