Deirdre Shesgreen

WASHINGTON–At first blush, the efforts by Connecticut’s congressional delegation to get the Coltsville Historic District designated as a national park look as quixotic as ever. As in past years, they’ve introduced the proposal in Congress, but it’s on a slow legislative track, with numerous obstacles in its path. But supporters say the political stars may […]

WASHINGTON–The Obama Administration’s ambitious plan for a $53 billion national high-speed rail network appears to be veering off track, with tepid support from congressional leaders and skepticism expressed by outside experts. As lawmakers draft a 2012 budget agreement in the coming weeks, high-speed rail will almost certainly get shortchanged–if the program gets any money at […]

WASHINGTON — It’s not every day a senator gets to quiz Supreme Court justices. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina asked about the corrosive effects of partisanship on judicial confirmations. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut pushed for the high court’s oral arguments to be televised. Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois asked about tougher judicial ethics rules. The […]

WASHINGTON–Whether despite the political dysfunction in Washington or because of it, Connecticut businesses, universities and non-profits are spending big to aggressively press their legislative priorities in the nation’s capital this year. More than 100 Connecticut companies and other organizations currently have lobbyists in Washington, pushing Congress and the Executive Branch for a wide range of […]

WASHINGTON–With his duties on a wartime contracting commission ended, Republican Chris Shays said Tuesday he has hired a campaign manager, signed a lease for his headquarters in Stratford, and even loaned his nascent Senate bid $70,000 to kick things off. In an interview Tuesday, Shays said he was not “intimidated” by his Republican rival Linda […]

WASHINGTON–Lawmakers will limp back to Washington next week, bruised by another barely-averted government shutdown crisis and battered by sinking public approval ratings. But while many lawmakers agree that the latest fiscal fight was “embarrassing,” as one senator put it, it’s not clear this Congress can find any other way of doing business. The most recent […]

WASHINGTON–House Republicans released a spending proposal Thursday that would provide about $3.4 billion for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program–a significant cut from the current funding level, but probably enough to cover the Connecticut heat aid program approved by three legislative committees this week. The House GOP plan, which has yet to win committee […]

WASHINGTON–A partisan clash over funding to refill the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s coffers was resolved late Monday with Senate leaders announcing a deal for $2.65 billion in disaster aid for fiscal year 2012. In addition, the Senate approved a bill to keep federal programs operating through Nov. 18, pulling Congress back from the brink of […]

WASHINGTON–Hospitals have launched a pricey ad blitz. Medicaid recipients held an emotional rally on Capitol Hill. And doctors pitched their message in a letter laced with urgent pleas and dire warnings. The target of all this activity? The Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, dubbed the “super committee” for its broad powers to reduce the […]