The TedKennedy.com JournalSTAND AGAINST TORTURETue Nov 13, 09:36 AM
The following email was sent by Senator Kennedy:
–Erie Meyer | Permalink SENATOR EDWARD M. KENNEDY ON IRAQ SUPPLEMENTALThu May 24, 04:39 PM
This so-called compromise doesn’t do nearly enough to end the war, and I intend to vote against it. I support our troops. They’ve fought bravely and with great courage under extraordinarily difficult circumstances. –Jill McCarthy | Permalink KENNEDY REMARKS ON 4TH ANNIVERSARY OF “MISSION ACCOMPLISHED”Tue May 1, 08:59 PM
On May 1, 2003, four years ago today, President Bush dressed up in a flight suit, flew out to the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, and stood below a “Mission Accomplished” banner declaring an end to major combat operations in Iraq. Three thousand one hundred ninety six-American soldiers have been killed since the President took that arrogant and premature victory lap, including sixty-nine from Massachusetts. For them, for their families and loved ones, and for the nation, the mission was far from accomplished, and still is. –Jill McCarthy | Permalink STATEMENT OF SENATOR EDWARD M. KENNEDY IN RESPONSE TO PRESIDENT BUSH’S VETO OF IRAQ LEGISLATIONTue May 1, 06:12 PM
“The President is wrong to veto the Iraq spending bill and reject its needed timeline for the orderly, responsible, and safe withdrawal of our forces from Iraq. He was wrong to lead us into the war, wrong to conduct it so poorly, wrong to refuse to change course. –Jill McCarthy | Permalink STATEMENT BY SENATOR KENNEDY IN ADVANCE OF ADMINISTRATION PROPOSAL ON IRAQ REFUGEESMon Mar 26, 06:21 PM
BOLD ACTION IS NEEDED TO CONFRONT THIS CRISIS Washington, DC: Today Senator Kennedy issued the following statement in response to the State Department’s announcement that they will soon propose legislation on Iraqi refugees. Kennedy, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Refugees, held the first Congressional hearing on Iraqi refugees earlier this year and has lead the charge for the U.S. to help solve this emerging crisis. –Jill McCarthy | Permalink KENNEDY SAYS NEW IRAQ REPORT UNDERSCORES THE ESCALATION IS WRONGHEADEDThu Mar 15, 10:09 AM
Report from the Pentagon Describes the Situation in Iraq as a Civil War Washington, DC: Today, in response to a new report from the Pentagon that describes the situation in Iraq as a civil war, Senator Kennedy issued the following statement. Senator Kennedy authored the legislation that required the Administration to issue this quarterly report. –Jill McCarthy | Permalink Statement by Senator Edward M. Kennedy on Iraq LegislationWed Mar 14, 12:19 PM
This is a defining moment. The American people are watching. The world is watching. The issue is clear: will we stand with our soldiers by changing their mission and beginning to bring them home? Or will we stand with the President and keep our soldiers in Iraq’s civil war? –Jill McCarthy | Permalink KENNEDY: THE ADMINISTRATION MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE CONDITIONS AT WALTER REEDTue Mar 6, 02:33 PM
Today at the Senate Armed Services Committee Hearing on the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Senator Edward M. Kennedy questioned Administration officials about their responsibility in preventing the inexcusable conditions that our wounded troops have endured. Kennedy also focused his questions on the vast under-reporting of the number of wounded soldiers – which clearly has implications in both the long and short term care our troops receive. –Jill McCarthy | Permalink STATEMENT BY SENATOR EDWARD M. KENNEDY ON PRIME MINISTER BLAIR’S REDEPLOYMENT ANNOUNCEMENTWed Feb 21, 08:02 AM
“Prime Minister Blair’s announced redeployment of British troops is a stunning rejection of President Bush’s high risk Iraq policy. No matter how the White House tries to spin it, the British government has decided to split with President Bush and begin to move their troops out of Iraq. This should be a wake up call to the Administration. Eighteen other countries have already withdrawn or dramatically reduced their troop presence in Iraq and Denmark announced a planned withdrawal today. A majority of the American people voted last November for a changed policy in Iraq. A majority of the House and the Senate, a unanimous Baker- Hamilton Commission and numerous generals have rejected the Administration’s policy in Iraq. And now our country’s strongest ally has rejected it. –Jill McCarthy | Permalink KENNEDY QUESTIONS GENERAL SCHOOMAKER ON LACK OF ARMOR FOR OUR TROOPS IN IRAQThu Feb 15, 12:30 PM
Washington, DC: Today at the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, Senator Edward M. Kennedy questioned General Peter J. Schoomaker, Army Chief of Staff, about the lack of adequate armor for our men and women serving in Iraq. Senator Kennedy has repeatedly fought for increased funding for the protection of our troops. On January 10th he and Senator Dodd sent a letter to Secretary Gates outlining concerns and, receiving no response, Senator Kennedy sent an additional letter to General Schoomaker on February 12th. –Jill McCarthy | Permalink STATEMENT BY SENATOR EDWARD M. KENNEDY IN RESPONSE TO PRESIDENT BUSH’S COMMENTS ON IRAQThu Feb 15, 09:00 AM
–Jill McCarthy | Permalink KENNEDY RESPONSE TO ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCEMENT ON IRAQI REFUGEESThu Feb 15, 08:52 AM
Washington, D.C.—Today the State Department made an announcement that several thousand Iraqi refugee referrals would be processed and funds would be given to the UNHCR. Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Refugees, held the first Congressional hearing on this issue last month and has lead the charge for the U.S. to help solve this emerging crisis. Below is his response: –Jill McCarthy | Permalink KENNEDY QUESTIONS SECRETARY GATES ON THE ‘SECRET SURGE’ AND GENERAL PACE ON ADEQUATE ARMOR FOR OUR TROOPSTue Feb 6, 11:15 AM
KENNEDY QUESTIONS SECRETARY GATES ON THE ‘SECRET SURGE’ AND GENERAL PACE ON ADEQUATE ARMOR FOR OUR TROOPS CBO ESTIMATES 35,000 – 48,000 IS THE ACCURATE TOTAL FOR THE SURGE Washington, DC: Today at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Edward M. Kennedy questioned Secretary Robert Gates about the total of the surge, citing a recent CBO estimate that a more accurate number will be 35,000 – 48,000. Senator Kennedy also questioned General Peter Pace on reports that the new troops will not have the adequate armor that need. –Jill McCarthy | Permalink STATEMENT BY SENATOR EDWARD M. KENNEDY IN SUPPORT OF BIPARTISAN IRAQ RESOLUTIONThu Feb 1, 12:54 PM
Mr. President, I support the bipartisan compromise legislation on Iraq, and I urge my colleagues to support it as well. It’s a stunning repudiation of the President’s misguided strategy in Iraq, and it will put the Senate squarely on record in opposition to the surge. It’s a clarion call for change, and a vote of no confidence in the President’s failed policy. –Jill McCarthy | Permalink STATEMENT BY SENATOR EDWARD M. KENNEDY ON CONGRESS’ CONSTITUTIONAL POWER TO END A WARTue Jan 30, 02:36 PM
I commend Senator Feingold for chairing this very important hearing. The Iraq war is the overarching issue of our time, and Congress’s power to shape and, if necessary, end the war is a subject of critical importance. –Jill McCarthy | Permalink KENNEDY QUESTIONS ADMIRAL WILLIAM FALLON ON IRANTue Jan 30, 02:33 PM
Iran has become an increasingly more powerful player in the Middle East. But its nuclear ambitions and support for international terrorism are a threat to regional stability and to our national security. The question is what we do about it. –Jill McCarthy | Permalink FLOOR STATEMENT BY SENATOR EDWARD M. KENNEDY ON NEED FOR BINDING IRAQ LEGISLATIONThu Jan 25, 05:08 PM
The President continues to insist on his policy of escalating the war in Iraq, when many of us are increasingly convinced that de-escalation is the only realistic strategy. –Jill McCarthy | Permalink STATEMENT BY SENATOR EDWARD M. KENNEDY IN RESPONSE TO PRESIDENT BUSH’S STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESSTue Jan 23, 10:58 PM
Washington, DC: Senator Edward M. Kennedy issued the following statement in response to President Bush’s State of the Union Address: “Last year, the American people made it clear that they wanted change, and leaders who can work together to put the interest of the country ahead their own. With this new 110th Congress we are more determined than ever to change the course of this country for all Americans. And I have to say, two of the best words I heard tonight were “Mada\m Speaker.” –Jill McCarthy | Permalink Making Bush listen to reasonTue Jan 23, 08:27 AM
THE RESOLUTIONS against President Bush’s Iraq war policies offered by Senator Edward Kennedy and colleagues of both parties are expressions of the democratic will of the country. The November election and recent polls leave no doubt that a large majority of Americans opposes Bush’s war policy and a troop increase. Similarly, several senior generals, both serving and retired, have issued strong public criticisms of Bush’s troop increase and his new emphasis on asking US forces to quell Iraq’s sectarian warfare by attacking Shi’ite militias as well as Sunni Arab insurgents. The bipartisan Baker-Hamilton Commission unanimously endorsed a new approach. –Jill McCarthy | Permalink On Iraq, Ted K's no false prophetFri Jan 19, 08:27 AM
By Wayne Woodlief Friday, January 19, 2007 – Updated: 07:06 AM EST That new bipartisan effort for a “sense of the Senate” resolution opposing the surge of 22,000 more U.S. troops into Iraq is strong on symbolism, another warning to President Bush that he is way off course. But the nonbinding resolution should be a start, not a substitute, to passage of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy’s bill to bar such an escalation without Congress’ approval. –Tom Lopach | Permalink KENNEDY AND MASSACHUSETTS DELEGATION MEET WITH VETERANS AFFAIRS SECRETARY JIM NICHOLSONThu Jan 18, 06:42 PM
Washington, D.C. – Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, joined by Senator John F. Kerry and Congressmen Marty Meehan, Edward Markey, Stephen Lynch, Michael Capuano, John Tierney and Bill Delahunt released the following statement after meeting with Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson to discuss the Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services (CARES) process. Kennedy and members of the Massachusetts Delegation met with the Secretary to voice their concerns about proposals under consideration that would consolidate one or more of the Boston area VA medical facilities. –Tom Lopach | Permalink KENNEDY QUESTIONS GONZALES ON CONGRESS' AUTHORITY TO STOP THE ESCALATION OF WARThu Jan 18, 11:03 AM
Washington, DC: Today Attorney General Gonzales appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee and Senator Edward M. Kennedy questioned him about Congress’ authority in the escalation of the war in Iraq. Kennedy stated that the new mission bears no resemblance to the mission that Congress authorized in 2002 and argued that the President should get the proper authority from Congress before sending more troops into Iraq. Kennedy has introduced legislation to this effect – the first bill to be offered related to the surge. –Tom Lopach | Permalink Fixing the refugee messThu Jan 18, 08:17 AM
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, chair of a Judiciary subcommittee on refugees, held the first hearing this week on the Iraq refugees. The U.N. High Commission for Refugees estimates that some 1.7 million Iraqis have been displaced from their homes and another 2 million have sought refuge in neighboring countries. –Tom Lopach | Permalink STATEMENT BY SENATOR EDWARD M. KENNEDY ON ADMINISTRATION'S DECISION TO SEEK COURT REVIEW OF TERRORIST SURVEILLANCE PROGRAMWed Jan 17, 07:15 PM
“Attorney General Gonzales’ letter today was a welcome—though belated and half hearted—acknowledgement that electronic surveillance must occur within the framework established by Congress in FISA. However, the letter raises more questions than it answers. The Attorney General’s letter suggests that the FISA process has been substantially changed, but it is unclear whether such a statutory scheme can be accomplished without an act of Congress. The Administration shouldn’t be able to continue sweeping electronic surveillance without Congressional authorization and review. There are too many unanswered questions about the role of the FISA court under this new arrangement, and the Congress must pursue vigorous oversight over the legality, effectiveness and scope of any ongoing surveillance programs. –Tom Lopach | Permalink KENNEDY HOLDS FIRST CONGRESSIONAL HEARING ON IRAQI REFUGEE CRISISTue Jan 16, 12:33 PM
Washington, D.C. – Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Chair of the Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security and Refugees held the first congressional hearing on the issue of Iraqi refugees. The desperate situation in Iraq has created hundreds of thousands of refugees who are virtually unknown to the rest of the world. It is estimated that 1.8 million Iraqis have already fled Iraq and thousands are leaving daily. This hearing focused on the plight of Iraqi refugees, particularly the ones who have been affiliated with the U.S. government, and the U.S.’s obligation to assist the most vulnerable Iraqis. –Tom Lopach | Permalink KENNEDY, DODD QUESTION GATES ON ARMOR SHORTAGES FOR OUR TROOPSTue Jan 16, 07:20 AM
Washington, DC: Today Senators Edward M. Kennedy and Chris Dodd sent a letter to Secretary Robert Gates questioning him about a recent that two new brigades of troops the President intends to send to Iraq will be deployed without the protection of the most up-to-date armored vehicles. The Senators, who strongly oppose the escalation of the war, contend that “it makes no sense to send even more of our forces into danger” and ask the Secretary of Defense to explain what he is doing to rectify the problem and provide adequate protection. –Tom Lopach | Permalink STATEMENT BY SENATOR EDWARD M. KENNEDY IN RESPONSE TO VICE PRESIDENT CHENEYSun Jan 14, 02:20 PM
Washington, D.C.—Today Vice President Cheney asserted that Congress doesn’t have authority to change the strategy in Iraq, saying that “you cant run a war by committee.” Below is a statement by Senator Kennedy, who has put forward a bill that requires the President to get authorization from Congress before he escalates troop levels in Iraq. Also below is a fact sheet on the previous times in history when Congress has used its authority to stop the escalation of war.: –Tom Lopach | Permalink KENNEDY QUESTIONS GATES AT SENATE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE HEARINGFri Jan 12, 10:19 AM
Iraq is the overarching issue of our time. American lives, American values, and America’s role in the world are all at stake. I have three major concerns with the course the Administration is pursuing. First, the Congress did not authorize sending our troops into the middle of a civil war. The mission of our armed forces today in Iraq no longer bears any resemblance to the mission authorized by Congress in 2002. –Tom Lopach | Permalink FLOOR STATEMENT BY SENATOR EDWARD M. KENNEDY ON ESCALATION OF WAR IN IRAQThu Jan 11, 01:53 PM
Iraq is the overarching issue of our time. American lives, American values, and America’s role in the world is at stake. As the November election made clear, the American people oppose this war, and an even greater number oppose sending more troops to Iraq. –Tom Lopach | Permalink STATEMENT BY SENATOR EDWARD M. KENNEDY IN RESPONSE TO PRESIDENT BUSH’S ADDRESSThu Jan 11, 08:13 AM
“The American people are demanding a change in course in Iraq. Instead, the President is accelerating the same failed course he has pursued for nearly four years. He must understand that Congress will not endorse this course. –Tom Lopach | Permalink SENATOR KENNEDY'S REMARKSTue Jan 9, 11:35 AM Washington, D.C. – As a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Kennedy has been a leading voice of opposition against the war in Iraq and has consistently called for a political solution to the escalating violence. In January of 2005, Kennedy called for the beginning of the withdrawal of troops, making a direct comparison with the war in Iraq to the Vietnam War and drawing intense criticism from the Bush administration. Now, he is strongly opposed to the escalation of the war and believes that it is not enough to speak out against it but that Congress must act immediately to prevent it. The legislation he is introducing today would require Congress to vote before the President escalates troop levels to fight a civil war — giving the American people a voice in the process. –Tom Lopach | Permalink STATEMENT BY SENATOR EDWARD M. KENNEDY ON 3,000TH AMERICAN DEATH IN IRAQSun Dec 31, 07:02 AM
–Tom Lopach | Permalink Statement by Senator Kennedy on the Execution of Saddam HusseinSat Dec 30, 07:03 AM
–Tom Lopach | Permalink STATEMENT BY SENATOR KENNEDY ON POSSIBLE TROOP INCREASEWed Dec 20, 12:03 PM
“Instead of changing course for the better, the President’s plan for more troops will make matters worse in Iraq – as many generals agree. We need a political solution that brings these warring factions together and makes Iraq take responsibility for their own future. Colin Powell and General Abizaid agree that more troops will just delay that process. Right now, we are a crutch for the Iraqis and our troops are paying the price.” –Tom Lopach | Permalink AS GATES IS SWORN IN AND BUSH DELAYS ACTION, NEW DOD REPORT DETAILS THE URGENCY FOR A CHANGE IN COURSE IN IRAQMon Dec 18, 04:13 PM
Washington, D.C. – Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy released the following statement on the Department of Defense’s newly released Iraq report detailing increased sectarian violence. The quarterly report was mandated by Congress as a result of Senator Kennedy and Senator Durbin’s legislation in 2005. –Tom Lopach | Permalink Senator Kennedy on the Iraq Study Group ReportWed Dec 6, 11:36 AM
Mr. President, this morning the Iraq Study Group issued a stunning indictment of the Administration’s policy toward Iraq. The Study Group has concluded that the “situation in Iraq is grave and deteriorating” and that “sectarian conflict is the principal challenge to stability.” –Tom Lopach | Permalink Kennedy on vote to confirm Robert Gates as Secretary of DefenseTue Dec 5, 06:42 PM
“Although I voted against the nomination of Robert Gates to head the CIA in 1991, I supported his nomination today to be Secretary of Defense because he assured the Committee in today’s hearings that he would be an independent thinker and give candid and frank advice to the President about a way forward in Iraq. –Tom Lopach | Permalink Kennedy on vote to confirm Robert Gates as Secretary of DefenseTue Dec 5, 06:42 PM
“Although I voted against the nomination of Robert Gates to head the CIA in 1991, I supported his nomination today to be Secretary of Defense because he assured the Committee in today’s hearings that he would be an independent thinker and give candid and frank advice to the President about a way forward in Iraq. –Tom Lopach | Permalink Kennedy Questions Gates on Contractors in IraqTue Dec 5, 06:39 PM
Washington, DC: Today in the confirmation hearings of Robert Gates, Senator Edward M. Kennedy questioned him about the role of contractors in Iraq. –Tom Lopach | Permalink Kennedy Questions Gates on Contractors in IraqTue Dec 5, 06:39 PM
Washington, DC: Today in the confirmation hearings of Robert Gates, Senator Edward M. Kennedy questioned him about the role of contractors in Iraq. –Tom Lopach | Permalink Kennedy Questions Gates on DarfurTue Dec 5, 06:32 PM
Washington, DC: Today in Robert Gates’ confirmation hearings, Senator Edward M. Kennedy questioned him about his commitment, if confirmed as Secretary of Defense, to addressing the genocide in Darfur. –Tom Lopach | Permalink Senator Kennedy at Robert Gates' Confirmation HearingsTue Dec 5, 11:04 AM
Dr. Gates, I join those in thanking you for your public service, your willingness to come back in and deal with this challenge that we’re facing now on national security, defense, and primarily the issue of Iraq. And I’m grateful for the time that we had talking in my office. –Tom Lopach | Permalink Kennedy Questions Officials on Next National Intelligence EstimateWed Nov 15, 03:43 PM
Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy heard testimony from Lieutenant General Michael D. Maples, Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency and General Michael V. Hayden, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency at the Senate Armed Services Committee Hearing. He questioned them about the delay in the completion of the next National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq, given that it has been over two years since an assessment has been made and three and a half months since Negroponte announced that the work would begin. “Can you explain why the intelligence community is dragging its feet on a new assessment on Iraq?” Senator Kennedy said. “We all have an interest in a thoughtful assessment, but it’s unacceptable that more than three months after the Director of National Intelligence agreed to prepare an updated assessment, work has barely begun. “ Please click here to read Senator Kennedy’s remarks –Tristan Takos | Permalink Kennedy on National Intelligence EstimateFri Sep 29, 04:48 PM
“The war in Iraq continues to be an immense strategic blunder for our country, and having the most thorough and comprehensive National Intelligence Estimate possible will greatly inform the ongoing debate about our options for the future. A new National Intelligence Estimate is long over-due. As John Adams said, “Facts are stubborn things.” It is abundantly clear that the facts matter on Iraq. They mattered before the war and during the war, and they matter now, as we try to deal effectively with the continuing quagmire. I look forward to obtaining the new National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq and to obtaining it soon.” –Tristan Takos | Permalink Senate Republicans Vote Down Measure to Protect Americans AbroadThu Sep 28, 04:55 PM
Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy released the following statement on the party line vote on his amendment: “This vote was a sad confirmation that this Republican Congress has become a rubber stamp for the Bush administration. My amendment would have told the world that we will not stand for the abuse of any American anywhere. Through its secret prisons and outrageous conduct at Abu Grhaib and Guantanamo, this administration has made the world doubt our commitment to the Geneva Convention and so weakened its protection of Americans abroad. My amendment would have required that this Administration correct course by reaffirming the United States’ insistence that other nations follow the Geneva Conventions when dealing with Americans. As such, it would have provided essential protection for Americans who are overseas fighting the war in terror. Similar legislation— the War Crimes Act—was proposed by a Republican Congressman in 1996, and passed without opposition. Likewise, this Congress passed, 90-9, legislation prohibiting our armed services from using certain practices. All the amendment would have done is tell the world that they cannot use those same practices, which include waterboarding and induced hypothermia. I believe that if every Senator voted his or her own conscience, this measure would have passed unanimously. I refuse to believe that Senators are not deeply concerned with the safety of Americans overseas. Unfortunately, that concern was outweighed today by blind loyalty to the party and the President who negotiated this legislation in secret and then had the nerve to tell the United States Senate that it must not add or subtract a word. This Republican Congress is so focused on providing our President with unlimited authority that has left open the door to tyrants abroad who would claim the same authority over American citizens.” –Tristan Takos | Permalink "Its Wrong to Slow-Roll New Intelligence Assessment"Thu Sep 28, 03:14 PM
Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy called upon the Director of National Intelligence to move forward on the National Intelligence Report that is long over due. In August, Kennedy’s amendment passed the Senate unanimously requiring the Negroponte to task the intelligence community to prepare an updated National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq. The measure was included in the final package of the DoD conference report. The last time the NIE on Iraq was updated was in 2004, yet much has changed in the security, economy and political stability of Iraq. Despite Congress’ call for a new report and Negroponte’s August 4 announcement that one would be prepared, no work on the updated assessment has been done. Earlier this week, the American people were shocked to learn about an assessment from the intelligence community that unequivocally concluded that the war in Iraq is creating a new generation of terrorists. That report pertained to the global impact of the war, not the conditions in Iraq itself. “Certainly nobody has an interest in unnecessarily rushing the intelligence community, but two years is far too long. The recent revelations from the April report that the war has made us less safe underscore the urgent need to ensure that the American people have the facts, not just the political spin of the White House,” Senator Kennedy said. “With Iraq on the brink of a full-scale civil war, preparation of this intelligence assessment of Iraq cannot be delayed any longer. With more than 140,000 Americans under fire every hour of every day in Iraq, it’s wrong to slow-roll this assessment.” Please click here to view a timeline on Iraq National Intelligence Estimate –Tristan Takos | Permalink Kennedy Fights to Protect Americans Who are Protecting our Country AbroadThu Sep 28, 03:01 PM
Today Senator Kennedy expressed his strong opposition to the military tribunal bill and offered an amendment designed to protect Americans who are protecting our country abroad. The measure, co-sponsored by Senator Feinstein, requires the State Department to notify other signatories to the Geneva Conventions that if Americans are subjected to extreme measures, such as waterboarding or induced hypothermia, we will take action through war crimes prosecutions or other means. On his amendment, Senator Kennedy said, “The failure of this administration to be clear on issues of torture has weakened the protection of Americans who work or travel abroad. This amendment is a straightforward attempt to make clear that Americans around the globe must be afforded the full protections from abusive practices like waterboarding and induced hypothermia. Who here in the Senate is unwilling to demand that other nations refrain from inflicting these types of practices on Americans? This vote will tell us all we need to know about whether this Republican Congress has become a rubber stamp for this administration.” The amendment lists practices that the United States has already renounced by prohibiting them in the Army Field Manual. It states that the United States considers those practices to be punishable violations of Common Article 3 if they are committed against Americans. While our troops in uniform are protected under other provisions of the Geneva conventions, America has CIA agents, special forces members who operate out of uniform, and DOD contractors who need the protection of common article 3. In opposition to the bill, Senator Kennedy said, “ In times of war, we have a special obligation to protect those men and women who risk their lives to defend us. This bill fails that duty. By failing to renounce abusive interrogation techniques, this bill inflames an already dangerous world. There is no question that the rush to pass this bill —which is the product of secret negotiations with the White House —is about serving a political agenda. That is no way to produce careful and thoughtful legislation on profound issues of national security.” Please click here to read Senator Kennedy’s remarks –Tristan Takos | Permalink "Military Tribunal Bill Puts Our Troops at Risk"Wed Sep 27, 03:48 PM
Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy released the following statement on military tribunal legislation: “In times of war, our obligation is to protect our nation and to protect those men and women who risk their lives to defend us. This bill fails that duty. By failing to renounce torture, it inflames an already dangerous world and makes for America new enemies in our war against terror. This puts our cause, our people and our troops at greater risk. That is why so many respected military leaders oppose this bill. I supported the Armed Service Committee bill that while not perfect, preserved our commitment to the Geneva conventions, limited the possibility that detainees would be treated abusively and set up procedures for military tribunals that generally respected the fundamental requirements of fairness. But instead, the bill that has reached the floor would diminish the security and safety of Americans everywhere. There is no question that the rush to pass this bill —which is the product of secret negotiations with the White House—is about serving a political agenda. That is no way to produce careful and thoughtful legislation on profound issues of national security.” –Tristan Takos | Permalink Kennedy, Colleagues Join National Latino Leaders on Comprehensive Immigration ReformWed Sep 27, 11:50 AM
“Proposing to build fences is an admission of failure by the Republican Congress that it cannot address one of the top challenges facing America,” Senator Kennedy said, “We can pour billions of dollars into fences, but they won’t address the complex challenge of illegal immigration without comprehensive reform. Fences are a bumper sticker solution to a real world problem.” Please click here to read Senator Kennedy’s remarks –Tristan Takos | Permalink Kennedy Response to Bush Announcement of Selective Declassification of NIETue Sep 26, 01:55 PM
Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy released the following statement on the selective declassification of the NIE: “The American people deserve the full story, not those parts of it that the Bush Administration selects. President Bush should declassify the entire NIE as the Republican Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee has suggested so the American people can read the plain facts for themselves. The last thing we need is another selective declassification of portions of the report in a desperate attempt by the Administration to avoid disclosing the truth. For more than three years, President Bush and the Republican Congress have repeatedly claimed the war in Iraq is making America safer. Now, we learn that the 16 agencies in the intelligence community concluded just the opposite last April that the Iraq war has become a rallying cry for extremists against the United States and made the war on terror more difficult to win. In addition, the President and Vice President must explain statements they have made that are directly at odds with this National Intelligence Estimate. The American people deserve to know whether the President and Vice President are intentionally misleading us about our safety, or whether they are simply ignoring the intelligence community. Clearly, America deserves better from its leaders and a new direction in Iraq.” –Tristan Takos | Permalink "There is Still Time in this Congress for Us to Enact a Tough but Fair Immigration Law"Tue Sep 26, 11:37 AM
“There is still time in this Congress for us to enact a tough but fair immigration law. These religious leaders know more than most that immigration reform is about our security, but it also must be about our humanity. There are few issues more basic to our faith than how we treat others – not just our fellow citizens, but immigrants as well,” Senator Kennedy said, “In the last year, I have seen again and again how people of faith have illuminated the moral issues that are at the heart of the immigration debate. They know that this debate should not be about politics but about people. ” Please click here to read Senator Kennedy’s remarks –Tristan Takos | Permalink Kennedy on Pre-Iraq War Intelligence ReportFri Sep 8, 02:52 PM
Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy released the following statement on the Senate Intelligence Committee’s report on pre-Iraq War intelligence: “The report leaves no doubt that the Bush Administration was willing to retrofit the facts to manufacture a phony case for war with Iraq that America never should have fought. Saddam Hussein had nothing to do with Al Qaeda. Imagine how much safer we would be today if President Bush had stayed the course in fighting the real war on terror against Al Qaeda. This report shows not only that we need a new policy in Iraq, but we also need a change in Congress to hold the Administration accountable for our national security.” –Tristan Takos | Permalink Kennedy: The Chairman's NSA Deal with the White House has Echoes of Blanket AuthorityThu Sep 7, 01:56 PM
Statement before the Senate Judiciary Committee “In 1978, President Carter signed the “Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act” into law, successfully ending years of debate on the power of the President to conduct surveillance on U.S. soil. The enactment of FISA was a recognition of Congress’s role in national security and a demonstration of what can be achieved through bipartisan and inter-branch cooperation. There was only one vote against the bill. In his signing statement, President Carter said, “the act helps to solidify the trust between the American people and their Government. It provides a basis of trust of the American people in the fact that the activities of their intelligence agencies are both effective and lawful.” We also had a signing statement that affirmed the President’s intent to comply with the law. Now, however, the situation is very different. Public trust in government is eroding, and serious constitutional doubts abound. –Tristan Takos | Permalink Kennedy on Bin Laden AmendmentThu Sep 7, 01:00 PM
Kennedy Statement in Support of Amendment to Fund Unit Dedicated to Capturing Osama Bin Laden “Next week marks the fifth anniversary of the vicious attack on America by Al Qaeda terrorists. Despite the passage of time, Americans still vividly recall with enormous pain and sorrow that dark and somber day. We recall the nearly three thousand Americans who were killed by Al Qaeda terrorists. We recall the brave firefighters and first responders who sacrificed their lives so that others could live. We recall the twin towers crumbling before our eyes, and the Pentagon ablaze beneath a plume a smoke. And we recall the pledge by the Administration and all Americans that this type of attack will never, ever occur again. Sadly, as we approach this anniversary, the President has, once again, resorted to the politics of fear in an effort to convince the American people that the Iraq war is central to the global war on terror. Nothing is further from the truth. Scare tactics may have worked in the elections of 2002 and 2004, but this time, the American people know better.” –Tristan Takos | Permalink Kennedy on RumsfeldWed Sep 6, 05:44 PM
“Apart from President Bush, no one embodies the Administration’s failures in Iraq more than Secretary Rumsfeld. On issue after issue, Secretary Rumsfeld has been wrong, and the consequences have been severe for our men and women in uniform and for the safety of the American people. A President who valued competence rather than loyalty would have fired Rumsfeld long ago. A President who wanted to be “a uniter, not a divider” would fire Rumsfeld today for equating his critics with Nazi appeasers. And a President who was serious about the war on terror would nominate a new Secretary of Defense who will focus on battling the terrorists instead of battling the growing number of Americans calling for change in our policy in Iraq.” –Tristan Takos | Permalink Kennedy on DOD Report Detailing Increased Violence in Iraq and Conditions of Civil WarFri Sep 1, 05:15 PM
Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy released the following statement on the Department of Defense’s newly released Iraq report detailing increased violence in Iraq including increasing civilian casualties, higher attack levels, and rising sectarian strife. The quarterly report was mandated by Congress as a result of Senator Kennedy and Senator Durbin’s legislation in 2005. “Today’s report from the Department of Defense simply reaffirms what the American people already understand: the conditions of civil war exist, violence in Iraq is spiraling out of control and staying the course is not a viable option. Instead of attacking those who want to change our course, President Bush ought to deal with the hard cold facts. This Defense Department report underscores the fundamental truth that our brave troops are being failed by an administration more interested in political spin than in finding a way to succeed in Iraq.” –Tristan Takos | Permalink Kennedy Response to Bush's Iraq RemarksThu Aug 31, 03:24 PM
Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy released the following statement in response to President Bush’s speech at the American Legion’s national convention today: “The President missed yet another opportunity on Iraq. At a time that calls for serious leadership, the President is offering yet another public relations campaign. His dire warnings of the cost of failure in Iraq do nothing to make success more likely, and his stubborn insistence on staying with a failed policy all but ensures continued violence and chaos. The President’s speech was a cynical attempt to help his Republican enablers survive the November elections at a time when he should be spending all of his time working to chart a new course in Iraq. The politics of fear may have worked for the Bush-Cheney campaign in 2004, but by 2006 the American people see through them. They will judge Bush and his Congressional allies by their record, rather than their rhetoric. Americans understand that staying the course is not a plan for victory – it is a political slogan and a recipe for disaster. The American people are also fed up with the administration’s double-talk. The President has no business expressing the hope that ‘people wouldn’t politicize these issues’ just a few days after unleashing Secretary Rumsfeld and Vice President Cheney to viciously attack critics of the administration. The American people will see through these political games and demand accountability and change in November.” –Tristan Takos | Permalink Kennedy on President Bush's Comments on IraqMon Aug 21, 06:32 PM
Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy released the following statement on President Bush’s comments on Iraq at today’s news conference: “The President has said the best way to defeat resentment is with hope, but hope is not a policy. It will not stop the increasing violence in Iraq or prevent American troops from taking sides in a civil war. Our soldiers deserve a change in course from the President, not more election sloganeering and campaign rhetoric. At home the President has made us less safe by pursuing a lawless policy of surveillance, rather than working with Congress to ensure that we have strong and effective tools to fight terrorism that respect our fundamental constitutional values.” –Tristan Takos | Permalink Kennedy on Warrantless WiretappingThu Aug 17, 05:00 PM
“Law enforcement and intelligence officers must have strong powers to prevent and investigate terrorist attacks. Yet, once again, the Bush Administration has been sharply rebuked for making up its own rules this time to carry out warrantless surveillance of Americans. Our nation is safest when the President and Congress work together. By acting so cavalierly, the White House created a surveillance program that flunks the requirements of our laws and Constitution and leaves us at risk. There is a way to fight terrorism within the framework of the ruling law. Nearly thirty years ago, President Carter and Congress worked together to pass the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978, which has served this nation well. By ignoring that law, the Administration took a path filled with legal uncertainty, putting employees of the National Security Agency at risk of criminal penalties and jeopardizing prosecutions of terrorists who may be able to successfully challenge the evidence against them. It’s not too late for President Bush to work with Congress, and it’s vital to our national security that he does so.” –Tristan Takos | Permalink "Demeaning Democracy; Cheney Paints Lamont Victory as Helping Terrorists"Sun Aug 13, 10:40 AM
“Vice presidents are notorious for serving as an administration’s chief attack dog, and time and again Dick Cheney has been unleashed to accuse anyone who is opposed to the Bush administration of aiding the terrorists. But this time he has gone too far. The comments he made on the result of the Connecticut Democratic primary—that it might encourage ``the al-Qaida types’’ who want to ``break the will of the American people in terms of our ability to stay in the fight and complete the task’’—are an attack not just on Democrats, but on democracy itself.” –Tristan Takos | Permalink Kennedy Response to Bush Immigration Radio AddressSat Aug 5, 04:32 PM
Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy released the following statement in response to President Bush’s radio address on immigration: “I applaud President Bush for calling yet again for comprehensive immigration reform. He understands – along with a bipartisan majority in the Senate and the American people – that immigration is a serious and complex issue that calls for thoughtful and comprehensive solutions. In Congress, Senator McCain and I met with a bipartisan group of Senators on Thursday to affirm our commitment to oppose enforcement only measures and support comprehensive reforms that will keep out those who would hurt us, but welcome those who will strengthen America for the future. And we are determined to pass comprehensive immigration reform this year.” –Tristan Takos | Permalink Kennedy on Bush Immigration Remarks at the BorderThu Aug 3, 05:55 PM
Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy released the following statement in response to President Bush’s immigration remarks at the border: “President Bush, a bipartisan majority in the Senate, and the American people all understand that immigration is a serious and complex issue that calls for thoughtful and comprehensive solutions and I am glad that President Bush reiterated that call today. In Congress, Senator McCain and I met with a bipartisan group of Senators to affirm our commitment to oppose enforcement only measures and support comprehensive reforms that will keep out those who would hurt us, but welcome those who will strengthen America for the future. And we are determined to pass comprehensive immigration reform this year. We have a long and rocky road ahead to pass this plan through Congress and get it to the President’s desk. To get there, I believe that President Bush must call congressional leaders to meet in September to hammer out the final plan.” –Tristan Takos | Permalink Kennedy to Require Updated Intelligence in IraqWed Aug 2, 03:07 PM
Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy offered an amendment that would require the Director of National Intelligence to task the intelligence community to prepare an updated National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq. The last time the NIE was updated was in July 2004, yet much has changed in the security, economy and political stability of Iraq in the last two years. Reports from the Departments of Defense and State and statements from Administration officials on security and stability in Iraq have been troublingly inadequate in assisting Congress with measuring the success of our efforts in Iraq and the safety of our troops, and it is essential to have an up-to-date, objective assessment of Iraq from the intelligence community. The amendment is cosponsored by Senators Harry Reid, Joe Biden, Carl Levin, and Jack Reed. Senator Kennedy said, “We need a new assessment from the intelligence community so we can adjust our policy in Iraq accordingly. John Adams once said, ‘Facts are stubborn things.’ It is abundantly clear that the facts matter. They mattered before the war and during the war, and they matter now, as we try to deal effectively with the continuing quagmire that is Iraq. A new National Intelligence Estimate is long over-due.” Click here to read a summary of the measure Click here to read Senator Kennedy’s full remarks –Tristan Takos | Permalink Democrats Call for Updated Iraq IntelligenceWed Jul 26, 04:02 PM
Today Senators Kennedy, Reid, Biden, Rockefeller, Levin, and Reed sent a letter to the Director of National Intelligence, John Negroponte, requesting that the intelligence community prepare an updated National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on Iraq. The last time the NIE was updated was in 2004, yet much has changed in the security, economy and political stability of Iraq. Reports from the Departments of Defense and State and statements from Administration officials on security and stability in Iraq have been troublingly inadequate in assisting Congress with measuring the success of our efforts in Iraq and the safety of our troops, and it is essential to have an objective assessment of data on Iraq from the intelligence community. “President Bush, Vice President Cheney, Secretary Rumsfeld, and Secretary Rice deny that Iraq is in a civil war. But the growing sectarian violence, the ruthless death squads, the increasingly powerful role of the privately armed militias, and the Administrations decision to send thousands more U.S. Troops to Baghdad, tell a very different story,” Senator Kennedy said. “We cannot ignore this major danger. President Bush needs to weight these facts more realistically and prepare a strategy to protect our troops who are at risk of getting caught in the middle of a sectarian civil war. Ignoring the wisdom of the intelligence community got us into trouble before in Iraq, and we cannot ignore it again. Clearly, those who forget the mistakes of the past are condemned to repeat them.” Please click here to read the letter to Director Negroponte. If you’d like to read a list of quotations from the Administration demonstrating their inadequate assessment of the rise in sectarian violence in Iraq, please click here –Tristan Takos | Permalink Kennedy on FISAWed Jul 26, 08:46 AM
“Americans deserve national security laws that protect both our security and our constitutional rights. The 9/11 Commissioners got it right. Our goal should be to adopt governmental powers that genuinely enhance our national security while maintaining adequate oversight over their use. If our current national security laws are inadequate, the Administration should work with both Republicans and Democrats Members in Congress to update our laws with due regard for our Constitution, treaties, and the laws of war. The Bush Administration, however, is asking us not only to write legislation – it wants us to override the constitutional checks and balances that are at the core of our democracy, and we should not yield to that arrogant request. The Administration has made blunder after blunder in waging the war on terrorism. Congress should not aid and abet them in committing another one.” –Tristan Takos | Permalink Kennedy on the Visit of Prime Minister MalikiMon Jul 24, 01:47 PM
Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy released the following statement on tomorrow’s visit by Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki: “Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki’s visit to the United States comes at an important time. All Americans want Iraq’s new government to succeed. The principal measure of success will be whether the tide of violence recedes and full-scale civil war is avoided. But for that to happen, the new government must deal quickly and decisively with the principal threat to stability—the deadly influence of the militias – especially in Baghdad. There is no role for militias in a legitimately functioning government of Iraq. We ignore this immense danger at our peril. Iraq’s future and the lives of our troops are close to the precipice of a new disaster. The time bomb of civil war is ticking, and our most urgent priority is to defuse it. If Prime Minister Maliki does not have a credible plan to disarm, demobilize, and reintegrate the militias, even President Bush would have to concede that it would be far better for our men and women in uniform to begin to leave Iraq than to take sides in an unwinnable sectarian civil war.” Click here to read Senator Kennedy’s floor statement –Tristan Takos | Permalink Kennedy on the Second Anniversary of the 9/11 Commission ReportFri Jul 21, 05:36 PM
As tomorrow marks the second anniversary of the release of the 9/11 Commission Report, Senator Kennedy released the following statement : “The second anniversary of the release of the 9/11 Commission report reminds us again of the enormous cost of President Bush’s misguided decision to rush headlong into an unnecessary war with Iraq. We lost our focus on Al Qaeda, squandered the goodwill of the international community, and made it more difficult to win the war on terrorism and deal with other dangerous challenges in the world.” –Tristan Takos | Permalink Kennedy on Today's House Immigration HearingsWed Jul 19, 11:23 AM
“Much has now changed since 9/11. The terrorist attacks remind us that undocumented immigration is a serious threat to our national security. The vast majority of those seeking to work in our country are honest and hard-working, but our national security requires us to identify and monitor those who are not. Labor and business alike now demand a system in which workers’ rights are respected and in which workers are no longer vulnerable to deportation. The continuing health of the American economy demands a system in which all of these workers join the formal labor force and pay their taxes. The Senate temporary worker programs are fair and will provide foreign nationals with a legal way to come and work in the United States. They will significantly reduce reliance on smugglers, fraudulent documents, and violence at the border. They will also improve our ability to enforce our immigration laws, safeguard our borders, crack down on criminal activity, and protect our national security. I urge my House colleagues to support these long-needed reforms to deal with urgent and dangerous problems for our national security and to improve the lives and working conditions of all workers.” –Tristan Takos | Permalink Kennedy on House Immigration Subcommittee HearingTue Jul 18, 10:18 AM
“We have heard the same theme echoed over and over again by opponents of comprehensive immigration reform. They call the Senate bill amnesty and compare it to the failed reform effort of 1986. This criticism is wrong on both counts: the Senate bill’s earned legalization program is not amnesty; and it is radically different from the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA). Here’s the bottom line: the Senate bill has a three-pronged strategy to fix our broken immigration system. IRCA—like the House bill—did not.
That’s a real strategy to fix our broken immigration system, and people who repeatedly raise the specter of IRCA are simply trying to undermine this bill while avoiding an honest debate about its merits.” –Tristan Takos | Permalink "The President Does Not Have a Blank Check on Matters of National Security"Tue Jul 18, 09:05 AM
Statement by Senator Edward M. Kennedy at Oversight Hearing with Attorney General Gonzales “When it comes to national security, our country is far stronger when the government stands united. We all agree on the need for law enforcement and intelligence officers to have strong powers to investigate terrorism, to prevent future attacks, and improve information-sharing between federal, state and local law enforcement. This is not a question of party or politics. It is a question of national security, and we should all come together to meet our obligations and protect the safety and security of the United States. Americans deserve national security laws that protect both our security and our constitutional rights, and we have not yet achieved the goal set by the 9/11 Commissioners: to adopt governmental powers that truly enhance our national security while ensuring adequate oversight over their use. For the past five years, Congress has stood ready to work with the President to give him the necessary tools to protect America. In fact, the Congress has worked with the President on the PATRIOT Act and many other important measures to strengthen our national security laws. However, through a rampant series of leaks, we find out that this Administration has pursued many secret programs and pursued a solitary path that rides roughshod over the historic legal standards that have made this country great.” Kennedy, Democrats Press for Support to Americans Wishing to Leave LebanonMon Jul 17, 05:33 PM
Senate Democrats today sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, pressing them to ensure the swift evacuation of all American citizens wishing to leave Lebanon. The letter comes amid disturbing reports that Americans registering with the State Department to leave Lebanon are not being evacuated immediately. The Senators urged the Secretaries to ensure that all necessary Defense Department assets are made available to secure these Americans’ transport out of harm’s way. The text of the letter, signed by Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid, Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Carl Levin, and Armed Services Committee Member Edward M. Kennedy, is available here. –Tristan Takos | Permalink Kennedy Statement on the Middle EastMon Jul 17, 02:18 PM
Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy released the following statement on the Middle East: “I am extremely concerned by the ongoing violence in the Middle East, which we cannot allow to escalate any further. The stakes are enormously high, and American leadership is essential. In 1996, Secretary Christopher brokered an agreement to end the violence between Israel and Hezbollah, and Secretary Rice could play the same role. This is an international crisis of the first order. While I’m glad that Secretary Rice has announced she’ll go to the region some time in the future, she should be on the first plane to the Middle East. We should send high-ranking diplomats across the region to avert an even larger crisis. We must do all that we can to find a diplomatic path away from the escalating violence. The Israeli people should not be terrorized by Hezbollah rockets coming over the border into their country. The Lebanese people should not be held hostage to Hezbollah terrorists and their backers in Syria and Iran. We all pray that Hezbollah’s rockets will be silenced and that a diplomatic path away from the escalating violence will be found.” –Tristan Takos | Permalink Kennedy Urges Colleagues to Vote No on NRA Backed Vitter AmendmentThu Jul 13, 05:15 PM
“Here we go again. Without shame, the Republican leadership has brought back another special-interest, anti-law enforcement measure that strips away the rights of law enforcement to respond to public safety emergencies. The National Rifle Association clearly has priority in the Senate’s Republican agenda. This proposal is part of the NRA’s nationwide campaign to target the nation’s Mayors and Police Chiefs. With fear tactics and inflammatory rhetoric, the NRA is looking for pledges that the people protecting our communities will never confiscate a weapon during a natural disaster. The NRA’s perverse response to the devastating tragedy caused by Hurricane Katrina has been to launch an aggressive fund-raising campaign to undermine the very law enforcement and public safety officials who protect us during times of crisis. It should come as no surprise though. Every day, we see new headlines about gun crime and rising gun violence – in large part because the NRA and its lap dog supporters in Congress have systematically weakened federal gun laws over the past two decades. Unbelievably, the gun industry and the tobacco industry are the only two consumer industries that are not subject to federal consumer safety regulation. Cities, counties, and states incur billions of dollars in costs each year as a result of gun violence – stemming from the loss of life, the costs of medical care for wounded victims, the costs of law enforcement, the costs of many other public services. Studies estimate that the public cost of firearm-related injuries is over one million dollars for each shooting victim. Yet, this amendment asks us to undermine the ability of every community in the nation to protect itself during an emergency or disaster. How can the Senate possibly adopt an amendment that would prevent police officers from taking a weapon from an abandoned building during an evacuation, so that looters can’t get to the weapon first? How can our Republican colleagues say they’re on the side of law and order when they support an amendment like that? And on a homeland security bill no less!” –Tristan Takos | Permalink Kennedy on Defeat of Clinton Homeland Security Grant Funding AmendmentWed Jul 12, 04:55 PM
“This vote is a clear indictment of Republican priorities in Congress,” Senator Kennedy said. “Cities and towns across Massachusetts are our first line of defense. There’s no justification for the GOP Senate to slash these urgently needed assistance. It’s an outrage that undermines our brave first responders.” –Tristan Takos | Permalink Kennedy on House Republican Immigration HearingsWed Jul 12, 03:28 PM
Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy released the following statement on the House Republican immigration hearings: “Clearly, the House hearings are more about politics than about serious immigration reform. President Bush has done the right thing by backing the bipartisan Senate bill and standing up to the Republican right wing. Now, as the House Republicans continue to play politics with immigration, he must continue to do so for the sake of America’s security, America’s values and America’s future.” –Tristan Takos | Permalink "Bringing Families out of the Shadows"Wed Jul 12, 12:17 PM
“While Congress debates immigration, you know the immigrants. You know them by name as members of your congregations, as people who love their families, practice their faiths and participate in your communities. You know them as human beings, created in the image of God,” Senator Kennedy said to the religious leaders. “So you, more than most, know that immigration reform is about our security, but it must also be about our humanity.” Other Congressional participants included Senators McCain and Brownback, Representatives John Lewis and Howard Berman along with religious leaders including Sojouners founder Jim Wallis. Click here to read Senator Kennedy’s full remarks –Tristan Takos | Permalink "Immigration is a Complex Challenge that Calls for a Comprehensive Solution"Wed Jul 12, 10:00 AM
Statement before the Senate Judiciary Committee “In recent days, we’ve witnessed a strong outpouring of support for strong, sensible, comprehensive immigration reform – reform that enhances enforcement, but also allows the 12 million undocumented immigrant families to earn their way out of the shadows and sets a course to meet our future workforce needs as well. Americans know that immigration is a complex challenge that calls for a comprehensive solution. We have tried enforcement-only approaches for the last 10 years, and they have failed. We’ve spent more than $20 billion on border enforcement. But even after a decade of ramped-up enforcement, undocumented immigration has doubled to nearly 12 million immigrants today. These are not just numbers. They are real people who love their families, practice their faith, and contribute to their communities. They are parents with children, because 1.6 million of the undocumented are children and three million American citizen children have undocumented parents. They work hard to support their families and, just like millions before them, they want nothing more than to live the American dream.” –Tristan Takos | Permalink Kennedy on Contributions of Immigrants to the MilitaryMon Jul 10, 11:03 AM
Statement before the Committee on Armed Services Miami Field Hearing “If anyone doubts the many benefits that immigrants bring to our country, they need to look no farther than their valiant service in the United States military. These immigrants could easily have taken civilian jobs to care for their families. But today, More than 60,000 naturalized citizens and permanent residents now wear the uniform of the United States of America. They take the same oath of enlistment as any American soldier, sailor, airman or Marine. “I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.” I can think of no greater commitment to their adopted land.” –Tristan Takos | Permalink "Examining the Need for Comprehensive Immigration Reform"Wed Jul 5, 09:55 AM
Statement by Senator Edward M. Kennedy at Senate Judiciary Committee Field Hearing on “Examining the Need for Comprehensive Immigration Reform” at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, PA “Two hundred thirty years and one day ago, here in Philadelphia, we declared our independence and launched a nation of freedom and opportunity that is the envy of the world. So today, as we consider immigration reform, we have a solemn duty to uphold our one nation under God, with liberty and justice for all, and to preserve and strengthen it for future generations. The challenge before us is complex. We cannot solve it, as the House of Representatives has proposed, by simply building more fences at the border, demonizing the 12 million undocumented immigrants, declaring them and the priests and Good Samaritans who help them to be criminals, and naively hoping they just go home. Those on the far right who continue that enforcement-only, anti-immigrant drumbeat may think its good politics. But their pandering threatens real progress toward effective immigration reform that protects our security and reflects our values as a nation of immigrants. We have tried it their way by simply beefing up the border. We’ve spent more than $20 billion on it over the past decade – and it has not worked. They should instead listen to President Bush and to a bipartisan majority in the United States Senate when we came together to say that a complex problem such as immigration requires a comprehensive solution. They should listen to business leaders, religious leaders, and community leaders when we came together to pass effective reform. But most of all, they should listen to the American people who want immigration laws that not only will keep out those who would harm us, but welcome those who would help us.” –Tristan Takos | Permalink Kennedy on Democracy Summer Campaign for Comprehensive Immigration ReformTue Jun 27, 04:34 PM
“Comprehensive immigration reform is neither conservative nor liberal, Republican nor Democratic, but is a vital necessity for America,” Senator Kennedy said. “We believe that the Senate bill is a sound blueprint for progress. As with every immigration debate throughout our history, emotions run high and passions run deep – just as they have since our first Independence Day. That is because it is a debate not only about where America has been but also about where America is going. And we believe that America is strongest when we not only keep out those who would hurt us, but also welcome those who would help us.” Kennedy also discussed the massive voter registration drives that are starting this weekend, in a campaign called Democracy Summer. The campaign, organized by those who planned the peaceful marches earlier this year, will begin on July 1st in more than 50 cities all across the country, including Chicago, Los Angeles, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, and cities in South Carolina, Idaho, Florida, Oregon, and Nebraska. The Democracy summer campaign will culminate Labor Day weekend with back-to-back-to-back million-person marches in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington, DC. Also participating in the press conference with the Senators were: John Wilhelm, Unite HERE Union, Grover Norquist, Americans for Tax Reform, Elizabeth Dickson, U.S Chamber of Commerce, J. Traci Hong, Asian Americans Justice Center, Rev. Sam Rodriguez Jr., National Hispanic Leadership Conference; Janet Murgia, National Council of La Raza; Tamar Jacoby, Manhattan Institute; Brendan Keegan, Marriot International Click here to read Senator Kennedy’s full remarks –Tristan Takos | Permalink Kennedy on General Casey's Plan to Draw Down TroopsMon Jun 26, 06:17 PM
Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy released the following statement on General Casey’s plan to draw down troops: “It’s obvious that the only timetable the Administration cares about on Iraq is the November election. Last week, Senate Republicans marched lockstep in defeating our Democratic proposal calling for our troops to begin to come home this year. Yet now we learn that our military leaders agree with our proposal. And still, Karl Rove and some Republicans continue to engage in the scurrilous tactic of questioning the patriotism of Democrats who seeks to bring our troops home. This debate is about real men and women in our armed forces who are bravely putting themselves on the line every day in Iraq. It’s wrong to play election politics with their lives.” –Tristan Takos | Permalink Kennedy Statement on Iraq Intelligence Oversight HearingMon Jun 26, 01:43 PM
Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy released the following statement on the Iraq intelligence oversight hearing: “Today’s hearing on pre-war intelligence goes to the heart of why we went to war in Iraq. As we now know all too well, Iraq was not an imminent threat. It had no nuclear weapons, no persuasive links to Al Qaeda, no connection to the terrorist attacks of September 11th, and no stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction. Congress and the American people have a right to know how the President could have been so wrong on such critical facts that made all the difference between war and peace. It’s essential to get the truth, because there are other threats on the horizon in Iran, North Korea, and elsewhere. America must get it right next time. It’s long past the time for the Senate Intelligence Committee to complete its work on how the Administration used pre-war intelligence. The stakes are high, and it’s unconscionable for the Administration to continue to stonewall by refusing to provide critical documents essential to that inquiry, including the Presidential Daily Briefs leading up to the war. I commend all on this panel for speaking truth to power, and I hope this hearing will help shed light on how the President could have been so wrong in sending our troops into battle.” –Tristan Takos | Permalink Kennedy on Amendments to Begin Redeployment of Troops From IraqThu Jun 22, 12:25 PM
Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy released the following statement on amendments to begin to redeploy American troops from Iraq: “Today’s vote demonstrates the extent to which Republicans have become a rubber stamp for the President’s failed policy. It’s wrong to a |
Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Senator Ken Salazar, and Representative Luis Gutierrez joined national Latino leaders to express concern over the enforcement-only approach to immigration reform currently before Congress – The Secure Fence Act of 2006. 
Senator Edward M. Kennedy issued the following statement following the defeat of the Clinton amendment that would have restored $790 million in cuts to state homeland security grant programs nationwide. Kennedy cosponsored the amendment that would have restored Massachusetts homeland security grant funding to last year’s figure of $58.8 million—$17.6 million more than the $41.2 million the Republican Homeland Security bill contains for Massachusetts this year. The amendment failed 47-53. 
Today, after participating in the Senate Judiciary hearing on comprehensive immigration reform, Senator Edward M. Kennedy joined leading clergy and faith leaders from 20 different organizations for a conference focusing on immigration reform and faith principles and practice. Across the country, religious communities strongly support the McCain-Kennedy plan to fix our broken system while speaking out against the draconian House bill that would criminalize the undocumented and those who provide them with help. Different faith communities have taken the lead in organizing the historic rallies in support of comprehensive reform that involved over 4 million people this year. 
Today Senators Edward M. Kennedy, John McCain, Ken Salazar, and Lindsey Graham joined key advocates from the business, labor, religious, conservative, and immigrant advocacy communities for a press conference calling for comprehensive immigration reform. A strong coalition backs the Senate bill, based on the McCain-Kennedy plan, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Council of La Raza, UNITE HERE Union, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Manhattan Institute, Americans for Tax Reform, Marriott International, and the Asian American Justice Center. Senator Kennedy and coalition members discussed their determination and the grassroots efforts to get a comprehensive bill passed this year.