I wanted to take a minute to share the latest news from Washington. But first, a brief note on my own health. As you know, last month I underwent surgery to treat early-stage prostate cancer. The surgery was a complete success. And, after spending a few weeks at home with my family, I'm back at work and feeling great. Thank you for the many kind calls and emails we received while I was recuperating -- it was great to hear from you all.
It's been an eventful summer, filled with passionate debate about health care, big decisions about my role in the Senate -- and some sadness.
Last month, our country lost a great leader, the Senate lost a great fighter, and I lost a great friend when Sen. Ted Kennedy passed away. I had the honor of speaking at the Celebration of Life held to remember Teddy; if you'd like to read my remarks, you can click here.
We will miss Teddy immeasurably, but the work goes on. This week, I announced that I would be staying on as chairman of the Senate Banking Committee.
The Banking Committee is of vital importance to Connecticut, with jurisdiction over everything from preventing foreclosures to expanding transit options to protecting consumers from greedy credit card companies and unethical lending practices.
This fall, I look forward to continuing this important work -- helping struggling homeowners, creating a new consumer financial protection agency, and fighting for important transportation projects like the Tri-City Corridor.
We also have more work to do to make sure that a financial crisis like the one we're in now never happens again. Too many in our state and in our country have lost their jobs, their homes, their life savings. We have held more than fifty hearings in our effort to develop strong legislation that protects Connecticut families. And I am confident that we will get that legislation done.
I will also be keeping my role as the Senate health care committee's leader on health care reform. This summer, filling in for Sen. Kennedy, I chaired an historic four-week markup in which we incorporated ideas and perspectives from across the spectrum -- not to mention over 160 Republican amendments.
The legislation we passed in our committee represents a uniquely American bill that will reduce costs, protect patient choice, and guarantee every American access to affordable, quality care.
Our work is not done, though, and I will be working hard this fall to pass a strong bill -- with a robust public option -- and send it to the President's desk.
It promises to be a busy fall, and I look forward to keeping you posted. As always, I thank you for the privilege of serving as your United States Senator. And I hope to see you soon.