Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal handily won re-election Tuesday night but his party failed to win enough seats in the Senate to wrest control from the GOP.
Senate
Posted inPolitics
Senate to vote on Murphy effort to block Saudi arms sale
WASHINGTON – The Senate plans to vote Wednesday on a resolution sponsored by Sen. Chris Murphy that would block a $1.5 billion sale to Saudi Arabia. It’s a long shot. But Murphy says he’ll win something even if he loses the vote.
Posted inPolitics
Murphy Q&A: Congress ‘is a place that’s fundamentally broken’
WASHINGTON — Freshmen senators, especially those belonging to the party out of power in the chamber, generally keep a low profile in deference to their elders. But Sen. Chris Murphy has clearly broken with tradition. The Connecticut Mirror interviewed the senator about his relatively short, but very busy, time in the Senate and his plans for the future.
Posted inPolitics
Senate moves to quash CT’s GMO food labeling law
WASHINGTON — In a key procedural vote, the U.S. Senate on Wednesday voted to pre-empt Connectcut’s genetically modified food labeling law, replacing it with a national food safety standard advocates say would be much weaker and not apply to many foods.
Posted inJustice, Politics
Senate rejects Murphy background-check provision and ‘terror gap’ bill
Updated at 9:28 p.m.
WASHINGTON — For the second time since the slaughter at Sandy Hook Elementary School, the U.S. Senate has rejected an effort to expand FBI background checks of gun purchasers. Lawmakers also killed an effort to bar those on the terrorist watch list from purchasing weapons, as well as two competing GOP proposals.
Posted inHealth, Politics
CT lawmakers seek more money as House, Senate split on Zika funds
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House of Representatives and Senate have split on how to fund federal efforts to fight the Zika virus, with Connecticut lawmakers playing key roles in trying to boost the amount of money that would go to states to battle the spread of the disease.
Posted inPolitics
Senate votes to protect lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook
Washington – The Senate on Tuesday voted to give National Park Service protection to the lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook, Connecticut waterways that would be given a “wild and scenic river” protective designation.
Posted inPolitics, Transportation
Blumenthal push for wider airline seats falters in Senate
Supporters said air travelers were packed into planes “like sardines.” The airlines said making seats wider and giving passengers more legroom would force them to raise fares.
Posted inPolitics
State Rep. Carter ‘seriously considering’ Blumenthal challenge
WASHINGTON — State Representative Dan Carter, a Republican from Bethel, is weighing a run against Sen. Richard Blumenthal. “I am seriously considering it,” Carter said. “So much so that I withdrew all my filings to run for re-election in the state assembly.”
Posted inHealth, Politics
Murphy mental health bill wins big bipartisan support – after some changes
WASHINGTON — A key committee on Wednesday voted unanimously to send a mental health bill sponsored by Sen. Chris Murphy to the Senate floor, but not until certain provisions were dropped.
Posted inPolitics
Senate blocks bill that would nullify CT GMO labeling law
Updated at 1:25 p.m.
WASHINGTON — The Senate blocked a bill Wednesday that would set national voluntary labeling standards for genetically modified foods and bar states like Connecticut from setting their own rules.
Posted inHealth
Senate approves bill to fight opioid abuse that would offer CT help — within limits
WASHINGTON – Senate approval of a bill to fight the nation’s opioid epidemic is still likely to leave states like Connecticut on the front lines of the crisis – and to leave them short of all the help they need to prevent the destroyed lives that result from the abuse of pain killers and heroin.
Posted inPolitics
At Republican retreat, GOP senators press Kudlow to run against Blumenthal
BALTIMORE, MD. — Larry Kudlow continued to keep people guessing as to whether he’ll challenge Sen. Richard Blumenthal at the House and Senate Republican retreat in Baltimore Thursday, but the pressure was on. “I talked to quite a few senators,” Kudlow said. “They were very encouraging.”
Posted inEducation
Senate saves Perkins student loan program
WASHINGTON– The nation’s oldest student loan program, which had expired in September, has been temporarily revived by the Senate. The Perkins loan program was available at most of Connecticut’s four-year colleges and has helped thousands of students in the state.
Posted inPolitics
CT senators introduce bill to close ‘loophole’ in checks of gun buyers
WASHINGTON – Joined by several of their Democratic colleagues, Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy on Wednesday fulfilled a promise to introduce a bill aimed at closing a “loophole” in federal gun laws that allows a gun sale to proceed if an FBI background check is not completed in 72 hours.