WASHINGTON – Embattled Rep. Elizabeth Esty announced Monday she will not run for re-election. “I have determined that it is in the best interest of my constituents and my family to end my time in Congress at the end of this year and not seek re-election,” Esty said.
Washington
Posted inPolitics
Looney, other state Dems, demand Esty resign
Rep. Elizabeth Esty defiantly said on Saturday she had no intention of leaving Congress as several state Democrats, including the highest-ranking member of the state Senate and a Democratic gubernatorial contender, called for her to resign.
Posted inPolitics
Esty writes mea culpa to colleagues; GOP calls for resignation
WASHINGTON – Republicans on Friday called on Rep. Elizabeth Esty to resign over her handling of a former chief-of-staff accused of abusive behavior, while the Democratic congresswoman sought damage control within her own party.
Posted inNews
Esty apologizes for failing to protect staffers from abuse
WASHINGTON — Rep. Elizabeth Esty apologized to current and former staffers Thursday for failing to notice that her former chief of staff, Tony Baker, had been abusive to her staffers and for failing to take swifter action in firing him. “It’s awful and I feel terrible for everyone who was hurt,” said Esty, D-5th District.
Posted inTransportation
Boost in federal transportation money unexpected, but welcomed in CT
WASHINGTON — The massive federal omnibus spending bill increased transportation spending by $10 billion, a windfall for Connecticut’s struggling transportation system, which will benefit from Washington’s unexpected generosity.
Posted inHealth
Clash over abortion hobbles a health bill again
The Affordable Care Act very nearly failed to become law due to an intraparty dispute among Democrats over how to handle the abortion issue. Now a similar argument between Democrats and Republicans is slowing progress on a bill that could help cut soaring premiums and shore up the ACA.
Posted inMoney, News, Politics
CT lawmakers help pass massive spending bill
Updated at 12:55 a.m. Friday
WASHINGTON — Connecticut’s entire congressional delegation voted for a massive, $1.3 trillion federal budget bill that will provide the state with millions of additional dollars for education, health care and transportation and boost production in the state’s defense industry.
Posted inHealth, News, Politics
Massive spending plan boosts defense, includes Murphy’s gun bill
Updated at 10:48 p.m.
WASHINGTON — Congress late Wednesday reached final agreement on a massive spending bill that will boost spending on both defense and domestic programs and also make a number of policy changes, including some to federal gun laws. But the nation’s “Dreamers” are among the losers.
Posted inEducation
CT schools chief takes aim at Trump safety proposals
WASHINGTON — Connecticut Education Commissioner Dianna Wentzell on Tuesday helped congressional Democrats push back against President Donald Trump’s school safety initiatives, including proposals to arm teachers and review Obama-era policies that encouraged educators to consider alternatives to detention and expulsion.
Posted inPolitics
CT colleges pay to play in Washington
WASHINGTON — Universities across the United States spend hundreds of thousands of dollars every year lobbying in Washington, including the University of Connecticut and Yale. A main reason: They are in a tight competition for a dwindling pot of federal research money.
Posted inJustice
New calls for Congress to protect Mueller may not result in action
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump’s twitter attacks on special counsel Robert Mueller are expected to renew debate on bills aimed at protecting Mueller that have lain dormant for months. But while there may be a lot of talk about the legislation, especially among chief promoters like Sen. Richard Blumenthal, whether there will be action is unclear.
Posted inHealth
FDA moves to cut nicotine in cigarettes
Cigarettes would contain less addictive nicotine — making them less attractive to smokers — under an “unprecedented” plan the Food and Drug Administration announced. Stripping cigarettes of all or most of their addictive power could lead 5 million adults to quit smoking within a year of the plan’s going into place and another 8 million to quit within five years, one analysis says.
Posted inMoney
Trump names Kudlow to top White House economic job
Television economic commentator Larry Kudlow, who lives in Redding, said he had just finished playing tennis Sunday when he received a phone call from President Donald Trump, the first of a number of 30- or 40-minute calls that led to Kudlow’s appointment as Trump’s chief economics adviser.
Posted inJustice
Himes: Intelligence panel badly hurt by Russia probe conduct
WASHINGTON — Although it boosted his visibility, Rep. Jim Himes says the House Intelligence Committee’s newly concluded Russia probe has left him disappointed and left the important oversight panel “relatively toothless” to tackle similar missions. Nevertheless, the five-term Democrat says he’s sticking with the job of overseeing the nation’s spy agencies, whose actions are sometimes “scary.”
Posted inPolitics
Murphy to Trump: Don’t pick secretaries of state with no diplomatic experience
WASHINGTON — Sen. Chris Murphy, who as a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will vet the nomination of CIA Director Mike Pompeo to head the State Department, said he willing to consider the candidate’s qualifications, but slammed President Donald Trump for failing to choose someone with diplomatic experience for the job.