WASHINGTON–Here’s a tweet, the likes of which you will almost certainly never read from anyone in Connecticut’s congressional delegation: “Sorry for all the unwanted attention on #WeinerYes follows. I didn’t mean to make you famous. #CollateralDamage.” Sure, the younger Connecticut lawmakers, like Reps. Jim Himes and Chris Murphy, try to be edgy and real with […]

With two notable exceptions, the Connecticut delegation voted against twin resolutions critical of the U.S. military involvement in Libya. After an impassioned House debate Friday about the U.S. role in that conflict, the House approved a resolution stating that President Barack Obama had “failed to provide Congress with a compelling rationale” for the U.S. military […]

The food pyramid is out, and a new dinner plate is in. In Washington today, First Lady Michelle Obama and other top officials unveiled the government’s new food icon, called “MyPlate,” to help Americans make healthier eating decisions. MyPlate (below) emphasizes that half of each meal should be fruits and vegetables. It replaces the more […]

WASHINGTON–Rep. Rosa DeLauro shook her head in quiet disbelief, as the House Appropriations Committee approved a provision that, in her view, amounted to a sneak attack on the Food and Drug Administration. Moments before, DeLauro had argued vehemently against the amendment, which requires the FDA to use so-called “hard science” in issuing new regulations. She […]

WASHINGTON–The House killed a high-stakes proposal Tuesday to raise the debt ceiling, a vote that carried economic repercussions, budget implications, and political fallout. But its fate was sealed well before the roll call even began. On the off chance the bill could have garnered a simple majority in the House, Republican leaders decided to bring […]

Top federal health officials announced Tuesday that they would drop a major requirement for sick patients to get access to a new insurance option offered under the health reform law. The health reform law created new high-risk insurance plans for patients with pre-existing conditions. But participation has been limited, in part because applicants had to […]

When Gov. Dannel Malloy first proposed slashing the state’s contribution to a program that helps AIDS patients get antiretroviral drugs, Shawn Lang was panicked. Lang, director of public policy for the Connecticut AIDS Resource Coalition, feared the loss of that funding–about $600,000 annually–would leave many low-income HIV-positive patients without access to life-saving medications. But after […]

Scientific researchers recently released data from a high-profile study showing that people infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, were significantly less likely to transmit the virus to their partners if they were put on antiretroviral drugs immediately, when their immune systems were still relatively strong, instead of waiting for the disease to progress. […]

Sen. Joseph Lieberman was the only Connecticut lawmaker to vote “yes” on a four-year extension of the Patriot Act yesterday. The anti-terrorism measure gives broad and controversial powers to law enforce officials. One provision, for example, gives the FBI the authority to continue using roving wiretaps on surveillance targets, while another allows law enforcement officials […]

Is Sen. Joseph Lieberman trying to spread his conservative foreign policy gospel before he retires? Politico reports this morning that the Connecticut independent is mentoring a group of freshman Republican senators on defense and foreign policy issues, giving them hawkish advice and counsel. Not surprisingly, Lieberman’s press office sent it out as a “must read” […]

Even before the results were in for New York’s special congressional election, Rep. John Larson was crowing about the outcome for Democrats. “This will be an incredible event for us,” Larson said Tuesday morning, as voters in that state’s 26th District were headed to the polls. “We should not be in a position to win […]

WASHINGTON–Sen. Joseph Lieberman was among the most vocal proponents of U.S. military action in Libya. Rep. John Larson was one of the first to raise sharp questions about that mission. As the Libyan conflict now stretches past the two-month mark, the two men agree on at least one thing: Congress needs to make its voice […]

WASHINGTON–Sen. Richard Blumenthal introduced a sweeping veterans’ assistance bill today, making his first solo legislative foray on an issue that has earned him both deep constituent support and intense political heat in the past. Blumenthal’s first official piece of legislation is wide-ranging, designed to tackle four intractable issues: unemployment, health care, homelessness and the bureaucratic […]

Food safety and nutrition programs would get the ax under a proposed Republican spending proposal for 2012 agriculture programs. The draft legislation includes $973 million for food safety and inspection programs–a cut of $35 million from fiscal year 2011 levels. Nutrition and anti-hunger initiatives, such as the food stamp program, would get $90 billion-about $2 […]