With the Congressional super committee’s much-awaited recommendations for trimming the federal deficit due next week, Kaiser Health News has compiled a guide to what health care interest groups are asking for and what they’re telling committee members. Read it here.
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Leonardi named to federal insurance panel
Insurance Commissioner Thomas B. Leonardi has been named to a federal panel that will advise the new office established to monitor the insurance industry as part of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Leonardi, a venture capitalist who worked with the insurance industry before being named insurance commissioner earlier this year, will […]
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Larson cheers Occupy Wall Street protestors
Rep. John Larson, a 1st District Democrat and chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, gave a shout-out Wednesday to the Occupy Wall Street protestors. The still-evolving protest movement now in its third week, with demonstrators camped out in New York’s Financial District and addressing issues from the sour economy to the Afghanistan war. Larson applauded […]
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Doctors’ groups ask super committee to consider medical liability reform
In case the super committee doesn’t already have enough on its plate, the Connecticut State Medical Society and other physician groups are asking the congressional deficit-reduction panel to tackle medical liability reform. The so-called super committee is charged with finding at least $1.2 trillion in budgetary savings before Thanksgiving. The 12-member panel is looking at […]
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The Chrises set to be at same hearing next week, on opposite sides of dais
Connecticut’s U.S. Senate election isn’t for another year or so, but two of the candidates for that seat will have a chance to face off next week. Well, sort of. Ex-Rep. Chris Shays will once again be testifying before Congress on Tuesday about the findings of the Commission on Wartime Contracting, which Shays co-chaired. The […]
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Planned Parenthood a target of House GOP inquiry
House Republicans have ramped up their campaign against Planned Parenthood, launching an official congressional investigation into the organization, which provides sexual and reproductive health care to women across the country. Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Fla., chairman of a House oversight and investigations subcommittee, has asked Planned Parenthood for reams of documents about everything from its accounting […]
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More storms ahead for disaster aid bill
The Senate on Friday defeated an emergency spending bill that would replenish the nearly-empty coffers of the federal Disaster Relief Fund and keep the government open for the first few weeks of fiscal year 2012, which starts Oct. 1. The action puts Congress closer to a disaster of its own, with the fallout being a […]
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CT delegation looks for ways to aid shellfish farmers hit by Irene
Two members of the Connecticut delegation introduced legislation today that would pave the way for shellfish farmers to be eligible for agriculture-related disaster aid programs. The “Shellfish Equity Act,” sponsored by Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Joseph Lieberman, would add shellfish to the list of “specialty crops” that are now covered by federal agriculture disaster relief […]
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Blumenthal gets another shot at Google today
As attorney general, Richard Blumenthal didn’t get the chance to put top Google executives on the witness stand when he launched a multistate investigation into Google’s collection of data from personal wireless networks. But as senator, he’s now going to have a shot at grilling Google’s Executive Chairman, Eric Schmidt, who will be sitting at […]
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Fight over disaster aid getting stormier
Rep. John Larson said he’ll cast a “no” vote today when House Republicans bring up a stop-gap funding measure to pay for disaster aid and keep the government running through the first weeks of fiscal year 2012. He and other Democrats are fuming that House Republicans have included a $1 billion cut in funding from […]
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Donovan in D.C., talks money and more
Chris Donovan said Wednesday that he expects his 5th District campaign to cost between $1 million and $2 million-and that’s just for the primary. So it’s no wonder he was in D.C. this week for a fundraiser, along with some other political meetings. Donovan wouldn’t say how much his D.C. event, closed to press, was […]
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CT and other House Dems join Tea Party conservatives to block spending bill
All five of Connecticut’s U.S. House members voted against a stop-gap funding bill for fiscal year 2012 on Wednesday that included billions of dollars in federal disaster aid. They were part of an odd alliance with Tea Party conservatives who helped defeat the legislation in a surprise rebuke to House GOP leaders. Rep. John Larson […]
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Lieberman hails one gay-rights milestone, hedges on next battle
Sen. Joseph Lieberman and a half-dozen other lawmakers celebrated the official repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” today and promised to help discharged service members re-enlist if they want to. Lieberman, a Connecticut independent, said the end of DADT, which mandated the discharge of any openly homosexual member of the U.S. armed forces, was a […]
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Lieberman’s new book
Sen. Joseph Lieberman has a new book out-“The Gift of Rest,” an aptly titled tome for a longtime politician on the eve of his retirement from the Senate. But Lieberman’s book isn’t about stopping work, except for one day of the week. It’s a 230-page description and celebration of the Sabbath, even ending with a […]
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Himes’ aide happy to be back in DC after stint in New York special
Many House Democrats are wringing their hands, trying to figure out what went wrong in last Tuesday’s special congressional election in New York, where a little-known GOP candidate swept to victory in a heavily Democratic district. But while others are reading the tea leaves, Rep. Jim Himes, D-4th, will get the inside scoop. That’s because […]