Members of the Connecticut delegation weighed in this week on gun control, Medicare and Medicaid coverage for prostheses, and the looming sale of Plum Island in Long Island Sound. But the all-Democratic delegation just sat back and watched the GOP struggle over naming a new speaker of the House.
Richard Blumenthal
Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut’s senior U.S. senator, was first elected in 2011. Sen. Blumenthal has supported stricter gun legislation and support for veterans.
Posted inPolitics
New push to stop Plum Island sale
WASHINGTON — A new effort to sell Plum Island in Long Island Sound has intensified a tug of war that pits Connecticut lawmakers and environmentalists against the federal government. the island’s owner.
Posted inJustice
A bittersweet day for Second Chances in New Haven
NEW HAVEN – Waiting for the governor to arrive for the press conference about criminal justice reform, Police Chief Dean Esserman talked shop with Michael P. Lawlor, the governor’s criminal justice adviser. There had been a homicide the previous night, a young man shot on the street.
Posted inPolitics
Malloy’s approval rating plummets to all-time low
The approval rating of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, a Democrat in the midst of defending unpopular mid-year budget cuts in the first year of his second term, hit an all-time low of 32 percent in a Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday.
Posted inEnergy & Environment, Justice, Politics
Blumenthal keeps his consumer focus with a shot at VW
The Volkswagen scandal is the latest consumer issue seized on by Richard Blumenthal, who has made consumer protection a priority in his five years in the U.S. Senate, much as he did during his 20 years as Connecticut’s attorney general.
Posted inPolitics
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.
Posted inMoney, Politics
Small victories for liberals in trade pact they hate
WASHINGTON – News that the United States and 11 other Pacific Rim nations had finally reached agreement on a new trade deal was not good for opponents of the pact like Rep. Rosa DeLauro, yet liberals have won a few small victories in the deal.
Posted inPolitics
Murphy to Congress: Hold the sympathy, pass gun law
A press conference to promote a relatively modest gun-control measure became a platform Friday for U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy to denounce the U.S. Congress for refusing to act in the wake of high-profile mass shootings like the one Thursday in Oregon or the quieter daily toll of gun violence in the U.S.
Posted inMoney, Politics
Pentagon slams Lockheed’s bid to purchase Sikorsky
WASHINGTON – While the Justice Department has given Lockheed Martin’s proposal to purchase Sikorsky Aircraft the thumbs up, the Pentagon on Wednesday frowned on the deal, saying it would lead to too much consolidation in the defense industry.
Posted inPolitics
Kudlow denies report he’s decided to run against Blumenthal
WASHINGTON – CNBC host and conservative commentator Larry Kudlow denied on Monday that he has decided to run against Sen. Richard Blumenthal, saying he is still mulling over whether he will challenge the popular Connecticut Democrat.
Posted inPolitics
CT lawmakers say Boehner’s resignation cuts shutdown odds, but threat remains
WASHINGTON – House Speaker John Boehner’s decision to resign may have lessened the prospects of a government shutdown, but that won’t be known for sure until Congress considers a short-term spending bill next week. Meanwhile, Connecticut agencies have been told to draw up contingency plans.
Posted inHealth, Politics
Blumenthal, others grill Aetna, Anthem chiefs about mergers
WASHINGTON – Skeptical members of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday questioned Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini and Anthem CEO Joseph Swedish about their plans to merge with other large insurers, citing concerns about the consolidation’s impact on consumers.
Posted inPolitics
Connecticut’s Washington Week
In the news: The Iran nuclear pact survives; GE lobbies for the Export-Import Bank; the number in Connecticut without health insurance drops; the delegation opposes defunding Planned Parenthood; and the UConn women’s basketball team shows up at the White House — again.
Posted inPolitics
Analysts: Little backlash for Blumenthal on Iran vote
WASHINGTON — His opponents may make it a campaign issue and he’s drawn fire from some constituents for the move, but Sen. Richard Blumenthal’s vote on the Iran nuclear deal hasn’t caused much of a backlash, analysts say.
Posted inPolitics
CT lawmakers meet with GE’s Immelt, promise help in D.C.
WASHINGTON – Several members of Connecticut’s congressional delegation Wednesday promised General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt whatever help he needed in Washington. “We offered to do whatever we can,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.