WASHINGTON – As colleagues and friends gave emotional tributes to John McCain this week, former Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman, has chosen instead to mourn his “amigo” more privately. Lieberman will speak at the memorial service for McCain in Washington on Saturday, but has declined to speak to the press about his friend and former Senate ally.
John McCain
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Why Connecticut Dems love John McCain
WASHINGTON – Sen. Richard Blumenthal plans to attend Sen. John McCain’s funeral services here later this week and Sen. Chris Murphy will likely attend the invitation only ceremony, too. The adulation of McCain by Democrats is based on his heroic military service and his willingness to cross party lines. But McCain’s feud with President Donald Trump made him more likeable among Democrats, too.
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CT lawmakers join Congress’ outcry over Trump-Putin summit
WASHINGTON — Connecticut lawmakers on Monday added to the bipartisan outrage at President Donald Trump’s summit with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. During that summit in Helsinki, Trump refused to support the conclusion of U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential election.
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CT senators split over Jerusalem policy
WASHINGTON — Connecticut’s Democratic senators differed on Wednesday over President Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, reversing decades of U.S. foreign policy. Sen. Richard Blumenthal supported the move, but Sen. Chris Murphy said he’s concerned it might lead to new violence in the Middle East.
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CT Guard joins Pentagon ramp up in Puerto Rico
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon beefed up its presence in storm-ravaged Puerto Rico Thursday and shifted its mission from search and rescue to relief – providing vital supplies of food and water. But a Connecticut lawmaker says that’s not enough and wants as many as 50,000 troops sent to the island.
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GOP revises health care bill, but it still falters
WASHINGTON — The latest GOP attempt to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act would continue to ban insurers from rejecting people with pre-existing conditions, but make it easier for insurers to jack up the rates for those customers and for states to roll back other consumer safeguards. It would boost Medicaid money to a handful of states home to key GOP senators. But In what may be the biggest blow to the bill, Maine Sen. Susan Collins said late Monday she would oppose it.
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CT says it would lose $7 billion under teetering ACA overhaul plan
Federal healthcare funding to Connecticut would be reduced by about $7 billion, and “dramatic numbers” of individuals would lose coverage or have it reduced between 2020 and 2026 under the latest Republican proposal to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, state officials said Friday. But the legislation suffered a potentially fatal blow Friday when Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona announced his opposition.
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CT ‘dreamers’ march in D.C. as Trump punts DACA to Congress
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Tuesday ended a program that protected thousands of immigrant youth in Connecticut from deportation, placing the fate of those undocumented immigrants, brought to the United States as children, in the hands of a fractious Congress. Immigrant youths from Connecticut joined those from other states in converging on Washington in protest.
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Senate clears first test on Obamacare repeal, but final victory not assured
WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans and the White House had a win Tuesday on a procedural vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act, but a final victory is not guaranteed. It was just a first step in a series of dozens of votes that will determine whether Senate Republicans can pass a health care bill.
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Lieberman takes himself out of the running for FBI chief
WASHINGTON — Former Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman has told the White House he no longer wishes to be considered as a replacement for ousted FBI Director James Comey, saying the wanted to avoid the “appearance of a conflict of interest.”
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McCain ‘disappointed’ by reports Lieberman no longer in running for FBI
WASHINGTON — Sen. John McCain of Arizona said Wednesday he is “disappointed” by reports former Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman is no longer under consideration to head the FBI. He said Democrats’ rejection of Lieberman, a former Democrat who was Al Gore’s vice presidential running mate, would make anyone “cynical” about Washington.
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MGM uses McCain letter to fight Connecticut tribal casino
MGM Resorts is using a new letter from U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., in its campaign to stop Connecticut’s two federally recognized tribes from opening a casino in East Windsor to compete with an MGM gambling resort under construction in Springfield.
Posted inHealth, Politics
Trump attempt to rein in drug prices may have limited success
WASHINGTON – The president’s spokesman says Trump still favors a plan to negotiate Medicare prices, but he did not mention it after a recent meeting with pharmaceutical executives, and his plans to speed FDA approval of new drugs may be hampered by his restrictions on new regulations and cuts to the federal workforce.
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Trump takes another shot at F-35 program
WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump took another swipe at the F-35 program Wednesday during his first press conference since November’s election. “It’s way behind schedule and billions of dollars over budget,” Trump said. “I don’t like that.”
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McCain blasts DOD, Lockheed Martin for new F-35 delays
WASHINGTON — Sen. John McCain on Tuesday blasted the Pentagon and Lockheed Martin for a seven-month delay in the F-35 program that will cost the Pentagon an additional $500 million.