Kennedy returns to the Senate for vote
WASHINGTON (AP) - July 9, 2008 "Aye," the 76-year-old Kennedy said in a loud voice, smiling
broadly and making a thumbs-up gesture as he registered his vote.
Spectators in the galleries that overhang the chamber burst into
cheers - a violation of decorum that drew no complaints.
"It's great to be back. I love this place," he said after his
brief visit.
Kennedy made his way into the Senate on his own power, appearing
little the worse for his illness. A patch of scalp was clearly
visible through his familiar white hair, although it was not clear
whether that was a result of surgery he underwent or the effects of
chemotherapy or radiation that are part of his treatment.
He walked into chamber accompanied by Sen. Barack Obama of
Illinois, his party's presidential nominee-in-waiting, as well as
fellow Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, Sen. Christopher Dodd of
Connecticut and Kennedy's son, Rep. Patrick Kennedy of Rhode
Island.
Democratic senators, who had been tipped to his presence, burst
into applause when he entered. Some Republicans looked around
quizzically, then quickly joined in the applause when they saw
Kennedy.
"I return to the Senate today to keep a promise to our senior
citizens, and that's to protect Medicare," the senator said in a
statement issued by his office as the vote was unfolding.
"Win, lose or draw, I wanted to be here. I wasn't going to take
the chance that my vote could make the difference."
Kennedy's dramatic return gave Democrats the impetus they needed
to free Medicare legislation from gridlock. It had received 59
votes on an earlier test, one short of the 60 needed to advance.
Kennedy made 60, and when Republicans saw the outcome was sealed,
several of them joined Democrats to pad the margin. The House
already has overwhelmingly approved the measure.
Lawmakers are under pressure from doctors and the elderly
patients they serve to void a 10.6 percent pay cut for doctors
treating Medicare patients. It kicked in July 1 because of a
funding formula that establishes lower reimbursement rates when
Medicare spending levels exceed established targets. Some doctors
say they'll quit taking new patients if the cuts stand.
Officials said Kennedy left Boston immediately after his daily
cancer treatment for a flight to Washington. He was returning home
immediately, in time for Thursday's treatment.
One official said Kennedy has been in regular contact with
Majority Leader Harry Reid, and had asked his doctors earlier this
week whether he could make a quick trip to Washington. He told Reid
on Tuesday he would be there.
Kennedy was last in the Senate in mid-May. He was diagnosed with
a brain tumor this spring after suffering unexplained symptoms that
resulted in his being taken to a hospital on Cape Cod, Mass., and
then flown to Boston.
He later underwent surgery at Duke University Medical Center in
Durham, N.C.
Seated in the Senate gallery were Kennedy's wife, Vicki, and
Caroline, his niece. As the tourists and senators alike rose in a
standing ovation, Vicki Kennedy wiped away tears.
So did many of Kennedy's colleagues and several Senate clerks.
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Associated Press writers Glen Johnson in Boston and Laurie
Kellman in Washington contributed to this report.