{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "is_view": false, "human_description_en": "where chamber = \"Senate\", state = \"CT\" and year = 2022 sorted by date descending", "rows": [["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-releases-2022-end-of-year-report", "Murphy Releases 2022 End of Year Report", "2022-12-30", "2022", "2022-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "HARTFORD\u2013U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) released his year-end report outlining the work he\u2019s done for Connecticut residents during 2022:\n\n\u201c2022 was Congress\u2019s most productive year in decades. Personally, I was able to pass nearly a dozen pieces of legislation I authored and introduced to help people in Connecticut. This report captures just a glimpse of everything we\u2019ve been able to accomplish. Breaking a thirty year political logjam, we passed a historic piece of gun safety legislation that has already saved lives. We took action to lower drug costs, tackle the climate crisis, invest in mental health, supercharge American manufacturing, and deliver millions in federal funding for our state. It\u2019s my honor to represent the people of Connecticut every day in the Senate, and I look forward to continuing to work together in 2023.\u201d\n\nClick here to download Senator Murphy\u2019s 2022 Year in Review and here to watch his 2022 Year in Review video.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:32:05Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-highlights-stamfords-nourishedrx-as-innovator-of-the-month", "Murphy Highlights Stamford's NourishedRx as \"Innovator of the Month\"", "2022-12-29", "2022", "2022-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "HARTFORD\u2013U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) announced that NourishedRx, based in Stamford, was named December\u2019s \u201cInnovator of the Month.\u201d Founded in 2019, NourishedRx is a woman-owned company that bridges the gap between health care and nutrition through its AI-enabled platform, which matches individuals facing diet sensitive chronic health conditions or nutrition insecurity with highly personalized food solutions and nutrition consultations. NourishedRx has also established partnerships with multiple Medicare Advantage and Managed Medicaid plans to provide its services as part of an all-encompassing healthcare solution.\n\n\u201cAccess to nutritious foods is key to improving health outcomes. That\u2019s why the team at NourishedRx is working to better integrate nutrition with health care through their evidence-based, AI-enabled platform. I\u2019m proud to recognize their innovative approach toward addressing food insecurity, and look forward to their continued growth in Connecticut,\u201d said Murphy.\n\n\u201cBuilding our company in Connecticut has been wonderful. We\u2019re grateful for the support and partnership of Connecticut Innovations and have enjoyed being part of UConn Technology Incubator Program (TIP). Being in CT is definitely helping us on our way to achieving our mission of improving lives, enhancing health equity and bending the health care cost curve,\u201d said Lauren Driscoll, Founder and CEO of NourishedRx.\n\nMurphy believes entrepreneurship and innovation are the building blocks for a strong economy. In the U.S. Senate, he has introduced legislation to incentivize angel investors to put more money into startup companies\u2014the Angel Tax Credit Act. Startup companies create an average of 2 million jobs each year.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:32:05Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-cornyn-applaud-help-find-the-missing-act-signed-into-law", "Murphy, Cornyn Applaud Help Find the Missing Act Signed Into Law", "2022-12-27", "2022", "2022-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2013U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) on Tuesday released the following statements after President Biden signed into law the Help Find the Missing Act, or \u201cBilly\u2019s Law\u201d, legislation to close loopholes in America\u2019s missing persons systems by streamlining the missing persons reporting process and ensuring that law enforcement databases are more accessible and comprehensive.\n\nThe bill was co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), John. Hoeven (R-N.D.), and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.). U.S. Representative Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.-05) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.\n\n\u201cWhen I first met Jan and Bill almost 15 years ago, I was inspired by their determination to fix a missing persons system that had repeatedly failed them during the search for their son Billy. I\u2019m so proud to have worked with Senator Cornyn, Congresswoman Hayes, the Smolinskis, the family of Gabby Petito, and countless others to finally get this bill to the president\u2019s desk. This is a big deal that is going to ensure the thousands of other families with missing loved ones won\u2019t face the same obstacles going forward,\u201d said Murphy.\n\n\u201cFor families who have exhausted all possible leads to find their loved one, improving the missing persons reporting process is essential,\u201d said Cornyn. \u201cThis legislation will ensure local law enforcement can work swiftly and comprehensively to deliver justice to the families and friends of the missing, and I am proud of the bipartisan support that pushed this bill across the finish line.\u201d\n\nBilly's Law was originally introduced in the House of Representatives in 2009 by then-Congressman Chris Murphy. The bill was conceived by Janice and Bill Smolinski of Cheshire, Connecticut, after their 31-year-old son Billy went missing from Waterbury, Connecticut. While working with law enforcement to locate their missing son, the Smolinskis faced countless systemic challenges, most significantly the incomplete and uncoordinated federal databases for missing persons and unidentified remains. Billy's Law was introduced to address those challenges and help ensure that the tens of thousands of American families whose loved ones go missing each year do not experience the same hurdles faced by the Smolinskis.\n\nFull text of the bill is available here.\n\nA section-by-section of the bill is available here.\n\nA one-pager of the bill is available here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:32:05Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-applauds-funding-for-connecticut-priorities-support-for-mental-health-electoral-count-reform-act-gun-violence-prevention-in-fy23-omnibus-appropriations-bill-passed-by-senate-today", "Murphy Applauds Funding For Connecticut Priorities, Support For Mental Health, Electoral Count Reform Act, Gun Violence Prevention In Fy23 Omnibus Appropriations Bill Passed By Senate Today", "2022-12-22", "2022", "2022-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "Murphy Applauds Funding For Connecticut Priorities, Support For Mental Health, Electoral Count Reform Act, Gun Violence Prevention In Fy23 Omnibus Appropriations Bill Passed By Senate Today\n\nWASHINGTON\u2013U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, on Wednesday released the following statement after U.S. Senate passage of the fiscal year 2023 Omnibus Appropriations bill, which will support Connecticut priorities, make investments in gun violence prevention, increase access to mental health care, fund programs for under-resourced communities, promote national security, and make important reforms to the Electoral Count Act of 1887.\n\n\u201cPart of my job on the Appropriations Committee is making sure the budget we write funds Connecticut priorities. On top of the $236 million for local projects in Connecticut, this budget makes major investments in upgrading the Northeast Corridor, combating gun violence, supporting schools and under-resourced communities, and giving Connecticut manufacturers a major boost. It also includes my legislation to ensure the Housatonic River and the Highlands are protected for generations to come. This bill includes bipartisan mental health legislation I authored with a Republican colleague \u2013 reauthorizing and expanding many of the programs we created in 2016 \u2013 and also sends a clear signal that the United States remains steadfast in our support for the people of Ukraine, who have spent the last ten months at war,\u201d said Murphy.\n\nMurphy added: \u201cI\u2019m also proud to have helped write the bipartisan legislation included in this bill that will reform the archaic process Congress uses to certify presidential elections and safeguard against future attempts to overturn the results of a fair election. Reforming the electoral count process won\u2019t protect American democracy from all the threats we face, but it will help restore faith in our elections.\u201d\n\nMurphy, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, released a statement on the fiscal year 2023 Homeland Security bill. Murphy and Blumenthal applauded inclusion of $236 million for community-based projects in Connecticut, including over $100 million for 99 projects requested by Murphy and Blumenthal.\n\nSome highlights of the omnibus appropriations bill:\n\nUpgrading the Northeast Corridor: Building upon the $30 billion for the Northeast Corridor in the bipartisan infrastructure law, Murphy supported the inclusion of more funding to modernize rail in Connecticut, including:\n\n$1.86 billion in funding opportunities to help modernize the Northeast Corridor, including:\n\n$1.26 billion for Amtrak improvements and operations on the Northeast Corridor.\n\n$100 million for the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail, to support major capital projects.\n\nNearly $500 million for the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements program to fund projects that improve safety, efficiency, and reliability of passenger rail.\n\nConserving Open Space and Protecting Small Farms in Connecticut: To protect more of Connecticut\u2019s natural beauty and small farms, Murphy secured the following:\n\nPassage of the Housatonic Wild and Scenic River Act which designates 41 miles of the Housatonic River as Wild and Scenic. Proposed by Murphy, this designation will make federal resources available to protect the river and to support recreation.\n\nPassage of the Highlands Conservation Reauthorization Act, proposed by Murphy, to reauthorize the Highlands Conservation Act through fiscal year 2028. This reauthorization extends protections and provides $10 million to conserve 3.5 million acres of land in CT, NJ, PA, and NY.\n\nNew funding for agriculture disaster aid, which Senator Murphy advocated for in order to assist forage farmers who cannot access traditional crop insurance or disaster aid programs.\n\n$7 million for the Acer Access and Development Program, which provides grants to maple syrup producers in Connecticut.\n\n$918 million for the Natural Resource Conservation Service to support on-farm conservation, water quality, and soil health projects.\n\nProtecting Retirement Savings: More and more, private equity firms looking to turn a quick profit are buying pension liabilities, transferring them to riskier investments, and removing important protections for pensioners and their retirement savings. To protect retirees from greedy corporations playing games with their pensions, Murphy secured the inclusion of his Pension Risk Transfer Accountability Act, which directs the U.S. Department of Labor, for the first time in almost thirty years, to review existing protections and guidance and to report its findings to Congress.\n\nProtecting Long Island Sound: The Long Island Sound is a multi-trillion dollar asset to Connecticut, and Murphy secured the inclusion of federal funding to protect and support the health of the Sound, including:\n\n$40.2 million to improve water quality, restore coastal habitats, and protect shoreline in Long Island Sound. This is an $8.6 million increase from last year and comes on top of the $106 million over five years that was allocated for this program in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.\n\n$6.35 billion for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, an increase of $323.9 million over last year, which includes funding for a number of programs that protect Connecticut coastlines and help manage our fisheries. The bill also includes an additional $657 million for disaster funding at NOAA that can support address the impacts of natural disasters on our coasts and fisheries. This includes the following increases Senator Murphy championed:\n\n$32.5 million for the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS), a $2.8 million increase from last year. This account will fund the newly created NERRS in Southeastern Connecticut that Senator Murphy helped create and open earlier this year.\n\n$19 million for NOAA aquaculture research, a $1 million increase from last year, that will help support the work of Milford Lab.\n\n$80 million \u2013 a $4 million increase \u2013 for the National Sea Grant College Program and $14 million for Sea Grant Aquaculture Research.\n\nCombating Gun Violence: Murphy successfully fought to secure funding for gun violence prevention efforts, including:\n\n$50 million for a Community-based Violence Intervention and Prevention Grant Program at the Department of Justice. This is on top of the $250 million over five years that Senator Murphy secured for this work in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.\n\n$25 million for gun violence research at the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health.\n\n$125 million for the FBI\u2019s operation of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). This is on top of the $100 million that Senator Murphy secured for NICS in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.\n\n$95 million for grants to states to upload criminal and mental health records to NICS on top of the $200 million for the same purposes in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.\n\nInvesting in Mental Health: Murphy, a leader in the Senate on expanding access to mental health care, supported the inclusion of:\n\n$191.1 million for the Employee Benefits Security Administration, an increase of $5.6 million from FY22, to strengthen oversight over mental health parity laws.\n\n$1.01 billion for Mental Health Block Grants, a $150 million increase over FY22.\n\n$25 million for Graduate Psychology Education, a $5 million increase over FY22.\n\n$55.877 million for Primary and Behavioral Health Care Integration.\n\nSupporting Under-Resourced Communities: Murphy supported the inclusion of federal funding to support historically under-resourced communities and address education, economic, and health disparities, including:\n\n$18.4 billion for Title I Grants, an increase of $850 million over last year, to help school districts that serve a significant number of students living in poverty.\n\n$15.2 billion for IDEA Part B State Grants, representing an increase of $904 million over last year, to help schools provide services to students with disabilities.\n\n$20.3 billion for early childhood education programs, representing an increase of $2.8 billion over last year, which includes $12 billion for Head Start (an increase of $960 million), $8 billion for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (an increase of $1.85 billion), and $315 million for Preschool Development Grants (an increase of $25 million).\n\nRaising the maximum Pell Grant award by $500 to $7,395, which represents the largest increase in more than a decade to help low-income students afford postsecondary education.\n\n$129 million for the Magnet School Assistance Program, a $15 million increase, to support the creation of diverse and high-quality magnet schools.\n\n$1.3 billion for Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers, a $40 million increase, to support the creation of community learning centers that provide after-school and summer enrichment opportunities for students who attend high-poverty and low-performing schools.\n\n$1.4 billion for Title IV-A Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants, in addition to the $1 billion provided in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, to provide all students with a well-rounded education and support safe and inclusive school climates.\n\n$8 million to the CDC to address health disparities and inequities around the Social Determinants of Health.\n\n$19.516 million for SAMHSA\u2019s Minority Fellowship Program to help expand the number of racial and ethnic minorities in the behavioral health workforce, an increase of $3.347 million over FY22.\n\n$400 million for Juvenile Justice program at the Department of Justice, a $40 million increase from last year.\n\n$560 million for the Legal Service Corporation, a $71 million increase over last year. The bill also includes $20 million to provide emergency legal aid in the wake of recent natural disasters.\n\n$30.2 billion for Tenant-based Rental Assistance to continue to serve very low- and extremely low-income households nationwide and $14.9 billion for Project-based Rental Assistance, an increase of $1 billion above FY22.\n\n$1.5 billion for the HOME Investment Partnerships Program, which will lead to the construction of nearly 10,000 new rental and homebuyer units.\n\n$3.63 billion for Homeless Assistance Grants, an increase of $420 million above FY22.\n\n$14.1 billion for the Social Security Administration\u2019s administrative expenses, an increase of $785 million over FY22\u2014the largest increase in more than a decade. This supports the administration of Social Security benefits for over 70 million Americans, including processing over 8 million retirement and disability claims annually.\n\nPartnering with Connecticut\u2019s Defense Manufacturers: Murphy supported federal funding that will benefit Connecticut\u2019s defense and manufacturing industries, including:\n\n$4.5 billion for full funding for two Virginia Class fast attack submarines.\n\n$3.1 billion for full funding for the Columbia Class ballistic missile submarine\n\n$1.8 billion in additional funding for the F-35 program to restore nineteen total aircraft.\n\n$1.7 billion in additional funding for sixteen C-130J aircraft, to modernize 2 Air National Guard operational units.\n\n$570 million for ten additional Combat Rescue Helicopters to restore production to a total of twenty aircraft, in line with the previous year\u2019s plan.\n\n$273 million for ten additional UH-60M aircraft for the Army National Guard.\n\n$250 million for two additional CH-53K heavy lift aircraft.\n\n$220.4 million for the Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion program.\n\n$200 million for additional funding for F135 engine spares.\n\n$60 million in additional funding for C-130H 8-Bladed Propeller Upgrade (NP2000).\n\n$25 million in additional funding for Academic Partnerships for Submarine & Undersea Vehicle Research & Manufacturing.\n\n$20 million in additional funding for Small Satellite Tech.\n\n$20 million in additional funding for Versatile Rotary Engine Systems.\n\n$15 million in additional funding for Digital Enterprise Technology for the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle.\n\n$13 million in additional funding for laser metal deposition powder for turbine engine component restoration.\n\n$10 million in additional funding for Multi-Mission Helicopter Upgrade Development.\n\n$9.5 million in additional funding for Emergency Power and Cooling Technology Demonstration.\n\n$8.5 million in additional funding for Precision maneuvering units.\n\n$8 million in additional funding for Deployable Surveillance Systems: Deep Water Active.\n\n$4 million in additional funding for Lunar Surface Based Situational Awareness Network.\n\n$5 million in additional funding for laser peening of jet engines.\n\n$3 million in additional funding for Next Generation Digital Design and Manufacturing for U.S. Army Combat Vehicles.\n\n$3 million in additional funding for Innovative Biomaterials for Combat Wound Care.\n\nSending Aid to Ukraine: Murphy, a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, supported $45 billion in funding for the people of Ukraine, bringing the total amount of emergency supplemental funding for Ukraine to $112.3 billion since Russia\u2019s invasion in February. The new funding in the Omnibus Appropriations bill includes:\n\n$11.9 billion to replenish U.S. military equipment provided to Ukraine.\n\n$9.3 billion for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative to bolster the Ukrainian military.\n\n$6.98 billion for U.S. European Command operations in support of Ukraine and NATO Allies.\n\n$13.37 billion in economic assistance, including budgetary support for the Government of Ukraine.\n\n$2.47 billion in humanitarian assistance, including funding for emergency food assistance and health care, as well as support for refugees fleeing Ukraine and other vulnerable populations.\n\n$2.4 billion to support the resettlement and other support services for Ukrainian arrivals and refugees through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.\n\n$166 million for the Department of State and USAID in support of their response to the situation in Ukraine.\n\n$126.3 million to prepare for and respond to potential nuclear and radiological incidents in Ukraine.\n\n$50 million for USAID\u2019s Food for Peace program.\n\n$13.5 million for the Department of State and USAID Inspector General, $6 million for the Department of Defense Inspector General, and $7.5 million for the Government Accountability Office to conduct oversight and end-use monitoring of equipment sent to Ukraine.\n\nSupporting the People of Puerto Rico: The funding package includes historic investments to support the people of Puerto Rico, by:\n\nExtending the increased Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) for Puerto Rico through the end of 2027 at 76%, which will help Puerto Rico avert its Medicaid funding cliff. This would permit the largest-ever allocations to Puerto Rico\u2019s Medicaid program in history.\n\nProviding additional funding for disaster relief and preparedness, including $1 billion to help rebuild Puerto Rico\u2019s energy grid.\n\nPromoting Progressive Foreign Policy and National Security: Murphy also supported the inclusion of funding to support global health and climate change mitigation efforts, invest in the Development Finance Corporation, and provide increased assistance to important allies and strategic priorities. The bill includes:\n\n$1 billion for the Development Finance Corporation to invest in development overseas, an increase of $302 million over FY22.\n\n$2 billion to address the climate crisis and other environmental issues.\n\n$10.5 billion to invest in global health and the prevention of future pandemics, an increase of $670 million from FY22. This includes $900 million for global health security, a $200 million increase from FY22, to support the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria.\n\n$1.51 billion for International Security Cooperation Programs, a $200 million increase from FY22.\n\n$500 million for Israeli cooperative research and development programs, a $200 increase from FY22, including modernization of Israel\u2019s Short Range Ballistic Missile Defense Program and Arrow-3.\n\nIncreased assistance for Ukraine, Lebanon, and the West Bank and Gaza.\n\n$225 million for the Baltic Security Initiative, an increase of $69.5 million, and an additional $153 million for security cooperation programs, with a particular focus on critical European allies in light of Russia\u2019s continued aggression.\n\nImplementing Billy\u2019s Law: Murphy secured $3.6 million for the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, an increase of nearly $1 million from last year. NAMUS is a federally run clearinghouse for missing, unidentified, and unclaimed persons.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:32:05Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-blumenthal-announce-236-million-in-funding-for-connecticut-projects-in-omnibus-appropriations-bill", "Murphy, Blumenthal Announce $236 Million in Funding for Connecticut Projects in Omnibus Appropriations Bill", "2022-12-22", "2022", "2022-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "Murphy, Blumenthal Announce $236 Million in Funding for Connecticut Projects in Omnibus Appropriations Bill\n\nWASHINGTON\u2014U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) on Wednesday announced the inclusion of more than $236 million in the fiscal year 2023 Omnibus Appropriations bill passed by the U.S. Senate today. The bill, once passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and signed into law by President Biden, will fund 99 congressionally directed spending projects requested by Murphy and Blumenthal.\n\n\u201cThis was the year of getting things done for Connecticut, and I\u2019m so proud that we are bringing home $236 million more for community-based projects in our state. This funding will help reduce gun violence in our communities, support small businesses and workforce development, improve water infrastructure, increase access to mental health services, and ensure the resiliency of our coastline communities. These investments are the result of thousands of conversations I\u2019ve had with people across Connecticut, and they\u2019re going to have a real positive impact on our communities,\u201d said Murphy.\n\n\u201cThese targeted specific grants are a fantastic new year win for our state. Connecticut can now count on hundreds of millions of dollars for our most urgent needs\u2014from reducing gun violence to increasing affordable housing to providing critical mental health services. This infusion of funds will be transformative for our state\u2019s economic growth and quality of life. Think of them as smart, strategic investments, producing major dividends in health, education, roads, bridges and more. These projects will undoubtedly strengthen our communities and I am proud to have worked alongside Senator Murphy to deliver these invaluable investments to Connecticut,\u201d said Blumenthal.\n\nIn the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, there is more than $102 million for Connecticut projects, including:\n\n$12 million the Connecticut Department of Transportation to support track speed improvements on the New Haven Line as part of their TIME for CT project\n\n$7 million to expand and improve the Shoreline Greenway Trail in New Haven\n\n$5 million for construction to realign Lafayette Circle in Bridgeport\n\n$1.4 million to replacement of 10 signals at critical locations on state and local routes within Waterbury\u2019s downtown\n\n$3.4 million for design and construction of a multi-use path, sidewalk, and three pedestrian bridges in Oxford on Route 67\n\n$2 million for the City of New London to support ongoing construction of a Community & Recreation Center\n\n$2 million for the Habitat for Humanity of Coastal Fairfield County to construct affordable housing in Bridgeport\n\n$420,000 for the Waterbury Housing Authority to complete the demolition of blighted structures in the West Grove St. area as they work towards constructing affordable housing in that area\n\n$4.5 million for Hall Neighborhood House to construct a new wing at its site in the East Side of Bridgeport\n\n$98,000 for Community Renewal Team to renovate bathrooms at a family shelter in East Hartford\n\n$642,000 for Chrysalis Center for renovations at veterans housing facilities in Rockville and Vernon\n\nIn the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, there is $48,582 million for Connecticut workforce development, health, and education projects, including:\n\n$204,000 for 4-H Education Center at Auerfarm for workforce development summer programming for students with disabilities\n\n$54,000 for CCARC, Inc. for job training programs that serve individuals with disabilities\n\n$76,000 Youth Business Initiative, Inc. for funding for middle school career and life skills programs\n\n$200,000 for the City of Bridgeport to support the modernization and transition of the Bridgeport Health Department record management system\n\n$200,000 for the City of Bridgeport to support the modernization of the IT system in the communicable disease clinic\n\n$1,500,000 for the City of Hartford for the sexually transmitted infection clinic\n\n$100,000 for Community Child Guidance Clinic to replace the roof at its mental health center and a therapeutic day school\n\n$1,800,000 for Connecticut Children's Medical Center for a perinatal care center\n\n$255,000 for Connecticut Counseling Centers Inc. for a food prescription program in the Danbury area\n\n$630,000 for Continuum of Care, Inc. for renovations at a veterans residential PTSD treatment program\n\n$2,000,000 for Cure Rare Disease to support the renovation of laboratory space that is used for research into rare diseases\n\n$1,800,000 for InterCommunity, Inc. to expand a primary and behavioral health care facility in Hartford\n\n$500,000 for Keystone House Inc. for renovations at three group homes for adults with a mental health diagnosis\n\n$350,000 for LifeBridge Community Services, Inc. for an elevator replacement\n\n$175,000 for MARC of Manchester for facilities and equipment improvements\n\n$325,000 for McCall Foundation, Inc. for renovations at an intermediate residential treatment program\n\n$1,000,000 for Optimus Health Care, Inc. for renovations at a federally qualified health center\n\n$207,000 for Reliance Health, Inc. for renovations at nine mental health facilities in Eastern Connecticut\n\n$43,000 for The Connection, Inc. to support renovations to a residential substance-use treatment center\n\n$1,100,000 for The Village for Families and Children for facilities renovations\n\n$980,000 for Wheeler Clinic, Inc. for a new health care facility in Bristol\n\n$100,000 for YWCA Greenwich Sexual Assault Services for the design of a new program space\n\n$1,500,000 for Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery to support five recovery community centers\n\n$200,000 for The Connection, Inc. for mental health, substance use, and behavioral health services training\n\n$1,122,000 for The Governor's Prevention Partnership to train community and youth leaders in substance use prevention\n\n$25,000 for The Greater Bridgeport Opportunities Industrialization Center, Inc. for youth mental health programming, including equipment\n\n$100,000 for Bridgeport Youth Lacrosse Inc. for recreational programming and support for low income families\n\n$216,000 for Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence for a therapy support program for children affected by domestic violence\n\n$462,000 for Fairfield County\u2019s Community Foundation for economic inequality and mobility research\n\n$50,000 for Saint Joseph Parenting Center in Stamford for services for families and children at risk of child abuse and neglect\n\n$1,050,000 for United Way of Western Connecticut for a nutrition services program\n\n$2,000,000 for the Bridgeport Board of Education for in-person and virtual library programs, including purchase of books, materials and virtual library resources\n\n$730,000 for East Hartford Public Schools for the Manufacturing Academy and Internship program, including purchase of equipment\n\n$305,000 for the Hartford Public Library for educational programs for immigrant, refugee and English learner students\n\n$100,000 for Hartford Stage to expand arts-based summer education programming\n\n$218,000 for NAFI Connecticut, Inc. for a career readiness initiative\n\n$150,000 for New Haven Reads Community Book Bank for Structured Literacy programming\n\n$125,000 for Regional Youth Adult Social Action Partnership for social-emotional learning initiative within Bridgeport Public Schools\n\n$361,000 for SoundWaters, Inc. for after-school and extracurricular programming\n\n$259,000 for Waterbury Public Schools to improve wireless access and connections\n\n$326,000 for the University of New Haven for the Center for Consumer Protection and Cybersecurity Project\n\nIn the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, there is $18,345,000 million for Connecticut projects including:\n\n$3 million for the City of Bridgeport Water Pollution Control Authority (WPCA) for design of the West Side Wastewater Treatment Plant Project\n\n$1.6 million for the Torrington Water Pollution Control Authority for resiliency upgrades at Harris Drive Pump Station\n\n$2.5 million for the Metropolitan District Commission for to construct of a new water transmission main to supply drinking water to East Hartford, South Windsor, Glastonbury, and Portland\n\n$500,000 for the City of Bridgeport to restore the Perry Memorial Arch\n\n$1.2 million for the School Hill Water Association to connect 31 homes and 87 residents to the Connecticut water system\n\n$280,000 for two awards to Save the Sound to construct green storm water infrastructure in Hamden town center and in Bridgeport\n\n$200,000 for the Town of Monroe for replacement of Monroe\u2019s Senior Center septic tank\n\n$1.6 million for two awards to the Norwich Public Utilities that will complete a sewer gravity pipe lining project and an emergency water interconnection between Groton and Norwich water systems\n\n$300,000 for the Antiquarian and Landmarks Society for Restoration & Interpretation for renovations at Nathan Hale Homestead\n\n$111,000 for the Mystic Seaport Museum to restore the 1866 National Historic Landmark Vessel Emma C. Berry\n\n$192,000 for two awards to the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments for a tree canopy assessment and regional open space inventory\n\n$154,000 for Groundwork Bridgeport to support a urban forestry project\n\n$3.363 million for two awards to the South Central Regional Water Authority for HVAC and electrical improvements at Lake Gaillard Water Treatment Plan and a generator replacement at a well treatment facility in Seymour\n\nIn the Homeland Security Appropriations bill, there is $11.962 million for Connecticut priorities including:\n\n$656,000 to support improvements at the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services & Public Protection State Interagency Coordination Center\n\n$1.025 million for the City of Hartford for a flood mitigation project\n\n$742,000 for the City of Bridgeport for a community flood scoping project\n\n$708,000 for the Town of Old Lyme for an emergency operations center\n\nIn the Agriculture Appropriations bill, there is $6.236 million in funding for Connecticut, including:\n\n$2.53 million for the Town of Winchester help replace an old public works garage\n\n$2.75 million for the Town of East Windsor to renovate the East Windsor Scout Hall Youth Center and streamline town services for seniors and low-income residents\n\n$206,000 for the Connecticut Agriculture Experiment Station to monitor tick populations and tick-borne pathogens\n\nIn the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill, there is $6.175 million to support Connecticut small businesses, including:\n\n$2 million for the Women's Business Development Council to fund staffing and new offices that allow the organization to expand its programming to more women-owned businesses in Connecticut\n\n$550,000 for Connecticut Resource Conservation & Development Area to create a Connecticut Veteran Farmer Educational Resource Hub\n\n$400,000 for CLiCK Inc. to make infrastructure improvements at their food hub in Willimantic\n\n$1 million for Connecticut Historical Society to digitize tens of thousands of records from the American revolution\n\nIn the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, there is $35.244 million for Connecticut projects, including:\n\n$2.39 million for Greenwave to launch the Connecticut Kelp Innovation Center\n\n$650,000 for the Sea Research Foundation to establish the Blue Economy Career Development Center\n\n$2.218 million for the City of New London to purchase new emergency communications equipment\n\n$500,000 for the City of Bridgeport to purchase forensic technology\n\n$930,000 for the City of Waterbury to support its Real-Time Crime and Pandemic Center\n\n$152,000 for two awards to the Town of Bloomfield to upgrade to police car cruiser cameras and purchase equipment for its police training room\n\n$250,000 for the City of Stamford to purchase training equipment for a Regional Police Academy\n\n$850,000 for the Town of Winchester to purchase new radios for police and emergency services\n\n$237,000 for Regional Youth Adult Social Action Partnership to support ongoing work to reduce gun violence in Bridgeport\n\n$67,000 for Congregations Organized for a New Connecticut to support firearm safety and reduce gun violence in New Haven area and across Connecticut\n\n$1 million for the University of New Haven to support its Community-Based Gun Violence Reduction Project\n\nIn the Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill, there is $8.145 million for Connecticut, including $2.48 million in Congressionally Directed Spending to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to make water infrastructure improvements across the state:\n\n$380,000 for USACE operations and maintenance work in Branford Harbor\n\n$500,000 for USACE operations and maintenance work in Guilford Harbor\n\n$600,000 for USACE operations and maintenance work in Stony Creek Harbor\n\n$1 million for the Town of Madison to make energy efficiency upgrades at an emergency shelter\n\n$1.9 million to for the Town of Manchester to support energy efficiency upgrades at two public schools in\n\n$2 million for the City of Stamford to upgrade the network of inefficient, high-pressure sodium-based streetlights to energy-saving LEDs streetlights\n\n$165,000 for Children's Community Development Center to install solar panels that will provide electricity to three childcare centers in Westport\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:32:05Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-blumenthal-applaud-senate-approval-of-sara-bronins-nomination-to-serve-as-advisory-council-on-historic-preservation", "Murphy, Blumenthal Applaud Senate Approval of Sara Bronin's Nomination to Serve as Chair of Advisory Council on Historic Preservation", "2022-12-22", "2022", "2022-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2013U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) applauded Senate confirmation of Sara Bronin\u2019s nomination to chair the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.\n\n\u201cSara Bronin is an architect, attorney, and nationally-recognized expert on historic preservation \u2013 there is no one better suited to serve as chair of this council. I\u2019m proud of the work she\u2019s done to advance equity in Connecticut and the city of Hartford, and I\u2019m confident she will bring the same expertise and passion to this new role. I\u2019m thrilled to see her confirmed by the full Senate,\u201d said Murphy.\n\n\u201cSara Bronin\u2019s extraordinary expertise and experience as a preservation advocate and steward will make her an outstanding chair of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation,\u201d said Blumenthal. \u201cHer commitment to this vital cause is demonstrated convincingly by her championing vulnerable community assets across Connecticut. In this new role, she will take this work to a national level.\u201d\n\nAs chair of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, Bronin will lead the agency in addressing policy issues, directing program initiatives, and making recommendations regarding historic preservation, enhancement, and sustainable use of our nation\u2019s diverse historic resources to the President, Congress, and heads of other federal agencies.\n\nLast September, Blumenthal and Murphy introduced Bronin before her Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Hearing.\n\nSara Bronin is a Mexican-American architect, attorney, professor, and policymaker whose interdisciplinary work focuses on how law and policy can foster more equitable, sustainable, well-designed, and connected places. She is a Professor of the Cornell College of Architecture, Art, and Planning, an Associated Faculty Member of the Cornell Law School, and a Faculty Fellow of the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability. Bronin is also an elected member of the American Law Institute and leads the research team behind the groundbreaking Connecticut Zoning Atlas, the first interactive GIS map of all of the zoning regulations in a single state.\n\nBronin is a board member of Latinos in Heritage Conservation, an advisor for the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Sustainable Development Code, and the founder of Desegregate Connecticut, a coalition that successfully advanced the first major statewide zoning reforms in several decades. Previously, she chaired Preservation Connecticut, served on the city of Hartford historic preservation commission, and led Hartford\u2019s nationally-recognized efforts to adopt a climate action plan and city plan, and to overhaul the zoning code. Bronin holds a J.D. from Yale Law School (Harry S Truman Scholarship), M.Sc. from the University of Oxford (Rhodes Scholarship), and B.Architecture/B.A. from the University of Texas. While in law school, she clerked for then-Judge Sonia Sotomayor on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:32:05Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/connecticut-and-rhode-island-congressional-delegations-seek-more-support-for-farmers-impacted-by-drought-in-new-omnibus-bill", "Connecticut and Rhode Island Congressional Delegations Seek More Support for Farmers Impacted by Drought in New Omnibus Bill", "2022-12-21", "2022", "2022-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON,\u2014As Congress works to finalize the FY 2023 Omnibus appropriations package, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and U.S. Representative Joe Courtney (D-Conn.-02), and the Connecticut and Rhode Island Congressional Delegations are pressing for additional funding to assist New England livestock feed producers and other farmers impacted by severe drought conditions. Today, Courtney and Murphy shared a letter they sent to House and Senate appropriators along with Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Reps. David Cicilline (D-R.I.-01), Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.-05), Jim Himes (D-Conn.-04), Jim Langevin (D-R.I.-02) and John B. Larson (D-Conn.-01), urging them to replenish funds for critical USDA disaster relief programs and to expand relief to cover farmers\u2019 losses in 2022, in addition to 2021 and 2020. Click here to read the full letter.\n\nIn August, the USDA announced a primary agricultural disaster designation for counties Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island due to severe drought conditions. The designation allowed many farmers and producers to access critical disaster relief loans through the USDA\u2019s Farm Service Agency (FSA), as well as other important USDA relief programs. However, in their letter, the coalition highlighted that certain critical producers still need assistance:\n\n\u201cWe are thankful that these various [USDA] programs are available to help impacted producers in our States, but we are concerned that some producers have been left out of this assistance. Specifically, livestock forage (feed) producers are in dire need of help.\u201d\n\nAccording to the FSA\u2019s Connecticut Division and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, the drought has impacted the availability of feed and silage for agricultural producers. Some have reported losses of average hay production as high as 55%. The FSA warns that this could cause large price increases for many agricultural products this winter, and that the regional feed shortage will have ripple effects on local dairy enterprises.\n\nThe coalition noted that this presents a particularly difficult challenge to New England agricultural producers, many of whom have found themselves ineligible for FSA and USDA programs meant to provide relief in these sorts of emergencies:\n\n\u201cAlthough FSA operates assistance programs that support producers who grow forage for their own livestock if they are grazing livestock, New England has many producers who have livestock but do not graze, and many others who grow forage for sale to other livestock producers and therefore are also not eligible to participate in forage-related assistance programs.\u201d\n\n\u201cMany other federal programs that exist to help producers with drought and emergency situations are similarly unavailable to forage producers impacted by drought. In discussions with USDA, our staff recently learned that forage producers are also ineligible for assistance under Emergency Relief Program authorities, as the ERP only covers losses from 2020 and 2021.\u201d\n\nTo protect New England\u2019s dairy farming heritage and family farm businesses, and to prevent farming land from being sold-off for alternative uses, the Connecticut and Rhode Island Congressional delegations are urging House and Senate appropriators to replenish funds from the Emergency Relief Program (ERP) and expand ERP authorities to cover losses incurred in 2022, as well as in 2021 and 2020, in the FY 2023 Omnibus appropriations package.\n\nMore details on the FY 2023 Omnibus appropriations package will be available soon. Click here to read the coalition\u2019s full letter.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:32:05Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-adams-introduce-legislation-to-promote-gender-equity-in-sports", "Murphy, Adams Introduce Legislation to Promote Gender Equity in Sports", "2022-12-20", "2022", "2022-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2013U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, and U.S. Representative Alma Adams (D-N.C.-12), a member of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education and Labor, on Tuesday introduced legislation to promote gender equity in college and K-12 sports. The Fair Play for Women Act would promote fairness and equity in participation opportunities and institutional support for women's and girls' sports programs, ensure transparency and public reporting of data by college and K-12 athletic programs, hold athletic programs and athletic associations more accountable for Title IX violations and discriminatory treatment, and improve education and awareness of Title IX rights among college and K-12 athletes as well as athletics staff. U.S. Representatives Lori Trahan (D-Mass.-03) and Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.-01) co-sponsored the legislation.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s no secret there\u2019s still a huge gap in resources and opportunities between women\u2019s sports and men\u2019s sports \u2013 it\u2019s a Title IX violation hiding in plain sight. Our bill would ensure sports programs for women and girls finally get the support they\u2019re entitled to, increase transparency and accountability of schools and athletic associations, and make sure athletes are aware of their Title IX rights and how to exercise them. I\u2019m proud to be working with Representatives Adams, Trahan, and Bonamici on this important piece of legislation to fulfill the promise of Title IX in college and K-12 athletics,\u201dsaid Murphy.\n\n\u201cI am proud to introduce the Fair Play for Women Act, which would make updates to the Title IX to address gaps in the law and keep Title IX strong for generations of women to come,\u201d said Adams. \u201cAs a legislator for three decades, high school athlete, and a college professor at a women\u2019s college for more than 40 years, I have fought not only to support Title IX and its positive impact on college athletics and other collegiate programs, but also to make sure the law continues to give women the opportunities we deserve. As a mother and grandmother, I want to make sure that my granddaughters and their friends grow up in a world where they are empowered to succeed.\n\n\u201cThe students of today and tomorrow deserve a level playing field, an equitable collegiate experience, and freedom from discrimination and harassment. I am committed to working alongside my colleagues, like Senators Murphy and Feinstein and Representative Trahan to pass this meaningful legislation to update Title IX, and renew its promise to keep women at the table and on the field,\u201d concluded Adams.\n\n\u201cGlaring loopholes in Title IX have been hurting women athletes for decades. As women\u2019s sports continue gaining in popularity, it\u2019s time to make sure that the system of college athletics finally works for the athletes who power it,\u201d said Trahan. \u201cI wish women athletes had protections like those in the Fair Play for Women Act when I was playing volleyball, and it\u2019s on all of us to make sure future generations never go without them again. I\u2019m proud to partner with Senator Murphy and Congresswomen Adams and Bonamici to introduce this long overdue legislation. For my daughters and every young girl who dreams of playing college sports one day, we must get this done.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe have made remarkable progress toward gender equity in sports since Title IX became law 50 years ago, but we still have more to do to end discrimination in athletic programs,\u201d said Bonamici. \u201cToo many girls and women lack opportunities to compete and many have subpar facilities, equipment, and support. The Fair Play for Women Act will increase oversight of athletic programs and hold them accountable for Title IX violations, as well as help educate athletes about their rights.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe FAIR PLAY FOR WOMEN ACT will fundamentally strengthen TITLE IX through better education, stronger enforcement and greater transparency in data and reporting. We are proud of the role that our young VIS Advocates have played in creating this important step towards equality in sport for all. With the VOICES of the girls at the center, this Bill will spark conversations which will positively impact girls and women in sport for generations to come,\u201d said Stef Strack, Founder & CEO VOICEINSPORT & VOICEINSPORT FOUNDATION.\n\n\u201cWe applaud Senator Murphy for sponsoring the Fair Play for Women Act,\u201d said Andrew Zimbalist, President of the Drake Group. \"The Act would strengthen existing statutes that require colleges and universities to publicly report data demonstrating their compliance with the athletics provisions of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and, for the first time, it extends such reporting requirements to elementary and secondary schools with athletic programs. Parents and athletes should be able to easily access such data on the internet so that there is a factual basis for demanding that their educational institutions address inequities. The Act would also correct participant counting and other inaccuracies that exist in current reporting mandates and would require more detailed financial reporting related to athletics financial aid where male athletes are more likely to be awarded larger scholarship packages on more preferential terms.\u201d\n\nSpecifically, the Fair Play for Women Act would:\n\nExpand reporting requirements of college and K-12 athletics data and make all information easily accessible to the public. The bill would establish a one-stop shop for key athletics data by expanding the scope and detail of reporting requirements among colleges, extending these requirements to include athletic programs at elementary and secondary schools, and requiring the Secretary of Education to house all data on the same public website. Further, the bill requires athletic programs to certify the data they submit and report how they are claiming Title IX compliance, and requires an annual public report by the Department of Education on gender equity and Title IX compliance. These provisions will help weed out reporting tricks by programs to skirt Title IX compliance and make it easier for athletes and stakeholders to evaluate persisting gaps in athletic programs.\n\nHold athletic programs and athletic associations like the NCAA more accountable for Title IX violations and discriminatory treatment. The bill would codify that intercollegiate athletic associations, including the NCAA and athletic conferences, shall not discriminate on the basis of sex. Further, it would provide a private right of action for all Title IX claims and lawsuits, making it easier for athletes to push for change at their schools. The bill would also authorize the Department of Education to levy fines on colleges that are found non-compliant with Title IX, along with requiring submission of publicly available plans to remedy violations, providing more tools to compel Title IX compliance.\n\nImprove education and awareness of Title IX rights among athletes, staff, and stakeholders. The bill would require Title IX trainings on an annual basis for all athletes, Title IX coordinators, and athletic department and athletic association staff. Further, the bill would establish a public database of all Title IX coordinators at colleges and K-12 schools, included in the one-stop shop for athletics data. These provisions will ensure all people involved with college and K-12 athletics understand what Title IX compliance means and what students\u2019 rights are under the law.\n\nA one-pager is available here.\n\nA section by section is available here.\n\nMurphy along with U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and U.S. Representatives Lori Trahan (D-Mass.-03) and Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.-16) introduced the College Athlete Right to Organize Act, legislation to provide collective bargaining rights for college athletes. Murphy and Trahan also wrote the College Athlete Economic Freedom Act, which grants unrestricted rights to college athletes over the use of their name, image, and likeness.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:32:05Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-announces-subcommittee-on-homeland-security-fiscal-year-2023-appropriations-bill", "Murphy Announces Subcommittee On Homeland Security Fiscal Year 2023 Appropriations Bill", "2022-12-20", "2022", "2022-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2013The fiscal year 2023 Homeland Security bill provides a total discretionary level of $60.7 billion, which is $3.2 billion more than the fiscal year 2022 enacted level. The bill supports critical steps to: help communities both recover from disasters and rebuild for resiliency; combat the flow of illegal firearms and narcotics while facilitating legitimate trade and travel; disrupt forced labor through increased enforcement to detect and seize goods manufactured through modern day slavery; and create a more humane and safe environment for both noncitizens seeking asylum and our nation\u2019s dedicated front-line law enforcement managing our borders.\n\nU.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Chair of the Subcommittee on Homeland Security, said:\n\n\u201cIf we\u2019re going to ensure the Department of Homeland Security has the resources it needs to tackle threats to our national security and manage our borders we need to pass a full year budget. This bill is a reasonable compromise, and I\u2019m proud of the investments it would make in the responsible management of our border, the protection of our nation from cyber threats, and the protection of our coastlines and airports. Also, for the first time ever, this bill includes dedicated funding to stop the flow of illegal firearms going south across our border. It's time for Republicans to step up and get our government off endless, hurtful continuing resolutions, and I look forward to working across the aisle to get this done.\u201d\n\nKey Points & Highlights\n\nInvestments at DHS with a Global Impact: Domestic investments at DHS have the potential to result in global impacts across a number of key challenges facing the world in areas ranging from climate change, forced labor, and trafficking of narcotics and firearms.\n\n\u00b7 Building Environmental Resiliency. The bill includes $45 million for Coast Guard investments to expand operations in the Indo-Pacific in order to promote economic prosperity, environmental resiliency, and lawful access to the region\u2019s maritime environment. It will also build regional nations\u2019 abilities to support international law, including with respect to Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing that depletes the world\u2019s ocean resources.\n\n\u00b7 The bill also includes $312.75 million (+$37.25 million; 13.5 percent increase) for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) RiskMap program. This program maps the Nation\u2019s waterways, and will help produce flood hazard data to ensure that Federal investment in buildings and infrastructure are more resilient against current and future flood risk and support local government hazard mitigation planning and protecting against the real-world impacts of climate change.\n\n\u00b7 Disrupting the Flow of Drugs and Firearms. Dedicated funding is provided to build outbound operations at land ports of entry with the goal of identifying and seizing firearms and money exiting the U.S. as a result from the sale of narcotics. In addition $60 million is provided to hire 125 Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers and mission support staff and $70 million to strengthen non-intrusive inspection systems that will significantly improve the scanning of vehicles and cargo entering the U.S. using artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities to detect and seize harmful items. Furthermore, $10 million is provided to support and expand investigations by Homeland Security Investigations, the Department\u2019s lead investigative agency, in response to illicit content that is detected through NII deployed at the border.\n\n\u00b7 Combatting Forced Labor. The bill provides $101 million (+$51 million; 108 percent increase) to support efforts to prevent the importation into the U.S. of merchandise mined, produced or manufactured, wholly or in part, in any foreign country by forced labor\u2014including forced or indentured child labor. Providing the tools and capabilities to assist in the identification and seizure of such items will strike a blow at the forces behind these abhorrent actions.\n\n\u00b7 Establishing a New Wildlife Trafficking Unit at HSI. The bill provides $7.5 million to establish and formalize a new unit at Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) to prevent wildlife trafficking. This is a critical investment to protect the economy, environment, and to assist in disrupting the flow of resources that support other illicit conduct. The Wildlife Trafficking Unit at HSI will coordinate with government and private sectors to enhance investigative expertise, analytical support, and to develop the next generation of investigators to investigate and disrupt this heinous crime.\n\nSupporting TSA Pay Parity: The bill includes $398 million to bring the TSA workforce pay on par with the rest of the federal workforce. This puts the TSA in a favorable position to address recruiting and retention issues while the agency works to respond to an increase in travel volumes and competes with other federal agencies and with other competitive job opportunities at federalized airports.\n\nRebuilding the Refugee Program at United States Citizenship and Immigration Services: The bill includes $133 million to meet the refugee admissions goal of 125,000 for fiscal year 2023, a critical investment that will save the lives of children and families across the globe and bring economic prosperity to the United States. Until now, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services was the only federal agency not appropriated the necessary funds to participate in the refugee program, despite the fact that at least three separate federal agencies are involved in the day-to-day operations. This investment could not have come at a better time. The end of 2021 saw nearly 90 million people forcibly displaced due to persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations and other disasters. War, famine and disaster, from Ukraine to Yemen, means now, more than ever, America must demonstrate its commitment to security, prosperity and safety. Supporting the refugee program is one meaningful step.\n\nFederal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) Grant Programs: The bill includes $3.9 billion (+$249 million; 7 percent increase) for grants and training to SLTT entities. FEMA grants help communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from both manmade and natural threats, including hurricanes, terrorist attacks, wildfires, and more. The bill provides additional funding for nonprofits, such as faith-based houses of worship, as threats to these institutions persist (+$55 million; 22 percent increase). It also increases funding for flood plain mapping efforts to enable informed decision-making for public and private projects (+$37.25 million; 14 percent increase). Grant programs are funded as follows:\n\n\u00b7 $520 million for State Homeland Security, of which $90 million is for Operation Stonegarden and $15 million is for tribal security;\n\n\u00b7 $615 million for the Urban Area Security Initiative;\n\n\u00b7 $305 million for the Nonprofit Security;\n\n\u00b7 $105 million for Public Transportation Security, of which $10 million is for Amtrak and $2 million is for Bus Security;\n\n\u00b7 $100 million for Port Security;\n\n\u00b7 $720 million for Assistance to Firefighter and SAFER;\n\n\u00b7 $355 million for Emergency Management Performance;\n\n\u00b7 $313 million for Flood Hazard Mapping and Risk Analysis;\n\n\u00b7 $130 million for Emergency Food and Shelter;\n\n\u00b7 $56 million for Next Generation Warning System;\n\n\u00b7 $12 million for Regional Catastrophic Preparedness;\n\n\u00b7 $316 million for training, including $58 million for the U.S. Fire Administration and $31 million for the Emergency Management Institute;\n\n\u00b7 $800 million (by transfer) for the Shelter and Services Program;\n\n\u00b7 $20 million (by transfer) for Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention; and\n\n\u00b7 $20 million (by transfer) for Alternatives to Detention Case Management.\n\nInvesting in the United States Coast Guard (USCG): The bill includes $11.6 billion for USCG operations and assets (+$140 million). The USCG total includes $83 million for increased fuel costs that are needed to maintain surface and air operations; and $1.7 billion for major acquisitions investments, including $918 million for vessels, $238 million for aircraft, and $415 million for shore facilities that directly support the USCG mission. This mission includes search and rescue, drug interdiction, marine safety and environmental protection, and fisheries enforcement.\n\nResources for a More Humane and Safe Environment Along our Borders: Funding is provided to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to assist state and local governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) partners, and federal law enforcement in response to the high level of noncitizens arriving at the southwest border. The majority of these noncitizens are seeking asylum or otherwise fleeing corrupt regimes and the impacts of natural disasters in their home countries. Within CBP, funding is provided to give Border Patrol additional capacity and capabilities to support agents including funds for temporary soft-sided facilities, transportation, and personnel support, which will reduce overcrowding at facilities and allow agents to return to the field faster.\n\nAdditionally, funding is provided for humanitarian assistance that bolsters the operational capabilities of the U.S. Border Patrol. This new grant program, CBP\u2019s Shelter and Services Program, joins a suite of tools available to CBP to help manage the border. It invests federal dollars directly into state and local governments and NGOs who work with federal personnel at the border to provide life-saving humanitarian assistance, including shelter and transportation, allowing CBP to reduce overcrowding and minimize the need for additional temporary holding space. Further, resources are included for ICE for non-detention border management, including for medical costs for noncitizens in custody and transportation requirements.\n\nIn order to better inform Congress about the resource requirements to create a more humane environment for both noncitizens encountered on the border and the federal law enforcement charged with securing our border, the bill includes language directing the Secretary to ensure the development of projections of encounters at the southwest border (broken out by single adults, families, and unaccompanied children) and to share such projections with the Attorney General, and the Secretaries of Health and Human Services and State. The Secretary is also directed to use such projections to estimate future workload, identify requirements associated with that workload, and develop cost estimates for those requirements in order to inform budget justifications provided to Congress.\n\n# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:32:05Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-reintroduces-bill-to-forgive-student-loan-debt-for-beginning-farmers", "Murphy Reintroduces Bill to Forgive Student Loan Debt for Beginning Farmers", "2022-12-19", "2022", "2022-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2013U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, on Monday reintroduced the Student Loan Forgiveness for Farmers and Ranchers Act, legislation to create a loan forgiveness program for beginning farmers and ranchers, as well as women, veteran, and minority farmers. Student loan debt is a major hurdle for beginning farmers, and this legislation would serve as an incentive for farmers to enter\u2014and stay\u2014in the agricultural industry, and strengthen opportunities to grow successful businesses. U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) co-sponsored the legislation.\n\n\u201cStarting and maintaining a new farm is tough, expensive work. Too often, young farmers are saddled with thousands in student loan debt and can\u2019t afford to make the investments necessary for success. Connecticut farms are key to the health of our rural communities and the future of food security, and this legislation would help more people start and stay in farming,\u201d said Murphy.\n\n\"The Student Loan Forgiveness for Farmers and Ranchers Act provides a path out of debt for many young and beginning farmers who haven't been able to see one before. Held back by existing debt making financing complicated-- on top of climate crisis, input, and living costs-- passing this act will open the possibility of becoming a full-time farmer and/or rancher to many who would be, but for having repayment of existing loans in their way. National Young Farmers Coalition supports Senator Murphy's commitment to easing some of the unprecedented debt burden currently hindering our next generation of food growing to feed our communities and protect the land as its stewards,\u201d said Vanessa Garcia Polanco, Policy Campaigns Co-Director, National Young Farmers Coalition.\n\nIn Connecticut, approximately 30% of producers are considered \u201cbeginning farmers,\u201d meaning they are operating a farm with less than 10 years of experience.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:32:05Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-applauds-inclusion-of-diplomatic-security-and-support-act-in-ndaa-passage", "Murphy Applauds Inclusion of Diplomatic Security and Support Act in NDAA Passage", "2022-12-16", "2022", "2022-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2014U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Thursday applauded the inclusion of the Diplomatic Support and Security Act as part of the Department of State Authorization Act, which was included in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2022:\n\n\u201cMany of the conflicts we\u2019re facing overseas have complicated political and economic roots and cannot be solved through military force. Our highly skilled and capable troops are trained as fighters \u2013 not diplomats. It\u2019s time to get the State Department out of its bunker mentality, and I\u2019m glad this bipartisan legislation will ensure we take full advantage of every tool in our foreign policy toolkit,\u201d said Murphy.\n\nEarlier this week, Murphy highlighted consequences of the United States continuing to ignore the value of nonmilitary foreign policy tools while our adversaries increase investments in development finance, international media, energy, and diplomacy.\n\nLast March, Murphy introduced the Expeditionary Diplomacy Act, legislation to ensure we have sufficient diplomatic and political expertise on the ground in fragile states and conflict zones. The committee-passed version of the Diplomatic Support and Security Act included in the NDAA merges elements of the Expeditionary Diplomacy Act and related legislation introduced by Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho).\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:32:05Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/billys-law-passes-house-heads-to-presidents-desk", "Billy\u2019s Law Passes House, Heads to President\u2019s Desk", "2022-12-15", "2022", "2022-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2013U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Wednesday applauded House passage of the bipartisan Help Find the Missing Act or \u201cBilly\u2019s Law,\u201d which will now be sent to the President\u2019s desk for his signature. This legislation, which passed the Senate last week, will close loopholes in America\u2019s missing persons systems by streamlining the missing persons reporting process and ensuring that law enforcement databases are more accessible and comprehensive. U.S. Representative Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.-05) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.\n\n\u201cThis moment has been 15 years in the making, and I\u2019m so proud that thanks to the Smolinskis\u2019 persistence, Billy\u2019s Law is headed for the President\u2019s desk to be signed into law. This legislation will ensure that families facing the uncertainty and heartache of a loved one\u2019s disappearance are no longer burdened by unnecessary obstacles in their search for answers and closure,\u201d said Murphy.\n\nBilly's Law was originally introduced in the House of Representatives in 2009 by then-Congressman Chris Murphy. The bill was conceived by Janice and Bill Smolinski of Cheshire, Connecticut, after their 31-year-old son Billy went missing from Waterbury, Connecticut. While working with law enforcement to locate their missing son, the Smolinskis faced countless systemic challenges, most significantly the incomplete and uncoordinated federal databases for missing persons and unidentified remains. Billy's Law was introduced to address those challenges and help ensure that the tens of thousands of American families whose loved ones go missing each year do not experience the same hurdles faced by the Smolinskis.\n\nFull text of the bill is available here.\n\nA section-by-section of the bill is available here.\n\nA one-pager of the bill is available here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:32:05Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-condemns-government-of-iran-urges-passage-of-resolution-supporting-protestors", "Murphy Condemns Government of Iran, Urges Passage of Resolution Supporting Protestors", "2022-12-14", "2022", "2022-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2013U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism, on Wednesday condemned Iran\u2019s public executions and called for swift passage of a resolution commending the bravery, courage, and resolve of the women and men of Iran demonstrating in more than 80 cities and risking their safety to speak out against the Iranian regime's human rights abuses.\n\n\u201cI strongly condemn the gruesome public executions carried out by Iran, which serve as a harsh reminder of the nature of this regime. More than 16,000 Iranian protestors have been detained \u2013 mostly young people and women, who have been at the forefront of this movement \u2013 and at least eleven are currently facing the death sentence. The courage of the Iranian people putting their lives at risk for freedom is nothing short of extraordinary. The Senate should pass this bipartisan resolution to demand justice and make sure the world doesn\u2019t lose focus on the horrific abuses taking place in Iran. Just as we stood together with the people of Ukraine during their revolution of dignity, the United States must continue standing with the people of Iran and call on Iranian authorities to immediately end their violence against protestors and release all unjustly detained citizens,\u201d said Murphy.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:32:05Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-statement-on-tenth-anniversary-of-sandy-hook", "Murphy Statement on Tenth Anniversary of Sandy Hook", "2022-12-14", "2022", "2022-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2014U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Wednesday released the following statement on the tenth anniversary of the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School:\n\n\"The nation is a different place, ten years since twenty innocent children and six dedicated educators were senselessly killed inside Sandy Hook Elementary School. Mostly today, I will think of all the greatness and beauty that was robbed from this world, when these promising lives were cut short. Mostly, I will spend my day today sending every good thought I have to the family members who lost loved ones that day, to the survivors of the shooting, to the first responders, and to the community of Newtown that will never be the same. But also today, I will be thankful. I will be thankful for all the good that has resulted from this horror. Those parents, and the community of Newtown, have chosen to rise from that tragedy and build dozens of efforts that have changed lives for the better all over our nation. And many in Newtown have helped build the modern anti-gun violence movement, that finally this summer achieved the first federal gun safety bill in almost thirty years.\n\n\u201cToday, I'm so sad for what we lost. But I'm also so inspired and hopeful for all the grace and kindness that has grown out of tragedy, and for all that will come in the future.\"\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:32:05Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/-murphy-op-ed-americas-epidemic-of-loneliness-is-a-crisis-policymakers-need-to-take-seriously", "Murphy Op-Ed: America's Epidemic of Loneliness is a Crisis Policymakers Need to Take Seriously", "2022-12-13", "2022", "2022-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2013U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) authored an op-ed for The Bulwark on the epidemic of loneliness, why it should matter to policymakers, and policy solutions Congress should pursue. Despite being more connected than ever through social media and virtual communication, Americans are experiencing higher levels of aloneness (fewer social contacts) and higher levels of loneliness (feelings of isolation), and Murphy argues that the modern neoliberal American order has exacerbated these trends.\n\nMurphy highlighted the two most significant factors contributing to America\u2019s epidemic of loneliness. On technology and social media, Murphy wrote: \u201cFirst, for all the promise of technology to more seamlessly connect us to peers and new friends, it has in fact left many Americans\u2014especially young people\u2014feeling more alone than ever. Put simply, we have learned that digital communication cannot replace the value of in-person experience\u2026 Further, the use of social media, which once seemed to promise an antidote to loneliness, can create resentments that further breed feelings of isolation.\u201d\n\nOn the second factor driving loneliness, the erosion of local communities: \u201cPersonal meaning often comes from the groupings we create or join, and connection through institutions helps us construct an identity and sense of purpose. It\u2019s both the connection and the meaning derived from group identity that matters. But many large trends have badly weakened local institutions. Among them is globalization, which has drained local economies and diminished the local cultures that facilitate connection, identity, and meaning.\u201d\n\nMurphy laid out potential policy solutions decrease American isolation, starting with legislation to rein in Big Tech: \u201cFirst, why not acknowledge that the consequences of technology\u2019s unstinting advance are not value-neutral, and steer technology companies toward products that breed happiness, not anxiety and loneliness? I know this sounds like a herculean task, but there are already efforts underway to better protect children from the dangers of online addiction by increasing the minimum age of children that technology companies can target with their products. Other legislation seeks to increase social media and tech companies\u2019 legal liability for the damage their products are doing to our kids.\u201d\n\nTo revitalize local communities, Murphy proposed: \u201cA new strategy of economic nationalism\u2014working to bring key industries with good paying, full-time jobs back to the United States\u2014is a good place to begin. In western Connecticut, citizens proudly called themselves citizens of the Brass City, the Silver City, the Hardware City, and the Hat City. Identity and meaning were created by an association with the industrial character of places because those jobs paid wages that could sustain an entire family\u2014generation after generation.\u201d\n\nMurphy continued: \u201cEnsuring that one full-time job provides an adequate living wage would, in and of itself, help these institutions by freeing up more time for Americans to participate in non-work activities\u2026But we need to do more than just create additional free time. Federal, state, and local government should consider more direct subsidies for community institutions, civic groups, and local newspapers, in addition to reining in the neo-monopolies that put so many local grocery stores, booksellers, and the like out of business.\u201d\n\n\u201c[T]oday, social isolation threatens devastating consequences for the social fabric of our nation. It will be some time before we understand all causes of, and treatments for, this growing catastrophe. But talking frankly about the crisis, its consequences, and potential solutions, is a vital first step,\u201d Murphy concluded.\n\nRead the full op-ed here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:32:05Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-baldwin-bipartisan-group-of-senators-call-on-fda-to-support-farmers-goals-of-reducing-enteric-methane-emissions", "Murphy, Baldwin, Bipartisan Group of Senators Call on FDA to Support Farmers' Goals of Reducing Enteric Methane Emissions", "2022-12-12", "2022", "2022-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2013U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) joined U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and a bipartisan group of Senate colleagues in a letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) encouraging the agency to review the role that animal feed additives play in achieving the Biden Administration\u2019s goal of halving economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by 2030 in order to reach net zero by 2050.\n\nIn their letter, the Senators note that the FDA has not yet approved any feed additives to achieve this goal despite the potential for these products to provide farmers with additional tools to reduce a large share of their operations\u2019 GHG footprint and create a level playing field with their European and Brazilian competitors.\n\n\u201cThe FDA must work to review the role that animal feed additives play in lowering enteric emissions so that farmers have more resources at their disposal to achieve their proposed GHG reductions and compete on a global scale with producers who already have access to feed additives,\u201d wrote the Senators.\n\nThe letter was co-led by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), and also signed by Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.).\n\nFull text of the letter is available here and below.\n\nDear Dr. Califf:\n\nWe write to you today regarding the Food and Drug Administration\u2019s (FDA) role in achieving President Biden\u2019s goal of halving economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by 2030 in order to reach net zero by 2050. Meeting these targets will require innovation and coordination with industry from every federal agency, and the FDA is uniquely positioned to provide climate solutions to the agriculture industry in reducing enteric methane emissions.\n\nBoth the dairy and cattle industries have committed to reducing the climate impact of their farming operations over the next 20-30 years. To meet their commitments, farmers are subscribing to conventional climate and land management programs offered by the United States Department of Agriculture. However, these programs do not address the nearly one third of operations\u2019 emissions resulting from enteric methane. Enteric methane emissions are currently being addressed by our agricultural competitors in the European Union and Brazil through feed additives, but farmers in the U.S. do not have this option.\n\nThe FDA has not yet approved any feed additives to meet this need, in part due to agency\u2019s initial discretionary decision to regulate some potential feed ingredients within the animal drug process instead of the food additives process. Though both the animal drug and the Food Additive Petition (FAP) processes must demonstrate product efficacy and safety in human and animal reviews, the FAP route can be completed in 2-3 years, where the drug route can be completed in 8-10 years. Furthermore, if products are regulated as foods, they should be authorized and explicitly approved by FDA\u2019s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM).\n\nFeed additives aimed at reducing enteric methane emissions would give farmers another tool to reduce a large share of their GHG footprint and create a level playing field with their European and Brazilian competitors as they work towards their sustainability goals. We encourage the FDA to review the role that animal feed additives approved by CVM are poised to play in helping achieve these goals, and we appreciate your attention to this important issue.\n\nSincerely,\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:32:05Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-lamont-delegation-announce-32-million-federal-grant-to-support-workforce-development-in-public-health", "Murphy, Lamont, Delegation Announce $32 Million Federal Grant to Support Workforce Development in Public Health", "2022-12-09", "2022", "2022-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "HARTFORD \u2013 U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Governor Ned Lamont today announced that the Connecticut Department of Public Health has been awarded a $32,253,484 grant from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that will be used to support the state agency\u2019s newly launched Office of Public Heath Workforce Development.\n\nThe initiative was created by Public Health Commissioner Manisha Juthani, MD, in August and is operating directly out of her office. It will have a broad focus on ensuring that the workforce development needs at state, local, and nonprofit public health agencies are met, specifically regarding future pipeline development academic and professional training, standards of practice, and workforce diversification.\n\nThe federal funding was awarded through the CDC\u2019s Strengthening U.S. Public Health Infrastructure, Workforce, and Data Systems grant, which is a groundbreaking investment that supports critical public health infrastructure needs of jurisdictions across the United States.\n\nThe governor made the announcement during a news conference that was held at Gateway Community College in New Haven, which is one of the schools of the Connecticut State College and Universities (CSCU) system that will be developing new pathways to public health care careers with new associates degree and certificate programs in public health.\n\n\u201cThe COVID-19 pandemic made clear that our ability to respond to public health threats hinges on the people in our local, state, and federal health departments. From day one, they have been in the trenches, working tirelessly to keep our families and communities safe. This grant will help support these dedicated public servants and ensure we have the workforce we need to respond to future public health emergencies,\u201d said Senator Murphy.\n\n\u201cThis is a first-of-its-kind investment of more than $32 million over the next five years that will specifically and directly support the Connecticut public health workforce,\u201d Governor Lamont said. \u201cAdditionally, more than $12 million from this grant will be distributed directly to local health departments to assist them with supporting their infrastructure, their own workforce development, and their needs for post-COVID-19 recovery and rebuilding.\u201d\n\n\u201cAll our local health departments have been the boots on the ground and an invaluable resource to us as a department and to their communities throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,\u201d Commissioner Juthani said. \u201cWe are very happy to have them partner with us in this initiative. In addition to supporting all the great public health workers currently working in our state, this money will also be used to build the pipeline of future public health workers who will be ready and able to respond to new and emerging public health threats.\u201d\n\nCommissioner Juthani added that the Department of Public Health will be working with academic partners to ensure that the existing public health education landscape in Connecticut continues to produce a sufficiently sized, well-trained, and diverse workforce to address the needs of communities throughout the state.\n\n\u201cThe COVID-19 pandemic highlighted just how important our health care workers are \u2013 going above and beyond to help others every day,\u201d U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal said. \u201cThis significant investment will support the work our health care heroes are already doing on the ground and help Connecticut grow its public health work force. I am so pleased that the CDC awarded Connecticut this funding and I will keep fighting for more resources to ensure the health and safety of our communities.\u201d\n\n\u201cUnder Governor Lamont\u2019s leadership, Connecticut has been a leader in pandemic recovery, and this historic investment in our state\u2019s public health workforce and infrastructure will pay dividends in the years to come,\u201d U.S. Representative John B. Larson (CT-01) said. \u201cIt is especially critical that funding will directly support the local health departments who best know the unique needs in each of their communities. I am committed to supporting efforts to bolster public health preparedness so we can come out of this pandemic stronger than before. I was proud to stand with Chairwoman DeLauro and the entire Connecticut delegation to support this grant program aimed at doing just that.\u201d\n\n\u201cInvesting in a stronger, more skilled workforce to power our economy and improve people\u2019s lives was one of the most important goals of the American Rescue Plan Act, and there\u2019s no better sector to focus these efforts on right now than public health,\u201d U.S. Representative Joe Courtney (CT-02) said. \u201cWe\u2019ve got to do more to care for and train up the next generation of qualified health care professionals that we need to help prevent illness and treat it. There are already some promising health care training programs in the district at Three Rivers Community College that have demonstrated that an accelerated curriculum for hospital staffing does work, and that\u2019s exactly the sort of effort this grant program was intended to support. I\u2019m glad to see these resources coming home to Connecticut to bolster our public health infrastructure and workforce.\u201d\n\nSome other goals of the Office of Public Health Workforce Development include:\n\nWorking with academic leaders in existing public health programs at public and private colleges and universities in Connecticut to ensure that they have the resources they need to deliver academic training and coursework that:\n\nIs up-to-date;\n\nIncludes cross-cutting content addressing health equity and mental health;\n\nAligns with the current standards for public health professional training; and\n\nProduces graduates that are work-ready.\n\nDeveloping a new Public Health Training Academy to coordinate and provide continuing education and upskilling of state, local, and non-profit public health workers.\n\nImproving pathways from enrollment to employment through more standardized and widely available experiential learning opportunities (i.e., internships, fellowships, apprenticeships) at public health agencies.\n\nIncreasing mental health supports for public health workers by developing an integrated program focused on worker physical and mental health protections, trauma-informed leadership, and an overall \u201cculture of care\u201d that is accessible, translatable, and implementable at state, local, and nonprofit public health agencies in Connecticut.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:32:05Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-we-are-on-a-glide-path-to-pass-an-847-billion-defense-budget-through-a-fundamentally-broken-and-worrying-process", "Murphy: We Are On A Glide Path to Pass An $847 Billion Defense Budget Through A Fundamentally Broken and Worrying Process", "2022-12-09", "2022", "2022-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2013U.S Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia and Counterterrorism and a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, spoke on the U.S. Senate floor to highlight the broken Senate floor process through which the U.S. Senate held no debate or votes on amendments this year but still added over 2,400 pages of non-defense policy to the final National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Murphy also highlighted the consequences of the United States continuing to ignore the value of nonmilitary foreign policy tools while our adversaries increase investments in development finance, international media, energy, and diplomacy.\n\nMurphy laid out why the current NDAA process is broken and ineffective: \u201cThe first thing that happens \u2013 particularly this year \u2013 is that many, many big, important pieces of policy get added to the defense bill. Some of them are good policy, but some of them aren't. But there is no democratic process in which members of this body get to review what's added to the defense bill. There's no notification of rank and file members so that we can provide input. Now again, as I understand it, the Armed Services Committee doesn't want to be in this position. They'd rather just have a vote on their original bill, as we did for decades until just recently, when all of this extra policy got added to the defense bill. But because today there are so few avenues for that other legislation to find a path through the floor, in large part because Republicans are using the filibuster to clog up the floor of the Senate, the defense bill becomes this kind of evacuation helicopter, carrying all the passengers that can fit in it.\u201d\n\nMurphy continued: \u201cFor the first time this year, there are more pages in the defense bill dedicated to non-defense items, than to defense items. Now, this might be acceptable if senators could offer amendments on the floor, remove parts of the bill we don't like, make other parts better. At least have our day. The other new normal here is that there's going to be zero amendments, amendment votes, likely, in the Senate debate. Now it's the same problem. There's a handful of Republicans here who don't want to legislate and so they are likely going to refuse to give consent to vote on amendments. And plus, as I mentioned, they clog up the floor with filibuster votes, which means that you can't get big important pieces of legislation done, and so they all find their way onto the defense bill.\u201d\n\nOn the need to increase our investment in nonmilitary foreign policy tools: \u201cAs our adversaries try to undermine democracy and rule of law and use their energy and technology resources to win allies, we simply don't have the means to keep up [with] another asymmetric advantage for our competitors. We have no dedicated anti-corruption or technology or energy policy corps within our Foreign Service. It's not because we don't need this capacity. It's just because we can't afford it. We lament this asymmetric advantage that other countries have on non-defense capabilities, but it is just a choice.\u201d\n\nMurphy cited several examples of Russia and China\u2019s asymmetric advantage, including: \u201cHere's an example, the budget for RT, just one of Putin's international television online news operations: $2.8 billion. The budget for the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which funds all of our overseas broadcasting: $1 billion. How do you compete with those kinds of funding discrepancies?\u201d\n\n\u201cAmerican foreign policy today suffers from a crippling lack of imagination. American leaders complain about these asymmetric threats, but refuse to acknowledge that this asymmetry exists only because we choose to do this: pass an $847 billion defense budget with a 10% one-year increase and do nothing at the same time to build the real capacities necessary to keep up with our adversaries \u2013 investments in nonmilitary tools of influence,\u201d Murphy concluded. \u201cAsymmetry \u2014 it's a choice. It's a choice for our adversaries and it's a choice for us. And it is a consequence of our entire budget for development aid, anti-propaganda efforts, democracy promotion, human rights advancement, humanitarian assistance, and diplomacy being about the same size as the one-year increase in the defense budget.\u201d\n\nLast year, Murphy proposed a significant increase to the international affairs budget for Fiscal Year 2022 to better address America\u2019s national security challenges. Investing in 21st Century Diplomacy calls for a $12 billion increase, directing the funding toward three specific challenges: (1) competing with China; (2) preparing for the next pandemic in a post COVID-19-era; and (3) fighting climate change. In 2017, Murphy proposed doubling the State Department budget over five years to develop stronger capacities to respond to contemporary challenges in his white paper Rethinking the Battlefield.\n\nA full transcript of his remarks can be found below:\n\n\u201c$847 billion is a lot of money to spend on anything in one year, even in Washington terms. It's enough money, for instance, to make sure that not a single child goes hungry anywhere in the world ever again.\n\n\u201cIt's enough money to end homelessness in America, provide free preschool and college for every American, build high speed rail between every American city, make childcare free for families.\n\n\u201cFrankly, come up with five problems that plague parts of the world or parts of the country, design a solution, and you could probably solve all five for a year for $847 billion.\n\n\u201cHere's another number that's big: $80 billion. That's smaller than $847 billion, but it's still a lot of money. For $80 billion you could build a high speed railroad from New York to Washington, you could build 4,000 brand new, state-of-the-art high schools, and underserved communities, or you could hire \u2013 wait for it \u2013 a million new public school teachers.\n\n\u201cHere's why I tell you this. Next week, likely this body is apparently going to be on a glide path to pass an $847 billion defense budget authorization for the current fiscal year. That is an $80 billion increase over last year. That's a 10% increase in just one year. And there has been very little public debate.\n\n\u201cAnd there's going to be very little debate on this floor over whether this is a good idea, about whether we should spend $80 billion on this or whether that $80 billion would be spent better on something else.\n\n\u201cThere's no debate, and there's going to be little debate here in part because the process of passing this bill is pretty broken. Thanks to Senator Reed, the Armed Services Committee is a functioning committee. The Democrats and Republicans on that committee write this bill together with an open amendment process. If you're a member of the Armed Services Committee, thanks to Senator Reed and Senator Inhofe\u2019s leadership, you have a lot of opportunities to weigh in on the size and scope of the U.S. defense budget.\n\n\u201cBut the problem begins once the bill leaves the Armed Services Committee. Then the bill kind of disappears and gets changed. That's not Chairman Reed's fault. That's our collective decision to endorse that process.\n\n\u201cThe first thing that happens \u2013 particularly this year \u2013 is that many, many big, important pieces of policy get added to the defense bill. Some of them are good policy, but some of them aren't. But there is no democratic process in which members of this body get to review what's added to the defense bill.\n\n\u201cThere's no notification of rank and file members so that we can provide input. Now again, as I understand it, the Armed Services Committee doesn't want to be in this position. They'd rather just have a vote on their original bill, as we did for decades until just recently, when all of this extra policy got added to the defense bill.\n\n\u201cBut because today there are so few avenues for that other legislation to find a path through the floor, in large part because Republicans are using the filibuster to clog up the floor of the Senate, the defense bill becomes this kind of evacuation helicopter, carrying all the passengers that can fit in it.\n\n\u201cFor the first time this year, there are more pages in the defense bill dedicated to non-defense items, than to defense items. Now, this might be acceptable if senators could offer amendments on the floor, remove parts of the bill we don't like, make other parts better. At least have our day.\n\n\u201cThe other new normal here is that there's going to be zero amendments, amendment votes, likely, in the Senate debate. Now it's the same problem. There's a handful of Republicans here who don't want to legislate and so they are likely going to refuse to give consent to vote on amendments. And plus, as I mentioned, they clog up the floor with filibuster votes, which means that you can't get big, important pieces of legislation done, and so they all find their way onto the defense bill.\n\n\u201cBut I just want to plead with my colleagues for a moment that there is a better way to do this. We don't have to look too far in the past to see what a real debate on a defense bill could look like. And I just want all of my colleagues to think about how much more interesting this place would be, how much healthier the Senate would be, if we could have debates on defense bills that looked like they did just 20 years ago.\n\n\u201cSo I was just curious, so I literally just picked a year out of a hat from a slightly different generation in the Senate. I swear, I didn't cherry pick the year. I just went back to 2000. The year 2000, right, a nice, convenient date for the fiscal year 2000 defense bill debate, which by the way, happened in May, not in December, the Senate took roll call votes on 13 amendments.\n\n\u201cThere were many amendments on contested controversial policy that got full debate and full votes. And there are a whole bunch of other amendments that got voice votes in the Senate. But on the amendments that got full debates on the Senate floor and roll call votes, there was an 87 to 12 vote on the legality of a new NATO strategic plan, a 49 to 50 vote to compel information from the Secretary of Health and Human Services on welfare reform, 48 to 52 on a war powers resolution for the war in the Balkans, 90 to zero on a measure to encourage Balkan War Crimes prosecution, 52-47 on a contested military promotion case, 40 to 60 to authorize a new round of base closures, 44 to 56 on nuclear weapon retirement policy, 49 to 51 and then 51 to 49 to remove restrictions on prison labor products, 49 to 51 to remove restrictions on abortions on DoD property, 21 to 77 to limit funding for the Balkan War, 11 to 87 to limit the costs of the F-18 program, and 98-0 to support sanctions on Libya.\n\n\u201cThat's a lot of debate on really important foreign policy and national security policy on the floor of the Senate. And that is virtually unthinkable in the modern Senate and we're all poorer for it. Back then every Senator, not just leadership, saw themselves as having a co-equal responsibility to set us defense policy, and they required the process on the floor to reflect that belief.\n\n\u201cIn just that one year, 2000, senators took three votes on the Balkan War, vote on fighter costs, vote on base closures, sanctions, military promotions. I go through this exercise just to explain to my colleagues, it just doesn't have to be like this. Those of us not on the Armed Services Committee or not in leadership don't have to be relegated to 70 rubber stamps with virtually no ability to have meaningful real time impact on the bill once it emerges from committee.\n\n\u201cBut I make this point for another reason as well. When there is limited debate and limited input from rank and file members on a bill this big, on policy this important, I would argue that we miss the opportunity to be able to step back from this year-to-year creep of existing policy, and ask ourselves: are we doing it right? Are we spending hundreds of billions of dollars in a way that actually protects this country and our national interests? Or are we simply continuing down a path, continuing to invest and over-invest in weapons of war and underinvest in the tools that are necessary to prevent war?\n\n\u201c$847 billion is a ton of money, but so is $80 billion, this year's increase in authorized defense spending. Now, let me say this, there's no doubt that there are legions of meritorious programs in this defense budget. Frankly, I publicly and proudly support many programs that are built and constructed in Connecticut. Our submarine fleet, our helicopters, our fighter engines. Why? Because I really do believe that the United States is the world's defender of democracy, the defender of the rule of law, the defender of international norms and free navigation. We have to be the world leader in kinetic, hard military power.\n\n\u201cUkraine is an example of why conventional military might and still matters. Big nations like Russia and China are not content any longer to stay inside their boxes. They are, like pre-World War II times, seeking to revise their borders through invasion. And while the United States is currently at no risk of being invaded ourselves, we do still have a responsibility to step up and help others, to help reinforce that post-World War II order to ensure that wars of aggression do not become normalized.\n\n\u201cBut that post-World War II order is under threat not just because countries like Russia and China are using or threatening to use their militaries with alarming new frequency. The lion's share of threats to the United States and threats to world stability are often referred to not as conventional military threats, but what is commonly referred to as asymmetric threats. This generally means they are threats that cannot be addressed just through military power, air power, armies, nuclear weapons, the kinds of things that are funded in this defense bill. Let me give you some examples.\n\n\u201cThousands of pages of think tank reports and endless hours of congressional testimony are dedicated to this lament that China's influence around the world is growing due to its willingness to aggressively invest in developing economies, critical mineral supplies and supply chain routes. For instance, today, China owns over 100 different international ports. They own 100 ports outside of China in 60 different countries. A new study revealed that China's development bank lend more money in Sub-Saharan Africa than the development banks of the United States, Germany, Japan and France combined. Now to fix this, we need to be growing the size of U.S. development finance, but it is like pulling teeth to get Congress to extend the authorities or borrowing and capital limitations of the U.S. Development Finance Corporation.\n\n\u201cLast year, DFC announced that it had lent more money than any year before \u2014 $7.4 billion. Now that\u2019s a lot of money, $7.4 billion. This July, China's largest development bank announced that its six month total for a targeted set of urban infrastructure loans in the developing world, just a tiny piece of their overall portfolio, was $27 billion. U.S. development finance isn't even playing in the same ballpark as Chinese development finance.\n\n\u201cHere's another example of asymmetric power. It's kind of clich\u00e9 these days to remind policymakers that information is power. But Ukraine's democracy is not just under attack from a foreign army, it is also under attack from misinformation. China, Russia, Iran, non-state actors, they are spending billions of dollars all over the world spreading messages into democracies to try to create division and undermine faith in the rule of law. That controversy around Colin Kaepernick's protest? That was mostly a creation of 500 Russian internet bots, who posted an incredible 12,000 tweets, inflaming public opinion.\n\n\u201cChina's global disinformation campaign is equally robust. For instance, the largest backer of Philippines President, former President Rodrigo Duterte\u2019s illegal assassination campaign: Chinese social media firms. But once again, the United States just chooses asymmetry by letting these countries \u2013 Russia and China and others \u2013 dominate the information space.\n\n\u201cHere's an example, the budget for RT, just one of Putin's international television online news operations: $2.8 billion. The budget for the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which funds all of our overseas broadcasting, $1 billion. How do you compete with those kinds of funding discrepancies?\n\n\u201cHere's one more example. A few years ago I was in Dublin, coincidentally at the same time of a major telecommunications contract tender in Ireland. Ireland was making this key decision to award its internet backbone to a European firm or to Huawei, the Chinese communications conglomerate. I was told by a very competent, but frankly very overwhelmed defense attach\u00e9 assigned to our Irish embassy that over the prior few months, the Chinese Embassy had grown by leaps and bounds as dozens of new Chinese diplomats and provocateurs arrived in town to try to help sway the award for Huawei.\n\n\u201cNow matched up against this legion of Chinese diplomats was this one guy, our single defense attach\u00e9, maybe supported by a couple diplomats in the embassy. He was competent, but he had no background in telecommunications policy. And frankly, really nobody else there did either. And no extra help was on the way.\n\n\u201cThe same phenomenon plays out with energy projects. Other nations seamlessly integrate their energy resources with their diplomatic and national security efforts. There's no separation between the Middle East oil and their foreign politics, the same for Russia or Iran or Venezuela. But U.S. energy executives are not representing the U.S. government, which means our diplomats are on their own in conducting energy policy, which means they have an enormous amount of catching up to do against these other petro powers.\n\n\u201cBut for the first time, today, the U.S. is not the leading country when it comes to diplomatic posts around the world. That distinction now belongs to \u2013 guess who? \u2013 China. As our adversaries try to undermine democracy and rule of law and use their energy and technology resources to win allies, we simply don't have the means to keep up another asymmetric advantage for our competitors.\n\n\u201cWe have no dedicated anti-corruption or technology or energy policy corps within our Foreign Service. It's not because we don't need this capacity. It's just because we can't afford it. We lament this asymmetric advantage that other countries have on non-defense capabilities, but it is just a choice. It's a choice because we pass, year after year, these massive defense bills, and then we choose not to increase the capabilities that would actually protect us: the investments in nonmilitary capabilities.\n\n\u201cListen, I get it, I know this bill is going to pass. But why on earth aren\u2019t we spending more time asking the tough questions about whether the balance of our spending on national security is right-sized to the actual threats the United States and our democratic allies face? Yes, the Ukraine war is worth fighting, and it is expensive. But does it really make sense to spend 847 times more money on conventional military tools than we spend on winning the information war? Does it really make sense to add 10% to the defense budget while doing nothing to increase the size of our international development bank? Do we really think that we are adequately responding to the actual array of threats posed to this country with the spending allocation that ends up with America having 11,000 diplomats total and 12,000 employees of military grocery stores?\n\n\u201cAmerican foreign policy today suffers from a crippling lack of imagination. American leaders complain about these asymmetric threats, but refuse to acknowledge that this asymmetry exists only because we choose to do this: pass an $847 billion defense budget with a 10% one-year increase and do nothing at the same time to build the real capacities necessary to keep up with our adversaries: investments in nonmilitary tools of influence.\n\n\u201cWe could decide, this Congress could decide, to build a massive modern International Development Bank. We could decide, this Congress could decide, not to let RT dominate the international information space. We can decide, all of us in this Congress, to have enough diplomats around the world to be able to fight the fights that matter to us.\n\n\u201cWe should imagine this world in which we fight toe-to-toe with Chinese and the Russians and other adversaries in the development, information, technology, energy and diplomatic spheres. We should imagine that world and then put in place a plan to achieve it.\n\n\u201cAsymmetry \u2014 it's a choice. It's a choice for our adversaries and it's a choice for us. And it is a consequence of our entire budget for development aid, anti-propaganda efforts, democracy promotion, human rights advancement, humanitarian assistance, and diplomacy being about the same size as the one-year increase in the defense budget.\n\n\u201c$847 billion is a lot of money to spend without a real debate on the Senate floor, without the ability to offer amendments. I think this country would be better off, I think our security would be better protected, if we just took a step back, asked some hard questions about how we allocate money within our national security budget, and took the time to have a real floor debate with real input about it all. I yield the floor.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:32:05Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/after-years-of-advocacy-senate-passes-billys-law", "After Years of Advocacy, Senate Passes 'Billy's Law'", "2022-12-08", "2022", "2022-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2013U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Thursday applauded Senate passage of the bipartisan Help Find the Missing Act or \u201cBilly\u2019s Law.\u201d This legislation will close loopholes in America\u2019s missing persons systems by streamlining the missing persons reporting process and ensuring that law enforcement databases are more accessible and comprehensive.\n\nBilly's Law was originally introduced in the House of Representatives in 2009 by then-Congressman Chris Murphy. The bill was conceived by Janice and Bill Smolinski of Cheshire, Connecticut, after their 31-year-old son Billy went missing from Waterbury, Connecticut. While working with law enforcement to locate her missing son, the Smolinskis faced countless systemic challenges, most significantly federal databases about missing persons and unidentified remains that were incomplete and uncoordinated. Billy's Law was introduced to address those challenges and help ensure that the tens of thousands of American families whose loved ones go missing each year do not experience the same hurdles faced by the Smolinskis.\n\n\u201cI met the Smolinskis when I was first elected to Congress. I was outraged by the obstacles they faced in searching for their missing son Billy and inspired by their determined fight for change. There are thousands of families like the Smolinskis who are forced to navigate a broken missing persons system while dealing with the unthinkable heartache of a loved one\u2019s disappearance. I\u2019ve introduced this commonsense fix every Congress since 2009, and I\u2019m grateful to my colleagues, Billy\u2019s family, the family of Gabby Petito, and countless other families searching for their loved ones for their efforts to get this bill across the finish line in the Senate. I look forward to this legislation passing in the House and heading to the President\u2019s desk,\u201d said Murphy.\n\nFull text of the bill is available here.\n\nA section-by-section of the bill is available here.\n\nA one-pager of the bill is available here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:32:05Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-blumenthal-delauro-himes-announce-13-million-in-federal-funding-for-connecticut-coastal-resiliency-projects", "Murphy, Blumenthal, DeLauro, Himes Announce $1.3 Million in Federal Funding for Connecticut Coastal Resiliency Projects", "2022-12-08", "2022", "2022-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2014U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.-03), and U.S. Representative Jim Himes (D-Conn.-04) announced three costal resiliency projects in Connecticut have been selected to receive grants from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), totaling more than $1 million. These grants were awarded through the National Coastal Resiliency Fund, which received $492 million in funding over five years from Congress through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed in 2021.\n\n\u201cConnecticut\u2019s shoreline is vital to the economic success and identity of our state, but climate change presents an increasingly dangerous threat to our coastal communities. Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we can now fund projects that will ensure those communities are safe and resilient, and the shoreline remains an asset for Connecticut for generations to come,\u201d said Murphy.\n\n\u201cConnecticut\u2019s shoreline communities must be prepared and equipped to withstand extreme weather and the ever-growing threat of climate change. I am proud to have fought for these investments in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to preserve and enhance our state\u2019s coastal habitats and reduce the impacts of flooding and erosion. These critical projects will make our communities stronger and help protect them from the devastating impacts of climate change,\u201d said Blumenthal.\n\n\u201cWith global warming an ever increasing crisis, coastal resiliency projects are vital to protecting families, natural resources, and animals in Connecticut,\u201d said DeLauro. \u201cIn Connecticut\u2019s Third Congressional District, I am proud to see the City of West Haven awarded a grant for Assessing Nature-Based Solutions to Mitigate Flood Impacts along the Cove River (CT). The Cove River connects several regions in Connecticut and requires us to address the threat of floods with real solutions \u2013 it is a valuable component of our community. These grants are welcome and will help move our work forward to safeguard our waters and strengthen flood mitigation capabilities here in Connecticut.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe past Congress has been the most effective ever in addressing climate change, and these grants, powered by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, are a prime example of how recent legislation is making our towns and cities safer and more sustainable. Communities along Connecticut\u2019s coast have felt firsthand the devastating effects of natural disasters, and I am excited and relieved that they will be receiving this federal funding to better prepare for the future,\u201d said Himes.\n\nThe National Coastal Resiliency Fund awarded grants to the following projects:\n\n\u00b7 $612,000 for the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection to expand the state\u2019s nature-based resilience capacity.\n\n\u00b7 $508,000 for the City of West Haven to conduct analysis and targeted public engagement to identify nature-based solutions along the Cove River.\n\n\u00b7 $211,000 to the City of Norwalk to create a city-wide flood resilience plan and provide a framework of nature-based solutions to improve community resilience and enhance coastal habitat.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:32:05Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-highlights-east-hartfords-vrsim-as-innovator-of-the-month", "Murphy Highlights East Hartford's VRSim as \"Innovator of the Month\"", "2022-12-05", "2022", "2022-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "HARTFORD\u2013U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) announced that VRSim, based in East Hartford, was named November\u2019s \u201cInnovator of the Month.\u201d VRSim is a leading provider of virtual reality (VR) training solutions for skilled trades. Since 2001, VRSim has been a pioneer of practical applications of VR training, with existing products available for paint and coating application (SimSpray\u00ae), welding (VRTEX\u00ae), construction trades (SimBuild\u2122), and an all-new CNA/Patient Care Skills system (VRNA\u2122) to be later released. These systems are equipped with intuitive and immersive training that feature kinesthetic activity, built-in progress tracking, skills assessments, scoring, feedback, and instructional guidance. These training solutions have been used in programs for high schools, technical colleges, vocational training and workforce development initiatives to equip workers with the skills necessary to secure jobs and succeed in fields like manufacturing, construction, robotics, and healthcare.\n\n\u201cInvesting in workforce development is crucial to growing our economy. The team at VRSim is developing new tools to help give workers in Connecticut the skills they need to secure good-paying jobs. I\u2019m proud to recognize their innovative work, and look forward to seeing their growth in our state,\u201d said Murphy.\n\n\u201cEast Hartford has served our team well as the world headquarters of VRSim. We know we can count on the community and leaders to support us with resources and services so that we are able to put forth the best products in our industry,\u201d said Matthew Wallace, CEO and President of VRSim.\n\nThe company demonstrates their commitment to the local community through educational outreach and industry partnerships; most recently with the East Hartford Public Schools, who plan to introduce VRNA as part of their health sciences CTE program in the coming months.\n\nMurphy believes entrepreneurship and innovation are the building blocks for a strong economy. In the U.S. Senate, he has introduced two bipartisan pieces of legislation to incentivize angel investors to put more money into startup companies\u2014the Angel Tax Credit Act and the Helping Angels Lead Our Startups (HALOS) Act. Startup companies create an average of 2 million jobs each year.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:32:05Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-van-hollen-reintroduce-legislation-to-protect-consumers-from-medical-debt", "Murphy, Van Hollen Reintroduce Legislation to Protect Consumers from Medical Debt", "2022-11-30", "2022", "2022-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2014U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) on Wednesday reintroduced legislation to strengthen consumer protections and reform medical debt practices. The Strengthening Consumer Protections and Medical Debt Transparency Act would put in place standard practices to make sure that health care entities communicate with consumers about any debt that is owed and cap the annual interest rate growth for medical debt. The legislation also directs the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to create a public database to collect information from health care entities about their debt collection practices.\n\n\u201cForcing people to go bankrupt just because they get sick is immoral - plain and simple,\u201d said Murphy. \u201cWe need to shed light on the hospitals out there who are abusing patients with overly aggressive debt collection practices. I hope we can get our legislation to increase transparency and reform hospital practices across the finish line.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhen folks are sick or in the hospital the last thing they should be worried about is whether they\u2019ll lose their house or their wages for seeking care. But for many Americans these concerns are top of mind as medical debt has taken a devastating toll on hard-working families. I\u2019m proud to team up with Senator Murphy to enhance consumer protections and stop the unjust, exploitative practices used to collect medical debt. This legislation puts safeguards in place to ensure transparency, cap interest rates, and keep the focus on patients\u2019 health and wellbeing so they can get the care they need,\u201d said Van Hollen.\n\nA report from the Kaiser Family Foundation this summer found that medical debt was a widespread issue impacting an estimated 41% of Americans \u2014 or about 100 million adults. The report also found that in their efforts to pay what was owed, adults report making \u201ca number of sacrifices and enduring substantial financial consequences.\u201d And those with lower incomes and people of color were more likely to report being contacted by collection agencies, being denied subsequent care, or changing their housing situation to pay down their medical debt.\n\nThe Strengthening Consumer Protections and Medical Debt Transparency Act would require that:\n\nThe Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) create a publicly available database of annual reporting from hospitals, freestanding facilities, and large provider practices with information about whether they use collection agents, the process for assigning debt to a collection agent, and the number of Extraordinary Collection Actions, as defined by the IRS, they have initiated. HHS will maintain a public list of any health care entity that does not submit the required information each year.\n\nMedical debt interest rates should be capped at the annual rate set by the federal post-judgment interest rate or 5 percentage points annual growth, whichever is lower, to protect patients from uncontrolled rate increases that multiply debts.\n\nBefore an entity can send debt into collections, health care entities should ensure that all insurance coverage appeals have been resolved and determine whether the patient qualifies for assistance.\n\nHealth care entities, or their contracted debt collection agencies, shall not enter into extraordinary collection until 180 days after an initial bill is sent and the debtor\u2019s identity has been confirmed.\n\nHealth care entities provide the patient with an itemized statement of the debt owed as well as detailed receipts of payments made within 30 days.\n\nA health care entity or its agent who fail to comply with changes under the Act is liable to the patient for actual damages and up to $1,000. In the case of a class action suit, damages are the amount each plaintiff could have recovered, not to exceed $2 million. If the patient is successful, then attorney\u2019s fees and other costs also can be recovered.\n\nThe Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issue a biennial report on medical debt and review the public database for its application to the CFPB\u2019s risk supervision program.\n\n\"Medical debt has reached epidemic proportions in our country. The UCONN Health Disparities Institute has been working tirelessly to understand its root causes, to measure it and to shed light on its devastating consequences on peoples' health, their financial wellbeing and on widening healthcare disparities among people of color,\u201d said Victor G. Villagra, MD with University of Connecticut\u2019s Health Disparities Institute. \u201cBut in the absence of a federal law that requires public reporting of debt collection practices by hospitals and other healthcare entities finding reliable data can greatly hamper such efforts. We are grateful to Sens. Chris Murphy and Chris Van Hollen for introducing this bill. It not only provides for a transparent public source of information but coupled with previous legislation against garnishment of debtors' wages for COVID-19 related debt, it introduces broader consumer protections such as requiring timely, itemized, lay-person understandable explanations of what is owed and a sensible cap on interest rates charged. Medical debt is the only source of involuntary debt plaguing Americans; this bill could not be more welcomed.\"\n\n\u201cMedical debt is different from all other forms of debt. Medical care is involuntary and not optional. Also, patients usually have no way of knowing the price before they buy. That\u2019s why people who owe medical debt deserve the additional, common sense protections proposed in this bill, such as an itemized statement, or having the debt collector verify that there is no charity care or other aid program that could help the family. Families struggling with the physical and emotional toll of serious disease or injury deserve to be treated with basic fairness and dignity by medical debt collectors, and this bill goes a long way toward making that a reality in Connecticut and all over America,\u201d said Ted Doolittle, Connecticut\u2019s State Healthcare Advocate.\n\n\u201cWe applaud Senators Murphy and Van Hollen for taking steps to limit the use of aggressive medical debt collection practices for people struggling to pay unaffordable health care costs. These collection actions disproportionately harm people of color who are more likely to have medical debt because they face unfair and discriminatory barriers to health and economic security,\u201d said Emily Stewart, executive director of Community Catalyst. \u201cThis legislation would extend protections to millions of hard-working people who had the misfortune of getting sick while having inadequate insurance.\u201d\n\n\"Medical debt is hurting families across the country, and falls even more heavily on people of color. Senator Murphy and Senator Van Hollen are championing fair, common-sense reforms to help patients get back on their feet after a health crisis and to protect families from punitive consequences of medical debt,\" said Jenifer Bosco, Attorney, National Consumer Law Center.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:24:37Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/as-temperatures-drop-murphy-blumenthal-leahy-sanders-king-urge-energy-secretary-granholm-to-develop-a-plan-to-prevent-energy-disruptions-in-new-england", "As Temperatures Drop, Murphy, Blumenthal, Leahy, Sanders, King Urge Energy Secretary Granholm to Develop a Plan to Prevent Energy Disruptions in New England", "2022-11-29", "2022", "2022-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2013As the winter months approach, U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Angus King (I-Maine) on Tuesday urged the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to proactively develop a plan to prevent energy disruption and price hikes. In a letter to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, the senators ask the Secretary to work with stakeholders to mitigate the risk of price hikes and a shortage of natural gas, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and heating oil.\n\n\u201cISO New England, the region\u2019s grid operator, has warned that colder-than-usual conditions could put the reliability of the grid at risk - perhaps even leading to extreme measures like rolling blackouts. This could be devastating, particularly during the coldest days of winter. While the region\u2019s overreliance on natural gas has long been an issue, the continued global disruption caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine means the risk is more urgent than ever,\u201d the senators wrote.\n\nThe senators continued: \u201cEven if the lights stay on throughout our winter months, the price instability caused by the region\u2019s reliance on the spot market could have devastating impacts on New England residents who already face some of the highest energy costs in the continental U.S.\u201d\n\n\u201cGiven the gravity of these concerns, we urge you to convene key stakeholders, including the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), ISO New England, New England governors, public utility officials, generators, suppliers, and utilities to mitigate these risks. Additionally, we ask that you leverage resources within the Department of Energy to identify barriers to bringing non-fossil fuel energy online as quickly as possible. Lastly, we ask that you work across the Executive Branch to review the emergency powers available to the Department of Energy and other agencies to ensure New England has the resources needed to get through the winter without major supply disruptions or price spikes,\u201d the senators concluded.\n\nRead the full letter below or here:\n\nDear Secretary Granholm,\n\nWith the upcoming winter season comes a real threat to energy reliability for residents and businesses in New England. Global events caused by Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine are exacerbating the risk that the region will not have the fuel supplies needed to maintain heat and power during an extended cold snap. We write to ask that you work with federal, regional, state, and local stakeholders to identify actions available to prevent energy disruption during the coldest months of the year.\n\nLeaders in the region are working hard to reduce our reliance on natural gas by bringing clean energy resources like offshore wind and hydropower online, and the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act will be a huge boost to those efforts. Replacing fossil fuels with clean energy alternatives is the only way to ensure adequate supply and to achieve U.S. energy independence. Building out this new, carbon-free generation, however, will take time. As a result, the region remains reliant on natural gas, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and heating oil to bridge supply gaps during the coldest stretch of New England winters.\n\nISO New England, the region\u2019s grid operator, has warned that colder-than-usual conditions could put the reliability of the grid at risk - perhaps even leading to extreme measures like rolling blackouts. This could be devastating, particularly during the coldest days of winter. While the region\u2019s overreliance on natural gas has long been an issue, the continued global disruption caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine means the risk is more urgent than ever. In retaliation for Western sanctions following the invasion, Russia has weaponized energy supplies, reducing gas exports to Europe by 88% compared to 2021. This had led European nations to seek supplies elsewhere, further tightening the global supply. As a result, New England states will face serious challenges as they seek to secure LNG supply.\n\nEven if the lights stay on throughout our winter months, the price instability caused by the region\u2019s reliance on the spot market could have devastating impacts on New England residents who already face some of the highest energy costs in the continental U.S.\n\nGiven the gravity of these concerns, we urge you to convene key stakeholders, including the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), ISO New England, New England governors, public utility officials, generators, suppliers, and utilities to mitigate these risks. Additionally, we ask that you leverage resources within the Department of Energy to identify barriers to bringing non-fossil fuel energy online as quickly as possible. Lastly, we ask that you work across the Executive Branch to review the emergency powers available to the Department of Energy and other agencies to ensure New England has the resources needed to get through the winter without major supply disruptions or price spikes. We stand ready and willing to assist you in any way.\n\nWe appreciate your attention to these concerns and look forward to working with you on this critical issue\n\nSincerely,\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:24:37Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-applauds-senate-passage-of-respect-for-marriage-act", "Murphy Applauds Senate Passage of Respect for Marriage Act", "2022-11-29", "2022", "2022-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2013U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Tuesday released the following statement after the U.S. Senate passed the Respect for Marriage Act, legislation to protect federal marriage equality for same-sex and interracial couples and repeals the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act:\n\n\u201cEvery person deserves the right to marry who they love. Thankfully, this is the clear consensus position in America today, and it\u2019s why marriage equality has been the law of the land in Connecticut for over a decade. This legislation is unfortunately necessary to protect marriage equality from increasingly radical Republican judges and ensure that no one faces discrimination because of who they married.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:24:37Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-urges-noaa-to-incorporate-connecticut-stakeholder-feedback-in-bipartisan-infrastructure-law-and-inflation-reduction-act-implementation", "Murphy Urges NOAA to Incorporate Connecticut Stakeholder Feedback in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act Implementation", "2022-11-28", "2022", "2022-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2014U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) sent a letter to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) sharing feedback he received from stakeholders on ways to improve NOAA\u2019s implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act. The agency has historically provided funding for shovel-ready projects that protect coasts, improve water quality, and support shoreline communities.\n\nTo improve implementation of funds provided in this legislation, Murphy encouraged NOAA to do the following:\n\n1. Extend application windows to allow potential grant recipients to prepare the strongest possible applications, ensuring the projects NOAA eventually funds will be more impactful and shovel-ready.\n\n2. Continue to provide funding for research, data, and evaluation that will be critical to identifying the areas of greatest need, the most effective project designs, and promoting best practices.\n\n3. Emphasize and fund capacity building of state agencies, research programs, institutions of higher education, and non-profit entities to better help states and town implement these new investments and execute the policy changes envisioned in these bills.\n\n\u201cI appreciate your consideration of these perspectives and your agency\u2019s ongoing partnership. The activities and projects funded through both the IIJA and the IRA will help protect our coasts, support fisheries, and improve water quality for years to come,\u201d he wrote.\n\nFull text of the letter is available here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:24:37Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-on-state-of-the-union-we-need-to-have-a-conversation-about-the-60-percent-of-counties-refusing-to-implement-gun-safety-laws", "Murphy On State of the Union: We Need To Have A Conversation About The 60 Percent Of Counties Refusing To Implement Gun Safety Laws", "2022-11-27", "2022", "2022-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2013U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Sunday joined CNN\u2019s State of the Union with Dana Bash to discuss next steps for the gun violence prevention movement in the wake of the tragic shootings in Colorado and Virginia.\n\nOn the potential to pass an assault weapons ban, Murphy said: \u201cI'm glad that President Biden is going to be pushing us to take a vote on an assault weapons ban. The House has already passed it. It's sitting in front of the Senate. Does it have 60 votes in the Senate right now? Probably not. But let's see if we can try to get that number as close to 60 as possible. If we don't have the votes, then we'll talk to Senator Schumer and maybe come back next year with maybe an additional senator and see if we can do better.\u201d\n\nMurphy continued: \u201cIf we passed an assault weapons ban, we would see less mass shootings in this country. Yes, there are already tens of thousands of assault weapons on the street. Nobody's talking about taking those weapons away from individuals. We're just talking about stopping new sales, but if you look at some of the most high profile mass shootings in the last couple of years, many of those mass shooters bought the weapon just days before carrying out the crime. And so if those weapons were no longer commercially available, only in possession of those who had bought them previously, I think a lot of mass shootings would have been prevented.\u201d\n\nMurphy highlighted that Colorado Springs is a so-called \u201cSecond Amendment sanctuary\u201d county, which means they refuse to implement state and federal gun safety laws like Colorado\u2019s red flag law. Murphy proposed requiring counties to certify that they enforce state and federal gun laws in order to be eligible for Department of Justice (DOJ) Byrne JAG grants: \u201cThe majority of counties in this country have declared that they are not going to enforce state and federal gun laws. They have decided that they are going to essentially refuse to implement laws that are on the books. That is a growing problem in this country\u2026I think we have to have a conversation about whether we can continue to fund law enforcement in states where they are refusing to implement these gun laws. I'll talk to my colleagues about what our approach should be to this problem, but 60% of counties in this country are refusing to implement the nation's gun laws. We've got to do something about that.\u201d\n\nOn the upcoming 10th anniversary of the Sandy Hook shooting and the toll gun violence takes on a community, Murphy said: \u201cYou have to understand that communities that go through a mass shooting like this, Sandy Hook, Uvalde, now Colorado Springs, they're never the same. And Newtown will never ever be the same. Yes, it brings some measure of peace that we have passed legislation now that will at least provide a little bit of downward pressure on the number of shootings in this country. But every single holiday when there's an empty seat at the table for those families in Sandy Hook or frankly families in Hartford or New Haven or Bridgeport who have lost victims to gun violence, it's another reminder of just how unique this epidemic is in the United States.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:24:37Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-pallone-call-on-biden-administration-to-swiftly-deliver-funding-to-promote-coastal-resilience", "Murphy, Pallone Call on Biden Administration to Swiftly Deliver Funding to Promote Coastal Resilience", "2022-11-22", "2022", "2022-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2013U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and U.S. Representative Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J.-06) on Tuesday urged the Biden Administration to quickly implement investments in living shoreline projects from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and Inflation Reduction Act. In a letter to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Administrator Richard W. Spinrad, Murphy and Pallone called on the agency to use the funding allocated in the laws to directly support projects that will protect and restore coastal and marine habitats. The investments in living shoreline projects from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and Inflation Reduction Act are modeled on a bill that Murphy and Pallone introduced in 2021.\n\n\u201cWe are proud of this immense investment to build community and ecosystem resilience to climate change while bolstering our economy. We urge you to dedicate the necessary resources that will ensure the swift implementation of these critical investments in our coastal communities,\u201d Murphy and Pallone wrote. \u201cCongress has provided NOAA with a historic opportunity to protect American coastal communities and our precious ecosystems from climate change threats. We urge you to prioritize nature-based coastal resilience efforts, like living shoreline infrastructure and research, as you create plans for this significant funding.\u201d\n\nLiving shoreline infrastructure projects use natural materials and systems, including dunes, wetlands, and oyster reefs to support the natural flood resilience of healthy shoreline ecosystems. Natural infrastructure is cost-effective, adaptable to changing environmental conditions, and can help improve water quality and wildlife habitat protection. NOAA received $3 billion through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and $2.8 billion through the Inflation Reduction Act to build living shoreline projects and conduct research on best practices.\n\nA copy of the letter is available HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:24:37Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-op-ed-with-conservation-law-foundation-president-progressive-cannot-be-afraid-to-start-the-conversation-on-permitting-reform", "Murphy Op-Ed with Conservation Law Foundation President: Progressive Cannot Be Afraid to Start the Conversation on Permitting Reform", "2022-11-21", "2022", "2022-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2013U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) authored an op-ed in the Boston Globe with Brad Campbell, president of the Conservation Law Foundation, to make the case for a progressive vision of permitting reform. Murphy and Campbell argue that the United States needs to reform its permitting process in order to meet the urgency of the climate crisis and realize the full potential of the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.\n\n\u201cThe recently passed Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law have the potential to accelerate the urgent shift to clean energy demanded by the climate crisis. They can help shore up failing and unsafe infrastructure holding back our economy, and begin to remedy the injustices that communities of color and low income have suffered at the hands of government \u2014 from major highways cutting through the heart of communities to unsafe drinking water,\u201d Murphy and Campbell wrote. \u201cBut it is impossible to realize this potential without addressing the nation\u2019s failing regulatory infrastructure. Outdated and unwieldy review and permitting processes hinder our ability to meet the urgency of the climate crisis and bog down much-needed projects in delays and litigation that fail to safeguard the communities and the natural resources they\u2019re designed to protect.\u201d\n\nOn the currently inefficient permitting process, Murphy and Campbell wrote: \u201cIt can take a decade to permit and build offshore wind, clean transportation, and major electric transmission. This is as unacceptable as it is unnecessary. While permitting is not the only source of delay, it is virtually impossible to build out essential infrastructure and clean energy under the current approach to federal, state, and local project review and approvals. Pretending otherwise sacrifices any claim the United States has to global climate leadership and any hope for the communities hit first and worst by pollution and climate risk from fossil fuels.\u201d\n\nMurphy and Campbell concluded: \u201cRather than idealize the status quo, we need to imagine and build consensus around reforms that lead to quicker, better decisions and elevate substantive protections over procedural parrying. Transitioning to clean energy and achieving climate justice require hard choices, and progressives and environmentalists need to recognize that those choices are necessary. The work to achieve a cleaner, more equitable future will not be possible unless we lead the cause of permitting reform and stop ceding that ground to the opposition. Otherwise, our hopes for timely and just climate action, rational infrastructure choices, and healthier communities using the new resources Congress has just provided will be crushed under the slow-moving wheels of a broken system.\u201d\n\nRead the full op-ed below:\n\nThe recently passed Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law have the potential to accelerate the urgent shift to clean energy demanded by the climate crisis. They can help shore up failing and unsafe infrastructure holding back our economy, and begin to remedy the injustices that communities of color and low income have suffered at the hands of government \u2014 from major highways cutting through the heart of communities to unsafe drinking water.\n\nBut it is impossible to realize this potential without addressing the nation\u2019s failing regulatory infrastructure. Outdated and unwieldy review and permitting processes hinder our ability to meet the urgency of the climate crisis and bog down much-needed projects in delays and litigation that fail to safeguard the communities and the natural resources they\u2019re designed to protect.\n\nThe subject of permitting reform has long been caught in an all-too-familiar crossfire. Fossil fuel interests and other industry lobbyists generate endless proposals under the mantle of \u201creform\u201d that would weaken the standards and protections necessary to avert climate catastrophe and safeguard our health and environment. Environmental groups and other progressives reflexively defend the status quo as sacrosanct or easily fixed by tweaks to bureaucratic practice.\n\nThe permitting reform proposal Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia offered earlier this year reprised this pattern, sending both sides back to their corners and frustrating any truly inclusive, bipartisan dialogue about improving the current system. But now that the White House has signaled it wants permitting reform taken up during Congress\u2019s lame duck session, there is an opportunity for all sides to work together to craft a more effective bill.\n\nProgressives cannot be afraid to begin this conversation. A recent report by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory found that to meet President Biden\u2019s commitment to fully decarbonize the electric grid by 2035, the United States will have to more than quadruple the pace at which it is deploying renewable energy technologies while building extensive supporting transmission infrastructure. A Princeton study suggests that 80 percent of the emissions reductions promised by the IRA will be lost if we do not accelerate the buildout of clean energy and transmission.\n\nAnd that\u2019s just in the energy sector. To have any hope of modernizing the nation\u2019s transportation sector, we have to invest in mass transit alternatives to gas-powered vehicles while reconnecting communities that have been divided by ill-conceived projects. Trips between certain points on the Northeast Corridor, our nation\u2019s busiest rail line, take more time today than in the 1980s due to chronic underinvestment and these bureaucratic obstacles. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law committed more than $864 billion to address these issues, but without serious efforts to make these projects faster and cheaper, we will fail to make best use of this investment.\n\nIt can take a decade to permit and build offshore wind, clean transportation, and major electric transmission. This is as unacceptable as it is unnecessary. While permitting is not the only source of delay, it is virtually impossible to build out essential infrastructure and clean energy under the current approach to federal, state, and local project review and approvals. Pretending otherwise sacrifices any claim the United States has to global climate leadership and any hope for the communities hit first and worst by pollution and climate risk from fossil fuels.\n\nThe current system has its virtues. Environmental and community groups have been able to stop many destructive projects through the scrutiny and public involvement mandated by current law. Judicial review, while a source of delays, has provided a key safeguard in the current system.\n\nUnfortunately, the fossil fuel industry and well-heeled interests have too often co-opted the process to their advantage. They are able to overwhelm, out-lawyer, and outlast under-resourced advocacy and community groups while deploying far more money and influence. Look no further than New England: In Massachusetts, fossil fuel interests are funding spurious litigation under the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act to stop offshore wind projects. In Connecticut, the opposition to efforts to upgrade the Northeast Rail Corridor comes most often from wealthy landowners, not environmental groups or low-income citizens.\n\nRather than idealize the status quo, we need to imagine and build consensus around reforms that lead to quicker, better decisions and elevate substantive protections over procedural parrying. Transitioning to clean energy and achieving climate justice require hard choices, and progressives and environmentalists need to recognize that those choices are necessary. The work to achieve a cleaner, more equitable future will not be possible unless we lead the cause of permitting reform and stop ceding that ground to the opposition.\n\nOtherwise, our hopes for timely and just climate action, rational infrastructure choices, and healthier communities using the new resources Congress has just provided will be crushed under the slow-moving wheels of a broken system.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:24:37Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-readout-of-meeting-with-nominee-for-ambassador-to-russia", "Murphy Readout of Meeting with Nominee for Ambassador to Russia", "2022-11-17", "2022", "2022-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2013U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Thursday released the following statement after meeting with Ambassador Lynne Tracy, nominee for Ambassador to Russia:\n\n\u201cMaintaining clear communication channels with Russia is critical to our efforts to prevent further escalation in Ukraine and to advocate on behalf of U.S. citizens who are being wrongfully detained. I was glad to meet with Ambassador Tracy to discuss the essential role she will play at our embassy in Moscow and the importance of continued U.S. support for Ukraine in the face of ongoing Russian aggression. We also discussed the impact of Russia\u2019s war on Ukraine in the South Caucasus, where Ambassador Tracy has spent the past three years serving in Armenia. She is eminently qualified for this post, and her swift confirmation is more important than ever,\u201d said Murphy.\n\nEarlier this week, Murphy spoke at a U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on U.S. policy in the Caucasus.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:24:37Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-blumenthal-statements-on-proposed-projects-for-northeast-corridor-rail-improvement", "Murphy, Blumenthal Statements on Proposed Projects for Northeast Corridor Rail Improvement", "2022-11-16", "2022", "2022-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2014U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) on Wednesday released the following statements on the Federal Railroad Administration\u2019s (FRA) submission of projects for the Northeast Corridor (NEC) Inventory. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed last year provided more than $20 billion in funding for a sequence of projects aimed at modernizing NEC service. This initial group of projects will reduce the backlog of repairs for existing rail lines, improve performance, and expand or establish new intercity passenger rail service along the Northeast Corridor.\n\n\u201cThese projects represent a giant step forward in our ongoing efforts to reduce travel times and make the NEC rail system more efficient. Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we now have a strategy for how to best improve the NEC over the next 5 years that maximizes every single taxpayer dollar and ensures we have a plan in place to see these projects through to the end,\u201d Murphy said.\n\n\u201cThe Northeast Corridor is the engine that moves our state\u2019s economy. The Federal Railroad Administration has taken one step further towards unlocking access to $24 billion in infrastructure funding that could be used to bring faster, safer rail services to Connecticut residents,\u201d Blumenthal said.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:24:37Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-discusses-us-policy-in-the-caucasus-and-balkans", "Murphy Discusses U.S. Policy in the Caucasus and Balkans", "2022-11-16", "2022", "2022-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2014U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) spoke on Wednesday at a U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on U.S. policy in the Caucasus with Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Karen Donfried.\n\nMurphy asked about the Turkey-Armenia relationship and the role the United States should play: I wanted to ask a broad question about Turkey\u2019s role in the region. Obviously, we know their historic role backing Azerbaijan. There doesn\u2019t appear to be evidence that they explicitly supported Azerbaijan\u2019s latest provocations. But they have also begun an interesting dialogue with Armenia that could ultimately be very important with Russia's preoccupation in Ukraine. Turkey obviously has a vacuum that they can fill. They\u2019ve been more active than ever since 2020. Talk a little bit if you would, Secretary Donfried, about Turkey\u2019s role in the region, and specifically on this question of Turkey-Armenia normalization.\u201d\n\nMurphy highlighted the potential role Azerbaijan could play in reducing Europe\u2019s reliance on Russian energy: \u201cI have often thought that we have gotten the balance wrong when it comes to promoting human rights and democracy in countries that have large oil reservoirs. But this is a country that now has more pipeline capacity than it did ten or twenty years ago. What\u2019s the future of Azerbaijani energy with respect to diversifying away from Russian energy in and around the region? And how does this factor into the decisions that we make about how to approach some of these thornier issues of Azerbaijani conduct in the region?\n\nMurphy urged the State Department to stay engaged in ongoing discussions between Serbia and Kosovo: \u201cWe\u2019ve got some real potential bumps in the road coming up with the implementation of the license plate agreement in Kosovo. Again, I would just urge the Department to play as active a role as possible in the continued discussions between Serbia and Kosovo. We have for a long time, for good reason, have relied on the Europeans to take the lead, the Germans specifically. I think that there is more reason now than ever for the United States to step in.\u201d\n\nIn September, Murphy released a statement on reports of hostilities along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border. In April, Murphy participated in a bipartisan congressional delegation with U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) to the Balkans to convey continued U.S. support for its allies amid Russian aggression against Ukraine and the implications for European security in the region.\n\nYou can read Murphy\u2019s full exchange with Donfried:\n\nMURPHY: \u201cThank you very much Mr. Chairman. Good to see you both. I wanted to ask a broad question about Turkey\u2019s role in the region. Obviously, we know their historic role backing Azerbaijan. There doesn\u2019t appear to be evidence that they explicitly supported Azerbaijan\u2019s latest provocations. But they have also begun an interesting dialogue with Armenia that could ultimately be very important with Russia's preoccupation in Ukraine. Turkey obviously has a vacuum that they can fill. They\u2019ve been more active than ever since 2020.\n\n\u201cTalk a little bit if you would, Secretary Donfried, about Turkey\u2019s role in the region, and specifically on this question of Turkey-Armenia normalization. What\u2019s the role the United States can play to facilitate that? Are we best to just sit back and watch? Is there some kind of active role that we can play?\n\nDONFRIED: \u201cWell, thanks a lot for that question, Senator Murphy. And you\u2019re right to have us think about the other actors in the region, and Turkey is a critical one. You\u2019re right to remark on the close relationship between Turkey and Azerbaijan, but I also appreciate your focus on Turkey-Armenia relations.\n\n\u201cWe very much support normalization between Armenia and Turkey. And we have spoken at length with the Turks about this, and I do believe there is a deep Turkish commitment to move forward on this, which also augurs well for broader peace in the region.\n\n\u201cAnd what we\u2019ve seen is both Turkey and Armenia have appointed special envoys for normalization and they\u2019ve met multiple times, they have agreed on initial confidence building measures. We are encouraging both sides to move forward on those. They need to implement the measures that they\u2019ve agreed to. So our role here is one of encouraging that, and we are hopeful that we will see progress. Because I do think it is part of the puzzle of the south Caucasus about how you get to a sustainable peace in the region.\n\nMURPHY: \u201cLet me just ask a question, I\u2019m sorry if it\u2019s been covered already. Obviously, the backdrop to our relationship with Azerbaijan is their increasing role as a supplier of energy to neighbors and into Europe. I have often thought that we have gotten the balance wrong when it comes to promoting human rights and democracy in countries that have large oil reservoirs. But this is a country that now has more pipeline capacity than it did ten or twenty years ago.\n\n\u201cWhat\u2019s the future of Azerbaijani energy with respect to diversifying away from Russian energy in and around the region? And how does this factor into the decisions that we make about how to approach some of these thornier issues of Azerbaijani conduct in the region?\n\nDONFRIED: \u201cSo, the energy picture in Europe, as we\u2019ve all seen over the past eight and a half months has changed fundamentally. The United States for a long time has been arguing that Russia is not a reliable supplier of energy for Europe.\n\n\u201cNot all of our European allies and partners agreed with that assessment prior to February 24. I would say all of them today agree with that assessment. We have long been a voice promoting energy diversification and we\u2019re seeing all of these countries that were overly dependent on Russia looking for other sources. And in that context, Azerbaijan is playing a very important role, and I think will continue to play a very important role.\n\n\u201cThat said, it doesn\u2019t mean that we turn a blind eye to our concerns about human rights in Azerbaijan. And I said it in my opening statement, I\u2019ll say it again, we regularly urge Azerbaijan\u2019s government to respect human rights and the fundamental freedoms necessary to realize the full potential of Azerbaijan\u2019s people. I believe it is in our national security interest for us to be promoting human rights and democracy in Azerbaijan, and we will continue to do so. Thanks.\n\nMURPHY: \u201cThank you for that. I won\u2019t ask a question. I\u2019m running out of time. But I\u2019ll just note, I just left this committee meeting to meet with the relatively new leader of one of the opposition parties in Kosovo who is in town, who I think maybe got the chance to see Deputy Secretary Escobar.\n\n\u201cOn the other side of the Black Sea, are the Balkan region. We\u2019ve got some real potential bumps in the road coming up with the implementation of the license plate agreement in Kosovo. Again, I would just urge the Department to play as active a role as possible in the continued discussions between Serbia and Kosovo. We have for a long time, for good reason, have relied on the Europeans to take the lead, the Germans specifically. I think that there is more reason now than ever for the United States to step in. I don\u2019t think you\u2019ll see as active or as effective diplomacy from Europe, and the need has never been greater given what could happen in the coming months in the Serb regions of Kosovo.\n\n\u201cSo again, just a plea to maintain real direct involvement from the State Department in those very tricky negotiations and talks. So thank you, Mr. Chairman.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:24:37Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-merkley-cicilline-keating-colleagues-call-on-administration-to-center-human-rights-ahead-of-cop27-in-egypt", "Murphy, Merkley, Cicilline, Keating, Colleagues Call On Administration To Center Human Rights Ahead Of Cop27 In Egypt", "2022-11-02", "2022", "2022-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism, and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Environment and Public Works Committees, and U.S. Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.-01), Chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Middle East, North Africa, and Global Counterterrorism, and U.S. Rep. Bill Keating (D-M.A.-09), Chairman of the U.S House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe, Energy, the Environment and Cyber led 52 of their colleagues in a letter to President Biden urging the Administration to raise human rights concerns with the Egyptian government ahead of COP27.\n\n\u201cWe are therefore deeply troubled by the message it sends to the world that the Egyptian government is hosting COP27 while imprisoning tens of thousands of political prisoners \u2013 including many environmental activists. With the world\u2019s attention on Sharm el-Sheikh this month, COP27 presents a unique opportunity for the United States to press the Egyptian government to release these activists and demonstrate its commitment to inclusive engagement with the full range of stakeholders on climate solutions,\u201d the lawmakers wrote.\n\nThe lawmakers highlighted Egypt\u2019s egregious human rights violations, including widespread arbitrary detentions, restrictions on members of the media and non-governmental organizations, and the government\u2019s crackdown on political opponents. They also called attention to the important role that civil society organizations play in the global fight against climate change, through promoting government accountability, connecting grassroots efforts across the globe, and translating climate policies to the broader population. In October, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights criticized Egypt for cracking down on civil society and creating a \u201cclimate of fear for Egyptian civil society organizations to engage visibly at the COP27.\u201d\n\nThe lawmakers also recognized that the Global South \u2013 including the Middle East and North Africa \u2013 is disproportionally affected by climate change, particularly the most vulnerable populations. While Egypt has demonstrated leadership on issues like water scarcity, rising sea levels, air pollution, and record high temperatures, its efforts are hindered by a refusal to allow meaningful participation of environmental and civil society groups, activists, and those most impacted by the climate crisis.\n\n\u201cWe urge the Administration to engage the Egyptian government to allow the full participation of civil society throughout this year\u2019s summit. This includes ensuring that both participants and observers, including groups critical of the government, have access to engage and express their positions freely at COP27. This simply cannot occur with the unprecedented detention of leading environmental activists and prominent political prisoners,\u201d said the legislators.\n\nThe lawmakers also urged the Administration to call for the release of specific political prisoners.\n\nThe letter was signed by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Thomas Carper (D-Del.), Christopher Coons (D-Del.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Bernard Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.). It was also signed by U.S. House Representatives Karen Bass (D-Calif.), Donald Beyer (D-Va.), Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.), Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.), Tony C\u00e1rdenas (D-Calif.), Andr\u00e9 Carson (Ind.), Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), David Cicilline (D-R.I.), Gerald Connolly (D-Va.), Jason Crow (D-Colo.), Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas.), Jes\u00fas Garc\u00eda (D-Ill.), Ra\u00fal Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.), William Keating (D-Mass.), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), Andy Levin (D-Mich), Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), Tom Malinowski (D-N.J.), James McGovern (D-Mass.), Grace Meng (D-N.Y.), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-District of Columbia), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Calif.), Janice Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Albio Sires (D-N.J.), Mark Takano (D-Calif.), Dina Titus (D-Nev.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich), Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.), Juan Vargas (D-Calif.), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Susan Wild (D-Pa.), and Nikema Williams (D-Ga.)", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:24:37Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-blumenthal-courtney-himes-local-leaders-announce-17-million-in-grants-for-improvements-to-ports-in-new-london-and-bridgeport", "Murphy, Blumenthal, Courtney, Himes, Local Leaders Announce $17 Million in Grants for Improvements to Ports in New London and Bridgeport", "2022-10-31", "2022", "2022-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "HARTFORD\u2014U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn,), and U.S. Representatives Joe Courtney (D-Conn.-02) and Jim Himes (D-Conn.-04) on Monday announced $17 million in grants from the MARAD FY22 Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) for the City of New London Port Infrastructure Development Project and the Bridgeport Port Authority Project. The grants will support the design and construction of a wind port in Bridgeport, and fund projects aimed at improving and expanding the ports in both Bridgeport and New London.\n\n\u201cThe ports in New London and Bridgeport are big job creating engines for our state, and this funding is a huge investment in the continuing development of our port cities. With these grants, our state will continue to grow as a center of commerce and help our country move toward a cleaner energy future,\u201d said Murphy.\n\n\u201cWind energy is good for the environment and Connecticut\u2019s economy. These Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds will improve port facilities to accommodate wind energy. New London and Bridgeport will continue to lead on this critical economic sector. I am proud to have fought for this funding to support our coastal economic hubs,\u201d said Blumenthal.\n\n\u201cToday\u2019s Port Infrastructure grant award is the result of consistent bipartisan work, and it\u2019s a huge win for continued economic success and job growth in our region. We\u2019re seeing a ton of exciting economic activity in eastern Connecticut, and none of it\u2019s happening by accident\u2014in fact, when it comes to today\u2019s grant award, my colleagues and I on the House Armed Services Committee helped originate the Port Infrastructure Development Program back in 2020 specifically for use-cases like this in New London. Too many of America\u2019s ports have been neglected for too long, and we\u2019ve seen the drag that can create on our economy while other ports around the world are modernizing at a rapid clip. Modernizing our own ports has become an economic and national security imperative, and today\u2019s announcement is a perfect example of why we created the PIDP program in the first place: to ramp-up capabilities at America\u2019s smaller, critical ports like these. My office has been working directly with Mohawk Northeast for three years to go after this funding, and I want to congratulate Mohawk Northeast President Allan Heinke and his entire team for stepping back up to the plate and earning it,\u201d said Courtney.\n\n\u201cI am extremely proud to help bring home over $10 million in federal funding for the Bridgeport harbor. The projects involved will not only make the harbor safer, greener, and more accessible, but also create hundreds of jobs in the community and lead to long-term economic benefits across the region. I am especially excited about the creation of an off-shore wind port, which will help launch Connecticut forward as a leader in renewable energy,\u201d said Himes.\n\n\u201cThis is great news for the continued development of Bridgeport Harbor. This is another prime example of public and private partnerships working together to achieve success. I would like to acknowledge and thank the Bridgeport Port Authority, Bridgeport Boat Works, LLC, and Congressman Himes, Senator Blumenthal, and Senator Murphy\u2019s offices for their joint effort to obtain this $11 million dollars Federal Port Grant,\u201d said Bridgeport Mayor Ganim.\n\n\"This investment in Bridgeport's port infrastructure will help create hundreds of jobs in our region and generate millions in direct economic benefits. I am so thankful to the Bridgeport Harbor Commission, the East End NRZ, Connecticut's congressional delegation, Rep. Himes, Senator Blumenthal, and Senator Murphy, for supporting this extremely competitive grant application. This transformative grant award will help continue to unlock Bridgeport Harbor's enormous untapped potential to serve as an economic hub for the region and the State of Connecticut,\" said Robert Christoph, Jr., Steelpointe Developer.\n\n\"This announcement will ensure that Bridgeport plays a pivotal role in the emerging wind industry in our region. Thank you to the Bridgeport Port Authority for partnering with Bridgeport Boatworks to make this application a success. Thank you to Rep. Himes, Rep. DeLauro, Senator Blumenthal, and Senator Murphy for their hard-fought efforts to bring these much-needed resources to Bridgeport Harbor,\" said Harry Boardsen, Owner, Bridgeport Boatworks.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:20:33Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-highlights-guilfords-quantum-si-as-innovator-of-the-month", "Murphy Highlights Guilford\u2019s Quantum-Si as \u201cinnovator of the Month\u201d", "2022-10-31", "2022", "2022-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "HARTFORD\u2013U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) announced that Quantum-Si, based in Guilford, was named October\u2019s \u201cInnovator of the Month.\u201d Quantum-Si is a life sciences company that has developed a next-generation, single molecule protein sequencing technology powered by a first-of-its-kind semiconductor chip in order to advance drug discovery and diagnostics beyond what has been possible with DNA sequencing.\n\n\u201cQuantum-Si\u2019s exciting application of semiconductor chip technology to identify protein structures puts it at the cutting edge of scientific research, disease diagnosis, and therapeutic discovery. Innovative companies like this are part of the reason why jumpstarting our domestic semiconductor industry with the CHIPs and Science Act is so important. I look forward to Quantum-Si\u2019s continued growth in Connecticut,\u201d said Murphy.\n\n\u201cDNA sequencing enabled great advances in the biomedical community\u2019s understanding of the role of genes in human disease, but proteins actually carry out most functions in our bodies. New methods for precise measurement of proteins are key to the next era of research into diseases and how to treat them. Our next-generation protein sequencing technology will be an indispensable tool in accelerating life science research by allowing the parallel cataloging of many proteins using a small, accessible benchtop instrument for the deepest insights into the human body,\u201d said Brian Reed, Head of Research at Quantum-Si.\n\nHeadquartered in Connecticut, Quantum-Si is part of the startup accelerator 4 Catalyzer, dedicated to maximizing societal impact through transformative medical innovation. Founded by world-renowned scientist and entrepreneur Dr. Jonathan Rothberg, Quantum-Si recently became the first company demonstrating protein sequencing technology to be published by a major peer-reviewed journal with its paper debut in Science, the academic journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.\n\nMurphy believes entrepreneurship and innovation are the building blocks for a strong economy. In the U.S. Senate, he has introduced two bipartisan pieces of legislation to incentivize angel investors to put more money into startup companies\u2014the Angel Tax Credit Act and the Helping Angels Lead Our Startups (HALOS) Act. Startup companies create an average of 2 million jobs each year.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:20:33Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-requests-review-of-foreign-stake-in-acquisition-of-twitter-inc", "Murphy Requests Review of Foreign Stake in Acquisition of Twitter, Inc.", "2022-10-31", "2022", "2022-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia and Counterterrorism, on Monday sent a letter to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), requesting an immediate investigation into the potential national security concerns arising from the recent takeover of Twitter, Inc. by Elon Musk and a number of foreign private investors, including members of the Saudi Arabian royal family and the kingdom of Qatar.\n\n\u201cAs you know, CFIUS has the responsibility to review transactions that could result in an American business being controlled by a foreign person. However, CFIUS must also review non-controlling investments in certain sensitive US businesses, including companies that develop critical technologies and businesses that possess sensitive personal data on US citizens. The purpose of these reviews is clear: to protect the national security interests of the United States and American citizens,\u201d he wrote.\n\nMurphy called attention to Saudi Arabia\u2019s repression of free speech and political dissent inside and outside of the Kingdom\u2019s borders, including the brutal murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Murphy referenced allegations by federal prosecutors in 2019 that Saudi Arabia recruited Twitter employees to mine Twitter\u2019s internal systems for personal information about known Saudi critics and thousands of other Twitter users, in violation of U.S. law. Twitter also suspended 88,000 accounts tied to a disinformation campaign backed by the Saudi government after an internal investigation. Murphy directed the committee to examine the degree to which Saudi influence over Twitter\u2019s operations or access to user data could be used to silence critics and activists, or further state-sponsored disinformation campaigns.\n\n\u201cIn addition, federal and state government officials rely on Twitter to be a reliable medium to communicate vital information to the public. The possibility that a foreign power may now be able to influence the ability of the White House or a Governor to communicate with constituents must be thoroughly examined,\u201d Murphy wrote.\n\nFull text of the letter is available here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:20:33Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-applauds-funding-from-bipartisan-safer-communities-act-to-expand-behavioral-health-clinics-nationwide", "Murphy Applauds Funding From Bipartisan Safer Communities Act To Expand Behavioral Health Clinics Nationwide", "2022-10-20", "2022", "2022-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2013U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, on Tuesday released the following statement on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services\u2019 (HHS) announcement of an additional $15 million funded by Murphy\u2019s Bipartisan Safer Communities Act for states to develop and transform Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) to address the country\u2019s mental health crisis. CCBHCs provide crisis services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and serve anyone who requests care for mental health or substance use, regardless of their ability to pay.\n\n\u201cCertified Community Behavioral Health Clinics meet people where they are and help ensure everyone can access and afford the mental health care they need. This new funding from the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act is going to expand a model that has already proven itself successful and will support ongoing work to improve mental health care in Connecticut. I\u2019m proud to see these dollars start making a difference in communities across the country,\u201d said Murphy.\n\nA one-pager on the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act is available here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:34:28Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-blumenthal-bipartisan-group-of-senators-urge-release-of-liheap-home-heating-aid", "Murphy, Blumenthal, Bipartisan Group of Senators Urge Release of LIHEAP Home Heating Aid", "2022-10-20", "2022", "2022-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2013U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) sent a letter with a bipartisan coalition of 31 U.S. senators urging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to release funds for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) as swiftly and at the highest level as possible.\n\n\u201cGiven the alarming increase in energy costs that is forecast for this winter, we worked to secure an additional $1 billion in emergency funding for LIHEAP in the recently enacted short-term CR. It is critical that this funding, as well as the significant base funding available under the CR, is distributed as quickly as possible so it reaches these households in time for the winter heating season,\u201d said the lawmakers.\n\nLIHEAP is administered by states and accessed through local Community Action Agencies. Eligibility for LIHEAP is based on income, family size, and the availability of resources. Senior citizens and those receiving Social Security Disability or SSI benefits are encouraged to apply as early as possible, but applications will be open to everyone through spring of 2023 \u2014 or until the funding is exhausted.\n\nThe senators wrote that the federal LIHEAP funding is a crucial lifeline that assists low-income households and seniors on fixed incomes in paying their energy bills and staying safe during the winter.\n\nEarlier this month, Murphy and Blumenthal helped secure $1 billion in LIHEAP funding in the Continuing Resolution to fund the government. This will translate to an estimated $21 million for Connecticut\u2019s LIHEAP program.\n\nIn addition to Murphy and Blumenthal, the letter was also signed by U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Robert Casey, Jr. (D-Pa.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Tina Smith (D-MN), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Angus King, Jr. (I-Maine), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-N.M.).\n\nFull text of the letter is available here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:34:28Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-blumenthal-lead-colleagues-in-urging-doj-and-atf-to-clarify_enforce-ghost-guns-rule", "Murphy, Blumenthal Lead Colleagues in Urging DOJ & ATF to Clarify & Enforce Ghost Guns Rule", "2022-10-20", "2022", "2022-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2013U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), led a group of fourteen senators in urging the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) to issue enforcement guidance and clarify the recently finalized Ghost Gun Rule.\n\n\u201cThe Ghost Gun Rule was promulgated to stop the proliferation of ghost guns, mitigate the threat these firearms pose to our communities, and help law enforcement\u2014at every level\u2014do their jobs\u2026 It is now incumbent upon the Department and ATF to see that it is enforced\u2014and enforced strongly,\u201d said the lawmakers.\n\nThe rule regulates unfinished frames and receivers that are the core components used to construct ghost guns, which have become the preferred instruments for criminals and violent extremists and pose a severe threat to the public and law enforcement. Ghost gun companies have attempted to avoid the rule\u2019s restrictions by claiming that they can still legally sell \u201cnearly-complete\u201d frames and receivers as standalone products, without tools and other materials to complete a ghost gun, without running afoul of the new rule.\n\n\u201cThese companies have adopted the position that selling nearly-complete frames and receivers without the tools (commonly known as jigs) or instructions to complete them means that their products are not firearms under federal law,\u201d the senators wrote to Attorney General Merrick Garland and ATF Director Steven Dettelbach. \u201cOf the 100 companies previously known to sell unserialized and nearly-complete frames and receivers, dozens remain engaged in that business,\u201d said the senators.\n\nThe number of ghost guns recovered at potential crime scenes has grown exponentially, jumping from 1,758 in 2016 to 19,344 in 2021 alone. That these firearms are untraceable only makes it more difficult for law enforcement to develop leads and solve crimes. Between January 1, 2016, and March 4, 2021, ATF attempted to trace almost 23,946 recovered ghost guns, but could only complete 151 traces.\n\nIn addition to these nearly-complete frames and receivers, the senators noted that many companies have also been selling standalone tools and equipment with directions to help purchasers complete the firearms. With these untraceable, dangerous weapons still accessible to those who wish to cause harm, the senators called for stronger enforcement of the rule.\n\n\u201cThe final rule, however, is clear and unambiguous: a nearly-complete frame or receiver is a firearm. The rule does not cover only frames and receivers sold as part of a kit, but also frames and receivers that can be readily completed. Indeed, enforcing the rule only against sellers of kits would be a colossal loophole,\u201d said the legislators.\n\nIn addition to Blumenthal and Murphy, the letter was also signed by U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.).\n\nThe full text of the letter is available here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:34:28Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-on-cnni-the-saudis-cant-separate-the-economics-of-oil-from-the-politics-of-oil", "Murphy on CNNi: The Saudis Can't Separate the Economics of Oil from the Politics of Oil", "2022-10-20", "2022", "2022-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2013U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia and Counterterrorism and a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Wednesday joined CNN International\u2019s Connect the World with Becky Anderson to discuss re-evaluating the U.S-Saudi relationship.\n\nOn whether Saudi Arabia should still be considered an ally, Murphy said: \u201cI\u2019ve been arguing for the better part of the last decade that we should reorient our relationship with Saudi Arabia. For a long time, they were a very imperfect ally and I think we now have to ask ourselves whether they are an ally at all.\u201d\n\nMurphy continued: \u201cWe have looked the other way when it comes to their human rights abuses, their war in Yemen because we assumed when the chips were down, when there was a global emergency, the Saudis would choose to support us \u2014 not to support the Russians or the Chinese. And so, I think when a partner like this turns their back on you, you have to make decisions about whether you want to still be in the same kind of business\u2026I just think it's time for us to figure out whether there\u2019s a better way to deploy our defense assets, rather than using them to support a country that doesn\u2019t seem to have our interests at heart.\u201d\n\nMurphy argued that the Saudis don\u2019t make decisions on oil production independent of political motives: \u201cThe Saudis can\u2019t separate the economics of oil from the politics of oil. They can\u2019t do that because it is the economics of oil, it is the revenue from that oil that is allowing the Russians to perpetuate a campaign that is killing thousands of civilians inside of Ukraine. It is the revenue from that oil that has allowed for the Saudis to perpetuate a campaign inside Yemen that has killed thousands of civilians.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:34:28Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-statement-on-recalibrating-our-military-assistance-to-saudi-arabia", "Murphy Statement on Recalibrating Our Military Assistance to Saudi Arabia", "2022-10-20", "2022", "2022-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2013U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia and Counterterrorism and a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Thursday released the following statement on immediate steps the U.S. should take to recalibrate our military assistance to Saudi Arabia:\n\n\u201cI support calls to freeze new military aid to Saudi Arabia. We should also take swift steps in the near term that will provide immediate help to Ukraine and our allies in eastern Europe. The U.S. should suspend the sale of Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) to Saudi Arabia and repurpose these missiles to Ukraine, which could use them with the newly provided National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) to protect its territory and population from Russia\u2019s criminal bombardments.\n\n\u201cFor several years, the U.S. military has deployed Patriot missile defense batteries to Saudi Arabia to help defend oil infrastructure against missile and drone attacks. These advanced air and missile defense systems should be re-deployed to bolster the defenses of eastern flank NATO allies like Poland and Romania\u2014or transferred to our Ukrainian partners.\n\n\u201cPolicy decisions have consequences, and these steps would right-size with relationship with Saudi Arabia and help Ukraine.\u201d\n\nAhead of President Biden\u2019s trip to Saudi Arabia this summer, Murphy authored an op-ed for Foreign Policy to lay out why the United States needs to rethink its relationship with Saudi Arabia. Earlier this week, Murphy joined CNN\u2019s State of the Union to discuss the OPEC+ announcement that it would cut oil production by two million barrels a day.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:34:28Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-statement-on-shooting-of-bristol-police-officers", "Murphy Statement on Shooting of Bristol Police Officers", "2022-10-20", "2022", "2022-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2013U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) released the following statement after the devastating news that two Bristol Police Officers were shot and killed in the line of duty last night, and a third officer was shot and seriously injured:\n\n\u201cI am devastated by the news that two Bristol police officers, Sergeant Dustin Demonte and Officer Alex Hamzy, were killed last night while heroically serving their community, and a third officer is severely injured. My thoughts are with their families, friends, and fellow officers as they grieve this senseless tragedy.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:34:28Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-shaheen-wicker-tillis-urge-biden-administration-to-establish-us-policy-toward-bosnia-and-herzegovina-as-eufor-mandate-renewal-deadline-approaches", "Murphy, Shaheen, Wicker, Tillis Urge Biden Administration To Establish U.S. Policy Toward Bosnia And Herzegovina As EUFOR Mandate Renewal Deadline Approaches", "2022-10-12", "2022", "2022-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2013U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) sent a letter this week to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, on the importance of the European Union Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina (EUFOR) mandate and the development of a comprehensive strategy towards Bosnia and Herzegovina.\n\n\u201cThe fragility of the peace established under the Dayton Peace Accords is evident and alarming. Vladimir Putin\u2019s war in Ukraine has emboldened actors in Bosnia and Herzegovina who have long been supported by the Kremlin and other external actors, and the risk of violence cannot be ignored. The United States must focus on maintaining peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina,\u201d the senators wrote.\n\nThe senators went on to underscore the importance of the EUFOR mandate, which has helped keep the peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina following the end of the war in 1995. The number of NATO troops in the region under the mandate has steadily decreased. Amid precarious political dynamics in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the lawmakers argue that a more concerted strategic response from European Union (EU) member states, the United Kingdom and the United States is necessary to sufficiently source the EUFOR Althea Mission.\n\n\u201cRussia continues to claim the Western Balkans as within its sphere of influence, and Russian officials have issued numerous statements of support for regional actors opposed to both European integration and NATO. The United States must not turn a blind eye to these threats; we must demonstrate our commitment to European security by maintaining an effective presence in the Balkans as we continue to respond to Russia\u2019s unprovoked war in Ukraine,\u201d said the lawmakers.\n\nIn closing, the senators urged the Biden administration to develop a strategy, in coordination with NATO and the EU, for how to maintain a peacekeeping force in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the event of a Russian veto of the EUFOR mandate.\n\nIn April, Murphy, Shaheen, and Tillis traveled to the Western Balkans, including Bosnia and Herzegovina. Murphy also co-sponsored the Western Balkans Democracy and Prosperity Act, which would support economic development in the region through initiatives on infrastructure, trade and anti-corruption, including codification of sanctions to deter destabilizing activity in the Western Balkans.\n\nFull text of the letter is availablehere.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:20:33Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-cornyn-blumenthal-hoeven-tillis-introduce-bipartisan-help-find-the-missing-act", "Murphy, Cornyn, Blumenthal, Hoeven, Tillis Introduce Bipartisan Help Find the Missing Act", "2022-10-11", "2022", "2022-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2014U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) on Thursday introduced the bipartisan Help Find the Missing Act or \u201cBilly\u2019s Law.\u201d This legislation would close loopholes in America\u2019s missing persons systems by streamlining the missing persons reporting process and ensuring that law enforcement databases are more accessible and comprehensive.\n\nBilly's Law was originally introduced in 2009 by then-Congressman Chris Murphy. The bill was inspired by Janice Smolinski of Cheshire, Connecticut, after her 31-year-old son Billy went missing from Waterbury, Connecticut. While working with law enforcement to locate her missing son, Smolinski faced countless systemic challenges. Billy's Law was introduced to address those challenges and help ensure that the tens of thousands of American families whose loved ones go missing each year do not experience the same hurdles faced by the Smolinskis.\n\n\u201cThere are thousands of families like the Smolinskis who are forced to endure the crushing uncertainty of a missing loved one and then end up victimized all over again by a missing persons system that doesn't allow families to participate in the search for their family member. There\u2019s no excuse for the inefficiencies of the current process, which won\u2019t allow databases to communicate with each other. Billy\u2019s Law is a simple, commonsense fix that I first introduced in the House in 2009, and I won\u2019t stop pushing until we get it done,\u201d said Murphy.\n\n\u201cNobody should ever have to wonder about the fate of their missing child or loved one, but tragically, this is a reality for far too many,\u201d said Cornyn. \u201cBy improving the missing persons reporting process and improving coordination, this legislation ensures that local law enforcement can work swiftly and comprehensively to deliver justice to the families and friends of the missing.\u201d\n\n\u201cOur bipartisan measure will bolster resources for law enforcement officials as they help families with the search for missing loved ones. Patchwork reporting and loopholes in our national databases have impeded efforts to provide families with critical information. With a streamlined reporting process and increased funding, Billy\u2019s Law will strengthen future searches and help bring closure to countless families,\u201d said Blumenthal.\n\n\u201cThis legislation is about ensuring we have a missing persons reporting system that works, so that law enforcement and families can locate and find missing persons,\u201d said Hoeven. \u201cThis is a common-sense fix. Updating and streamlining these databases will be a helpful improvement for officers, families and communities searching for their loved ones.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe reintroduction of Billy's Law gives hope and encouragement during times of heartache and not knowing. Loved ones spend every day desperately searching for answers as to where their loved ones are and to possibly get the resolution needed. NamUs is a very important tool utilized by law enforcement, coroners, and medical examiners to help bring loved ones home or identify the unidentified. This legislation would relieve stress during these hard days and we are grateful to Senator Murphy for the attention and reintroduction of this much needed bill,\u201d said Janice Smolinski.\n\n\u201cThe only thing worse than losing a child, is losing your child and not bringing them home. We, as parents of a child who was missing and left murdered out in the wilderness, believe everyone deserves the same resources to help find their missing loved one. Tara, Niki, Jim and I have met and spoken with many leaders on missing persons cases and this bill in our opinion is long overdue. The Help Find The Missing Act gives two enormously important databases the ability to communicate vital info on finding everyone\u2019s missing family and friends as well as giving every state the connectivity to assist in reuniting your loved ones and bring them home faster,\u201d said Joe Petito, father of Gabby Petito.\n\nSpecifically, the Help Find the Missing Act would:\n\nAuthorize and ensure funding for the National Missing Persons and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs), created in 2007 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to provide a missing persons/unidentified database to which the public can contribute and access;\n\nConnect NamUs with the FBI\u2019s National Crime Information Center (NCIC) in order to create more comprehensive missing persons and unidentified remains databases and streamlining the reporting process for local law enforcement;\n\nExpand current law by requiring missing children be reported to NamUs (they already must be reported to NCIC);\n\nCreate an incentive grants program to help states, local law enforcement, medical examiners, and coroners report missing persons and unidentified remains to NCIC and NamUs;\n\nRequire DOJ to issue guidelines and best practices on handling missing persons and unidentified remains cases in order to empower law enforcement, medical examiners and coroners to help find the missing.\n\nThis legislation is endorsed by the Consortium of Forensic Science Organizations, American Academy of Forensic Sciences, American Society of Crime Lab Directors, National Association of Medical Examiners, International Association of Identification, Society of Forensic Toxicologists, American Board of Forensic Toxicologists, Fraternal Order of Police, National Association of Medical Examiners, Doe Network, Families of Homicide Victims and Missing Persons, and LostNMissing.\n\nFull text of the bill is available here.\n\nA section-by-section of the bill is available here.\n\nA one-pager of the bill is available here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:20:33Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-discusses-competition-with-china-support-for-nato-at-warsaw-security-forum", "Murphy Discusses Competition with China, Support for NATO at Warsaw Security Forum", "2022-10-11", "2022", "2022-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WARSAW\u2013U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee and co-chair of the Senate Poland Caucus, on Tuesday spoke on a panel at the Warsaw Security Forum about the importance of the transatlantic alliance and opportunities to work together in the face of Russian and Chinese aggression. Murphy was joined by Helena Carreiras, Portugal\u2019s Minister of Defense, and Ben Wallace, the U.K.\u2019s Secretary of State for Defense.\n\nOn working with Europe to compete with China, Murphy said: \u201cThis is a moment in which I think we have to be realistic about the opportunities that frankly come with the great power competition, not just the downsides. I mean, listen, I think the future of relations with China run through our ability to build seamless cooperation between the United States and Europe. And so, I am gladdened by our increasing discussions around trade and technology. If we\u2019re going to have an industrial policy in the United States, which I think we are on our way towards, it makes no sense to do that unilaterally. We should be building a common industrial policy with Europe. It doesn\u2019t make sense for Europe to move out way ahead of us on technology regulation, [it\u2019s] better for us to set the standard together. So, I think China delights when we are setting different standards, when we are creating parallel industrial policies. I think they know they\u2019re in for a much rougher ride when we\u2019re acting together.\n\n\u201cAnd frankly, to this question we were discussing before about how you present an offer to countries that right now are allured by the free money with no strings attached from China: creating a seamless market between the United States and Europe, creating an easy plug-in to the transatlantic\u2026 as an alternative to economic reliance with China is the future as well,\u201d Murphy added.\n\nMurphy highlighted the importance of investing in economic development and diplomacy as foreign policy tools: \u201cIn Africa, I think we\u2019re viewing the consequence of the United States continuing to look at the continent through a security-only lens. We have spent five times as much money padding the budgets of security agencies as we do trying to midwife economic development, as we do trying to fight corruption and build good governance. And we end up funding security forces that are corrupt, that are abusing their own people, giving opportunities to Russians and the Chinese to come in and fill the vacuum. And so, while I agree that this is a moment where we have to understand the need to bolster our conventional defensive capabilities, it\u2019s also a reminder that we simply don\u2019t have the economic development and pro-democracy tools that we need to have in places like Africa.\u201d\n\nOn Trump\u2019s failed rhetoric against support for Ukraine and his \"America First\" agenda, Murphy said: \u201cI think what's interesting is that in real time, to give you a little bit of a sense of what's happening in American politics today, President Trump is market testing his old messages of criticism and hostility to the transatlantic alliance. Some of his allies are sort of putting out messages of skepticism about continuing to fund Ukraine. But they're not landing\u2026Americans see in a brand new way the value of this alliance. These attacks, which I think were successful in the past, on the value of staying true to the alliance, I just don\u2019t think work the way that they might have six years ago. And so yes, I think in many ways, Vladimir Putin and his attack on Ukraine has renewed Americans vigor for the alliance and I think has diminished the impact politically of candidates who might think that they can score points by trying to argue for America's resources to come back home.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:20:33Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-highlights-bristols-movia-robotics-as-innovator-of-the-month", "Murphy Highlights Bristol's MOVIA Robotics as \"Innovator of the Month\"", "2022-10-11", "2022", "2022-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "HARTFORD\u2013U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) announced that MOVIA Robotics, based in Bristol, was named September\u2019s \u201cInnovator of the Month.\u201d Founded in 2010, MOVIA is a collaborative robotics company building systems and software to help people on the autism spectrum learn and grow using robotic technology. Their products \u2013 HomePal\u2122 for family use, Teacher\u2019s Aide\u2122 for school use, and TheraPal\u2122 for clinician use \u2013 incorporate several robot models and provide evidence-based Robot-Assisted Instruction (RAI) to meet the individualized needs and learning goals of those with ASD.\n\n\u201cToo often people on the autism spectrum \u2013 especially children \u2013 aren\u2019t given the support they need to succeed. The team at MOVIA is changing the game through their innovative, evidence-based robots that help kids learn, grow, and build their confidence. I look forward to seeing their continued growth in the state,\u201d said Murphy.\n\n\u201cWe are developing our products to help close the gap between the needs of people with autism and the tools available to their parents, teachers, and clinicians. Using evidence-based practices from education and autism therapy, combined with the interactive and engaging capabilities of robotics and AI, we aim to make it easier for those with special needs and the community that supports them to achieve their goals. Our goal is to make affordable and accessible tools that help the community and make a difference by improving the quality of life for these challenged individuals,\u201d said Timothy Gifford, Founder and President of MOVIA Robotics.\n\n\"We are excited to be helping people and changing their lives. MOVIA currently has over 400 systems around the world at schools, clinics, youth organizations, care facilities, and homes. Our RAI system is an alternative way for individuals to learn \u2013 it meets them where they are and empowers those who serve them,\u201d said Muniba Masood, MOVIA\u2019s Chief Executive Officer. \u201cWhen we see sheer joy on the face of a child or adult practicing a skill, and then having the confidence to use what they have learned during a social interaction, it makes what we do so worthwhile!\u201d\n\nMurphy believes entrepreneurship and innovation are the building blocks for a strong economy. In the U.S. Senate, he has introduced two bipartisan pieces of legislation to incentivize angel investors to put more money into startup companies\u2014the Angel Tax Credit Act and the Helping Angels Lead Our Startups (HALOS) Act. Startup companies create an average of 2 million jobs each year.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:20:33Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-on-state-of-the-union-its-time-to-admit-the-saudis-are-not-looking-out-for-us", "Murphy on State of the Union: It's Time to Admit the Saudis Are Not Looking Out for Us", "2022-10-11", "2022", "2022-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2013U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia and Counterterrorism and a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Sunday joined CNN\u2019s State of the Union with Jake Tapper to discuss Russian aggression, the need to re-evaluate America\u2019s relationship with Saudi Arabia, and protests in Iran.\n\nOn the threat of nuclear conflict with Russia, Murphy said: \u201cI think the President is right to raise the risk of nuclear conflict because Vladimir Putin is increasingly getting pushed into a corner\u2026This is a dangerous man, and the United States has to be ready for Putin to use a tactical nuclear weapon. I agree, I don\u2019t think there are any signs that he is going to do that imminently, and it\u2019s important for us to send signs about what the consequences would be should he make that choice.\u201d\n\nOn Putin\u2019s ultimate responsibility for the conflict, Murphy said: \u201cThis war can end if Vladimir Putin decides to get his troops and personnel out of Ukraine. He made the decision to invade a sovereign neighboring country and the blood today and tomorrow is on his hands\u2026I think as long as we communicate the lines that we are not willing to cross then the danger for escalation lessens. But I don't want to get into a world in which we start blaming ourselves for escalation. This is Putin's war, and it's his decision as to whether it ends.\u201d\n\nOn his longstanding calls for the U.S. to make a wholesale re-evaluation of the U.S.\u2013Saudi relationship, Murphy said: \u201cWe sell massive amounts of arms to the Saudis. I think we need to rethink those sales. I think we need to lift the exemption that we have given this OPEC+ cartel from US price fixing liability. I think we need to look at our troop presence in the Middle East and Saudi Arabia.\n\nMurphy continued: \u201cI mean, listen, for years, we have looked the other way as Saudi Arabia has chopped up journalists, has engaged in massive political repression. For one reason \u2013 we wanted to know that when the chips were down, when there was a global crisis, that the Saudis would choose us instead of Russia. Well, they didn't. They chose Russia. They chose to back up the Russians, drive up oil prices, which could have the potential to fracture our Ukraine coalition, and there's got to be consequences for that\u2026So I just think it's time to admit that the Saudis are not looking out for us.\u201d\n\nOn U.S. support of human rights protesters in Iran, Murphy said: \u201cI think the President's taking the right steps. So the President has sanctioned the vast swath of Iranian leaders who have been leading this repression, he is working to try to make sure that communications are restored. We obviously have a limited ability to operate inside Iran. It\u2019s not as if the United States has a big presence there with which to try to facilitate this unrest. But I think the President has very clearly signaled \u2013 and Congress should clearly signal \u2013 that we stand on the side of these protesters. This is a unique moment in Iran right now. And we should be doing everything we can to try to make sure that the people can get what they want.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:20:33Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-statement-on-republican-filibuster-of-the-disclose-act", "Murphy Statement on Republican Filibuster of the DISCLOSE Act", "2022-10-11", "2022", "2022-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2013U.S Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Thursday released the following statement after Senate Republicans blocked consideration of the Democracy Is Strengthened by Casting Light On Spending in Elections Act (DISCLOSE), legislation to require organizations spending money in federal elections to disclose their donors:\n\n\u201cThis feels pretty basic \u2013 for democracy to work, Americans have to know who is behind the millions and millions of dollars being spent to block progress on lowering health care costs, tackling climate change, protecting reproductive rights, and making sure big corporations pay their fair share. Billionaires and special interests pour money into American politics, picking winners and losers while hiding their identities behind innocuously-named political action committees. This is terrible for our nation. The DISCLOSE Act would lift this veil of secrecy and let the American public see who is responsible for the uncontrolled spending that poisons our politics. It\u2019s disappointing \u2013 albeit unsurprising \u2013 that Republicans blocked a commonsense way to bring greater transparency to elections,\u201d said Murphy.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:20:33Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-to-travel-to-warsaw-security-forum", "Murphy to Travel to Warsaw Security Forum", "2022-10-11", "2022", "2022-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2013U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee and co-chair of the U.S. Senate Poland Caucus, will travel to Poland for the Warsaw Security Forum. Murphy will participate in a panel with Helena Carreiras, Portugal\u2019s Minister of Defense, and Ben Wallace, the United Kingdom\u2019s Secretary of State for Defense, titled \u201cGazing at Each Other or Facing the Same Direction: Reviving the Transatlantic Alliance in Times of War in Europe.\u201d Murphy will also meet with elected officials and participate in a conversation about democratic resilience with the mayor of Warsaw.\n\n\u201cAs a proud Polish-American and the Co-Chair of the U.S.-Poland Caucus, it\u2019s been amazing to watch Poland step up and do its part to support Ukraine in its time of peril. As Russia grows increasingly desperate, the past seven months have demonstrated the strength and effectiveness of transatlantic cooperation. This conference of American and European leaders is a great chance to continue planning for Ukraine\u2019s success and make sure we are on the same page on other mutual challenges,\u201d said Murphy.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:20:33Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-votes-to-keep-government-open-fund-heating-assistance-program-and-aid-to-ukraine", "Murphy Votes to Keep Government Open, Fund Heating Assistance Program and Aid to Ukraine", "2022-10-11", "2022", "2022-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2013U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, on Thursday released the following statement after the U.S. Senate passed the Continuing Resolution to fund the government until December 16:\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s our job to make sure the federal government stays open and is able to serve the American people. Today\u2019s continuing resolution includes LIHEAP funding that will help thousands of people in Connecticut afford to keep their homes warm as temperatures begin to drop. It also provides billions in disaster recovery aid to communities across America and reaffirms our commitment to support the people of Ukraine as they defend their country. But these stopgap measures only get us so far, and we need to pass a real budget,\u201d said Murphy.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:20:33Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/ahead-of-midterms-murphy-introduces-legislation-to-keep-voters-and-election-workers-safe-from-guns-at-the-polls", "Ahead of Midterms, Murphy Introduces Legislation to Keep Voters and Election Workers Safe from Guns at the Polls", "2022-09-28", "2022", "2022-09", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2013Ahead of the upcoming election and early voting period, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Wednesday introduced the Vote Without Fear Act, legislation to prevent armed voter intimidation at the polls. The legislation would prohibit the possession of a firearm within 100 yards of any federal election site, with exceptions for on-duty law enforcement or security guards. Only six states \u2013 Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas \u2013 and the District of Columbia currently ban guns at the polls while instances of private citizens bringing guns to polling places as well as threats against election workers are both on the rise.\n\n\u201cAt the foundation of American democracy is the right to make your voice heard. Free and fair elections cannot happen occur in the face of armed intimidation at the polls, but that\u2019s become a disturbing reality for some Americans, as extremists driven by conspiracy theories about voter fraud are increasingly showing up to polling places with guns. This legislation will ensure voters and election workers continue to feel safe participating in the democratic process,\u201d said Murphy.\n\nU.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) co-sponsored the legislation.\n\n\u201cArmed voter intimidation poses a serious threat not only to public safety, but to our democracy. These incidents of violent extremism are on the rise and are only anticipated to worsen as we enter the election season. Every American should be able to safely cast their vote in the absence of fear. I am proud to support this commonsense legislation and thank my colleague, Senator Murphy, for leading the charge,\u201d said Blumenthal.\n\n\u201cThe ballot box is our democracy\u2019s first line of defense and the last place an American should ever have to worry for their safety or feel intimidated,\u201d said Markey. \u201cI am proud to join my colleague Senator Murphy in introducing the Vote Without Fear Act as we continue our shared fight to end the gun violence epidemic.\u201d\n\n\u201cVoters should be able to cast their ballots free from intimidation and poll workers should be able to feel safe while fulfilling their important roles,\u201d said Shaheen. \u201cThis legislation is an important step toward making sure all citizens feel secure at their polling place on election day.'\n\n\u201cVoters should be able to cast their ballots free of fear or intimidation from someone brandishing a gun. Our bill protects public safety and the integrity of our elections by keeping firearms away from our polling places,\u201d said Feinstein.\n\n\"Every American should be able to vote without the threat of violence that comes with the brandishing of a weapon. Guns have no business at polling places in a fair and just democracy. We thank Senator Murphy for his commitment to upholding public safety and allowing voters to exercise their constitutional rights without the fear of being shot,\u201d said Adzi Vokhiwa, Federal Affairs Director, Giffords.\n\n\u201cArmed intimidation at election sites disenfranchises voters and suppresses votes. Newtown Action Alliance is proud to support a legislation that will promote safe and free elections for all American voters,\u201d said Po Murray, Chairwoman of Newtown Action Alliance.\n\n\u201cThe right to cast a ballot safely and free from intimidation is fundamental to our democracy,\u201d said Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of ADL (the Anti-Defamation League). \u201cThis bill is welcomed, as we continue to track potential threats of violence targeting the upcoming midterm election. We thank Senator Murphy for his leadership on this issue and urge the Senate to move swiftly to pass this crucial legislation.\u201d\n\n\"No one should ever feel threatened while exercising their right to vote, but the presence of a firearm at the polls creates fear and intimidation \u2014 whether intended or not. This type of voter suppression is a grave threat to our democracy and as we\u2019ve seen increases in armed intimidation across the country, taking preventative action is more important than ever. Brady thanks Senator Murphy for championing this common-sense policy that will protect the constitutional right to freely participate in our nation\u2019s elections,\u201d said Brady President Kris Brown.\n\n\u201cArmed intimidation at the polls is a Jim Crow-style voter suppression tactic, and we must not tolerate it. We thank Senator Murphy for introducing the Vote Without Fear Act, which will protect voters \u2014 and our democracy \u2014 from violent extremists,\u201d said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety.\n\n\u201cThe name of this legislation speaks for itself. No American should have to fear gun violence when exercising their right to vote. Our civic prerogatives should not be tainted by the threat of bullets, and we applaud Senator Murphy for introducing this commonsense safety measure,\u201d said Lisa Gilbert, executive vice president, Public Citizen\n\nFull text of the bill is available here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:08:33Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-warren-castro-torres-demand-answers-from-commerce-department-about-troubling-increase-in-approvals-of-assault-weapon-exports", "Murphy, Warren, Castro, Torres Demand Answers from Commerce Department about Troubling Increase in Approvals of Assault Weapon Exports", "2022-09-28", "2022", "2022-09", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2013U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and U.S. Representatives Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) and Norma Torres (D-Calif.) on Wednesday sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo to express concern with the U.S. Department of Commerce\u2019s increased approvals of export licenses for assault weapons and high-capacity magazine exports and called on the Department to revise its approach to assault weapons exports and answer questions about its export license approvals.\n\n\u201cWe are writing with grave concern about Commerce Department actions that have weakened oversight of assault weapon and high-capacity magazine exports, padding the gun industry\u2019s profits while putting deadly weapons in the hands of corrupt actors around the world. As Democrats in Congress work to crack down on the deadly use of these weapons on our streets, your agency approved nearly $16 billion in firearms export licenses in the first 16 months after it took over authority over small arms exports from the State Department\u2026 we urge you to modify your approach to align with President Biden\u2019s gun safety agenda,\u201d said the lawmakers.\n\nWeapons manufacturers need an export license to sell assault weapons and high-capacity magazines in other countries, and in 2020, the Trump administration transferred licensing authority from the State Department, which has deep expertise in foreign instability, human rights abuses, and terrorism, to the Commerce Department \u2013 making the approval process more \u201cbusiness friendly\u201d said the National Rifle Association. During the 2020 Presidential campaign, President Biden promised to transfer licensing authority back to the State Department \u2013 but it has not yet happened.\n\nIn the first 16 months since the Commerce Department took over firearm export licensing, it approved nearly $16 billion in licenses \u2013 a 30% increase from the State Department\u2019s rate of approval \u2013 while denying only 0.4% of applications. The shift in licensing authority has weakened congressional oversight over arms exports \u2013 while the State Department was required to notify Congress of export license approvals for firearms valued at more than $1 million and Congress had the power to disapprove licenses, the same reporting requirements do not exist under the Commerce Department.\n\nThe lawmakers note that while the Commerce Department has broad authority to block firearm export licenses by weighing industry benefits against threats to national security, foreign policy, human rights, and crime control, it has approved nearly all license applications and put assault weapons in the hands of bad actors. And while this issue began under the previous administration, there is little evidence that the Commerce Department has imposed tougher export standards since Secretary Raimondo was confirmed as Secretary.\n\nGiven this troubling data and concerns that the Commerce Department is helping to pad gun industry profits instead of supporting President Biden\u2019s gun safety agenda and commitment to returning firearm export licensing authority to the State Department, the lawmakers are calling on the Commerce Department to answer a set of questions about its current firearm licensing approval process and provide them comprehensive data by October 28, 2022.\n\nFull text of the letter is available here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:08:33Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-after-four-years-of-failed-maximum-pressure-in-iran-we-know-were-better-off-with-a-nuclear-agreement", "Murphy: After Four Years of Failed Maximum Pressure in Iran, We Know We're Better Off with a Nuclear Agreement", "2022-09-22", "2022", "2022-09", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2013U.S Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia and Counterterrorism and a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, on Wednesday spoke on the U.S. Senate floor to highlight the failures of Trump\u2019s maximum pressure campaign in Iran and explain why reaching a new nuclear agreement is critical to the security of the United States and our allies.\n\nOn the failed policy of four years of maximum pressure in Iran, Murphy said: \u201cNot only did Iran not come to the table on everything, they came to the table on nothing. Their behavior in the region got much worse and much more adversarial to U.S. Interests. Just look at the reality on the ground, in a place like Lebanon, or Yemen or Iraq or Syria. At the end of Trump's term, did Iran have more or less influence in those places? Unquestionably more. More integrated with the Houthis. By the end of Trump's term they were in charge of the Lebanese government. There was less separation between the Iraqi power structure and Tehran. At the end of that four year period of time testing maximum pressure, Iran was more deeply involved with its proxies than ever before. They were not negotiating with the United States on any of the conditions that the Trump administration laid down for us. And they were shooting at us.\n\nMurphy added: \u201cAnd so I'm not sure why we have to do a lot of guessing now as to whether we're better off with or without a nuclear agreement with Iran. Because here's what we got from maximum pressure: American troops under fire, more support for proxies, no hopes of negotiation, and the icing on the cake, an Iranian nuclear program that is now weeks away from having enough fissile material to produce a nuclear weapon. Compare that with a year away during the time of the agreement.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe just see what [the Iranian government is] doing right now on the streets of Tehran, brutally repressing another wave of protests. We listen to what the [Iranian] President said on TV just this week, denying the Holocaust. These are our adversaries. This is our enemy. But all throughout American history we\u2019ve understood that there are times when it makes sense to sit down across the table with your enemy and your adversary and engage in a diplomatic conversation that's good for you and good for the world,\u201d Murphy concluded.\n\nA full transcript of his remarks can be found below:\n\n\u201cReserving the right to object, I have such respect for my colleague from Oklahoma. We\u2019ve are often on the same side of issues related to matters of national security in the Middle East. But I disagree with his analysis that he's presented here today. Let me make just a remark or two about his immediate request and then make a few remarks about the broader work to try to protect the world from a nuclear weapons armed Iran.\n\n\u201cFirst, as I understand it, and I've just had a few days to take a look at the underlying legislation, it would significantly remove the administration's discretion to waive sanctions or to enter into certain oil sales or authorized business with Iranian financial institutions in that only a treaty entered into by the United States would provide that authority to the administration. I think that's generally bad policy.\n\n\u201cWe can imagine we can imagine a whole set of diplomatic engagements with any nation including Iran, in which an executive may wish to toggle sanctions or licenses in order to provoke some behavior beneficial to the United States. That's in fact why we regularly build waivers into our sanctions statutes. And so to suggest that on Iran policy, the president is going to have no ability to impact sanctions or licenses until a treaty is entered into ties the administration\u2019s hands - both Republican and Democratic administrations in a way that I simply don't think is helpful.\n\n\u201cI understand that my friend\u2019s argument - he was not a supporter of the JCPOA and he does not desire for the United States to enter back into a nuclear agreement with Iran. And at the heart of this request, is the essence of President Trump's Iran policy. The idea that if we just keep hammering Iran with sanctions, that either their behavior will get better or they will, at some point, choose to come to the table and do a comprehensive deal: the nuclear program, their ballistic missile program, their support for terrorism.\n\n\u201cI think that was a credible argument back during the Obama administration. Many people said Obama shouldn't give Iran anything until Iran comes to the table on everything. This Congress went a different way. We ended up taking a vote that by our rules allowed for the nuclear agreement to go forward. But we now have the benefit of the opposition's argument to the JCPOA having been tested for four years.\n\n\u201cTrump basically took that philosophy - Keep sanctioning Iran. Don't worry about the fact that it's unilateral. And eventually Iran will come to the table on everything - he tested that for four years. And it was an unmitigated disaster, an unmitigated disaster.\n\n\u201cNot only did Iran not come to the table on everything, they came to the table on nothing. Their behavior in the region got much worse and much more adversarial to U.S. Interests. Just look at the reality on the ground, in a place like Lebanon, or Yemen or Iraq or Syria. At the end of Trump's term, did Iran have more or less influence in those places? Unquestionably more. More integrated with the Houthis. By the end of Trump's term they were in charge of the Lebanese government. There was less separation between the Iraqi power structure and Tehran.\n\n\u201cAt the end of that four year period of time testing maximum pressure, Iran was more deeply involved with its proxies than ever before. They were not negotiating with the United States on any of the conditions that the Trump administration laid down for us. And they were shooting at us.\n\n\u201cNot a single attack on U.S. service members by Iranian proxies while the United States is in the JCPOA. Let me say it again: not a single attack on U.S. service members by Iranian proxies when the United States was in the JCPOA. They occur with regularity today. Attacks against U.S. forces housed in bases in Iraq and Syria restarted once we withdrew from the deal. In this year alone, there have been attacks in February, March, April, May, June, July, and August.\n\n\u201cAnd so I'm not sure why we have to do a lot of guessing now as to whether we're better off with or without a nuclear agreement with Iran. Because here's what we got from maximum pressure: American troops under fire, more support for proxies, no hopes of negotiation, and the icing on the cake, an Iranian nuclear program that is now weeks away from having enough fissile material to produce a nuclear weapon. Compare that with a year away during the time of the agreement.\n\n\u201cSo we tested this theory that you just hit them with sanctions, him them with sanctions, and eventually they capitulate. It didn't work by I think, all objective measures it didn't work and so it makes sense that the Biden administration wants to engage and try to put back together a deal that was good for the United States and our allies.\n\n\u201cAnd lastly, I'll just say this. The senator from Oklahoma is right. The Iranians are bad people. We just see what [the Iranian government is] doing right now on the streets of Tehran, brutally repressing another wave of protests. We listen to what the [Iranian] President said on TV just this week, denying the Holocaust. These are our adversaries. This is our enemy. But all throughout American history we\u2019ve understood that there are times when it makes sense to sit down across the table with your enemy and your adversary and engage in a diplomatic conversation that's good for you and good for the world.\n\n\u201cIt is true if Iran was further away from a nuclear weapon, it'd be good for us and it'd be good for other countries, including Russia, which is why Russia is sometimes part of these negotiations. But I don't know that because something's good for everybody, it shouldn't be acceptable to the United States Congress.\n\n\u201cAnd so I'm going to object to this request because I believe that the JCPOA is the right thing for the security of this nation. Because I believe in diplomacy even with your adversaries. Because I think we have tested the proposition that maximum pressure will work better than a nuclear agreement and we now know the results. And I also believe that some of the details of this resolution ultimately bind the hands of American presidents in a way that probably isn't good precedent for the long term security of the nation.\n\n\u201cSo again, I think my colleague comes to the to the floor with good faith objections and long standing objections. I come down in a different place and for that reason, I would object.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:08:33Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-tillis-introduce-the-consensual-donation-and-research-integrity-act", "Murphy, Tillis Introduce the Consensual Donation and Research Integrity Act", "2022-09-22", "2022", "2022-09", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2013U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) on Thursday introduced the Consensual Donation and Research Integrity Act, legislation to protect the dignity of those who donate their bodies to education or research. Specifically, it would create standards for registration, inspection, chain of custody, labeling and packing, and proper disposition to ensure donated bodies are not unknowingly contributed to a for-profit industry in which body brokers take advantage of donors and their families. While the process for donating a body for the purpose of transplantation is highly regulated and transparent, there is no federal law governing the donating of a body or body parts for research or educational uses.\n\n\u201cThe exploitation of bodies that have been donated for education or research is deeply disturbing and heartbreaking for the families who expect their loved one\u2019s remains to be treated with dignity. For too long, an unregulated industry has allowed body brokers to profit off donor bodies and their grieving families, disproportionally impacting the poor and elderly. This legislation would increase accountability and transparency and stop bad actors from committing these gross abuses,\u201d said Murphy.\n\n\"Most Americans would be shocked to learn that there is a for-profit body broker industry that creates significant ethical dilemmas and public health threats because of a lack of regulation,\" said Tillis. \"Our bipartisan legislation will introduce much-needed accountability and regulatory oversight to protect public health and ensure that donors and their families are treated with respect and dignity.\"\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s hard to imagine in this day and age, that whole body donation isn\u2019t regulated,\u201d said National Funeral Directors Association President Randall P. \u201cRandy\u201d Anderson, CFSP, CCO. \u201cWhat\u2019s even harder to hear are the stories from families that have experienced heartbreak and grief when they discovered the bodies of their loved ones has been desecrated and sold \u2013 sometimes repeatedly \u2013 by body brokers. NFDA and its members strongly urge the Senate and House to pass the CDRI Act and provide long-overdue accountability and transparency to the whole-body donation process. This will help ensure donors\u2019 bodies are treated with dignity and respect at all times.\u201d\n\n\u201cNFDA is grateful to Sens. Murphy and Tillis for introducing this important legislation in the Senate and call on both houses of Congress to prevent families from enduring the heartache that far too many have already endured by passing this bill,\u201d said National Funeral Directors Association CEO Christine Pepper, CAE. \u201cIn doing so, we can put a stop to the anguish that far too many families have experienced at the hands of body brokers.\u201d\n\nFull text of the bill is available here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:08:33Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-applauds-senate-ratification-of-the-kigali-amendment-phasing-out-use-of-hydrofluorocarbons", "Murphy Applauds Senate Ratification of the Kigali Amendment, Phasing Out Use of Hydrofluorocarbons", "2022-09-21", "2022", "2022-09", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2013U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Wednesday released the following statement after the U.S. Senate voted to ratify the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, which affirms U.S. commitment to phasing out the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) by 85% over the next 15 years. HFCs are highly potent greenhouse gases that trap heat in the atmosphere 1,000 times more effectively than carbon dioxide:\n\n\u201cPhasing out harmful HFCs is not only good for the planet \u2013 it\u2019s good for American business and will ensure we maintain a competitive edge on the global market. Super pollutants are some the most aggressive contributors to climate change, and we need to do more to address these dangerous chemicals head on. It\u2019s taken too long for the United States to join the 137 other countries who have already ratified the Kigali Amendment, but with today\u2019s action coupled with the Inflation Reduction Act, America is once again leading the fight against climate change,\u201d said Murphy.\n\nIn 2016, Murphy urged Secretary of State John Kerry and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy to take a strong position to rapidly phase down the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) at the 28th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol in Kigali, Rwanda, and he hailed the adoption of the amendment. Murphy sponsored the Super Pollutants Act of 2019 along with U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine), which aims to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants like HFCs.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:08:33Z"]], "truncated": false, "filtered_table_rows_count": 54, "expanded_columns": [], "expandable_columns": [], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "units": {}, "query": {"sql": "select url, title, date, year, month, party, chamber, state, member_name, bioguide_id, domain, scraper, source, date_source, text, has_text, collected_at, updated_at from releases where \"chamber\" = :p0 and \"state\" = :p1 and \"year\" = :p2 order by date desc limit 101", "params": {"p0": "Senate", "p1": "CT", "p2": "2022"}}, "facet_results": {"party": {"name": "party", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=CT&year=2022", "results": [{"value": "Democrat", "label": "Democrat", "count": 54, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=CT&year=2022&party=Democrat", "selected": false}], "truncated": false}, "chamber": {"name": "chamber", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=CT&year=2022", "results": [{"value": "Senate", "label": "Senate", "count": 54, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=CT&year=2022", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "state": {"name": "state", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=CT&year=2022", "results": [{"value": "CT", "label": "CT", "count": 54, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&year=2022", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "year": {"name": "year", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=CT&year=2022", "results": [{"value": "2022", "label": "2022", "count": 54, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=CT", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}}, "suggested_facets": [], "next": null, "next_url": null, "private": false, "allow_execute_sql": true, "query_ms": 291.5135771036148, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}