Sen. Ted Kennedy, who has been recuperating from brain cancer surgery, was back in Washington on Thursday as President Obama set out to tackle a major domestic policy item on his increasingly loaded plate -- health care reform.
(...) But according to aides, Kennedy has been meeting with his staff multiple times a day, and is actively engaged in directing and coordinating movement on his committee on health care reform.
Ron Pollack of Families USA said Thursday that despite Kennedy's absence from Washington, his work championing health care goes on.
"Sen. Kennedy gets more done in Florida or Massachusetts in terms of what Congress needs to do than a lot of people do when they're here in Washington," he said. "So he has made sure that his staff and his committee are fully prepared for the health reform debate."
Kennedy's colleague Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah said Thursday that while it's "hard when you're not here" pushing for reform, Kennedy has an "excellent staff and he is in constant communication with them on what he wants to do."
Hatch, a Republican, said that Kennedy's long history of working on the issue and outreach to the health care community will help him in his quest.
"He, more than any other person, can get those groups to move on health care, and that's one reason he is very important to this process," Hatch said. "He's got so much experience he can spend less time on it than most people."
During his long political career, Kennedy has championed social causes such as health care, education, family leave and the minimum wage. He is the author of "In Critical Condition: The Crisis in America's Health Care."
Kennedy chairs the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and is a ranking member of the Judiciary and Armed Services committees.
Pollack says Kennedy is in constant contact with his colleagues in the Senate and his staff has been holding meetings for months on the health care issue.
"Now that he's here [in Washington], he's going to give a real life to this debate," Pollack added.
Recently, Kennedy's wife asked supporters to contribute to his political action committee -- a donation she said would help him in the quest to establish health care for "all Americans."
"He believes that every American has the right to decent, quality, affordable health care, and fighting for that right is the cause of his life," Victoria Reggie Kennedy wrote in the e-mail sent by her husband's Committee for a Democratic Majority.
(...) But according to aides, Kennedy has been meeting with his staff multiple times a day, and is actively engaged in directing and coordinating movement on his committee on health care reform.
Ron Pollack of Families USA said Thursday that despite Kennedy's absence from Washington, his work championing health care goes on.
"Sen. Kennedy gets more done in Florida or Massachusetts in terms of what Congress needs to do than a lot of people do when they're here in Washington," he said. "So he has made sure that his staff and his committee are fully prepared for the health reform debate."
Kennedy's colleague Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah said Thursday that while it's "hard when you're not here" pushing for reform, Kennedy has an "excellent staff and he is in constant communication with them on what he wants to do."
Hatch, a Republican, said that Kennedy's long history of working on the issue and outreach to the health care community will help him in his quest.
"He, more than any other person, can get those groups to move on health care, and that's one reason he is very important to this process," Hatch said. "He's got so much experience he can spend less time on it than most people."
During his long political career, Kennedy has championed social causes such as health care, education, family leave and the minimum wage. He is the author of "In Critical Condition: The Crisis in America's Health Care."
Kennedy chairs the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and is a ranking member of the Judiciary and Armed Services committees.
Pollack says Kennedy is in constant contact with his colleagues in the Senate and his staff has been holding meetings for months on the health care issue.
"Now that he's here [in Washington], he's going to give a real life to this debate," Pollack added.
Recently, Kennedy's wife asked supporters to contribute to his political action committee -- a donation she said would help him in the quest to establish health care for "all Americans."
"He believes that every American has the right to decent, quality, affordable health care, and fighting for that right is the cause of his life," Victoria Reggie Kennedy wrote in the e-mail sent by her husband's Committee for a Democratic Majority.
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