WASHINGTON – The nation’s capital is living up to its reputation as a city of contradictions as it cheers Pope Francis’s gently accented words of hope and reconciliation amid a backdrop of a looming crisis – the increasingly likely shutdown of the federal government.
Congress
Posted inEducation, Politics
Warring camps emerge over federal education bill
WASHINGTON — Efforts to fashion a new federal education bill have created a big divide between civil rights organizations and teachers unions – and between many Connecticut educators and Sen. Chris Murphy, who has been active in trying to shape the legislation.
Posted inPolitics
Himes’ New Dems may bridge troubled congressional waters
WASHINGTON – Rep. Jim Himes has not been a stranger to controversy this year, and he’s likely to once again pop up again at the center of new congressional scuffles.
Posted inPolitics
Murphy urges U.S. to take in thousands of Syrian refugees
WASHINGTON– Sen. Chris Murphy, fresh from a trip to the Middle East, said the United States should abandon its “coldhearted” policy toward Syrian and take in at least 50,000 of the nation’s refugees.
Posted inPolitics
Boosting White House, Blumenthal says he supports Iran deal
WASHINGTON – Sen. Richard Blumenthal on Tuesday became one of the last U.S. senators to announce he will support a historic nuclear agreement between Iran and the United States and other industrialized nations.
Posted inPolitics
Shaban challenges Himes in clash of the moderates
WASHINGTON — Republican John Shaban said he’s challenging Rep. Jim Himes because he thinks Connecticut gets a raw deal from Washington — with many more dollars leaving the state in federal taxes than come back to shore up schools and infrastructure.
Posted inPolitics
Himes: Ukraine wants U.S. to provide ‘defensive’ weapons
WASHINGTON – Rep. Jim Himes, D-4th District, said Ukrainian officials told him and other members of a visiting congressional delegation that the country could use more help from the United States — in the form of “defensive” weapons — to help defeat Russian-backed rebels.
Posted inPolitics
New report: CT traffic is bad — and likely to get worse
WASHINGTON — Connecticut has some of the worst traffic in the nation, with snarls that cost drivers about 20 gallons of wasted fuel and dozens of hours of lost time each year – and things are likely to get worse, a new report says.
Posted inPolitics
Esty says she’ll support the Iran nuclear deal
WASHINGTON — Rep. Elizabeth Esty, D-5th District, said Tuesday that after “diligently and carefully” reviewing the Iran nuclear deal, she’s ready to support it.
Posted inPolitics
Larson sponsors measure authorizing use of force if Iran breaks nuclear deal
WASHINGTON – Rep John Larson, D-1st District, said he supports a deal with Iran aimed at curbing the nation’s nuclear ambitions – but he also introduced legislation that would give the Obama administration authority to use military force against Tehran.
Posted inPolitics
Congress seeks to override Connecticut’s GMO-labeling law
WASHINGTON – In the spring of 2013, Tara Cook-Littman was on the front lines of the struggle to pass a Connecticut law requiring the labeling of food containing genetically modified organisms. But Congress is moving to take back the ground food labeling advocates like Cook-Littman have won.
Posted inPolitics
Courtney says he supports Iran nuclear deal
WASHINGTON – Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, on Thursday became the second member of the Connecticut delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives to voice his support for the Iran nuclear pact.
Posted inPolitics
Murphy says he’ll support Iran nuclear deal
WASHINGTON — Hours before President Obama makes a key speech to the nation to sell the Iran nuclear deal, Sen. Chris Murphy on Wednesday announced his support for it.
Posted inPolitics
CT senators urge boycott of stores that don’t wait for gun checks
WASHINGTON – Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy want some of the nation’s largest sporting goods stores to wait for the FBI to complete background checks on gun purchasers in all cases – and hope customers boycott those stores if they don’t.
Posted inNews
Blumenthal, undecided on Iran pact, probes its consequences
WASHINGTON – Sen. Richard Blumenthal questioned top Obama administration officials about the possible consequences of a nuclear weapons deal Wednesday, pressing the nation’s top general on the military impact of the deal.