WASHINGTON — Congress will try to cram in as much work as possible this week before taking off for two weeks on an Easter/Passover/Spring break.
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.
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Court invalidates aggregate limits on federal contributions
Washington – The Supreme Court on Wednesday struck down an aggregate limit of $123,2000 in contributions that an individual can make to federal candidates, parties and political action committees each campaign cycle.
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Plans for Coltsville National Park move ahead, with changes
Washington – Plans to build a national park on the site of the Colt factory in Hartford have moved ahead in the House of Representatives, but not without alterations by a Utah Republican who wanted to make the park more acceptable to the Interior Department.
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Esty introduces e-cigarette bill
Washington—Rep. Elizabeth Esty introduced a bill Thursday that would ban advertising of e-cigarettes to children. “Advertisements for e-cigarettes that highlight flavors like bubblegum or gummy bears and promote cartoon characters are shameless efforts to addict our kids,” Esty said.
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Blumenthal asks for money for some, not all, endangered Democrats
In one of his latest fundraising appeals, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., has asked his donors to give to the campaigns of three endangered Democrats, Sens. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Kay Hagen of North Carolina and Mark Udall of Colorado instead of giving that money to his campaign.
Posted inHealth, Politics
Blumenthal, Murphy declare war on heroin
Connecticut Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy have declared war on heroin, insisting the federal government do more to combat what has become a particularly lethal drug that claims, on the average, one life in the state every day.
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Feds say Metro-North put on-time performance before safety
WASHINGTON –The Metro-North commuter railroad put on-time performance before concerns about safety or adequate training programs, the Federal Railroad Administration has found in a report released today.
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Connecticut’s unemployed pin hopes on divided Congress
The Democratic-led Senate has voted several times to restore benefits to 3.6 million long-term unemployed like Norwalk resident Joel Zaremby, but it fell one vote short of the 60-vote threshold needed to move the legislation forward. Now the Senate is trying one more time to find a compromise that will clear that hurdle. But time is running out.
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Newtown cyclists say gun control campaign now a movement
WASHINGTON — Riding 400 miles from Newtown, 26 bicyclists hoping to change the nation’s gun laws faced some strong headwinds on their way to Washington, D.C. When they reached the U.S. Capitol Tuesday, they faced even more — of the political kind.
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Blumenthal clashes with federal railroad chief over Metro-North crashes
“Four people might be alive today if those (railroad regulations) had been implemented,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal told the administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration. The hearing was Blumenthal’s first as a Senate subcommittee chairman.
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Yale class-action lawsuit seeks redress for Vietnam vets
Conley Monk was given a choice as a 21-year-old Marine lance corporal struggling with drugs and nightmares after combat in Vietnam: Accept a less-than-honorable discharge or face an indefinite stay in a base brig on Okinawa. He took the ticket home. Now 65 and recently diagnosed with PTSD, he is lead plaintiff in a suit filed Monday on behalf of Vietnam veterans trying to upgrade their discharge status.
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Murphy asks FBI to crack down on ‘kidnapper’s’ phone scam
Washington – There are countless phone scams claiming victims in Connecticut every day, but Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., has asked the FBI to crack down on an especially bold one that involves a caller claiming to hold a family victim hostage and asking for ransom. “Several Connecticut residents have fallen victim to this fraud, even […]
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Congress debates Metro-North safety issues
Washington – Sen. Richard Blumenthal was a surprise witness Wednesday at a House hearing aimed at improving rail safety that served as a forum to discuss Metro-North’s problems.
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Connecticut officials lead charge against federal plan for Indians
Updated, 1:15 p.m. Washington – Connecticut officials are bracing for new Indian recognition rules that could upend the state’s gaming agreement with the Mashantucket Pequot and the Mohegan, takes swaths of land out of the state tax base and likely result in new casinos.
Posted inMoney, Politics
Obama’s labor secretary brings minimum wage campaign to CT
U.S. Labor Secretary Thomas Perez Monday brought the Obama administration’s campaign for a $10.10 minimum wage to Connecticut, where the congressional delegation and governor already are among the president’s strongest supporters on the issue.
With no congressional votes to win, a visit to highlight President Obama’s push for a higher minimum wage likely had multiple goals, including giving a measure of early re-election support to Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, who was seated next to Perez at a White House dinner for governors Sunday night.