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.
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
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 […]
Posted inPolitics
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.
Posted inMoney, Politics
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.
Posted inEducation, Politics
CT delegation’s travel raises eyebrows
News organizations across the country used to write these kind of high-interest, insider stories about their D.C. delegations all the time. Stories on congressional travel were part of the repertoire.
Posted inPolitics
CT lawmakers use PACs to help other Dems
Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy don’t have to run for re-election this year, but they are still in the thick of the 2014 Senate political campaigns.
Posted inPolitics
Despite reforms, CT lawmakers, staff, take free trips
WASHINGTON — – Scandals that involved pricey outings to Scotland and elsewhere, paid for by notorious lobbyist Jack Abramoff, prodded Congress to implement tough new travel regulations — yet congressional travel is again on the uptick, and members of the Connecticut delegation have not been immune to offers of free trips.
Posted inEducation
Blumenthal: Let students write off college debt through bankruptcy
With the average student graduating from colleges in Connecticut with $27,000 in debt, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal wants to allow students to have their debt dismissed when filing for bankruptcy.
Posted inMoney, Politics
Malloy considers blocking federal food stamp cuts
WASHINGTON – Gov. Dannel Malloy is looking at a way to block cutbacks in the food stamp programs for as many as 68,000 Connecticut families next year, a result of changes to the program in a farm bill President Obama signed into law last week.
Posted inEnergy & Environment, Money, Politics
Blumenthal, DeLauro try to stop flood insurance increases
Washington – Saying more than 18,000 Connecticut homeowners will be socked with soaring flood insurance premiums, Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Rep. Rosa DeLauro are pressing the House of Representatives to pass a bill that would stop those hikes.
Posted inMoney, Politics
Blumenthal pushes bill to prevent Target-like data breaches
Washington – As executives from Target and Neiman Marcus prepared to tell a Senate panel how hackers stole personal information from millions of their customers, Sen. Richard Blumenthal introduced a new data security bill.
Posted inPolitics
Metro-North, MTA sought delay of federal safety rules
Washington – Crisis-plagued Metro-North and its parent company sought to delay and weaken proposed federal safety measures that could have helped prevent some of the accidents the rail company suffered in the past year. Less than two weeks before a foreman was killed by a train, Metro-North pressed the Federal Railroad Administration to delay a safety rule requiring trains to slow to 25 miles per hour when passing a work site.
Posted inNews
CT defense industry wins big in U.S. budget bill
Washington – The massive omnibus spending bill creates winners and losers – and at first blush it seems that Connecticut is chiefly in the winner’s column.
Posted inPolitics
Blumenthal says Obama’s NSA reforms only first step
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee who has introduced legislation to rein in NSA spying, said President Obama’s announced reforms of the agency are “stronger in principle than prescription.” While he praised the president for moving to address concerns abroad and at home about the NSA’s operations, Blumenthal said he would continue to press for approval of his legislation, saying Congress must “provide precision and details” to the president’s reforms.
