Ted's Senate Timeline
Since being sworn in as member of the U.S. Senate, Ted has emerged as a leading voice on a number of important issues facing Delaware and the country at large. Ted’s primary focus has been — and will continue to be — economic recovery in our state and across the nation.
DAY 1 - January 16, 2009
Ted is sworn in as Delaware's newest United States Senator
February 10, 2009
Ted pledges his support for the economic recovery package — aka "stimulus" — saying “Major job creation is essential to our recovery, and I believe this package will accomplish that.”
March 3, 2009
Sen. Kaufman sends first letter to Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Mary Schapiro urging the agency to address abusive short selling by reinstating some form of the uptick rule. Since the repeal of the uptick rule, which aided market stability for 70 years, abuse of naked short-selling — selling stock that the trader does not own -- has added fuel to the fire of distressed stocks and markets.
March 5, 2009
Ted’s bill to provide federal agencies with the additional resources they need to identify prosecute and jail those who have committed financial fraud — the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act — passes the Judiciary Committee.
DAY 57 - March 13, 2009
Ted introduces bill to reinstate the uptick rule — a regulatory measure to prevent abusive short selling.
Ted joins Vice President Joe Biden to announce over $100 million in Amtrak funding for Delaware, creating dozens of new jobs in Bear and Wilmington.
March 26, 2009
Ted presides over the passage of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act which triples the volunteer service corp. Ted pushed for it to include a key provision for volunteer initiatives to spur interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or, “STEM,” careers.
April 2, 2009
In advance of an open SEC meeting on April 8th, Sen. Kaufman, along with five other Senators, write a second letter to SEC Chairman Schapiro urging the commissioners to agree to take the necessary steps to reinstate some form of the uptick rule and impose a “pre-borrow requirement” on short sellers.
April 7, 2009
Ted, engaging in an old Senate tradition, signs the drawer of his senate desk — former Desk 91 senators include: John F. Kennedy, Edward Muskie and Joe Biden.
April 9, 2009
Ted details $625 million in recovery funding for Delaware, and releases a comprehensive "Guide to Funds" outlining how Delawareans can apply for recovery act funds.
DAY 88 - April 13, 2009
Ted departs for 8-day visit to Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan with Sen. Jack Reed (left).
April 15, 2009
Ted arrives in Iraq, meets with members of Delaware’s 261st Signal Brigade as well as Lt. General Frank Helmick, Commander, Multi-National Security Transition Command Iraq, General Ray Odierno (pictured), Commander, Multi-National Force Iraq and Lt. General Charles Jacoby, Commander, Multi-National Corps Iraq. Upon arriving in Baghdad he was greeted by a C-17 from Dover Air Force Base.
April 16, 2009
Ted travels to Kirkuk, meets with Kurdish leaders and has lunch with members of a fire brigade from Dover, Delaware.
April 17, 2009
Arrives in Pakistan, meets with Lt. General Masood, Commander of the Pakistan Army’s 11th Corps, and receives a briefing from members of Pakistan’s Frontier Corps on the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
April 18, 2009
Ted arrives in Afghanistan to see Afghani officials including President Hamid Karzai. Ted also meets with General David McKiernan, International Security Assistance Force commander.
April 19, 2009
Ted visits Forward Operating Base Ramrod and goes on a helicopter tour of Helmand Province with Brigadier General John W. Nicholson, deputy commander of NATO forces in southern Afghanistan.
April 22, 2009
April 28th, 2009
The Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act passes the United States Senate, Ted’s first major legislative victory.
May 4th, 2009
Ted goes to the Senate floor to praise America's federal workers during Public Service Recognition Week
May 11, 2009
Continuing in the tradition of Sens. Roth and Biden, Ted hosts 150 Delaware high schoolers at Youth Conference in Wilmington.
DAY 125 - May 20, 2009
Ted stands beside President Barack Obama as he signs the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act (FERA), bipartisan legislation Ted introduced in February to strengthen tools and increase resources available to federal prosecutors to combat financial fraud.
May 25, 2009
Ted departs for CODEL to Israel, Turkey and Syria with Sens. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Bob Casey (D-PA) and Rep. Tim Walz (D-MN). During the 6-day visit to the region, Ted meets with foreign government and military officials, political leaders and civil society representatives to discuss regional security issues, and areas of mutual interest.
View a photo gallery from Ted’s trip
June 4, 2009
Ted gives his first healthcare-focused floor speech, urging members that reform is necessary.
DAY 144 - June 8, 2009
Ted introduces a bill to coordinate science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or, “STEM” education. As the only serving U.S. Senator to have worked as an engineer, Sen. Kaufman has advocated for a renewed emphasis on science and innovation to meet the increasing challenges of a competitive global economy on numerous occasions.
June 18, 2009
In the aftermath of the Iranian presidential election, the Senate passes a resolution introduced by Ted and Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) that reinforces the universal values of freedom of speech and freedom of the press in Iran.
June 25, 2009
In his third letter to SEC Chairman Schapiro, Ted emphasizes the “fierce urgency” to fix the abusive short selling problem now.
July 1, 2009
Ted announces a $9 Million DuPont-U.S. Department of Energy partnership on an innovative thin film solar program, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
DAY 173 - July 7, 2009
The Washington Post calls Ted “The Senate’s Champion of Civil Service,” for his weekly tradition of honoring federal employees for their lifelong and unsung dedication.
July 13, 2009
Ted, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, gives his opening statement at the Supreme Court nomination hearing of Judge Sonia Sotomayor.
July 15, 2009
On the third day of the Supreme Court nomination hearing, Ted questions Sotomayor on her experience handling business cases and implores the Court not to chip away at impending financial regulation.
July 20, 2009
Marking the 40th anniversary of the moon landing, Ted calls for a renewed dedication to scientific research and development. In a speech on the Senate floor, Ted details how investments in these fields are critical to the nation’s current economic recovery.
July 22, 2009
Ted and seven other senators write to Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Mary Schapiro to propose a potential solution to the abusive short selling that continues to harm investor confidence in the U.S. financial markets.
July 23, 2009
In his second appearance on CNBC’s “Mad Money” with Jim Cramer, Ted discusses the latest developments in his effort to find a solution to abusive short selling.
July 24, 2009
The Senate unanimously passes the Victims of Iranian Censorship (VOICE) Act – bipartisan legislation Ted originally co-sponsored as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act.
Ted announces $3.8 Million in Recovery Act National Emergency Grant funding for Delaware with Vice President Biden, Gov. Jack Markell and Sen. Carper. The funding will help workers displaced by auto plant closures in Delaware.
DAY 192 - July 27, 2009
In response to the SEC‘s announcement of new rules to regulate short selling, Sen. Kaufman criticizes the agency for not going far enough to address the issue. “Until the SEC actually toughens its rules so that abusive short selling can be stopped effectively with enforceable standards, I am concerned that the abuses that took place last year that hastened the demise of Lehman Brothers and Bear Stearns could happen again.”
July 29, 2009
In the Judiciary Committee, Ted votes in favor of sending Judge Sonia Sotomayor’s Supreme Court confirmation to the full Senate for a vote.
July 31, 2009
Demanding a “level playing field for investors,”Ted calls on the Securities and Exchange Commission to address a range of issues including flash orders and high frequency trading, “naked” short selling and reinstatement of the uptick rule.
August 6, 2009
Ted votes to confirm Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the United States Supreme Court.
In his fourth Senate floor speech on healthcare reform, Ted decries the “present healthcare system” and calls for an overhaul.
August 7, 2009
Ted calls for an expansion of national security forces in Afghanistan, stressing the critical need to increase the size of the Afghan National Army and Police beyond current targets set for 2011.
August 24, 2009
Ted proposes a comprehensive review of U.S. financial market structure in his latest letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Ted‘s letter garners considerable discussion in the media and on Wall Street.
August 25, 2009
Ted discusses healthcare reform in a Wilmington News Journal e-discussion with editor John Sweeney.
DAY 224 - August 28, 2009
In a Fox Business News interview, SEC Chairman Schapiro responds to Ted‘s letter, saying the agency is planning to conduct a comprehensive market review as requested by Ted.