The CT Mirror (https://ctmirror.org/author/aradelat/page/2/)
WASHINGTON — U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson has accepted an invitation from Sen. Chris Murphy to come to Connecticut and take a first-hand look at the damage to homes that have crumbling foundations made of tainted concrete. Continue Reading →
Shannon Kula, a former U.S. Senate aide, on Wednesday became the third Democrat, all women, to announce a run for the open 5th District Congressional seat, making a late entrance that will require her to petition for a place in the August primary. She faces a deadline of June 12 to gather signatures from two percent of registered Democrats in the district. Continue Reading →
WASHINGTON – The White House’s Office of Management and Budget has objected to a provision in a massive defense bill approved by the House Thursday that would press the Navy to procure two additional Virginia-class subs in 2022 and 2023. The White House said those additional subs, manufactured by Electric Boat, exceeds President Donald Trump’s request for 10 subs, not 12, in the Navy’s next contract with EB. Continue Reading →
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has rejected Connecticut’s petition to force a power plant in York County, Pa. to cut down on smog pollutants that the state claims heavily contribute to its unhealthy air. But the state hopes to have other wins, and is at the forefront of the resistance to the agency’s proposed rollback of protections on air and water.
WASHINGTON – Immigration advocates in the state and the Connecticut office of the ACLU blasted Education Secretary Betsy DeVos for saying that a school can chose to call Immigration and Customs Enforcement on students believed to be undocumented. Continue Reading →
WASHINGTON – Rep. Jim Himes split from other Connecticut Democrats Wednesday in supporting a bill that pares down several restrictions of the 2010 Dodd-Frank bill, a law imposed on U.S. banks and other institutions after the global financial crisis. Continue Reading →
WASHINGTON – The Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department said Wednesday they intend to issue regulations to rein in an attempt by Connecticut and other states to get around a new limitation on the deductibility of state and local taxes. Continue Reading →
WASHINGTON – Rep. Joe Courtney on Tuesday lashed out at Education Secretary Betsy DeVos for her failure to respond to letters from Connecticut officials and students who were offended by her disparaging remarks about East Hartford High School a year ago. Continue Reading →
WASHINGTON – Fairfield First Selectman Mike Tetreau hopes to take advantage of a new state law aimed at blunting the impact on his town’s residents of a new cap on certain federal tax deductions. But the bold step the state has taken may face push-back from the IRS. Continue Reading →
The Newtown Action Alliance, a gun-control group formed after the Sandy Hook shooting of December, has demanded House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., allow votes on dozens of gun control bills that run the gamut from an assault weapons ban to establishing federal funding research on gun violence. Continue Reading →
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House is about to vote on a farm bill that will reduce eligibility for food stamps, a move that has caused a partisan split, with most Democratic lawmakers opposing the legislation. If the changes become law, they could impact tens of thousands of food stamp recipients in the state. Continue Reading →
WASHINGTON – Wendy Allen of New Haven has so little income she pays the minimum rent under a public housing assistance program, yet that modest fee would triple in size under a proposal championed by the Trump administration. Housing advocates say the plan to change federal housing policy could undermine the state’s efforts to eliminate homelessness and place low-income families and individuals under new economic stress. Continue Reading →
WASHINGTON — The Senate voted Thursday to confirm Gina Haspel as the first women to lead the Central Intelligence Agency, a move that was opposed by both Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Sen. Chris Murphy. The Connecticut senators said they were concerned about Haspel’s involvement in CIA torture sites. Continue Reading →
WASHINGTON — The Senate on Wednesday rejected the Trump administration’s plan to overturn so-called net neutrality rules, which mandate that internet providers give consumers access to content on an equal basis, without favoring some sources or blocking others. Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy voted with all other Democrats — and a few Republicans — for the net neutrality resolution. Continue Reading →
WASHINGTON — Sen. Chris Murphy on Tuesday helped launch a Democratic initiative that blames Republicans for “sabotaging” the Affordable Care Act, leading to sky-high health insurance premiums. Advocates for the ACA predict premiums for individual policies sold on Access Health CT will jump an average of 16.5 percent. Continue Reading →