WASHINGTON — Pressed by the conservative wing of their party, House GOP leaders discussed options this week to punish Rep. John Larson and other Democrats who staged a sit-in on the House floor to protest the lack of action on gun control measures, but they’ve yet to unveil a strategy.
Kevin McCarthy
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.
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Himes says GOP should turn to centrist Dems to stop chaos
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Jim Himes has a solution to the leadership crisis in the House: Republican leaders should replace the hard-to-get votes of Tea Party sympathizers with those of moderate Democrats like himself.
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CT in Washington: Leadership in chaos, gun violence revisited
Chaos reigned in the House Republican ranks after Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., who was favored to become the next Speaker, dropped out of the race; but there was nary a peep from Connecticut’s all-Democratic congressional delegation about that. But Senate Democrats, including Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, were eloquent and forceful in the re-launch of a campaign promoting universal background checks of gun purchasers.
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Republicans in Congress target state, local immigration policies
WASHINGTON – Local and state immigration policies, including Connecticut’s, are under scrutiny by congressional Republicans as a reaction to the July 1 killing of Kathryn Steinle in San Francisco by an undocumented immigrant with an extensive criminal record.
Posted inHealth, Politics
Obama visit may spare Esty from Obamacare vote
Washington – President Obama’s visit to Central Connecticut State University Wednesday may spare Rep. Elizabeth Esty, D-5th District, from having to make another controversial vote. Esty plans to be among the Connecticut politicians who will be on hand to welcome the president. Obama is visiting Connecticut to meet with Gov. Dannel Malloy and other New England governors to highlight the president’s campaign to raise the federal minimum wage – now set at $7.25.