WASHINGTON — At least 19 senators have said they will not vote for Judge Neil Gorsuch’s confirmation to the Supreme Court, but Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy have not joined that group, at least not yet.
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Posted inJustice, Politics
Gorsuch tells Blumenthal he’s offended by Trump’s attacks on judges
WASHINGTON — Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch on Tuesday confirmed he found President Donald Trump’s criticism of federal judges who ruled to block his travel ban “disheartening and demoralizing” – statements Trump said had been “misrepresented” by Sen. Richard Blumenthal.
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Blumenthal to grill Gorsuch on independence from Trump
WASHINGTON — While showing sympathy for the embattled nominee, Sen. Richard Blumenthal on Monday laid out his strategy for questioning Judge Neil Gorsuch, saying he would press him on his relationship with the man who appointed him to the Supreme Court, President Donald Trump.
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Blumenthal wants Gorsuch emails to private address used by former WH official
WASHINGTON — Foreshadowing the partisan fight that will break out during Judge Neil Gorsuch’s impending Supreme Court confirmation hearing, Sen. Richard Blumenthal on Thursday asked the George W. Bush presidential library for any emails between the nominee and private email addresses of White House officials.
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Senate gives McMahon valentine with vote to make her new SBA chief
WASHINGTON – Despite a lack of government experience, World Wrestling Entertainment co-founder Linda McMahon was easily confirmed by the Senate Tuesday to head the Small Business Administration. More than half of Senate Democrats joined Republicans in the 81-19 vote for McMahon’s confirmation.
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Senate Dems suffer new defeat as Sessions confirmed as AG
WASHINGTON – Senate Democrats endured their second defeat in two days in their efforts to block President Trump’s cabinet nominees when their Republican colleagues late Wednesday confirmed Sen. Jeff Sessions as the nation’s new attorney general. Connecticut Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy joined their Democratic colleagues in saying Sessions is unfit for the job.
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Blumenthal: ‘Serious concerns’ about Gorsuch for Supreme Court
WASHINGTON — Within moments of President Donald Trump’s announcement of Colorado Judge Neil Gorsuch as his candidate to fill an open seat on the Supreme Court, Sen. Richard Blumenthal said he had “serious concerns” about the nominee.
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Blumenthal joins bitter partisan scrape over Sessions
WASHINGTON — Sen. Richard Blumenthal joined Democratic colleagues on the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday in calling for a rejection of Sen. Jeff Sessions as the next U.S. Attorney General. Democrats pushed the committee vote on the nomination to Wednesday.
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Key panel gives McMahon bipartisan support as SBA chief
WASHINGTON — Linda McMahon’s nomination to head the Small Business administration was quickly approved by members of a key committee, even as Democrats pulled out all the stops Tuesday to delay confirmation on several controversial Trump administration nominees.
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Blumenthal calls Sessions hostile to civil rights, will oppose confirmation
WASHINGTON — Sen. Richard Blumenthal said Thursday that he will oppose the confirmation of fellow Sen. Jeff Sessions as U.S. attorney general because his colleague from Alabama has a record that “reflects a hostility and antipathy and downright opposition to civil rights.”
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Murphy questions Tillerson on Russian dossier, says nomination in trouble
WASHINGTON – Sen. Chris Murphy, who says the nomination is in trouble, on Wednesday questioned Rex Tillerson, Donald Trump’s pick to head the State Department, about a dossier of unverified allegations that Russian operatives have been helping the president-elect for years and have compromising information about him. “The report is as earth-shattering as it is thinly sourced,” Murphy said. “We all pray it is untrue.”
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Blumenthal tells Sessions to abstain from voting on his own confirmation
WASHINGTON — Sen. Richard Blumenthal on Thursday told Sen. Jeff Sessions, President-elect Donald Trump’s candidate to be the next U.S. attorney general, that he should not vote on his confirmation – or that of other cabinet candidates.
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CT lawmakers torn between funds for subs and waiver for Mattis
WASHINGTON – A stopgap measure to fund the federal government would allow work to continue on a new Connecticut-built ballistic missile submarine while also expediting the controversial nomination of retired Gen. James N. Mattis as the next secretary of defense, posing a tough choice for Connecticut’s lawmakers.
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CT senators say Supreme Court nominee Garland has a chance
WASHINGTON — Despite a huge Republican wall of resistance to having President Obama fill the Supreme Court seat of the late Justice Antonin Scalia, Connecticut’s Democratic senators say there’s a chance of confirmation.
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Dead at midnight, judicial nominations reborn in morning
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy on Thursday morning resubmitted the names of four judicial nominees whom the General Assembly failed to confirm in the 2015 session that ended at midnight Wednesday.