Jonathan Pelto, a former five-term state representative and public education advocate, announced Tuesday he plans to seek the Green Party’s nomination for the 2nd District congressional seat. The Green Party’s 2nd District nominating convention will be held on July 30 in Mansfield.
Joe Courtney
Joe Courtney, a Democrat, has served as the U.S. representative for Connecticut’s second congressional district since 2007.
Posted inPolitics
After Dallas shooting, Murphy knocks Congress for inaction on gun control
WASHINGTON — Connecticut’s members of Congress called for calm, prayers, healing and justice in the wake of the shooting of five police officers in Dallas and the slaying by police of black men in Minnesota and Louisiana. But Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., also slammed Congress for inaction on gun control.
Posted inEnergy & Environment, Politics
House approves measure that would halt Plum Island sale
WASHINGTON — Those who want to prevent the development of Plum Island won a key victory Thursday as the U.S. House of Representatives approved a measure that would stop the sale of the island that for years has been the site of a biological lab and off limits to most of the public.
Posted inHealth, Politics
CT Dems take stand on opioid funding – and lose
WASHINGTON — Despite protests and high drama over the level of money the federal government will spend fighting heroin addiction and prescription pain pill abuse, Democrats lost their battle this week to increase federal funds by nearly $1 billion to pay for additional treatment for addicts.
Posted inPolitics
Larson plotted House revolt clandestinely with Lewis
WASHINGTON – Civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis was the face of the unprecedented uprising by House Democrats seeking votes on gun control measures, but it was Rep. John Larson who was the behind-the-scenes planner of the insurrection and who kept it on course for more than 16 hours.
Posted inPolitics
Electric Boat plans major hiring, expansion to tackle sub ramp up
WASHINGTON — The man in charge of developing and acquiring the Navy’s weapons systems said it’s going to be “a tough ramp up” to get Electric Boat’s shipyards and another at Newport News, Va., ready to meet the nation’s need for submarines. The decline in the U.S. manufacturing base and the retirement of skilled tradesmen pose key challenges.
Posted inNews
Senate appropriators OK federal funds for Coast Guard museum
WASHINGTON — Senate appropriators for the first time on Thursday approved federal funding for efforts to build a Coast Guard museum on New London’s waterfront. Although the money, $5 million, is a small fraction of the projected $100 million cost of the museum, supporters hailed the move.
Posted inNews
U.S. House OKs 18 bills, but little money, to fight opioid addiction
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House of Representatives finished work Friday on a package of 18 bills aimed at fighting opioid addiction – but denied President Obama his request for $1.1 billion to confront the growing crisis.
Posted inPolitics
Senate defense bill holds the line on F-35s, Black Hawks
WASHINGTON — A Senate defense panel has been far less generous to Connecticut defense programs than it’s counterpart in the House, which had boosted the number of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter planes and doubled the number of Black Hawk helicopters the Pentagon had asked for.
Posted inPolitics
Veteran, newcomer vie for 2nd District GOP nomination
Daria Novak, a conservative radio host who wants to return the U.S. to the gold standard, has failed twice to win the Republican nomination for the 2nd District Congressional seat. Now, after nearly six months as the only candidate for the nomination in 2016, she has competition from a political newcomer.
Posted inPolitics
Connecticut lawmakers trouncing challengers in political fundraising
WASHINGTON – Connecticut lawmakers have raised and spent millions of dollars in political cash, even if they have no challenger or the ones they have are woefully underfunded. It’s the system, analysts say. And they say it’s not likely to change.
Posted inNews
Bright future for sub industry, if Navy can find the money
WASHINGTON — Forced to retire aging submarines and facing an increased need for sub to fend off potential threats from China and Russia, the Navy has an ambitious, $100 billion plan that will boost work at Electric Boat. But, despite its strategic vision and detailed timeline for the new fleet of boats, the Navy doesn’t know yet how it will pay for the ambitious program.
Posted inPolitics
Westbrook attorney Ann Brookes files to run for Courtney’s seat
Ann E. Brookes, a Republican from Westbrook, announced Friday she will challenge Democratic Rep. Joe Courtney in the race for the 2nd District congressional seat.
Posted inNews
Navy names EB prime contractor on new class of ballistic-missile subs
WASHINGTON — The Navy on Monday released a new submarine construction plan that makes Electric Boat the prime contractor on the costly Ohio-class replacement sub and shifts some work on Virginia-class subs to Newport News Shipbuilding. The total price tag of the Ohio-class replacement boats has been projected at $102 to $107 billion.
Posted inPolitics
CT lawmakers seek more funds for gun background check system
WASHINGTON — All five members of Connecticut’s U.S. House delegation joined dozens of other lawmakers – many of them but not all fellow Democrats – to ask for more money for the federal gun purchaser background check system.