Kennedy returns to Senate (Updated)

By Susan Milligan, Globe Staff

Senator Edward M. Kennedy reported back to work today in the United States Senate.

Six months to the day since he suffered a seizure from a brain tumor at his home on Cape Cod, Kennedy came back to work in his office in the Senate’s Russell Senate Office Building.

His staff gathered to greet him in the ornate Russell Caucus Room, a large room normally used for hearings. A banner strung across the room declared: “Welcome Back, Senator.”

When he walked into the room with his wife Vicki and his two dogs, Splash and Sunny, the gathering of about 100 Senate staffers and aides burst into applause. Kennedy then joined his staff for a lunch from Legal Sea Foods.

"I feel fine," Kennedy said. His voice was a bit shaky and he walked with a cane, but he appeared vibrant and energized to be back in the Senate, where he has served for more than four decades.

The Senate returned to work this week in a special session to deal with urgent measures, including an automobile bailout and a stimulus package. The prospects for both of those were uncertain.

“It’s good to be back in the Senate,” Kennedy said in a statement. He said he looked forward to seeing his staff and colleagues and to push for a stimulus package that would help Americans suffering in the current economic crisis.

Kennedy said he was grateful for the prayers he had received over the past several months, as he has undergone surgery and other treatment. He said those good wishes had lifted his spirits -- "as has the election of Barack Obama as our 44th president."

His Massachusetts colleague, Senator John Kerry, said Kennedy was eager to get going on healthcare reform legislation: “He’s pumped and ready.”

“It’s really a tribute to his determination and his courage and the fight he has displayed throughout this process,” Kerry said.