Patrick Kennedy

Patrick J. Kennedy is serving his seventh term in Congress as the representative from the First District of Rhode Island.

Kennedy was appointed to the House Appropriations Committee in December 1998, but requested a leave of absence in order to fulfill a two-year term as the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. With the term completed, Kennedy now sits on the powerful panel which has authority over all of the federal government’s discretionary spending. As part of his Appropriations duties, Kennedy sits on the Subcommittees on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education; Commerce, Justice, State, and Judiciary and on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs. He is also a member of the Committee on Natural Resources.

Health Care

As nearly one-sixth of the nation’s economy, the largest employer in Rhode Island, a major cost to businesses, and a basic human right, health care has been one of Kennedy’s top priorities. He has spoken out strongly in support of adding a comprehensive prescription drug benefit to the Medicare program and has introduced a bill to reduce drug costs. He has fought Republican attempts to privatize Medicare and push Seniors into private drug plans. Kennedy has been a vocal proponent of health care reform, including calling for universal coverage and re-orienting the system towards preventive care. He has led Congress in efforts to reduce asthma and improve asthma care for children, including cosponsorship of the Asthmatic Schoolchildren's Treatment and Health Management Act of 2003. He also has been particularly active in the effort to conquer lymphoma and leukemia and was named the recipient of the Lymphoma Research Foundation’s Paul E. Tsongas Memorial Award as well as the Leukemia and Lymphoma Foundation Congressional Honors Award. In 2003, Kennedy also introduced HR 3359, the Prevention, Awareness, and Research of Auto-Immune Diseases Act aimed at improving research and outreach for the estimated 14 to 22 million people affected by autoimmune diseases, most of whom are women.

Mental Health

Kennedy has placed improvement of the nation’s mental health at the top of his legislative agenda. Working with Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM) and others, he has led the fight to pass mental health parity in the House, ending discrimination in health insurance. He has introduced legislation to help states respond to the psychological effects of terrorism, to address crisis shortages of children’s mental health providers, and to keep families with severely mentally ill children from being broken up. He has used his position on the Appropriations Committee to push successfully for increased spending on community mental health and mental healthcare for seniors. In April 2001, he hosted Surgeon General David Satcher and others for a hearing on children’s mental health at the Rhode Island State House. Recognized as a national leader in mental health, Kennedy has received numerous awards for his advocacy on behalf of the mentally ill. He also has received the Society for Neuroscience - Public Service Award (2002), Eli Lilly & Co. 2003 Helping Move Lives Forward Reintegration Awards, American Psychoanalytic Association 2003 President’s Award, American Psychiatric Association Alliance award (2003), Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance - Paul Wellstone Mental Health Award (2003), and many other honors from professional organizations in this area.
Personal Background

Kennedy, who is single and lives in Portsmouth, was born July 14, 1967, in Brighton, Mass. The youngest of three children of Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Joan Bennett Kennedy, he came to Rhode Island to attend Providence College, where he graduated with a degree in Social Science in 1991.
He was elected to the R.I. House of Representatives in 1988 at the age of 21, and then re-elected in 1990 and 1992. Kennedy served on both the Health, Education and Welfare and Special Legislative Committees and in 1992 was named chairman of the House Rules Committee. He was a leader on gun control issues, sponsoring the state's seven-day waiting period for gun purchases.