Whether people were initially for or against Senator Ted Kennedy’s congressional initiatives, no one can argue that the lives of countless Americans have been affected for the better. And while his family will remember him as a cherished loved one, the people of America will remember his bold ‘people-first’ legislative achievements.
As the “Lion of Senate,” Kennedy’s greatest legislative moments included playing a key role in passing the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, the National Cancer Act of 1971, the Federal Election Campaign Act Amendments of 1974, the COBRA Act of 1985, the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Ryan White AIDS Care Act in 1990, the Civil Rights Act of 1991, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, the Mental Health Parity Act in 1996 and 2008, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program in 1997, the No Child Left Behind Act in 2002, and the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act in 2009.
In pushing through these changes in the law, Senator Kennedy made America a more hospitable place for children, immigrants, minorities and the poor.
President Obama had this to say yesterday about Kennedy’s death: “An important chapter in our history has come to an end. Our country has lost a great leader, who picked up the torch of his fallen brothers and became the greatest United States Senator of our time. And the Kennedy family has lost their patriarch, a tower of strength and support through good times and bad.”
Kennedy’s measures are firmly a part of America’s fabric. Etched into the consciousness of every living American, his legacy will likely endure for as long as the country does.