WASHINGTON–Despite the unfolding nuclear crisis in Japan, Connecticut’s congressional delegation expressed continued support for nuclear power, even as they called for more scrutiny of the industry. Lawmakers walked a careful line between raising questions about how to improve the safety of U.S. nuclear reactors and voicing confidence in the long-term viability of an energy source […]

Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, really doesn’t want any Husky fans to miss out on Thursday night’s UConn men’s basketball game against Bucknell University. So he’s asking the head of CBS to air the match-up on network television. In a letter to Leslie Moonves, the CEO of CBS, and Mark A. Emmert, of the NCAA, […]

WASHINGTON–Municipal leaders from across Connecticut made a plea to the state’s congressional delegation Wednesday: Push back against domestic spending cuts that will hit their cities and towns hard. “Please, do no harm,” Cindy Mangini, an Enfield Town Councilwoman, said of her pitch to the state’s five House and two Senate members. “We’re trying to hang […]

Freshman Democrat Richard Blumenthal used his first Senate speech to relay the personal stories of Connecticut families who are “still hurting and still struggling” in the weak economy. In his maiden Senate speech on Wednesday, Blumenthal said his major focus in the coming year would be on spurring job growth, ferreting out government waste, and […]

Rep. Chris Murphy’s Senate bid got a boost from today, as his four Connecticut colleagues in the U.S. House endorsed his campaign. Reps. John Larson, Joe Courtney, Rosa DeLauro, and Jim Himes–representing the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th districts respectively–all declared their support for Murphy in his 2012 race to succeed retiring Sen. Joseph Lieberman, […]

Sen. Richard Blumenthal will deliver his maiden Senate floor speech on Wednesday, a time-honored ritual for all freshman who join the clubby upper chamber. Blumenthal, a Democrat who succeeded ex-Sen. Chris Dodd, has been treading cautiously in Washington so far. He will be among the last freshman to make an official debut on the Senate […]

WASHINGTON–For Sen. Joseph Lieberman, last week started with a series of meetings and calls from anxious constituents–Connecticut mayors, community health providers, job training advocates. All expressed grave concern about the budget impasse in Washington and the deep cuts targeted for domestic programs. This week will begin with Congress no closer to an agreement on how […]

WASHINGTON–Sen. Joseph Lieberman is drafting a school reform bill that would tie a portion of federal education dollars to a requirement that states implement robust teacher evaluations, with student test scores being a major factor in rating teacher performance. The bill would also require local schools to give some weight to teacher effectiveness, as opposed […]

When Florida’s governor rejected $2.4 billion in high-speed rail funds earlier this month, Connecticut politicians made an aggressive pitch to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood for a slice of it. But they’re going to have to do more than ask. The federal Department of Transportation announced Friday a new competitive bidding process for the $2.4 billion. […]

A month after Republican Linda McMahon lost her Senate bid to Democrat Richard Blumenthal, she told Republicans in Washington she wanted to meet with them, presumably about a possible 2012 race. But McMahon still hasn’t made her visit to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, keeping national party strategists guessing about her plans. “I haven’t heard […]

Gee, is there a campaign finance deadline looming? Rep. John Larson’s fundraising schedule would suggest so. The 1st District Democrat has three Washington fundraisers scheduled in the next three weeks, according to the website “Party Time!” which tracks such events. On March 16, he’s having an evening reception at Zola’s Wine and Kitchen, with the […]

WASHINGTON–Rep. Jim Himes, a former investment banker and non-profit housing advocate, probably doesn’t need a primer in mortgage finance issues or a lesson in the political firepower of the finance industry. But he’s getting a little of both anyway, as Congress dives into a high-stakes debate over how heavy the government’s hand should be in […]

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., is the wealthiest freshman in Congress, according to a new tally by the Center for Responsive Politics. His net worth comes in at of $94.87 million, according to an estimated average calculated by the Center. (Lawmakers only have to report their assets in wide ranges, so a precise net worth is […]

WASHINGTON–When it comes to health insurance, deciding what is an essential benefit–and what isn’t–is a political and medical minefield, with far-reaching consequences. Should health insurance plans be required to cover chiropractic visits? Should there be a limit on the number of physical therapy sessions a patient gets? What about cancer treatments? Health care policymakers and […]

Physician Compare might not seem like the kind of tool that would spark a divisive policy debate. It’s a website, recently launched by Medicare officials, that allows patients to find a cardiologist, a pediatrician, or other Medicare provider in their zip code. But while it’s just a physician directory now, eventually it will become much […]