POLITICS & POLICY	

KENNEDY: Returns to Senate, Sets Sights on Health Care Overhaul 


Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee <http://help.senate.gov/>  Chair Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) on Monday returned to the Senate for the first time since July and reaffirmed his intentions to introduce universal health care legislation next year, the New York Times' "The Caucus <http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/17/kennedy-returns-to-the-hill/> " reports. Kennedy was diagnosed with brain cancer in May (Hulse/Stout, "The Caucus," New York Times, 11/18). According to the Washington Post <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/17/AR2008111703214.html?hpid=sec-nation> , his "brief appearance" at the Senate "represented an opportunity for him to show colleagues that he remains energetic and engaged, and that he intends to reclaim his committee post in January and take charge of the Obama health care agenda." Kennedy ordered staffers months ago to begin work on a health care bill that would significantly expand coverage (Murray, Washington Post, 11/18). Kennedy in a statement said that he will "continue to lay the ground work for early action by Congress on health reform when President (Barack) Obama takes office in January," adding, "We've been making real progress in our discussions about a consensus approach, and I'm optimistic we'll succeed" (Cowan, Reuters/Boston Globe <http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2008/11/18/sen_kennedy_returns_to_work_after_june_surgery/> , 11/18). He said, "There's some major issues, obviously, the economy and also environmental issues," but "the president-elect has indicated that this is going to be a priority, and I certainly hope it will" (Washington Post, 11/18). Kennedy also indicated that he believed Obama would sign a health care bill early in his presidency (Milligan, Boston Globe <http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/11/18/kennedy_returns_to_senate/?rss_id=Boston.com+--+Latest+news> , 11/18).	

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