Patrick J. Kennedy

I believe that successfully addressing our national security needs while protecting our basic freedoms and civil liberties requires continual Congressional oversight, and I will continue to work to assert the role of this body in carrying out this grave responsibility.

In the 5 years, well over 60,000 American families have been broken apart by the absence of insurance because the only way for parents to get treatment for their children is to turn the custody of those children over to the State.

In the last 5 years, American employers have lost over $150 billion of productivity to depression alone. That is more than the GDP of 28 different States during the same period.

So if we are really concerned about generating more taxes, we ought to be investing in our people, not taking away the kinds of resources that contribute to their ability to become greater taxpayers in this country.

For students today, only 10 percent of children from working-class families graduate from college by the age of 24 as compared to 58 percent of upper-middle-class and wealthy families.

The key battleground in the war on terrorism, therefore, is in the minds of the American public.

If we had a terrorist attack, the way the people respond is going to determine whether that attack is just a tragedy or whether that attack becomes an all-out disaster.

I see the policy of opposing same-sex marriages or unions, whatever you call it, as bigotry or discrimination.

We could have a budget that brings Americans together.

Terrorism is a psychological warfare. Terrorists try to manipulate us and change our behavior by creating fear, uncertainty, and division in society.

Americans have been given goals to achieve in Iraq, but not the standards by which to measure progress. And the only assurance Americans have been given that we can reach those goals is to trust the President and his Administration at their word.

In our pledge every day, we pledge one Nation under God with liberty and justice for all.

No one is immune from addiction; it afflicts people of all ages, races, classes, and professions.

We believe in some basic human principles – everyone should have the opportunities not just to survive, but to excel with their God-given talents and abilities. Those are the values that should be reflected in our budgets.

I am a recovering alcoholic.

Today, our economy is about an economy of ideas.

If we do not provide education for every single American, we are consigning those without an education to second-class status.

Democrats believe that government should reflect the sense of community that Americans demonstrated after Katrina – the sense of community that has defined and united America throughout its history.

Moreover, as the leadership of the House confirmed last year, the Administration remains opposed to a congressional resolution on the Armenian Genocide due to Turkish objections. This approach sends absolutely the wrong signal to Turkey and to the rest of the world.

My mother is still battling alcoholism.

In my state, over 17,000 households are going hungry on a regular basis.

Franklin Roosevelt said the test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance to those who have much; it is whether we provide enough to those who have too little. This reconciliation package fails that test as well.

As the bill requires, any terror alert system must give people and organizations some indication about what steps they must take to improve their own security and assist in the Nation’s security.

Facts are, insurance ratings are really dependent on the notion that some people are higher risk than others.

On the other hand, the American public possesses a great resilience and strength, and good risk communication strategies can tap into and even amplify those assets.

And how the government communicates about homeland security is central to how the public responds.

My state has the highest child poverty rate in all of New England, above the national average.