Source: Briefing Room The Hill

Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) summoned the memories of his two late brothers to hail the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pension (HELP) Committee's passage of healthcare legislation Wednesday.

"This room is a special place. In this room, my two brothers declared their candidacy for the presidency," Kennedy said in a statement following HELP's party-line vote to approve a healthcare bill for full Senate consideration. "Today, the nation takes another major step toward reaching the goals to which they dedicated their careers, and for which they gave their lives."

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Kennedy expressed his regret that he missed the vote for the reform package, which would most notably establish a public (or "government-run") option for consumers. He also thanked Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) for leading work on the legislation in Kennedy's absence.

"Where we have not been able to resolve our differences, we have treated those with whom we disagree with respect and patience," Kennedy said of the contentious debate over healthcare reform. "As we move from our committee room to the Senate floor, we must continue the search for solutions that unite us, so that the great promise of quality affordable health care for all can be fulfilled."



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