U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy announced Friday that he is stepping down from the Senate Judiciary Committee to focus on health care reform.

"As chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, I expect to lead a very full agenda in the next Congress, including working with President Obama to guarantee affordable health care, at long last, for every American," the Hyannis Port Democrat said in a statement.

Kennedy, who is currently fighting brain cancer, has been a champion for health care reform over the course of his career. With Barack Obama's election this year, Kennedy said that goal may be in sight.

"This is the opportunity of a lifetime, and I intend to make the most of it," Kennedy said.

Kennedy has served on the Judiciary Committee since he was first elected to the Senate in 1962.