NSCLC Statement on the Legacy of Ted Kennedy

The National Senior Citizens Law Center is saddened by the passing of Senator Edward M. Kennedy.

Senator Kennedy truly was a champion for the elderly poor. Serving in the Senate for five decades, Senator Kennedy defended the poor and politically disadvantaged. He considered health care "the cause of my life." In 1985, he supported the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA), giving workers the right to temporarily continue their employer health coverage when they lose their jobs. In 1996, he co-sponsored the Kennedy-Kassebaum bill, which expanded on COBRA, allowing millions to keep their insurance when changing jobs, are self-employed, or have pre-existing conditions. He also advocated for the passing of the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990.

NSCLC Executive Director Paul Nathanson remembers, “I worked with Senator Kennedy on amending and expanding the Older Americans Act to include the delivery of legal services as a required service from Area Agencies on Aging. He was a friend to our clients and he will be missed.”