{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "is_view": false, "human_description_en": "where chamber = \"Senate\", state = \"CT\" and year = 2025 sorted by date descending", "rows": [["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-releases-2025-end-of-year-report", "Murphy Releases 2025 End Of Year Report", "2025-12-29", "2025", "2025-12", "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.) on Monday released his 2025 End of Year Report. In a year marked by turmoil, Senator Murphy joined with elected leaders, civic organizers, and Connecticut residents to defend Americans\u2019 rights and fight for a better future. This report highlights the measures Sen. Murphy and his office took to stand up to Trump\u2019s corruption and deliver for Connecticut families. As Donald Trump systematically dismantled programs working people rely on, while transforming the government into a tool of personal enrichment, Murphy helped deliver federal dollars to Connecticut while taking action to unrig our economy and democracy from billionaire interests.\n\nThis year, Murphy and his office:\n\nIntroduced or co-sponsored 270 pieces of legislation and amendments, including 91 bills, resolutions, or amendments as the lead sponsor;\n\nCompleted his ninth Walk Across Connecticut: four days, 67 miles, 11 towns, and hundreds of conversations with Connecticut residents along the way;\n\nEngaged with over 436,800 calls, emails, and letters;\n\nReturned more than $7 million to constituents, including owed Social Security payments, veterans\u2019 benefits, tax refunds, and other savings from federal agencies;\n\nHelped over 3,233 constituents work through federal issues and get their owed benefits", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-murkowski-and-merkley-lead-call-for-inspector-general-audit-following-dojs-failure-to-release-the-full-epstein-files-as-demanded-by-survivors-required-by-law", "Blumenthal, Murkowski & Merkley Lead Call for Inspector General Audit Following DOJ\u2019s Failure to Release the Full Epstein Files as Demanded by Survivors, Required by Law", "2025-12-24", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, DC] \u2013 Today, U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) led a bipartisan group of senators in writing Acting Inspector General Don Berthiaume requesting the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ OIG) perform an audit of the Department of Justice\u2019s (DOJ) compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, bipartisan and bicameral legislation requiring the release of all records and documents relating to Jeffrey Epstein.\n\n\u201cGiven the Administration\u2019s historic hostility to releasing the files, politicization of the Epstein case more broadly, and failure to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, a neutral assessment of its compliance with the statutory disclosure requirements is essential,\u201d the senators wrote. \u201cAs such, we request that the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (\u201cDOJ OIG\u201d) perform an audit of the Department\u2019s compliance with the statute.\u201d\n\nIn addition to Blumenthal, Murkowski, and Merkley, today\u2019s letter was signed by U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Gary Peters (D-MI).\n\n\u201cFull transparency\u2014as called for bravely and repeatedly by survivors\u2014is essential in identifying members of our society who enabled and participated in Epstein\u2019s crimes,\u201d the senators concluded. \u201cSurvivors deserve full disclosure. They also deserve the peace of mind that would be afforded by an independent audit of the Department\u2019s compliance.\u201d\n\nThe full text of today\u2019s letter is available here and copied below.\n\nDear Acting Inspector General Berthiaume:\n\nWe write to you following the December 19 deadline imposed by the Epstein Files Transparency Act for the Department of Justice (\u201cDOJ\u201d or \u201cthe Department\u201d) to release all records and documents relating to Jeffrey Epstein. By the Department\u2019s own admission, it is in violation of the law\u2014before DOJ had even begun to release the files, Deputy Attorney General Blanche admitted that it would not disclose them all by the December 19 deadline. And DOJ has lived up to that promise, failing to fully disclose the files in violation of the Act.\n\nNot only has DOJ withheld files, but those records that were disclosed are largely information that was already public. Even those records are so heavily redacted that there are serious questions as to whether the Department is properly applying the limited exceptions for redaction that are permitted under the Act. Moreover, several records appear to have been removed, without explanation, from the files the Department did release.\n\nGiven the Administration\u2019s historic hostility to releasing the files, politicization of the Epstein case more broadly, and failure to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, a neutral assessment of its compliance with the statutory disclosure requirements is essential. As such, we request that the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (\u201cDOJ OIG\u201d) perform an audit of the Department\u2019s compliance with the statute.\n\nIn passing the Epstein Files Transparency Act with overwhelming margins in both the House and the Senate, Congress demonstrated a clear, bipartisan mandate for public transparency in the Epstein case. The legislation expressly enumerates the limited circumstances in which withholding or redaction is permitted. Any withholding or redaction beyond those specified circumstances is against the law. But because Congress and the public do not have complete access to the Epstein documents, we are not able to fully assess for ourselves whether records were inappropriately withheld or redacted. DOJ OIG\u2014with access to the full Epstein files and with independence from the larger Department\u2014is ideally positioned to do a complete and independent assessment of the Administration\u2019s compliance with the Act.\n\nDespite calls from Epstein survivors for complete release of the documents, this Administration has shown consistent hostility towards transparency and a perceived willingness to weaponize the case for political ends. In February, Attorney General (\u201cA.G.\u201d) Bondi gave binders of supposedly newly declassified Epstein files\u2014not to survivors, but to reported \u201cright-wing influencers.\u201d She also claimed that Epstein\u2019s so-called \u201cclient list\u201d was \u201csitting on [her] desk right now to review.\u201d Yet, in July, DOJ and FBI released an unsigned memo directly contradicting her, and claiming it had found no evidence of Epstein having kept a client list. In August, Ghislaine Maxwell was moved to a lower security prison after two days of meetings with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. In November, President Trump expressly and publicly urged A.G. Bondi to investigate prominent Democrats and banks connected to Epstein. Just days later, A.G. Bondi announced she would follow the President\u2019s command. These actions, including inconsistent public statements about the contents of the files, have raised fundamental questions about the Department\u2019s willingness to faithfully and impartially comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act. These questions have only grown in volume since the incomplete release of files on December 19.\n\nGiven DOJ OIG\u2019s ability to access the full set of Epstein files and its independence from the Department, it is ideally placed to perform an audit to ensure the Department\u2019s compliance with the law. Such an audit is essential not only to ensure the Department has acted as the law requires, but also to maintain the public\u2019s trust in the disclosure of the files and in the Department\u2019s handling of the case. Specifically, DOJ OIG should ensure that: (1) redactions were properly applied to protect all survivors; (2) redactions were not used to shield abusers, perpetrators, or enablers; (3) records were not withheld for any reason other than those enumerated in the statute; (4) all withholding of records was appropriate under the statute and narrowly tailored; and (5) the Department did not consider politics in deciding whether or how to release documents.\n\nWe appreciate your attention to this important request. Full transparency\u2014as called for bravely and repeatedly by survivors\u2014is essential in identifying members of our society who enabled and participated in Epstein\u2019s crimes. Survivors deserve full disclosure. They also deserve the peace of mind that would be afforded by an independent audit of the Department\u2019s compliance.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-calls-on-stb-doj-to-oppose-railway-merger-threatening-jobs-and-driving-up-costs", "Blumenthal Calls on STB, DOJ to Oppose Railway Merger Threatening Jobs & Driving Up Costs", "2025-12-23", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, D.C.] \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) wrote Surface Transportation Board (STB) Chairman Patrick Fuchs and Assistant Attorney General of the Department of Justice (DOJ) Antitrust Division Gail Slater urging them to oppose the proposed merger between Union Pacific Railroad and Norfolk Southern Railway\u2014two of the four largest railroads in the country. In today\u2019s letter, Blumenthal raised concerns that the merger would significantly reduce competition in the rail industry, driving up costs for shippers and threatening railroad workers\u2019 job security.\n\n\u201cRailroads are a critical link in the supply chain for everyday consumer goods, including food, fuel, building materials, and household products. When competition in rail transportation is reduced, higher shipping costs are often passed directly on to consumers in the form of higher prices at the checkout counter. With inflation and affordability already top concerns for American families, approving a merger that could further raise the cost of moving goods across the country would worsen financial strain on households nationwide,\u201d wrote Blumenthal.\n\n\u201cThe proposed merger also threatens job stability for countless employees at Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern,\u201d continued Blumenthal. \u201cTogether, the two companies have more than 50,000 employees. While the companies have said they will protect all union jobs during a merger, precedent shows us such promises are little more than hollow words. Instead of trusting these empty promises, you should protect thousands of jobs for hardworking Americans.\u201d\n\nThe full text of the letter can be found here and below.\n\nDear Chairman Fuchs and Assistant Attorney General Slater,\n\nI write with serious concerns about the proposed merger between Union Pacific Railroad and Norfolk Southern Railway. A merger between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern \u2013 two of the four largest railroads in the United States \u2013 would further consolidate the nation\u2019s rail network, resulting in potential job insecurity for workers, higher costs and less competition for shippers, and safety and community harms. At a time when families are already struggling with the rising cost of groceries, household goods, and other essentials, further consolidation in the rail industry risks driving up consumer prices even more. As the Surface Transportation Board considers the application from Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern, I urge you to oppose this proposed merger.\n\nRailroads are a critical link in the supply chain for everyday consumer goods, including food, fuel, building materials, and household products. When competition in rail transportation is reduced, higher shipping costs are often passed directly on to consumers in the form of higher prices at the checkout counter. With inflation and affordability already top concerns for American families, approving a merger that could further raise the cost of moving goods across the country would worsen financial strain on households nationwide.\n\nThe proposed merger also threatens job stability for countless employees at Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern. Together, the two companies have more than 50,000 employees.[1] While the companies have said they will protect all union jobs during a merger, precedent shows us such promises are little more than hollow words.[2] For example, after Union Pacific and Southern Pacific merged in 1996, thousands of employees were laid off or relocated despite assurances to protect workers before the merger went through.[3] Instead of trusting these empty promises, you should protect thousands of jobs for hardworking Americans.\n\nIn addition, the consolidated transcontinental railroad system that would result from the proposed merger would undoubtedly increase prices and decrease service for shippers. Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern largely serve different markets, and as a result, shippers are able to negotiate with each of them and their competitors for better prices for various portions of their trip. Under the proposed merger, however, Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern would control a transcontinental rail line, which they could then use to preferentially price their services to direct shippers. Additionally, Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern currently have various intermodal partnerships with each other and their competitors to improve access to shipping containers and underserved areas around the country.[4] The proposed merger between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern would jeopardize these partnerships. As shipping costs rise, consumers inevitably pay the price through higher costs for everyday goods, and as prices for consumer goods reach record highs, you should be focused on ensuring that shippers have access to affordable, reliable rail service instead of handicapping competition.\n\nFinally, you must consider the impact of the proposed merger on the safety of communities around the country. In recent years, ambulances and emergency service vehicles have been delayed for extended periods of time as long trains roll through highway-rail grade crossings in towns.[5] Similarly, to get to and from school, kids have been forced to climb under trains stopped at such crossings.[6] In addition, residents of East Palestine, Ohio, remain concerned about long-term health impacts of the hazardous materials they were exposed to in the 2023 derailment of Norfolk Southern train cars in East Palestine, Ohio.[7] Historically, cost-cutting efforts implemented by railroads only exacerbate these issues, and you must evaluate the forthcoming Safety Integration Plan and information on addressing blocked highway-rail grade crossings to determine whether this merger would do the same.[8]\n\nTo protect workers\u2019 jobs, prevent price increases for shippers and consumers, and promote safety for communities surrounding rail lines, I urge you to oppose the proposed merger between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern. Thank you for your close attention to this matter.\n\nSincerely,\n\n-30-\n\n[1] Stuart Chirls, \u201cRail merger: Lifetime job is great \u201cuntil you are stuck in it,\u201d FreightWaves, September 24, 2025, https://www.freightwaves.com/news/rail-merger-lifetime-job-is-great-until-youre-stuck-in-it.\n\n[2] \u201cCreating America\u2019s First Transcontinental Railroad: Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern\u2019s STB Merger Application Details Enhancements to Competition and Public Benefits,\u201d Union Pacific, December 29, 2025, https://www.up.com/press-releases/growth/stb-merger-application-enhances-competition-251219; Erik Peinert and Ashley Nowicki, \u201cThe New Railroad Barons: Why the Union Pacific/Norfolk Southern Railroad Merger Must Be Blocked,\u201d American Economic Liberties Project, https://www.economicliberties.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-09-30-AELP-Railroad-Brief.pdf, 11.\n\n[3] Peinert and Nowicki, 11.\n\n[4] \u201cUMAX Domestic Container Program,\u201d Union Pacific, https://www.up.com/shipping/intermodal/umax (last accessed December 15, 2025); \u201cCSX, CPKC Create Faster Freight Solutions with Southeast Mexico Express,\u201d CSX, July 21, 2025, https://www.csx.com/index.cfm/about-us/media/press-releases/csx-cpkc-create-faster-freight-solutions-with-southeast-mexico-express/.\n\n[5] Mike Hendricks, \u201c\u2018They just don\u2019t care\u2019: Trains blocking roads can be deadly. It\u2019s only getting worse,\u201d The Kansas City Star, December 13, 2022, https://www.kansascity.com/news/business/article268879922.html.\n\n[6] Topher Sanders, Dan Schwartz, and Jove Sterman, \u201cAs Rail Profits Soar, Blocked Crossing Force Kids to Crawl Under Trains to Get to School,\u201d ProPublica and Gray Television/Investigate TV, April 26, 2023, https://www.propublica.org/article/trains-crossing-blocked-kids-norfolk-southern.\n\n[7] \u201cA year after a train derailment in Ohio spilled hazardous chemicals, health fears persist for East Palestine,\u201d PBS, February 2, 2024, https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/a-year-after-a-train-derailment-in-ohio-spilled-hazardous-chemicals-health-fears-persist-for-east-palestine; Julie Grant, \u201cTwo years after train derailment and chemical disaster in East Palestine, some residents worry about liver cancer,\u201d WHYY, January 30, 2025, http://whyy.org/segments/two-years-after-east-palestine-train-derailment-health-risks/.\n\n[8] Peinert and Nowicki, 9.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-markey-and-warren-demand-amazon-remove-listings-for-used-cars-with-unrepaired-safety-recalls-clearly-display-vehicles-recall-status", "Blumenthal, Markey, & Warren Demand Amazon Remove Listings for Used Cars with Unrepaired Safety Recalls, Clearly Display Vehicle's Recall Status", "2025-12-23", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, DC] \u2013 Today, U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) called on Amazon to remove listings for pre-owned vehicles with unrepaired safety recalls. In a letter to Andrew R. Jassy, President and Chief Executive Officer of Amazon, the Senators raised safety concerns about the company\u2019s new Amazon Autos partnership with Hyundai and Ford dealers, which lists pre-owned vehicles that may have unrepaired safety recalls for sale without adequately warning consumers about a vehicle\u2019s recall status.\n\n\u201cWe are extremely troubled by the fact that Amazon is listing vehicles for sale with unrepaired safety recalls. Selling cars with unrepaired safety recalls is extremely dangerous and poses a potentially fatal threat to vehicle drivers, passengers, and others on the road. Amazon\u2019s suggestion to consumers to check a vehicle\u2019s recall status themselves on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration\u2019s (NHTSA) website is simply insufficient. We call on Amazon to remove all vehicle listings with unrepaired safety recalls and to directly display to prospective vehicle buyers a vehicle\u2019s recall status,\u201d the Senators wrote.\n\nThe Senators continued, \u201cAmazon does not need to wait for the law to change to prioritize vehicle safety. We call on Amazon to immediately stop listing for sale on Amazon Autos any vehicle with an unrepaired safety recall. In addition, Amazon should make it as easy as possible for people to confirm that the vehicle they are looking at does not have unrepaired recalls. Instead of linking to NHTSA\u2019s website and encouraging people to check the recall status themselves, we urge Amazon to prominently display the status of recalls under the key features it lists for vehicles it is selling.\u201d\n\nThe full text of the Senators\u2019 letter is available here and copied below.\n\nDear Mr. Jassy,\n\nWe are extremely troubled by the fact that Amazon is listing vehicles for sale with unrepaired safety recalls. Selling cars with unrepaired safety recalls is extremely dangerous and poses a potentially fatal threat to vehicle drivers, passengers, and others on the road. Amazon\u2019s suggestion to consumers to check a vehicle\u2019s recall status themselves on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration\u2019s (NHTSA) website is simply insufficient. We call on Amazon to remove all vehicle listings with unrepaired safety recalls and to directly display to prospective vehicle buyers a vehicle\u2019s recall status.\n\nOn August 4, 2025, Amazon announced that dealers would be able to sell used and certified pre-owned vehicles through Amazon Autos, which was at the time limited to Hyundai vehicles. On November 17, 2025, Amazon announced that certified pre-owned vehicles sold by Ford dealers, which are not exclusively Ford vehicles, would also be for sale on Amazon Autos. In its announcement with Ford, Amazon touted its transparency in the vehicle selling process by highlighting it provides viewers with the service history and condition reports for vehicles. However, Amazon fails to disclose to prospective vehicle buyers that a vehicle may have unrepaired recalls. In fact, Amazon lists for sale\u2014and appears to have facilitated the sale of\u2014vehicles with unrepaired recalls, including urgent fire risks and a potential engine stall while driving.\n\nWe have long raised concerns about the dangers of allowing used vehicles with unrepaired safety recalls to be sold. Our legislation, S.2956, the Used Car Safety Recall Repair Act, would prevent dealers from selling used cars with unrepaired safety recalls, a prohibition that already applies to new vehicles.\n\nAmazon does not need to wait for the law to change to prioritize vehicle safety. We call on Amazon to immediately stop listing for sale on Amazon Autos any vehicle with an unrepaired safety recall. In addition, Amazon should make it as easy as possible for people to confirm that the vehicle they are looking at does not have unrepaired recalls. Instead of linking to NHTSA\u2019s website and encouraging people to check the recall status themselves, we urge Amazon to prominently display the status of recalls under the key features it lists for vehicles it is selling.\n\nWe look forward to working with Amazon to ensure that the vehicles it lists for sale are safe.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-seeks-data-on-security-grant-program", "Blumenthal Seeks Data on Security Grant Program", "2025-12-23", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, DC] \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) wrote Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem seeking data about previous applications to the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) to help inform Congress about how the program should be funded for the upcoming fiscal year.\n\n\u201cAs I travel around Connecticut and hear from community leaders here and around the country, I am struck by the severely heightened anxiety and apprehension about physical threats to places of worship and community centers involving hate-based violence,\u201d Blumenthal wrote.\n\n\u201cRecently, I have called for dramatically increasing funding for NSGP to $1 billion and for increasing funding and resources for other programs to keep pace with the violence we are seeing in our communities. I am disappointed that the proposal released Friday night by Senate Republicans for Fiscal Year 2026 includes only $330 million for NSGP, far short of my request and the program\u2019s clear need, with reports indicating recipients requested approximately $1 billion from FEMA in 2024 alone.\u201d\n\nLast week, Blumenthal wrote the Chair and Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and the Chairs and Ranking Members of its Subcommittees on Homeland Security and Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies calling for a dramatic increase in resources for programs that combat hate-based violence through security and prevention, including by appropriating no less than $1 billion to the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP), making significant investments to the Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act (NO HATE Act), and reestablishing and fully funding the Department of Justice\u2019s (DOJ) Community Relations Service (CRS).\n\nOn Friday, he joined leaders from the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford and the Anti-Defamation League of Connecticut at an event in West Hartford, Connecticut, calling on Congress to robustly fund NSGP and the Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act grant program.\n\nThe full text of today\u2019s letter is available here and copied below.\n\nDear Secretary Noem,\n\nIn recent years we have, unfortunately, seen a rise in antisemitism, extremist ideology, and hate-based violence. As I travel around Connecticut and hear from community leaders here and around the country, I am struck by the severely heightened anxiety and apprehension about physical threats to places of worship and community centers involving hate-based violence. One of the most important tools at our disposal to combat such hate and protect religious institutions and minority communities is the Federal Emergency Management Agency\u2019s (FEMA) Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP).\n\nRecently, I have called for dramatically increasing funding for NSGP to $1 billion and for increasing funding and resources for other programs to keep pace with the violence we are seeing in our communities. I am disappointed that the proposal released Friday night by Senate Republicans for Fiscal Year 2026 includes only $330 million for NSGP, far short of my request and the program\u2019s clear need, with reports indicating recipients requested approximately $1 billion from FEMA in 2024 alone.\n\nIt is critical for Congress to have fulsome data about past NSGP applications and awards as we work towards completion of Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations bills. Please provide me with the following information for Fiscal Years 2023, 2024, and 2025, disaggregated by fiscal year and FEMA region, by no later than January 6, 2026:\n\nThe number of grant applications submitted to the NSGP;\n\nThe number of awards made under the NSGP;\n\nFor each award where the recipient received less money than requested in their application, the requested funding, received funding, and reason for the difference; and\n\nAny resources or assistance FEMA provides to unsuccessful applicants to improve their application in future years and to ensure safety and security in the meantime.\n\nThank you for your attention to this letter. I look forward to receiving your response.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-slams-secret-trump-administration-memo-ending-life-saving-abortion-care-for-veterans", "Blumenthal Slams Secret Trump Administration Memo Ending Life-Saving Abortion Care for Veterans", "2025-12-23", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, D.C.] \u2013 Senate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) today released a statement slamming the Trump Administration\u2019s Department of Veterans Affairs\u2019 (VA) secret implementation of a new policy to stop providing abortion care and counseling to veterans who have been raped or whose pregnancy is threatening their health.\n\n\u201cSecretively and sickeningly, Trump\u2019s VA is depriving women veterans of essential health care. A policy just issued by Secretary Collins stops this reproductive care even for women who are victims of rape or incest, or whose health is at risk. He\u2019s done it by internal memo, not by open rule making, avoiding public attention and scrutiny. My Republican colleagues should be as outraged as I am. The result will be chaos and confusion among health care providers, and anxiety and pain for women veterans. This cruel, misguided action is reckless and reprehensible.\u201d\n\nIn September 2022, VA began to offer abortion counseling to all pregnant veterans and CHAMPVA beneficiaries, and abortion in cases of rape, incest, or life or health endangerment of the veteran or CHAMPVA beneficiary. This was in response to the Dobbs v. Jackson Women\u2019s Health Organization ruling, which created urgent risks to the lives and health of pregnant veterans and CHAMPVA beneficiaries in states that banned or otherwise severely restricted access to abortion.\n\nThe Trump Department of Justice issued a memo banning this abortion care and counseling at VA a few days ago, and the Trump VA just issued its own internal memo yesterday implementing this new policy immediately. This follows the Trump VA\u2019s announcement in August of its intent to issue this change in a proposed rule. However, rather than complete the regular rulemaking process, VA Secretary Doug Collins is implementing this policy without issuing a final rule without notifying veterans or the public.\n\nMore than 462,000 women veterans of reproductive age are enrolled in VA health care. More than half of these women live in states that have enacted abortion bans or restrictions.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-demands-answers-about-donations-to-trumps-ballroom-presses-new-architect-leading-white-house-project-for-details", "Blumenthal Demands Answers About Donations to Trump's Ballroom, Presses New Architect Leading White House Project for Details", "2025-12-22", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, DC] \u2013 U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI), today demanded answers from Roblox CEO David Baszucki about his reported contribution to President Donald Trump\u2019s White House ballroom as well as ten other individuals who attended the October 15, 2025 fundraising dinner for the project. As Ranking Member of PSI, Blumenthal has led an inquiry into the use of private donations to fund President Trump\u2019s increasingly expensive ballroom, most recently estimated to cost $400 million, and has repeatedly raised concerns about donors that have deep financial, business, or other personal interests before the Trump Administration.\n\nIn a letter sent today to Baszucki, Blumenthal requested additional information from the Roblox CEO about his donation, following a recent meeting during which Baszucki confirmed that he had contributed to President Trump\u2019s ballroom, \u201cI appreciated your candor and transparency at our recent meeting, in acknowledging that you were among the guests in attendance at that dinner and that you made a $5 million contribution to the ballroom project in your personal capacity.\u201d\n\nBlumenthal continued, \u201cAs an attendee at the October 15 dinner and donor to the project, you possess critical information about the Administration\u2019s solicitation of donations, its management of this project, why your donation was not publicly disclosed, and what President Trump or his representatives may have agreed to provide in exchange.\u201d\n\nIn letters to ten other individuals who attended the October 15 fundraiser, including Frank J. Fertitta II, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Red Rock Resorts, Blumenthal wrote, \u201cA representative of your company was reportedly among the guests in attendance at the October 15 dinner; however, neither you nor your company were on the donor list which the White House released to the public several days later. My office has recently received information that at least one other attendee at the October 15 dinner, who was not listed by the White House as a donor, did in fact contribute to the Ballroom project.\u201d\n\nAs part of his inquiry, Blumenthal has also written to the contractor, engineer, and previous architect leading the construction and design of the ballroom. In addition to demanding answers from Roblox and other potential donors today, Blumenthal is seeking information from Shalom Baranes Associates Architects, which has taken on the project following President Trump\u2019s clash with the previous architect. Blumenthal pressed Founding Principal Shalom Baranes in a letter sent today for information on how his company became involved in the project and the terms of his selection to participate. The full text of Blumenthal\u2019s letter to Baranes can be found here.\n\nThe full text of Blumenthal\u2019s letter to Roblox CEO David Baszucki is available here. A compilation of letters sent today to individuals who attended the October 15 fundraiser can be found here.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-democratic-colleagues-introduce-sweeping-veterans-bill-to-reform-and-improve-va-health-care", "Blumenthal, Democratic Colleagues Introduce Sweeping Veterans Bill to Reform & Improve VA Health Care", "2025-12-22", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, D.C.] \u2013 Senate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) is leading a group of his Senate colleagues in introducing the Honor Our Promise to Veterans Act (the Honor Act)\u2014sweeping legislation to invest in the Department of Veterans Affairs\u2019 (VA) aging infrastructure, improve VA\u2019s ability to recruit high quality health care employees, and improve the standards of care veterans receive.\n\nHe was joined by fellow Committee members U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), and Patty Murray (D-WA), and U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI).\n\n\u201cDemocrats are pushing sweeping reforms to fix a VA system stretched to its limits. The VA system is underfunded, understaffed, and overdue for reform. We are demanding major capital investments in VA facilities, more money for the staff who deliver health care, and increased standards for community care,\u201d said Ranking Member Blumenthal.\n\nBlumenthal continued, \u201cBuilt on years of feedback from veterans and recommendations from watchdogs, our legislation enacts sweeping historic reforms to ensure veterans receive high-quality, timely care\u2014both at VA facilities and in the community. The Honor Act mandates broad, landmark investments to replace VA\u2019s aging infrastructure and make VA clinicians\u2019 compensation more competitive. It aims to guarantee veterans\u2019 access to well-trained, veteran-informed care no matter where they live.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe have an obligation to do more than just thank our veterans for their service. We owe veterans the full, critical benefits they earned through their service,\u201d said Senator Alsobrooks. \u201cThe Honor Act is an important step in fulfilling our obligation by ensuring the VA can easily improve its infrastructure, recruit high quality candidates, and always ensure our veterans are receiving the highest quality health care.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe owe it to veterans in Maine and across the nation to provide them with the highest standard of care and support,\u201d said Senator King. \u201cA critical part of meeting that responsibility is ensuring the VA has a strong workforce and the infrastructure necessary to serve those who have served us. The Honor Our Promises to Veterans Act does exactly what its name suggests: it helps ensure the VA remains accountable to our veterans and fulfills the commitments our nation has made to them.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Honor Act is a critical investment into the VA that truly prioritizes our Veterans,\u201d Senator Duckworth said. \u201cIt will expedite Veterans' access to much-needed care, hold community practitioners to higher standards and increase oversight into VA infrastructure projects. Further, it will help alleviate the staffing shortages largely caused by the Trump Administration\u2019s extreme measures to push out nearly 30,000 employees this year. I\u2019m proud to join Senator Blumenthal in introducing this comprehensive legislation that upholds the integrity of VA as the medical center home and keeps the care of our Veterans as VA\u2019s highest priority.\u201d\n\n\u201cVeterans are important members of our communities who have risked their lives in service to our country, and they deserve the highest possible quality of care, education, and training,\u201d said Senator Hirono. \u201cInstead of supporting our veterans, the Trump Administration has spent the last year repeatedly attacked our veteran community, gutting VA funding and stripping veterans of care they need. By helping to initiate policy reforms including recruiting high-quality employees, improving infrastructure, and supporting education, this comprehensive legislation is another step in the right direction to ensuring that veterans are prioritized.\u201d\n\n\u201cAmerica\u2019s veterans deserve the highest standard of care, and I\u2019m proud to join this commonsense legislation to deliver just that,\u201d said Senator Cortez Masto. \u201cThis bill will make it easier to upgrade old infrastructure and help the VA recruit the highest quality candidates. Together, we can undertake real VA reforms that make a meaningful difference for our veterans.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs part of our commitment to the brave men and women who so bravely served our nation in uniform, this commonsense bill incorporates recommendations directly from experts and veterans across this country to ensure the VA can better serve them and their families,\u201d said Senator Shaheen.\n\nThe Senators\u2019 legislation would implement critical policy reforms based on feedback from veterans, Veterans Service Organizations, labor representatives, VA employees, the Government Accountability Office, and VA\u2019s Office of Inspector General (OIG). It is the most comprehensive legislation to reform VA health care since the MISSION Act.\n\nAmong its many provisions, the Honor Act would:\n\nImprove care at VA and in the community for veterans:\n\nImproves scheduling of appointments for veterans by establishing specific timing requirements;\n\nIncreases transparency around access to care for veterans by requiring publicly accessible information on available providers, wait times, and drive times for both VA and the community;\n\nDesignates community care providers as informed on military sexual trauma (MST) if they complete certain relevant trainings, to ensure MST survivors can make informed choices about their care;\n\nRoots out community care providers who have felony connections or who have been been investigated for or confirmed for providing poor care from VA\u2019s list of authorized providers, to ensure veterans are only receiving care at VA and in the community from high quality providers;\n\nEnsures community care providers are held accountable for meeting the training and quality standards required of VA providers;\n\nCodifies VA OIG\u2019s oversight authority for community care providers and facilities so it can review and audit them with the same thoroughness as VA care;\n\nRequires community care providers give VA specific data to determine the quality, safety, and timeliness of the care they are providing veterans; and\n\nDirects VA OIG to investigate life-saving dialysis care provided at VA and in the community, following investigations of community providers uncovering extremely substandard practices.\n\nReform VA\u2019s hiring process to ensure the Department can recruit & retain talented employees, especially for positions facing urgent shortages:\n\nReforms VA\u2019s hiring process by establishing common sense processes and requirements to speed up the current extremely long hiring timeline to fill critical vacancies at VA;\n\nRequires VA to establish staffing models for each service and program in the Department to provide veterans and Congress more transparency on the staffing and resources needed for facilities;\n\nAllows VA to waive certain pay limitations or increase incentive pay to help recruit and retain high-quality in demand health care positions at the Department;\n\nModernizes VA\u2019s telework policy by making it the default for all positions that do not require employees to be onsite;\n\nMakes it easier for VA to hire psychologists, a position facing severe staffing shortages at the Department, and for them to earn higher pay; and\n\nEstablishes additional education programs to make VA more competitive when it comes to hiring and retaining the workforce critical to VA operations, including creating two new education and career growth incentive programs for facilities staff and schedulers.\n\nStrengthen VA infrastructure to increase the Department\u2019s capacity to serve veterans:\n\nAuthorizes the level of funding estimated by VA - approximately $10 billion a year over ten years - to tackle its infrastructure needs for modern medical facilities, renovations, and cemeteries;\n\nAllows VA to purchase land for medical facilities earlier, which will speed up the delivery of new facilities;\n\nDevelops relevant plans and infrastructure workforce hiring strategies to accomplish new facility projects and provide Congress performance data for enhanced oversight;\n\nExamines infrastructure budgeting strategies and identifies what reforms are required, informed by industry best practices; and\n\nProvides annual budget requirements over a 10-year period allowing Congress and the Department to modernize VA\u2019s infrastructure through a strategic, comprehensive approach.\n\nA link to the bill\u2019s full text and section by section can be found HERE and HERE.\n\nThe Honor Act has received support from critical veteran advocates, including the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), Common Defense, Veterans Healthcare Policy Institute, Nurses Organization of Veterans Affairs, VoteVets, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE), American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA), Veterans Affairs PA Association (AVAPAA), American Psychological Association (APA), Modern Military Association of America, and Minority Veterans of America.\n\n\u201cAFGE appreciates Ranking Member Blumenthal\u2019s commitment to maintaining the viability of the direct care system and improving compensation for the VA workforce. The \u201cHonor Act of 2025\u201d would help create a more even playing field between direct care and private care by removing the bias against VA telehealth, reinstating telework and requiring private care to meet standards expected of VA. The Honor Act would also ensure that VA police receive law enforcement pensions and expand reimbursement for continuing professional education for clinicians. We look forward to working with Sen. Blumenthal to improve and refine this important legislation,\u201d said MJ Burke, President of AFGE National VA Council.\n\n\u201cThis is the strongest, most veteran-centered VA reform bill we\u2019ve seen in years: it delivers faster appointments, real transparency, tougher standards for private contractors, life changing investments in VA hospitals and clinics, and smarter hiring so we actually have the doctors, nurses, and staff we need. It honors our service by making the care we earned work better, inside the VA and in the community. This is what putting veterans first actually looks like in action,\u201d said Naveed Shah, Army veteran and Political Director of Common Defense.\n\n\u201cThe Honor Act of 2025 fulfills the unmet aspirations of the VA MISSION Act of 2018, which sought to empower veterans with the information needed to make informed healthcare decisions and to guarantee high-quality care regardless of where it's delivered. The Honor Act directly addresses these gaps by providing veterans with transparent, real-time access to wait times at both VA facilities and community providers, as well as publicized information about their providers' specialized training and High Performing designations. It expands telehealth options for veterans who prefer virtual care, assures consistent quality standards across all providers\u2014whether within the VA system or in the community\u2014and broadens the VA Office of Inspector General's authority to investigate care delivery wherever it occurs, ensuring comprehensive oversight that veterans can trust,\u201d said Dr. Russell Lemle, Senior Policy Analyst, Veterans Healthcare Policy Institute.\n\n\u201cThe American Psychological Association applauds the introduction of the Honor Act of 2025 and thanks Senator Blumenthal and his staff for championing veterans and the professionals who care for them. This bill takes meaningful steps to strengthen the VA\u2019s ability to recruit and keep the psychologists it urgently needs \u2014 a pressing issue as more than half of VHA facilities report severe psychologist shortages, the highest among all clinical roles. The Honor Act also creates transparency and parity between VA direct care and community care, helping ensure every veteran receives high-quality care, no matter where they\u2019re served,\u201d said Dr. Arthur C. Evans Jr., Chief Executive Officer, American Psychological Association.\n\n\u201cNOVA strongly supports the \u2018HONOR Act of 2025\u2019 as it mandates training and transparency within the community care network and provides Veterans with the data and information they need to make the best decisions for their unique healthcare. We are happy to see more educational assistance and continuing education funding for nurses, as well as pay increases for nurse leadership along with steps that encourage VA\u2019s \u2018grow your own,\u2019 and mentorship programs. Many of the provisions in the Honor Act directly align with NOVA legislative priority goals and will improve and advance care for Veterans,\u201d said Catherine Giasson, President, Nurses Organization of Veterans Affairs.\n\n\u201cThe HONOR Act is a strong, veteran-first investment in the care our nation\u2019s heroes have earned. By modernizing VA infrastructure, strengthening direct-care services, and ensuring the Department can recruit and retain the world-class clinicians veterans rely on, this bill reinforces VA\u2019s ability to keep to keep delivering exceptional care to veterans. Just as importantly, The Honor Act raises the bar for accountability in community care so veterans aren\u2019t left navigating gaps in quality or access. VoteVets is proud to support this legislation that puts veterans\u2019 health and dignity at the center of VA policy. We applaud Senator Blumenthal\u2019s leadership and urge Congress to pass The Honor Act without delay,\u201d said Kayla Williams, Senior Advisor, VoteVets.\n\n\u201cThe Modern Military Association of America supports the Honor Act 2025 as it strengthens the promise our nation makes to every veteran. By holding community care providers to the same training and quality requirements as VA clinicians, and ensuring those who fail to meet them are held accountable and removed, this bill closes dangerous gaps in veteran care. Our veterans deserve consistent, trauma-informed, and respectful treatment wherever they receive services\u2014and the HONOR Act is an essential step toward delivering that standard nationwide,\u201d said Ash Carothers, Executive Director, Modern Military Association of America.\n\n\u201cAAPA appreciates Sen. Blumenthal's work to improve healthcare for veterans and the inclusion of three provisions in his HONOR Act that would be critical steps towards addressing health workforce shortages at the VA and increasing access to care for our nation's veterans. The bill would modernize PA practice by removing collaboration requirements, open job postings to all qualified candidates, and provide support for continuing professional education. VA PAs are trained and qualified to practice in all specialties, including mental health, and we thank Sen. Blumenthal for recognizing the need for improved utilization of PAs at the VA so that veterans are able to better access the high-quality care they deserve,\u201d said Todd Pickard, President, American Academy of Physician Associates.\n\n\u201cVAPAA extends its thanks to Senator Blumenthal for his work and attention to veterans, by ensuring they have access to the high quality healthcare they need and deserve. The HONOR Act of 2025 contains provisions that will modernize PA practice at VA, and improve parity with community healthcare organizations, by removing unnecessary barriers to PA hiring, retention, and education, particularly for PA veterans wishing to serve their fellow veterans .This is especially appreciated as it will improve access to care in rural and remote areas where PAs excel by helping to address workforce shortages of healthcare providers caring for veterans. VA PAs are trained and qualified to practice in all specialties, including Primary Care and Mental Health, so we thank Senator Blumenthal for recognizing the need for increasing utilization of PAs within VA to improve veterans\u2019 access to the high-quality care that they require, demand, and deserve,\u201d said Christopher Lorenc, President, Veterans Affairs PA Association.\n\n\u201cDialysis companies that contract with the VA must provide safe working conditions for dialysis caregivers and the best quality care for our nation's veterans. Senator Blumenthal\u2019s legislation is a critical step toward ensuring worker input and that the private dialysis companies entrusted with veterans\u2019 care are held accountable for meeting minimum standards. We applaud Senator Blumenthal for championing this effort, and we stand ready to work with Senator Blumenthal to make sure dialysis caregivers have the working conditions they need to provide every veteran with the best quality care possible,\u201d said Leslie Frane, Executive Vice President, Service Employees International Union.\n\n\u201cNFFE is pleased to see the HONOR Act come to life and is encouraged by its potential to advance the working conditions and careers of VA healthcare workers and other professional and administrative staff, including VA police officers\u2014all of whom are essential to maintaining a safe, high-quality environment of care for our nation\u2019s veterans. We welcome continued engagement to ensure the bill achieves its full intended impact,\u201d said Randy Erwin, National President, National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM).\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-statement-on-trump-administrations-latest-attack-on-revolution-wind", "Blumenthal Statement on Trump Administration's Latest Attack on Revolution Wind", "2025-12-22", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[Hartford, CT] \u2013 U.S. Senator Richard released the following statement today on the Trump Administration\u2019s latest attempt to stop work on the nearly complete Revolution Wind offshore wind project.\n\n\u201cWhile the Trump Administration plays political games with Revolution Wind, here\u2019s what\u2019s at stake for Connecticut: the loss of good paying union jobs, billions of public and private dollars wasted, and higher electricity prices. This latest attack on Revolution Wind is even more absurd than the first one. The President cites national security risks, but has not been able to prove or demonstrate that such risks even exist. I am standing with our state\u2019s delegation to keep fighting for this project, the workers who deserve to keep their jobs, and the Connecticut consumers who can\u2019t afford to pay more for electricity,\u201d Blumenthal said.\n\nAfter the Trump Administration\u2019s first attempt to stop work at Revolution Wind in late August, Blumenthal wrote to Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum demanding answers regarding Trump\u2019s interference in the project.\n\nA copy of that letter is available here.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-senators-demand-answers-on-trump-vas-plan-to-eliminate-tens-of-thousands-of-health-care-jobs", "Blumenthal, Senators Demand Answers on Trump VA's Plan to Eliminate Tens of Thousands of Health Care Jobs", "2025-12-19", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, D.C.] \u2013 Senate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) today led a group of 37 of his colleagues demanding answers about the Trump Administration\u2019s plans to eliminate as many as 35,000 jobs at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). This follows recent reporting from The Washington Post detailing the Administration\u2019s plans to eliminate tens of thousands of unfilled mission-critical health care positions at VA, including for doctors, nurses, and support staff.\n\n\u201cWe write to express our concern following the December 13, 2025, Washington Post article \u2018VA plans to abruptly eliminate tens of thousands of health care jobs,\u2019 which spotlights the Department\u2019s plan to cut as many as 35,000 vacant positions from its workforce rolls before the end of the calendar year,\u201d the Senators wrote in a letter to VA Secretary Collins. \u201cCompounded by the exodus of more than 40,000 Department employees in fiscal year (FY) 2025, any unjustified cuts to existing vacancies would further disrupt a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) workforce that is already stretched dangerously thin and under assault.\u201d\n\nThe Senators pushed back on Secretary Collins\u2019 claims that cutting these jobs will have \u201cno impact\u201d on VA health care, pointing to data that even if cuts were focused on non-clinical and administrative vacancies, VA would still have to cut 18,000 vacancies from essential, veteran facing positions to meet their 35,000 number. They pressed Collins to provide additional information on VA\u2019s plans to eliminate these positions, including asking for the list of positions removed; the names and titles of staff involved in making this decision; what evidence VA used to support this removal of vacancies; and what data was used to inform individual facility staffing baselines.\n\nThe Senators concluded, emphasizing the gravity of this plan amid Republicans\u2019 health care-cutting agenda across the government: \u201cUnfilled positions are not reflective of unnecessary positions, and the length of time a position is vacant is not a suitable data point for determining need. At a time when veterans are already facing widespread cuts in their access to health care from H.R. 1, skyrocketing health insurance premiums from expiring enhanced premium tax credits, and forced closures of rural hospitals, VA needs to be expanding its capacity and staffing levels, not reducing them. Veterans deserve a VA staffed according to their needs and a Secretary who works to fill needed positions, not abolish them.\u201d\n\nVA already lost more than 40,000 employees between January and September of this year as a result of President Trump and VA Secretary Collins\u2019 hiring freeze, deferred resignations, early retirements, and the significant number of VA staff who have quit since the Trump Administration took office due to draconian workforce policies. In addition, VA had at least 42,000 vacancies across the Department as of March 31, 2025, and that number is estimated to have grown significantly since then. The removal of these positions would put VA at pre-PACT Act staffing levels. More than one million veterans newly enrolled in VA health care as a result of expanded eligibility under the PACT Act, and millions more have increased reliance on VA because of toxic exposure-related illnesses and injuries.\n\nThese continued cuts of VA health care follow widespread health care cuts initiated by Republicans across the government. Senate Republicans have failed to join Democratic efforts to extend Affordable Care Act (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits, which 267,000 veterans rely on to afford health care. Coupled with Medicare and Medicaid cuts from the \u201cOne Big Beautiful Bill\u201d that go into effect next year, Americans, including millions of veterans and veteran family members, are facing skyrocketing premiums and a looming health care crisis.\n\nBlumenthal\u2019s letter was joined by U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), John Fetterman (D-PA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Luj\u00e1n (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Patty Murray (D-WA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Elisa Slotkin (D-MI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark Warner (D-VA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).\n\nThe full text of the lawmakers\u2019 letter is available here and below.\n\nDear Secretary Collins:\n\nWe write to express our concern following the December 13, 2025, Washington Post article \u201cVA plans to abruptly eliminate tens of thousands of health care jobs,\u201d which spotlights the Department\u2019s plan to cut as many as 35,000 vacant positions from its workforce rolls before the end of the calendar year. Compounded by the exodus of more than 40,000 Department employees in fiscal year (FY) 2025, any unjustified cuts to existing vacancies would further disrupt a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) workforce that is already stretched dangerously thin and under assault.\n\nBased on data mandated by Section 505 of Public Law 115-182, the VA MISSION Act of 2018, as of quarter two of FY 2025, the Department had a total of 42,518 vacancies. These vacant positions included 7,560 nurses, 4,400 schedulers, 2,800 physicians, 1,900 social workers, 1,650 nursing assistants, 1,630 practical nurses, 1,230 pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, 1,080 health technicians, 860 veterans claims examiners, 760 police, and 710 psychologists \u2013 totaling more than 24,500 of the 42,500 vacancies. If the Department cut every other vacancy outside of these roles \u2013 which would still include cuts to various clinical and veteran-facing roles \u2013 VA would still have to cut 18,000 vacancies from essential, veteran-facing positions in order to meet the 35,000 number. These cannot all be \u201cCOVID-era roles,\u201d as VA has claimed, nor can these cuts be downplayed because some have been vacant for longer than one year.\n\nWe request the following information regarding VA\u2019s elimination of these positions:\n\nPlease provide a list of vacant positions removed, disaggregated by facility and job series.\n\nPlease provide a list of positions removed, disaggregated by job series and then by length of time since they were last encumbered or the position was created based on these categories of time: less than 30 days, greater than 30 days, greater than 90 days, greater than 180 days, greater than 365 days, and greater than 730 days.\n\nPlease provide the titles of VA Central Office staff and the offices or departments involved in making this decision.\n\nVA already regularly adds and removes positions based on need as part of its normal recruitment and budgeting processes. What evidence was there to support this significantly larger removal of vacancies?\n\nMemos from the Department planning for this removal of vacancies reference a baseline number of positions used to inform individual facility staffing numbers. What is that baseline, and how was that number decided upon? How were individual facility baselines calculated based on that number?\n\nWhy did the Department choose to use number of positions instead of full-time equivalent (FTE) positions to establish these baselines? How were positions that typically do not occupy one FTE for each individual staff member, such as researchers, accounted for in the baseline and the cuts?\n\nPlease detail the approval process for a facility or hiring manager to request new vacancies, roles, or recruitment processes beyond the new baseline.\n\nBased on what criteria can a facility or hiring manager request a new position or vacancy above the baseline?\n\nIn VA\u2019s FY 2026 budget request, the Department requested funding for 396,000 total FTE. As such, Congress provided $167 billion for the treatment of 7.7 million patients and 162.6 million outpatient visits to VA for FY 2026. Please provide an updated staffing and workload projection for FY 2026 that accounts for these vacancy cuts.\n\nHow did the Department account for minimum staffing ratios when making these cuts, especially those required for nursing, long-term care, spinal cord injury and disorder teams, and mental health care?\n\nUnfilled positions are not reflective of unnecessary positions, and the length of time a position is vacant is not a suitable data point for determining need. At a time when veterans are already facing widespread cuts in their access to health care from H.R. 1, skyrocketing health insurance premiums from expiring enhanced premium tax credits, and forced closures of rural hospitals, VA needs to be expanding its capacity and staffing levels, not reducing them. Veterans deserve a VA staffed according to their needs and a Secretary who works to fill needed positions, not abolish them.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-statement-on-senate-confirmation-of-trump-loyalist-john-bartrum-to-lead-vas-health-care-system", "Blumenthal statement on Senate Confirmation of Trump Loyalist John Bartrum to Lead VA's Health Care System", "2025-12-19", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, D.C.] \u2013 Senate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) today released a statement on the Senate\u2019s confirmation of John Bartrum to be the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Under Secretary for Health. Bartrum has served as a senior advisor to VA Secretary Doug Collins since January.\n\n\u201cTrump political acolyte John Bartrum is the wrong choice to lead VA\u2019s health care system. As a Senior Advisor to VA Secretary Collins, he has played a key role in stonewalling and slow walking Congress and veterans\u2014 continuously hiding information about VA\u2019s budget, community care wait times, contract cancellations, and staffing plans. He has also refused to implement laws as Congress intended\u2014 playing a central role in withholding critical funding required to be distributed to homeless service providers who support nearly 25,000 of our most vulnerable veterans. His lack of transparency and responsiveness to Congress is wholly unacceptable for someone who will now be tasked with leading the largest health care system in our country at a critical inflection point, and I am disappointed in this body\u2019s decision to confirm him.\u201d\n\nAs a senior advisor for Collins, Bartrum has played a key role in the firing of thousands of health care staff, the politicization of the VA research publication process, and the cancellation of thousands of VA contracts. He has also refused to implement laws as Congress intended, including the bipartisan Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare & Benefits Improvement Act. He is continuing to withhold critical funding mandated under this law for organizations housing and providing critical resources for more than 25,000 homeless veterans.\n\nThe Under Secretary for Health is tasked with overseeing the VA health care system\u2014the largest integrated health care system in the country\u2014which provides care to more than nine million enrolled veterans.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-statement-on-the-dojs-failure-to-release-the-full-epstein-files-as-demanded-by-survivors-required-by-law", "Blumenthal Statement on the DOJ's Failure to Release the Full Epstein Files as Demanded by Survivors, Required by Law", "2025-12-19", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, DC] \u2013 U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement in response to response to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche\u2019s statement on Fox News that the Department of Justice will not release the full Epstein files today, as required by law:\n\n\"The reason that we are seeing any of this material is because the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein's horrific crimes have been so courageous and steadfast \u2013 and that\u2019s also why releasing an incomplete selection of the files is so offensive and utterly unacceptable. Outrageously, the Administration has now clearly indicated that it will withhold large parts of the file today. Yes, it's a violation of the law; yes, it's an affront to Congress and the American public; but most importantly, it's an insult to the brave women who are asking for one, simple thing: justice. I don't think the Trump Administration can be trusted to follow the law, which is why I'll be calling for an audit by the Department of Justice's Office of the Inspector General to backstop the concealment Deputy Attorney General Blanche has already admitted to doing.\"\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/senator-blumenthal-week-in-review-12/12/2025-12/19/2025", "Senator Blumenthal: Week in Review 12/12/2025-12/19/2025", "2025-12-19", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "Applauding Final Passage of National Defense Authorization Bill\n\n[WASHINGTON, D.C.] \u2013 U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) welcomed Senate passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026. As a member of the Armed Services Committee, Blumenthal championed a number of provisions in the NDAA that promote U.S. national security objectives and bolster Connecticut\u2019s defense industrial base and its workforce, all while improving support for servicemembers across the Department of Defense (DOD). The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 77-20 and was signed into law on December 18. An executive summary of the bill can be found here.\n\n\u201cThis defense bill prioritizes our national defense with investments in weapons and pay increases for servicemembers\u2014while recognizing Connecticut\u2019s critical role and workforce. The major, historic investments include producing submarines, joint strike fighters and helicopters, and other high tech platforms. Technological advancements and modernization bolster our state\u2019s world-class manufacturing base. I am proud to advocate for the workers dedicated to defending our nation. With this legislation, we ensure that our military has the resources, technology, and support needed to protect our country,\u201d said Blumenthal.\n\nThe NDAA for Fiscal Year 2026 also includes several provisions Blumenthal, Ranking Member of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI), championed to support sexual assault survivors within the Coast Guard.\n\n\u201cI am proud of the significant reforms in this bill that will help protect current cadets and Coasties from the kind of harassment, abuse, and retaliation uncovered by my investigation,\u201d Blumenthal said. \u201cThere is still significantly more work that needs to be done to combat the Coast Guard\u2019s culture of coverup, but these provisions are an important first step.\u201d\n\nIn September 2023, as then-Chair of PSI, Blumenthal initiated an inquiry into the Coast Guard\u2019s failure to disclose Operation Fouled Anchor, an internal Coast Guard investigation into the decades-long systemic mishandling of sexual misconduct at the Coast Guard Academy. The NDAA includes numerous provisions requested by Blumenthal to protect sexual assault survivors and hold accountable perpetrators of sexual misconduct and those who enabled them.\n\nCombatting Hate-Based Violence & Trump Administration\u2019s \u201cHeinous Policy\u201d on Hate Symbols\n\nBlumenthal wrote the Chair and Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and the Chairs and Ranking Members of its Subcommittees on Homeland Security and Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies calling for a dramatic increase in resources for programs that combat hate-based violence through security and prevention.\n\n\u201cOver the weekend, the global Jewish community was devastated by the horrifying terrorist attack at a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach in Australia. This terrible tragedy is sadly not an anomaly and reflects a worldwide rise in antisemitism, extremist ideology, and hate-based violence,\u201d Blumenthal wrote.\n\n\u201cThat is why I urge you to show the Senate\u2019s commitment to protecting our religious institutions and minority communities by dramatically increasing resources for programs that combat hate-based violence through security and prevention, including by appropriating no less than $1 billion to the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP), making significant investments to the Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act (NO HATE Act), and reestablishing and fully funding the Department of Justice\u2019s (DOJ) Community Relations Service (CRS).\u201d\n\nBlumenthal joined Jewish members of the Senate Democratic Caucus in issuing a statement in reaction to the murder of 15 people in Sydney, Australia at a menorah lighting on the first night of Hanukkah.\n\nThe statement is signed by Blumenthal, Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawai\u2019i), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).\n\n\u201cThe Festival of Lights commemorates and celebrates the resilience of the Jewish people, our identity and heritage. As we moved into the first night of Hanukkah, that tenacity was tested once again as we mourn those murdered in Sydney during a menorah lighting. Our prayers go out to the Jewish community in Australia, whom we embrace in their terrible hour of suffering.\n\n\u201cWe are horrified by the brutality of this attack, which comes at a time when Australia has seen a terrible rise in antisemitism. The disturbing wave of antisemitism around the globe has struck anxiety and fear into the hearts of every Jewish community. Some have faced harassment, vandalism, and discrimination. Others, violence as brutal as what we saw yesterday in Sydney.\n\n\u201cThis attack is the latest reminder of the work that remains to end the scourge of hatred towards Jews. To combat this disease of antisemitism, we must summon the strength to take action against this ancient hatred, and the courage to press on in the face of such violence against Jewish people at home and abroad.\n\n\u201cWe must speak out against all discrimination, from heinous acts like today to the normalization of antisemitic rhetoric, and the attempts to blur the line between political disagreement and antisemitic hate. And we give thanks to the bravery of people like Ahmed al Ahmed, a fruit shop owner, who risked his own life on Bondi Beach to stop others from losing theirs.\n\n\u201cMay the memory of those we lost be a blessing, and may courage flow through the hearts of every Jewish family that lit their first candle last night and over the next seven nights.\u201d\n\nFollowing reporting that the U.S. Coast Guard has allowed a new policy to take effect that no longer prohibits nor classifies swastikas and nooses as hate symbols, Blumenthal wrote Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem demanding that she \u201crevoke this policy and make it clear to the brave men and women serving in the Coast Guard that hate has no place in the service.\u201d\n\nIn a letter sent following the Washington Post\u2019s reporting that the Coast Guard has newly defined swastikas and nooses as just \u201cpotentially divisive,\u201d Blumenthal wrote to Noem: \u201cGranting hate symbols like swastikas and nooses even an ounce of respectability is absolutely an anathema. This edict besmirches the Coast Guard\u2019s honor, and DHS should be ashamed. At a time when antisemitic and racist violence are at unconscionable levels, it is absolutely appalling that DHS is doubling down on such a hateful, destructive policy.\u201d\n\nThe text of the letter to Noem is available here.\n\nAfter the Coast Guard agreed to revise this hateful policy, Blumenthal reacted on Twitter/X.\n\n\u201cI will take Secretary Noem\u2019s statement as an answer to my letter that the Coast Guard\u2019s abhorrent policy on hate symbols like nooses & swastikas will not go into effect. I am glad that the Trump Administration has backed down in response to well-deserved & widespread criticism of their reprehensible attempt to weaken protections against obvious hate symbols.I am disappointed that Secretary Noem\u2019s statement fails to acknowledge how offensive this policy is & she owes an apology to the men & women of the Coast Guard,\u201d wrote Blumenthal on Twitter/X.\n\nShining Light on Supreme Court Shadow Docket Decisions\n\nBlumenthal and U.S. Representative Deborah Ross (D-NC) introduced bicameral legislation to establish transparency in decisions on the Supreme Court\u2019s emergency docket, also known as the \u201cshadow docket.\u201d The Shadow Docket Sunlight Act requires the Supreme Court to provide a written explanation for shadow docket decisions and a vote count detailing how each Justice voted on the decision, promoting public understanding and consistency in judicial decision making.\n\nThe Supreme Court has increasingly relied on the shadow docket\u2014making decisions on short notice without oral argument or any legal explanation of the Court\u2019s reasoning from the majority. The Court has utilized the shadow docket to make decisions on a number of wide-ranging, highly consequential cases, including the September 8, 2025 decision in Noem v. Vasquez Perdomo. The decision allows ICE agents to stop and arrest individuals based on their appearance, the language they speak, where they live, and what they do for work.\n\n\u201cThe shadow docket decision in Noem v. Vasquez Perdomo, a highly chilling legal landmark, condones racial profiling in Trump\u2019s immigration enforcement. Shockingly, this very significant ruling was issued without any public argument or majority opinion. The Shadow Docket Sunlight Act shines light on the Supreme Court\u2019s emergency docket rulings, like Vazquez Perdomo, and requires the Supreme Court to be accountable and explain its rulings. Americans deserve clarity from the nation\u2019s highest Court\u2014especially as the Court increasingly uses the shadow docket to issue far-reaching consequential decisions. Recent shadow docket decisions demonstrate the dire need for our legislation\u2019s enforceable guidelines that hold the Court accountable,\u201d said Blumenthal.\n\nThe text of the bill can be found here.\n\nOn the Senate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee\n\nSenate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee Ranking Member Blumenthal and Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) led a group of 26 of their colleagues in a letter calling on the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate the impact Republicans\u2019 health care-cutting agenda will have on veterans and their families.\n\nThis follows Senate Republicans\u2019 failure last week to join Democrats in extending Affordable Care Act (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits, which 267,000 veterans rely on to afford health care. Coupled with Medicare and Medicaid cuts \u2013 which go into effect next year \u2013 Americans, including millions of veterans and veteran family members, are bracing for higher costs and a looming health care crisis.\n\n\u201cThe 2025 budget reconciliation bill, Public Law 119-21, or the \u2018One Big Beautiful Bill Act\u2019 (BBB), will reduce access to essential health care and supportive services for millions of Americans, including veterans and their families. Compounded with expiring enhanced premium tax credits for Affordable Care Act (ACA) health plans established by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and extended by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, veterans are facing a life-threatening reduction in access to health care and other essential benefits. These reductions in access to private health insurance, Medicaid, and funding for community health services will result in more veterans relying more heavily on their Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care and benefits,\u201d the Senators wrote.\n\nThe full text of the lawmakers\u2019 letter is available here.\n\nBlumenthal spoke at a spotlight forum on the Trump Administration\u2019s dangerous effort to dismantle the Department of Education, highlighting how their actions negatively impact our nation\u2019s veterans. At the forum, Blumenthal spoke with Rachel Gittleman, President of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 252, and Amy Loyd, CEO of All4Ed, about how veterans are struggling to access critical resources to help them assimilate to civilian life through education and skills training.\n\n\u201cI want to talk about an area of interest to me as the Ranking Member on the Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee, and I'd like you to tell me how the dismantling of the Department of Education has affected veterans,\u201d asked Blumenthal.\n\n\u201cTwo of the many programs that I helped administer were the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program and the Total and Permanent Disability Discharge Program. Both of those programs disproportionately benefit and help veterans, many of whom are saddled with student debt,\u201d said Gittleman. \u201cAnd my office, like so many other offices in federal student aid, was completely gutted, leaving no one to help answer the phones, no one to help access the incredibly complicated and convoluted system that is these discharge programs.\u201d\n\n\u201cIn our nation, we're moving towards a skills-based economy. This is so important for veterans transitioning into the world of being a civilian. How do they translate their incredible skills that they have earned through their hard work and dedication to our nation into ways that they can prove their skills and practice through economic opportunities so that they can raise their families, have lives of choice,\u201d said Loyd. \u201cBut in this moment of fiscal uncertainty and the bait-and-switch and the instability and chaos that this Administration is engendering in the education world, states are now walking back and being very cautious and investing in innovation. I worry about the implications of how our veterans may not be able to meaningfully translate their skills into practice in ways that they should be able to powerfully, simply because we're in a moment of uncertainty that's leading to a lot of fear in the education system.\u201d\n\nA video of Blumenthal\u2019s interaction with Gittleman and Loyd at the forum can be found here.\n\nBlumenthal Bulletin\n\nBlumenthal released a statement on the Department of Justice\u2019s failure to release the full Epstein files as demanded by survivors and required by law.\n\nBlumenthal spoke on the Senate Floor demanding the designation of Russia as a State Sponsor of Terrorism.\n\nBlumenthal demanded answers regarding the Trump VA\u2019s plan to eliminate tens of thousands of health care jobs.\n\nBlumenthal released a statement on the Senate confirmation of Trump loyalist John Bartrum to lead VA\u2019s health care system.\n\nBlumenthal spoke on the Senate Floor highlighting his ENFORCE Act, legislation to ensure those convicted of creating AI-generated child sexual abuse material face accountability.\n\nBlumenthal introduced legislation to protect the rights of residents in long-term care facilities.\n\nBlumenthal joined striking workers in West Hartford.\n\nBlumenthal introduced new legislation to streamline USPS shipping of nonprofit packages\u2014like Boxes to Boots.\n\nBlumenthal joined the annual Founders Day Award Luncheon of the National Council of Negro Women.\n\nBlumenthal joined the Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs and Middletown VSO\u2019s for a Wreaths Across America ceremony at the State Veterans Cemetery.\n\nBlumenthal joined the yearly Chaz an AJ toy drive.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-calls-for-dramatic-increase-in-funding-for-comprehensive-hate-crime-prevention", "Blumenthal Calls for Dramatic Increase in Funding for Comprehensive Hate Crime Prevention", "2025-12-18", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, DC] \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) wrote the Chair and Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and the Chairs and Ranking Members of its Subcommittees on Homeland Security and Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies calling for a dramatic increase in resources for programs that combat hate-based violence through security and prevention.\n\n\u201cOver the weekend, the global Jewish community was devastated by the horrifying terrorist attack at a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach in Australia. This terrible tragedy is sadly not an anomaly and reflects a worldwide rise in antisemitism, extremist ideology, and hate-based violence,\u201d Blumenthal wrote.\n\n\u201cThat is why I urge you to show the Senate\u2019s commitment to protecting our religious institutions and minority communities by dramatically increasing resources for programs that combat hate-based violence through security and prevention, including by appropriating no less than $1 billion to the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP), making significant investments to the Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act (NO HATE Act), and reestablishing and fully funding the Department of Justice\u2019s (DOJ) Community Relations Service (CRS).\u201d\n\nThe full text of today\u2019s letter is copied below.\n\nDear Chair Collins, Vice Chair Murray, Chair Britt, Ranking Member Murphy, Chair Moran, and Ranking Member Van Hollen,\n\nOver the weekend, the global Jewish community was devastated by the horrifying terrorist attack at a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach in Australia. This terrible tragedy is sadly not an anomaly and reflects a worldwide rise in antisemitism, extremist ideology, and hate-based violence. As you are all aware, hate crimes remain at unconscionable levels here in the United States as well. In August, the Federal Bureau of Investigation released data for 2024 showing that nearly 14,000 people were victims of a hate crime.\n\nThat is why I urge you to show the Senate\u2019s commitment to protecting our religious institutions and minority communities by dramatically increasing resources for programs that combat hate-based violence through security and prevention, including by appropriating no less than $1 billion to the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP), making significant investments to the Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act (NO HATE Act), and reestablishing and fully funding the Department of Justice\u2019s (DOJ) Community Relations Service (CRS).\n\nHouses of worship and religious and other non-profit institutions are targeted by perpetrators with disturbing frequency, which is why we must do everything in our power \u2013 including additional funding for NSGP \u2013 to protect these institutions and the members of their communities from violence, harassment, vandalism, and discrimination. Physical security enhancements, training and additional staff are of the utmost importance in that protection. The NSGP, administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, provides for physical security enhancements and other activities to non-profit organizations at high risk of terrorist attack. The assistance provided by the NSGP directly helps local institutions in Connecticut and around the country. Earlier this year, I hosted a roundtable with advocates and faith leaders from the state of Connecticut to discuss the NSGP. During this event, Muslim and Jewish faith leaders shared the hate crimes they experienced and how this program has supported physical security investments. I also heard from other organizations within the community at risk of hate crimes about how their organizations or their members have benefited from the security enhancements provided by the NSGP.\n\nBut it is not enough to physically fortify houses of worship and other facilities against hate, we must also invest in law enforcement efforts to prevent these crimes from happening and expand assistance and resources for victims. In 2021, the NO HATE Act, a bill I championed with Senator Jerry Moran, was signed into law. The NO HATE Act promotes better hate crimes data collection and a more informed approach to hate crime prevention at the federal, state, and local levels. Critically, the legislation provides support to law enforcement agencies that: establish a policy on identifying, investigating and reporting hate crimes; train officers on how to identify hate crimes; collect hate crimes data; establish a hate crimes unit within their agencies; and engage in community relations to address hate crimes in their jurisdictions.\n\nWe also know that local communities are integral in peacebuilding amongst citizens and tampering hate. To best support them, I also urge you to support reconstituting DOJ\u2019s CRS, which was established by law as part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. For more than sixty years, CRS provided mediation services to help communities heal after attacks on houses of worship and hate crimes, and peacebuilding to prevent future violence. CRS mediators were deployed to Selma after Bloody Sunday; to South Dakota when members of the American Indian Movement occupied the village of Wounded Knee; to Skokie following the Nazi march; and to communities across America experiencing less high-profile, but no less impactful, incidents of conflict or violence.\n\nThank you for your attention to this letter. I look forward to working with you to ensure Congress continues to robustly support and fund programs that combat hate-based violence.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-schumer-and-colleagues-call-on-independent-watchdog-to-investigate-impact-of-republicans-health-care-cutting-agenda-on-veterans_their-families", "Blumenthal, Schumer & Colleagues Call on Independent Watchdog to Investigate Impact of Republicans' Health Care-Cutting Agenda on Veterans & their Families", "2025-12-18", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, D.C.] \u2013 Senate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) today led a group of 26 of their colleagues in a letter calling on the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate the impact Republicans\u2019 health care-cutting agenda will have on veterans and their families.\n\nThis follows Senate Republicans\u2019 failure last week to join Democrats in extending Affordable Care Act (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits, which 267,000 veterans rely on to afford health care. Coupled with Medicare and Medicaid cuts \u2013 which go into effect next year \u2013 Americans, including millions of veterans and veteran family members, are bracing for higher costs and a looming health care crisis.\n\n\u201cThe 2025 budget reconciliation bill, Public Law 119-21, or the \u2018One Big Beautiful Bill Act\u2019 (BBB), will reduce access to essential health care and supportive services for millions of Americans, including veterans and their families. Compounded with expiring enhanced premium tax credits for Affordable Care Act (ACA) health plans established by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and extended by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, veterans are facing a life-threatening reduction in access to health care and other essential benefits. These reductions in access to private health insurance, Medicaid, and funding for community health services will result in more veterans relying more heavily on their Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care and benefits,\u201d the Senators wrote.\n\n1.6 million veterans and four million family members of veterans utilize Medicaid or the Children\u2019s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and are at risk of losing Medicaid or CHIP coverage because of the \u201cOne Big Beautiful Bill.\u201d One in ten veterans under the age of 65 relies on Medicaid, and forty percent of these veterans rely on Medicaid as their sole coverage. In addition, recent analysis found 267,000 veterans who rely on ACA enhanced premium tax credits will no longer be able to afford ACA marketplace coverage if these credits are not extended. Veterans who benefit from ACA tax credits are largely not eligible for Medicaid, TRICARE, or Medicare, or who are not eligible to get some or all of their health care through VA.\n\nThe Senators emphasized their concerns with these widespread health care cuts amid the Trump Administration\u2019s ongoing efforts to shrink VA: \u201cBecause of the recent catastrophic, unnecessary cuts to VA\u2019s workforce and resources since January 20, 2025, we are deeply concerned about the Department\u2019s capability to support this potential spike in utilization. We write to request you review how these widespread cuts to health care access for all Americans will also impact veterans and their families and to what extent VA will be able to support an influx of veterans relying on the Department for health care more than ever before.\u201d\n\nRecent reporting exposed the Trump Administration\u2019s plan to eliminate as many as 35,000 health care jobs at VA this month, including unfilled positions for doctors, nurses, and support staff. In addition, VA already lost more than 30,000 employees between January and September of this year as a result of President Trump and VA Secretary Collins\u2019 hiring freeze, deferred resignations, early retirements, and the significant number of VA staff who have quit due to Trump and Collins\u2019 draconian workforce policies.\n\nBlumenthal and Schumer\u2019s letter was joined by U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Luj\u00e1n (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Patty Murray (D-WA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).\n\nThe full text of the lawmakers\u2019 letter is available here and below.\n\nDear Mr. Dodaro:\n\nThe 2025 budget reconciliation bill, Public Law 119-21, or the \u201cOne Big Beautiful Bill Act\u201d (BBB), will reduce access to essential health care and supportive services for millions of Americans, including veterans and their families. Compounded with expiring enhanced premium tax credits for Affordable Care Act (ACA) health plans established by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and extended by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, veterans are facing a life-threatening reduction in access to health care and other essential benefits. These reductions in access to private health insurance, Medicaid, and funding for community health services will result in more veterans relying more heavily on their Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care and benefits. Because of the recent catastrophic, unnecessary cuts to VA\u2019s workforce and resources since January 20, 2025, we are deeply concerned about the Department\u2019s capability to support this potential spike in utilization. We write to request you review how these widespread cuts to health care access for all Americans will also impact veterans, and their families and to what extent VA will be able to support an influx of veterans relying on the Department for health care more than ever before.\n\nUp to 5.6 million veterans and their family members rely on Medicaid or the Children\u2019s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and are at risk of losing coverage as a result of funding cuts and further restrictions on eligibility enacted in the BBB. Nearly one in ten veterans under 65 rely on Medicaid, with forty percent of those veterans relying on Medicaid as their sole coverage \u2013 often due to ineligibility for Medicare or VA health care. Medicaid helps ensure regular access to care for veterans and their families, especially those who have diverse heath care needs or require care with high out-of-pocket costs, both of which can pose a barrier to care. Regardless of VA\u2019s capacity to absorb these veterans that may now need to rely on the Department for more of their care, many of them are ineligible or were using Medicaid as a supplement because the Department couldn\u2019t provide access to the care they required.\n\nThe 140,000 women veterans currently utilizing Medicaid will be particularly impacted by the cuts to this program. This includes nearly one in nine women veterans nationwide and more than one in five women veterans with disabilities, nearly one in seven rural women veterans, and 12.4 percent (54,000) of women veterans who are mothers. Nearly four in ten women veterans rely solely on Medicaid for their health care coverage. For those who are ineligible for Medicare or VA health care, the cuts made in the BBB will likely leave them uninsured resulting in high vulnerability to medical debt or being barred from accessing care altogether.\n\nThe Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) was also severely harmed by the BBB. Currently, 1.2 million veteran households rely on SNAP benefits. The sixty-three percent of veterans on SNAP who are under 65 will be newly subject to so-called work requirements to maintain access to SNAP. Exemptions from these punishing requirements for disabling conditions are not clearly defined in the BBB, leaving uncertainty regarding whether veterans with disabilities limiting their ability to sustain regular employment will have the requirement waived. For example, a veteran with a traumatic brain injury or severe post-traumatic stress disorder \u2013 both conditions more common in veterans than non-veterans and which often require more complex accommodations \u2013 may not be exempt despite being unable to maintain the focus or manage the stressors required by many employers. Because of these changes, many veteran households will experience reduced access to SNAP and, therefore, because there is no equivalent alternative service available through VA or any other federal program, their main source of food.\n\nLike the harmful and ineffectual work reporting requirements added to SNAP, the BBB also added these so-called work requirements for certain adults, including veterans, to access Medicaid. The BBB mandates Medicaid enrollees aged 19-64 who are covered through the ACA\u2019s Medicaid expansion must engage in employment, education, a work program, or community service to maintain their Medicaid eligibility. This requirement cannot be waived. Though there are exemptions allowed for certain individuals, including disabled veterans \u2013 defined as veterans with a disability rated as total under section 1155 of Title 38, United States Code \u2013 and caregivers of children thirteen years of age and under or disabled individuals, the gray areas of life and disabilities often do not align with these black and white requirements. Applying for or updating veteran disability ratings or caregiver status is already a significant challenge and can take years to establish, which, under these new bureaucratic requirements, could leave veterans or their loved ones without health care.\n\nEven veterans who will not lose their coverage due to these Medicaid cuts may no longer be able to access health care because of their reliance on ACA premium tax credits. Since the ACA coverage provisions took effect, the number of uninsured, non-elderly veterans has decreased by more than one-third, from 9.6 percent to 5.9 percent. As Congress expanded the premium tax credits starting in 2021, the ACA marketplace enrollment more than doubled by 2025. However, these enhanced premium tax credits are set to expire at the end of this year, and without them many veterans will be forced to withdraw from their health care coverage because they can no longer afford it. This may increase their reliance on VA for their care if they\u2019re eligible, but many veterans who are ineligible for VA care and benefits will lose access to health care entirely. Furthermore, VA\u2019s actuarial firm has indicated that for every one percent of increased reliance on the Department for care, VA can expect its costs to increase by $2.6 billion \u2013 a cost unaccounted for in the BBB or VA\u2019s budget request for fiscal year 2026, when these changes will start to take effect.\n\nIt is critical for Congress, VA, and, most importantly, veteran households to understand how these recent changes will impact their access to essential health care and nutrition services. With a better understanding of these impacts, Congress and the veteran community can better advocate for swift and effective changes to mitigate the truly catastrophic future created by the BBB. To that end, we request you conduct a review of the potential and actual impacts of this bill and the expiration of the enhanced ACA tax credits on veterans and their families.\n\nTo expedite access to this data and improve Congress\u2019 ability to act proactively, we request an initial review and estimation of potential harmful impacts based on current utilization, followed by a subsequent review of the actual impacts to veterans as they unfold from 2026-2028. To the extent practicable, please disaggregate your findings by age, gender, household size, employment status, average income, and any other categories you deem appropriate. In particular, we request you address the following questions as they pertain to veterans and their families, to the extent data are available:\n\nHow many utilize SNAP or Medicaid and are impacted by the BBB?\n\nHow many will lose access to affordable health care or health care altogether due to expiration of ACA enhanced premium tax credits?\n\nHow many are subject to work reporting requirements set for Medicaid? How many are eligible for exceptions to those requirements?\n\nHow many are subject to work reporting requirements set for SNAP? How many are eligible for exceptions to those requirements?\n\nHow many veterans impacted by changes to SNAP, Medicaid, and ACA enhanced premium tax credits are currently, have recently, or are at risk of experiencing homelessness?\n\nWe look forward to working with you to conduct oversight on this important issue. If you have any questions about this request, please have your staff contact the office of the Senate Committee on Veterans\u2019 Affairs, Minority Staff.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-schiff-introduce-bill-to-keep-border-patrol-agents-at-our-borders-and-out-of-our-cities", "Murphy, Schiff Introduce Bill To Keep Border Patrol Agents At Our Borders And Out Of Our Cities", "2025-12-18", "2025", "2025-12", "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 Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) today introduced the Keeping Our Agents On The Line Act, a bill to improve border security by ensuring that Border Patrol Agents are not diverted from their work at U.S. borders and reassigned to operations deep in the American interior.\n\nOver the last year, Border Patrol Agents have repeatedly been deployed for complex immigration enforcement operations in American cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago, New Orleans, Minneapolis and Charlotte. Several of these missions were hundreds of miles away from any land border, and far outside the \u201creasonable distance\u201d border patrol enforcement zone enshrined in law. However, Border Patrol Agents do not have the training to conduct complex civil immigration investigations in the U.S. interior, which ordinarily are handled by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Predictably, untrained border patrol agents have been severely disruptive in the communities they\u2019ve been deployed to, harassing US citizens in their homes and workplaces, violently arresting local activists, and refusing to communicate with local law enforcement. Despite pleas from state governors, mayors, and business leaders to take Border Patrol Agents out of their cities, the Trump Administration has vowed to continue these missions and offered little clarity about their scope or duration.\n\n\u201cBorder Patrol has no business conducting regular operations hundreds of miles away from the border,\u201d said Murphy. \u201cTrump\u2019s obsession with ripping families apart and militarizing our cities has resulted in untrained agents wreaking havoc in American communities and a border that\u2019s less secure. Our bill frees border patrol agents to do the important jobs they were actually trained to do: working at or near the border line to keep our country safe.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe administration has continued to engage in indiscriminate and large-scale immigration raids \u2014 fomenting fear in our communities. In California, the administration has targeted citizens, noncitizens, and children while conducting raids far from any external border. These actions have torn apart families and adversely impacted the workforce of important industries, including agriculture. I am proud to join Senator Murphy in limiting the Border Patrol agents\u2019 jurisdiction within a reasonable boundary from our external land and sea borders, and to missions for which they are properly trained,\u201d said Schiff.\n\nThe Keeping Our Agents On The Line Act would:\n\nClarify the zone of Border Patrol operation does not exceed 25 land miles (consistent with the existing statute);\n\nRecognize the critical work of the Border Patrol in emergencies such as the Uvalde school shooting, by providing exceptions to the Border Patrol zone where lives are in immediate or imminent danger;\n\nProhibit delegations of authority to the Border Patrol to ensure that agents can remain focused on their primary mission of ensuring a secure border; and\n\nProvide transparency in the form of public reports on data about various training and interactions with United States citizens and others.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-applauds-final-passage-of-national-defense-authorization-bill-with-wins-for-connecticut", "Blumenthal Applauds Final Passage of National Defense Authorization Bill with Wins for Connecticut", "2025-12-17", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, D.C.] \u2013 U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) welcomed Senate passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026. As a member of the Armed Services Committee, Blumenthal championed a number of provisions in the NDAA that promote U.S. national security objectives and bolster Connecticut\u2019s defense industrial base and its workforce, all while improving support for servicemembers across the Department of Defense (DOD). The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 77-20. An executive summary of the bill can be found here.\n\n\u201cThis defense bill prioritizes our national defense with investments in weapons and pay increases for servicemembers\u2014while recognizing Connecticut\u2019s critical role and workforce. The major, historic investments include producing submarines, joint strike fighters and helicopters, and other high tech platforms. Technological advancements and modernization bolster our state\u2019s world-class manufacturing base. I am proud to advocate for the workers dedicated to defending our nation. With this legislation, we ensure that our military has the resources, technology, and support needed to protect our country,\u201d said Blumenthal.\n\nAs a member of the Committee tasked with crafting the NDAA for Fiscal Year 2026, Blumenthal successfully advocated for the inclusion of several provisions that promote our national security interests and defense goals while also investing in Connecticut-based manufacturers and suppliers of vital national security assets, including:\n\nSupporting the Connecticut Defense Industrial Base: Blumenthal championed provisions that bolster Connecticut\u2019s submarine and aircraft industries, sustaining these key businesses whose products uphold a vital segment of Connecticut\u2019s economy and provide the nation with an asymmetric advantage. Blumenthal delivered provisions that:\n\nProvide $2.016 billion to fund one Virginia Class submarine;\n\nProvide $3.9 billion to support construction of a Columbia Class ballistic missile submarine;\n\nProvide $5 billion to support advanced procurement of the Columbia class program, the Navy\u2019s top acquisitions priority;\n\nAuthorize procurement for not more than five Columbia-class submarines;\n\nProvide $732 million to support multiyear procurement for UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters;\n\nProvide $1.7 billion to support procurement of Sikorsky\u2019s CH-53K heavy-lift air frames;\n\nProvide $107 million to support the HH-60W Jolly Green II program;\n\nAuthorize procurement of 34 F-35A aircraft;\n\nProvide $74.2 million in military construction funding at Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Connecticut, to modernize Submarine Pier 8 and construct a new weapons magazine and ordnance operations facility\u2014strengthening submarine readiness and the regional maritime industrial base.\n\nRedoubling Support to Key Partners and Allies: In upholding agreements to help our nation\u2019s allies defend against unwarranted aggression and terror, Blumenthal delivered provisions that:\n\nExtend the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) through 2028 and increase authorized funding to $400 million;\n\nRequire independent risk assessment prior to any reduction in U.S. military force posture in Europe or relinquishment of U.S. command of the Supreme Allied Commander Europe to evaluate the impact on U.S. and NATO interests;\n\nRequire the Secretary of Defense to continue to provide intelligence support, including information, intelligence, and imagery collection to the Government of Ukraine;\n\nDirect DOD to work with Ukraine to develop a depot-level maintenance plan to ensure that western-transferred military equipment can be sustained;\n\nAuthorize the procurement of the Iron Dome short-range rocket defense system, David\u2019s Sling Weapon System, and Arrow 3 Upper Tier Interceptor Program;\n\nAuthorize increased funding for United States-Israel cooperation to counter unmanned aerial systems;\n\nProhibit a reduction in U.S. military posture on the Korean Peninsula or a change in wartime operational control over the Combined Forces Command until the Secretary of Defense certifies to Congress that such action is in the national interest; further direct the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and the Commanders of Indo-Pacific Command and U.S. Forces Korea to conduct an independent risk assessment of any such changes.\n\nDirect U.S. intelligence agencies to expose the People\u2019s Republic of China\u2019s purchases of Iranian oil and support for Iran\u2019s ballistic missile program, and require the Treasury Department to assess whether these activities warrant U.S. sanctions.\n\nSupporting Servicemembers and their Families: In recognition of the sacrifice of both servicemembers and their families and their essential contributions to our nation\u2019 safety and security, Blumenthal championed provisions that:\n\nAuthorize funding to support a 3.8 percent pay raise for military members;\n\nRequire a briefing on DOD\u2019s implementation of the self-initiated referral process for mental health care;\n\nDirect a study on the impact of behavioral and mental health staffing shortfalls at military medical treatment facilities;\n\nRequire DOD to publish how housing allowances are calculated, what housing types are covered, and to pilot a new calculation method based on rental costs by bedroom size;\n\nRequire the Secretary of Defense, acting through the Director of the Department of Defense Education Activity (DODEA), to improve staffing of special education teachers and staff, and improve special education offerings at DODEA schools.\n\nBuilding the Force of the Future: Blumenthal fought for provisions that promote innovation and modernize key technologies in our nation\u2019s arsenal of defense. Such provisions:\n\nRequire United States Cyber Command to develop a roadmap for industry and academic collaboration to build artificial intelligence-enabled cyber tools and technologies;\n\nRequire DOD to develop a roadmap for the small, unmanned aircraft system (sUAS) industrial base to support existing sUAS programs.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-applauds-reforms-included-in-ndaa-to-support-sexual-assault-survivors-in-the-coast-guard", "Blumenthal Applauds Reforms Included in NDAA to Support Sexual Assault Survivors in the Coast Guard", "2025-12-17", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, D.C.] \u2013 U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Ranking Member of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, applauded Senate passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026, which includes several provisions Blumenthal championed to support sexual assault survivors within the Coast Guard.\n\n\u201cI am proud of the significant reforms in this bill that will help protect current cadets and Coasties from the kind of harrassment, abuse, and retaliation uncovered by my investigation,\u201d Blumenthal said. \u201cThere is still significantly more work that needs to be done to combat the Coast Guard\u2019s culture of coverup, but these provisions are an important first step.\u201d\n\nIn September 2023, as then-Chair of PSI, Blumenthal initiated an inquiry into the Coast Guard\u2019s failure to disclose Operation Fouled Anchor, an internal Coast Guard investigation into the decades-long systemic mishandling of sexual misconduct at the Coast Guard Academy. The NDAA includes numerous provisions requested by Blumenthal to protect survivors of misconduct and hold accountable perpetrators of sexual misconduct and those who enabled them, including:\n\nRequiring the Coast Guard to maintain, for at least 50 years, evidence of sexual misconduct and sexual assault reporting forms, as well as affirming survivors\u2019 rights to access records related to their investigations;\n\nRequiring a record of a complaint of misconduct to be placed in the non-restricted record of any service member who was convicted by courts martial, punished administratively, or a recipient of non-judicial punishment for the misconduct, regardless of grade;\n\nPermits a Board of Review to review and downgrade the discharge status of anyone who was found by clear and convincing evidence to have committed sexual assault or harassment while on active duty;\n\nPermits reopening of retired grade determinations for members who knew of and failed to report misconduct in their command or who failed to carry out applicable law; and\n\nRequires the Coast Guard to annually report instances of misconduct at the Academy and detail plans to reduce and prevent such misconduct for the next year.\n\nBlumenthal also supported provisions to improve the Coast Guard Academy, including:\n\nRequiring the door to each cadet room to be equipped with a functioning electronic door lock to prevent unauthorized access, and\n\nEstablishing concurrent jurisdiction with the state of Connecticut over the full Academy grounds, ensuring survivors of sexual assault and harassment have access to the civilian justice system.\n\nBlumenthal also led the Coast Guard Academy Safe-to-Report Act, provisions of which were included in the final NDAA. This legislation will protect survivors of sexual assault at the Coast Guard Academy and throughout the service, requiring Coast Guard to implement a safe-to-report policy to protect servicemembers and cadets from punishment for minor infractions of the Uniform Code of Military Justice when reporting incidents of sexual assault.\n\nBackground on the PSI Investigation into the\n\nCoast Guard\u2019s Sexual Misconduct Coverup\n\nIn September 2023, under Blumenthal\u2019s leadership, PSI opened a bipartisan inquiry into the Coast Guard\u2019s internal review of sexual assault and harassment cases that occurred between 1990 and 2006, which was called Operation Fouled Anchor. The Subcommittee\u2019s inquiry focused on the Coast Guard\u2019s original mishandling of these cases and the Coast Guard\u2019s failure to reveal the conclusion of Operation Fouled Anchor, and its associated report, to Congress and the public. The Subcommittee also examined the ways in which the Coast Guard currently handles reports of sexual assault and harassment. The full text of the Senators\u2019 initial letter to the Coast Guard is available here.\n\nIn December 2023, the Subcommittee held a hearing in which four current and former Coast Guard Academy cadets testified about the Coast Guard\u2019s mishandling of their cases. Video of the Subcommittee\u2019s hearing in December featuring testimony from survivors can be viewed here.\n\nIn February 2024, the Subcommittee released additional documents showing that the Coast Guard was concerned that, should Operation Fouled Anchor be made public, it would \u201crisk the initiation of comprehensive Congressional investigations, hearings, and media interest\u201d and that \u201c[t]he rates of sexual assault reporting have not appreciably changed, calling into question impact of Coast Guard actions taken over the past decade to change CGA climate/etc.\u201d Handwritten notes on one document, which according to the Coast Guard were made by then-Vice Commandant Admiral Charles Ray, state, \u201cProblem is one of the past... .\u201d\n\nIn June 2024, Admiral Linda Fagan, then-Commandant of the Coast Guard, testified before PSI. The Subcommittee\u2019s hearing invitation to Admiral Linda Fagan is available here, and the video of Admiral Fagan\u2019s testimony in June 2024 is available here.\n\nIn August 2024, Blumenthal released a majority staff report highlighting firsthand accounts of Coast Guard enlisted personnel, officers, and Coast Guard Academy cadets who have experienced sexual assault, harassment, and other forms of misconduct ahead of a field hearing in New London, Connecticut, featuring testimony from two current and three former members of the Coast Guard. The majority staff report highlighting the testimony of survivors of sexual assault and harassment in the Coast Guard is available here.\n\nIn December 2024, Blumenthal released a bipartisan interim staff report on the inquiry into the Coast Guard\u2019s efforts to conceal the investigation into mishandled cases of sexual assault and harassment at the Coast Guard Academy. The report, Coast Guard Efforts to Conceal the Operation Fouled Anchor Investigation from Congress and the Public, includes several newly released documents, among which is an email explaining that then-Commandant Admiral Schultz chose not to affirmatively disclose Operation Fouled Anchor to either Congress or the public based on the continuing nature of the investigation.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-ross-lead-bicameral-legislation-to-shine-light-on-supreme-court-shadow-docket-decisions", "Blumenthal, Ross Lead Bicameral Legislation to Shine Light on Supreme Court Shadow Docket Decisions", "2025-12-17", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, D.C.] \u2013 U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and U.S. Representative Deborah Ross (D-NC) introduced bicameral legislation establishing transparency in decisions on the Supreme Court\u2019s emergency docket, also known as the \u201cshadow docket.\u201d The Shadow Docket Sunlight Act requires the Supreme Court to provide a written explanation for shadow docket decisions and a vote count detailing how each Justice voted on the decision, promoting public understanding and consistency in judicial decision making.\n\nThe Supreme Court has increasingly relied on the shadow docket\u2014making decisions on short notice without oral argument or any legal explanation of the Court\u2019s reasoning. The Court has utilized the shadow docket to make decisions on a number of wide-ranging, highly consequential cases, including the September 8, 2025 decision in Noem v. Vasquez Perdomo. The decision allows ICE agents to stop and arrest individuals based on their appearance, the language they speak, where they live, and what they do for work.\n\n\u201cThe shadow docket decision in Noem v. Vasquez Perdomo, a highly chilling legal landmark, condones racial profiling in Trump\u2019s immigration enforcement. Shockingly, this very significant ruling was issued without any public argument or majority opinion. The Shadow Docket Sunlight Act shines light on the Supreme Court\u2019s emergency docket rulings, like Vazquez Perdomo, and requires the Supreme Court to be accountable and explain its rulings. Americans deserve clarity from the nation\u2019s highest Court\u2014especially as the Court increasingly uses the shadow docket to issue far-reaching consequential decisions. Recent shadow docket decisions demonstrate the dire need for our legislation\u2019s enforceable guidelines that hold the Court accountable,\u201d said Blumenthal.\n\n\u201cThe conservative majority on the Supreme Court continues to issue harmful, backwards decisions through the shadow docket, often offering no explanation of their reasoning or how the justices voted,\u201d said Ross. \u201cFrom allowing DOGE to access sensitive data to permitting the illegal mass firings of federal employees, the Supreme Court has used the shadow docket to hand down major decisions that impact millions of Americans\u2019 daily lives. This important legislation will require the Court to operate with the transparency that the American people deserve.\u201d\n\nThe Shadow Docket Sunlight Act is cosponsored in the Senate by U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Tina Smith (D-MN), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR). The legislation is cosponsored in the House of Representatives by U.S. Representatives Jamie Raskin (D-MD) and Hank Johnson (D-GA).\n\nThe legislation is endorsed by a number of organizations including the National Women\u2019s Law Center, Fix the Court, People for the American Way, Court Accountability Action, and Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW).\n\n\"Justice Barrett said in September that the Court's shadow docket orders are 'not the final resolution [...], just an interim call.' But tell that to the men and women the Trump administration has deported, fired or pulled funding from thanks to these 'interim' rulings. Despite countless threats to their safety and immense pressure to work quickly, lower court judges are writing well-reasoned opinions on fast-developing issues in record time; that the justices can't do the same is disrespectful to their fellow jurists and to the rule of law. Thankfully, Sen. Blumenthal has crafted legislation that puts a greater onus on SCOTUS to do that very work and make the shadow docket less shadowy,\" said Fix the Court executive director Gabe Roth.\n\n\u201cAs the public's trust in the Supreme Court remains near historic lows, the justices must become more\u2014not less\u2014transparent. But the marked increase in the Supreme Court's shadow docket rulings last term further shielded the court's decision making from the public eye,\u201d said Debra Perlin, Vice President for Policy at CREW. \u201cAmericans deserve to understand how and why court decisions are made, and we applaud Sen. Blumenthal for introducing the Shadow Docket Sunlight Act to advance transparency and accountability in our nation's highest court. We urge the Senate to swiftly consider and pass this important legislation.\u201d\n\nThe text of the bill can be found here.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/icymi-video-blumenthal-and-education-leaders-discuss-how-veterans-are-harmed-by-the-trump-administrations-dismantling-of-department-of-education", "ICYMI Video: Blumenthal & Education Leaders Discuss How Veterans are Harmed by the Trump Administration's Dismantling of Department of Education", "2025-12-17", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, D.C.] \u2013 In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) spoke at a spotlight forum on the Trump Administration\u2019s dangerous effort to dismantle the Department of Education, highlighting how efforts negatively impact our nation\u2019s veterans. At the forum, Blumenthal spoke with Rachel Gittleman, President of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 252, and Amy Loyd, CEO of All4Ed, about how veterans are struggling to access critical resources to help them assimilate to civilian life through education and skills training.\n\n\u201cI want to talk about an area of interest to me as the Ranking Member on the Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee, and I'd like you to tell me how the dismantling of the Department of Education has affected veterans,\u201d asked Blumenthal.\n\n\u201cTwo of the many programs that I helped administer were the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program and the Total and Permanent Disability Discharge Program. Both of those programs disproportionately benefit and help veterans, many of whom are saddled with student debt,\u201d said Gittleman. \u201cAnd my office, like so many other offices in federal student aid, was completely gutted, leaving no one to help answer the phones, no one to help access the incredibly complicated and convoluted system that is these discharge programs.\u201d\n\n\u201cIn our nation, we're moving towards a skills-based economy. This is so important for veterans transitioning into the world of being a civilian. How do they translate their incredible skills that they have earned through their hard work and dedication to our nation into ways that they can prove their skills and practice through economic opportunities so that they can raise their families, have lives of choice,\u201d said Loyd. \u201cBut in this moment of fiscal uncertainty and the bait-and-switch and the instability and chaos that this Administration is engendering in the education world, states are now walking back and being very cautious and investing in innovation. I worry about the implications of how our veterans may not be able to meaningfully translate their skills into practice in ways that they should be able to powerfully, simply because we're in a moment of uncertainty that's leading to a lot of fear in the education system.\u201d\n\nA video of Blumenthal\u2019s interaction with Gittleman and Loyd at the forum can be found here, and a transcript is below.\n\nU.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT): Thank you all for being here, and thank you to Senator Hirono for bringing us together. You know, I think you should know that not only do we appreciate your being here, but your testimony is actually reaching more people than an official hearing would. That's been our experience with these spotlight hearings, because livestream enables us to get this hearing out to people, and for whatever reason, I think it's because of the topics, people are really interested in this stuff, and no more so on any other topic than education.\n\nI want to talk about an area of interest to me as the Ranking Member on the Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee, and I'd like you to tell me how the dismantling of the Department of Education has affected veterans. You know, people think, oh, veterans is just veterans programs. It's just VA health care. It's just, you know, the Veterans Service Organization, like the Veterans of Foreign Wars, they're in a world of their own. But in fact, veterans are affected by SNAP cutbacks. They're affected by health care insurance cutbacks. They're affected by everything that affects everyone else. In fact, in many instances, more so. And the reason\u2014part of the reason\u2014I'm asking about veterans is because this Administration talks a lot about veterans. And this Secretary of Education\u2014as I know personally because she's from Connecticut. We know her well, I know her particularly well, as she was an opponent of mine in my first Senate election\u2014seems to care a lot about veterans. Well, in reality, not so much. So I'm going to turn the floor over to you, in no particular order, just to talk about maybe the impacts of dismantling the Department of Education on our nation's veterans.\n\nRachel Gittleman: Thank you. Senator. My name is Rachel Gittleman. I used to work at the Department of Education in the Ombudsman's office in federal student aid until I was unlawfully fired in March. And one of the many programs that I helped administer, or two of the many programs that I helped administer, were the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program and the Total and Permanent Disability Discharge Program. Both of those programs disproportionately benefit and help veterans, many of whom are saddled with student debt. Because the GI Bill has not kept up with the cost of college, as college has increased exorbitantly throughout the years. And my office, like so many other offices in federal student aid, was completely gutted, leaving no one to help answer the phones, no one to help access the incredibly complicated and convoluted system that is these discharge programs. Right? And it leaves those people who are most vulnerable, who need the most amount of help to actually get these discharge programs without anyone to answer the phone. And in fact, under the last Administration, federal student aid had already outsourced as much as they possibly could to contractors before this gutting. Right? So the programs were already being taped together by duct tape. Right? And then they fired the staff that was responsible for oversight, for administration, for assisting borrowers to the detriment of our veterans, our teachers, our public servants. Thanks.\n\nBlumenthal: Great point. Thank you.\n\nAmy Loyd: And if I may chime in, please, Senator, theoretically, in our nation, we're moving towards a skills based economy, right? We should hire people and value people for what they know and what they're able to do. This is so important for veterans transitioning into the world of being a civilian. How do they translate their incredible skills that they have earned through their hard work and dedication to our nation into ways that they can prove their skills and practice through economic opportunities so that they can raise their families, have lives of choice. And so I think about our veterans, and the reality is that our employers and our nation do not have the Rosetta Stone to magically translate from skills to credentials. Credentials and degrees are still the best proxies that we have in our nation to show that people are skilled. Higher education is increasingly moving to credit for prior learning, credit for prior experiences. States are thinking about innovative ways to honor the skills and experiences and credentials that our veterans bring. But in this moment of fiscal uncertainty and the bait and switch and the instability and chaos that this Administration is engendering in the education world, states are now walking back and being very cautious and investing in innovation, in being bold and thinking about how they're supporting learners of all walks of life to really thrive in our schools and our institutions of higher education and in our workplaces. And so I worry about the implications of how our veterans may not be able to meaningfully translate their skills into practice in ways that they should be able to powerfully, simply because we're in a moment of uncertainty that's leading to a lot of fear in the education system, of trying new ways of doing things.\n\nBlumenthal: Great point. You know, I'm reminded of the fact, Ms. Gittleman, that a lot of veterans have been let go. They've been fired. One third of everyone who works at the VA is a veteran, and they have fired literally 30,000 people. They were going to fire 83,000, but we pushed back. So a lot of the veterans, perhaps not surprisingly, go into public service, and they need loan forgiveness. The GI bill\u2014as I know from two sons who were in the service and have used the GI bill and have looked to their parents from time to time for a little bit of help\u2014the GI bill is great, but it doesn't cover everything, and the impacts of failing to provide sufficiently for skill training, career and technical education, goes to another point which is transferring these programs from the Department of Education to the Department of Labor, which actually, I'm sure someone has said this already, costs an additional $262,000 in FY25 and $807,000 in FY26. The most common point I hear from businesses, big and small, around the state of Connecticut is I can't find skilled people to fill these jobs. I can't find people with the right training to fill open positions. And, you know, it should be the job of the Department of Education to do this educating. So I'm glad that you raised that point.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-demands-noem-rescind-heinous-policy-on-hate-symbols", "Blumenthal Demands Noem Rescind \"Heinous Policy\" on Hate Symbols", "2025-12-16", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, D.C.] \u2013 Today, following reporting that the U.S. Coast Guard has allowed a new policy to take effect that no longer prohibits nor classifies swastikas and nooses as hate symbols, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) wrote Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem demanding that she \u201crevoke this policy and make it clear to the brave men and women serving in the Coast Guard that hate has no place in the service.\u201d\n\nIn a letter sent this evening following the Washington Post\u2019s reporting that the Coast Guard has newly defined swastikas and nooses as just \u201cpotentially divisive,\u201d Blumenthal wrote to Noem: \u201cGranting hate symbols like swastikas and nooses even an ounce of respectability is absolutely an anathema. This edict besmirches the Coast Guard\u2019s honor, and DHS should be ashamed. At a time when antisemitic and racist violence are at unconscionable levels, it is absolutely appalling that DHS is doubling down on such a hateful, destructive policy.\u201d\n\nThe text of today\u2019s letter to Noem is available here and copied below.\n\nDear Secretary Noem,\n\nI am outraged by the Coast Guard\u2019s new policy tolerating hate symbols and demand that you rescind it immediately.\n\nOn November 20, 2025, reporting revealed that the Coast Guard would no longer classify swastikas and nooses as hate symbols.[1] Instead, those symbols would be treated as \u201cpotentially divisive\u201d under the new policy, potentially allowing for their display. After widespread outrage and condemnation \u2013 and only after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) dismissed the reporting as \u201cfake crap\u201d\u2013 the Coast Guard claimed to rescind this heinous policy the next day.[2] It is now clear that the Coast Guard had no intention of backing down, and today they quietly allowed this abhorrent policy to go into effect.[3]\n\nGranting hate symbols like swastikas and nooses even an ounce of respectability is absolutely an anathema. This edict besmirches the Coast Guard\u2019s honor, and DHS should be ashamed. At a time when antisemitic and racist violence are at unconscionable levels, it is absolutely appalling that DHS is doubling down on such a hateful, destructive policy.\n\nI urge you in unequivocal terms to revoke this policy and make it clear to the brave men and women serving in the Coast Guard that hate has no place in the service.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-tenney-cornyn-and-larson-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-protect-rights-of-residents-in-long-term-care-facilities", "Blumenthal, Tenney, Cornyn, & Larson Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Protect Rights of Residents in Long-Term Care Facilities", "2025-12-16", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, DC] \u2013 U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and U.S. Representative Claudia Tenney (R-NY) today introduced the Essential Caregivers Act, bipartisan legislation that reaffirms and enforces the right of all residents in long-term care facilities to have in-person access to a loved one, including when visitations are restricted due to a declared emergency. U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) and U.S. Representative John B. Larson (D-CT) joined Blumenthal and Tenney in introducing the Essential Caregivers Act.\n\nThe bipartisan bill seeks to prevent a repeat of the prolonged isolation and lack of care that long-term care residents suffered from during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the Essential Caregivers Act ensures that in any future emergency, at least one designated essential caregiver is able to access their loved ones in a manner consistent with all applicable health and safety protocols. The bill also requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to set clear and fair guidelines for essential caregivers to enter facilities during an emergency that protect the safety of facility staff and residents.\n\n\u201cThe Essential Caregivers Act ensures that the rights of residents in long-term care facilities are protected when a future public health crisis strikes,\u201d said Blumenthal. \u201cBy allowing at least one designated essential caregiver to have safe, in-person access to their loved ones during an emergency, our bipartisan legislation guarantees that residents in these facilities will never again have to face the isolation that far too many patients experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.\u201d\n\n\u201cDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, we experienced how dangerous and inhumane it is to isolate seniors and vulnerable patients from the people who care for them the most,\u201d said Tenney. \u201cFamilies were locked out, residents declined rapidly, and far too many suffered alone. The Essential Caregivers Act ensures that never happens again. Loved ones are not visitors. They are caregivers, advocates, and lifelines. This bipartisan legislation protects dignity, safeguards patient rights, and makes sure compassion and common sense guide our response during any future emergency.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe COVID-19 pandemic showed just how invaluable caregivers are to the physical and emotional wellbeing of long-term care facility residents and their families,\u201d said Cornyn. \u201cThis bill would ensure residents have consistent access to their loved ones or other designated caregivers, even during public health emergencies when regular visitation may be limited.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt is still heartbreaking to hear the stories of long-term care residents separated from their support systems during the COVID-19 pandemic,\u201d said Larson. \u201cFamily members are essential caregivers, providing support to their loved ones in ways that professionals cannot offer. Our bipartisan bill will guarantee responsible visiting access for those loved ones in any future public health emergency. We must never again allow the isolation that took place, harming patients and families. I am glad to join Senators Blumenthal and Cornyn, and Congresswoman Tenney to address this important issue. I urge all my colleagues to join us and pass the Essential Caregivers Act now.\u201d\n\nThe Essential Caregivers Act is endorsed by Caregivers for Compromise. Full text of the bill text is available here. A summary is available here.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-castro-bicameral-colleagues-introduce-bill-to-fight-illegal-weapons-trafficking-into-latin-america-and-the-caribbean", "Murphy, Kaine, Markey, Warren, And Durbin Introduce Bicameral Bill To Fight Illegal Weapons Trafficking Into Latin America And The Caribbean", "2025-12-16", "2025", "2025-12", "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 Tuesday led U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) in reintroducing the Americas Regional Monitoring of Arms Sales (ARMAS) Act to more effectively monitor and disrupt the trafficking of U.S. manufactured firearms throughout the Americas, which threatens domestic security and regional stability, puts American lives at risk, and hinders U.S. foreign policy goals in the Hemisphere. Companion legislation is being introduced in the House by U.S. Representative Joaquin Castro (D-Texas-20).\n\nPresently, the U.S. Department of Commerce is responsible for licensing and oversight of the sale of certain types of firearms and ammunition but does not have sufficient monitoring capability to make informed licensing decisions to keep American-made guns away from foreign bad actors. By transferring licensing and oversight power back to the U.S. Department of State, mandating an interagency strategy to track and verify the use of exported firearms, and giving Congress more oversight of export licensing, the ARMAS Act would significantly reduce the flow of U.S. firearms into Latin America and the Caribbean that drives violence and political instability throughout the region.\n\n\u201cEvery year, hundreds of thousands of American-made guns are illegally trafficked into Latin American countries. These guns are then used by cartels and gangs to commit violence and sow instability that has real consequences for us here at home. Our bill would overhaul the current system for approving firearms exports, increasing transparency and making it harder for dangerous people to get their hands on illegally trafficked guns,\u201d said Murphy.\n\n\u201cTo ensure the safety of Americans and the security and prosperity of our hemisphere, we must ramp up our ability to stop the illegal trafficking of firearms throughout the region. This legislation can help us do that, by taking steps to make it harder for U.S. small arms exports to fall into the wrong hands and fuel further violence caused by gangs and cartels,\u201d said Kaine, Chair of the SFRC Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere.\n\n\u201cGun control is not just a domestic problem\u2014it\u2019s international. Congress must address the role of U.S. gun exports in conflicts abroad. The ARMAS Act will strengthen oversight of American gun exports and build safer communities in Latin America and the Caribbean,\u201d said Markey.\n\n\u201cThe Trump administration can save lives and stop gang violence by limiting the export and trafficking of dangerous weapons, so there\u2019s no reason to delay these crucial policy changes. Our bill provides desperately needed oversight to keep Americans safe,\u201d said Warren.\n\n\u201cOur nation\u2019s weak gun laws have perpetuated the deadly cycle of firearms trafficking, allowing a steady stream of illicit guns into Latin America and the Caribbean. With the ARMAS Act, my colleagues and I are standing for stronger oversight of America\u2019s gun exports by requiring interagency strategies and disrupting illegal arms trafficking,\u201d said Durbin.\n\n\u201cOur country\u2019s broken gun laws have global consequences\u2014they have destabilized nations and fueled violence in the streets of Mexico, the Caribbean, and across the Western Hemisphere for decades. The ARMAS Act is a necessary step to curbing the flow of U.S. made weapons to Latin America and saving lives. The Trump administration\u2019s unregulated export regulations spread terror far beyond our own borders. It\u2019s time to stop this carnage and hold the State Department accountable for regulating gun exports,\u201d said Castro.\n\nBill Summary:\n\nThe bill requires the Secretary of Commerce to return authority over the export of previously covered items to the Department of State within 1 year of enaction and provides both Departments rulemaking authority to implement this directive. This section also limits the Department of Commerce\u2019s ability to promote the export of firearms after the transfer of its relevant authority.\n\nThe bill requires the Department of State, in consultation with the Department of Commerce, to produce a report and interagency strategy to Congress on efforts to track and verify end-user information of exported firearms, the identity of firearms, and other related performance objectives to disrupt the illegal export or diversion of firearms to covered countries.\n\nThe bill defines covered countries as the Bahamas, Belize, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Haiti, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago.\n\nThe bill prohibits the transfer of covered munitions to the government of a covered country or individuals inside a covered country until the Secretary establishes a program prohibiting the retransfer of covered munitions without the consent of the US and appropriate registration and end-use monitoring.\n\nThe bill provides specific, uniform information collection requirements that must be submitted to Congress before granting an export license or other authorization within 15 or 30 days (subject to the recipient country). It also provides for joint congressional disapproval of a proposed export license within the above timeframes.\n\nThe bill directs the Secretary of State and relevant officials to work with national and subnational authorities in covered countries to increase participation in the ATF\u2019s eTrace system by making it available in French Creole and authorizing appropriations.\n\nThe bill directs the Secretary of State to update the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative\u2019s Results Framework to include metrics related to combatting firearms trafficking.\n\nThe ARMAS Act is endorsed by the Newtown Action Alliance, Stop U.S. Arms to Mexico (a project of Global Change), and the Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC).", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/jewish-senate-democrats-statement-on-deadly-attack-on-sydneys-jewish-community-on-first-night-of-hanukkah", "Jewish Senate Democrats Statement on Deadly Attack on Sydney's Jewish Community on First Night of Hanukkah", "2025-12-15", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[Washington, D.C.] \u2013 U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal today joined Jewish members of the Senate Democratic Caucus in issuing a statement in reaction to the murder of 15 people in Sydney, Australia at a menorah lighting on the first night of Hanukkah.\n\nThe statement is signed by Blumenthal, Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawai\u2019i), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).\n\n\u201cThe Festival of Lights commemorates and celebrates the resilience of the Jewish people, our identity and heritage. As we moved into the first night of Hanukkah, that tenacity was tested once again as we mourn those murdered in Sydney during a menorah lighting. Our prayers go out to the Jewish community in Australia, whom we embrace in their terrible hour of suffering.\n\n\u201cWe are horrified by the brutality of this attack, which comes at a time when Australia has seen a terrible rise in antisemitism. The disturbing wave of antisemitism around the globe has struck anxiety and fear into the hearts of every Jewish community. Some have faced harassment, vandalism, and discrimination. Others, violence as brutal as what we saw yesterday in Sydney.\n\n\u201cThis attack is the latest reminder of the work that remains to end the scourge of hatred towards Jews. To combat this disease of antisemitism, we must summon the strength to take action against this ancient hatred, and the courage to press on in the face of such violence against Jewish people at home and abroad.\n\n\u201cWe must speak out against all discrimination, from heinous acts like today to the normalization of antisemitic rhetoric, and the attempts to blur the line between political disagreement and antisemitic hate. And we give thanks to the bravery of people like Ahmed al Ahmed, a fruit shop owner, who risked his own life on Bondi Beach to stop others from losing theirs.\n\n\u201cMay the memory of those we lost be a blessing, and may courage flow through the hearts of every Jewish family that lit their first candle last night and over the next seven nights.\u201d\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-statement-on-the-13th-anniversary-of-the-shooting-at-sandy-hook", "Murphy Statement On The 13th Anniversary Of The Shooting At Sandy Hook", "2025-12-14", "2025", "2025-12", "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 Sunday released a statement commemorating the 13th anniversary of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut.\n\n\u201cOn the 13th anniversary of the Sandy Hook shooting, I\u2019m thinking of the families and loved ones who experienced an incomprehensible loss that day. Twenty children and six educators were senselessly murdered in a brutal act of gun violence and the community of Newtown was forever changed. Our hearts are heavy today as we remember the lives cut short and think about the young adults those kids never got to grow into. But this anniversary is also a reminder of how far our movement has come and the triumphs we\u2019ve achieved because so many of these families took their unimaginable grief and turned it into action. Their strength helped build today\u2019s anti-gun violence movement and after a decade of struggle, we finally had the power to pass the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the first federal gun safety legislation in thirty years. Since we passed that bill, gun violence rates across the country have plummeted and lives have been saved.\n\n\u201cThis is a dark moment for our country and the progress we\u2019ve made is being threatened, but our movement gets stronger every day and we will keep fighting. We will keep fighting because we owe it to the twenty-six kids and educators we lost at Sandy Hook thirteen years ago, and to all those who have needlessly lost their lives to gun violence in this country.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/on-13th-anniversary-of-sandy-hook-shooting-murphy-responds-to-yet-another-mass-shooting-on-cnns-state-of-the-union", "On 13th Anniversary Of Sandy Hook Shooting, Murphy Responds To Yet Another Mass Shooting On CNN's State of the Union", "2025-12-14", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Sunday joined Dana Bash on CNN\u2019s State of the Union to discuss the horrifying shooting at Brown University that left two students dead and nine wounded. On the 13th anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting, Murphy spoke about how a mass shooting affects a community, the kinds of policies that can prevent tragedies like these from happening, and Donald Trump\u2019s efforts to undo the progress that has been made in reducing gun violence.\n\nMurphy argued we should not accept a new normal where kids are gunned down in their classrooms, communities are left with irreparable trauma, and survivors live in constant fear of the next shooting: \u201cWhat I know is that a community never, ever recovers from a shooting like this, and the trauma and the cost is not just in the lives lost. Obviously we are mourning most deeply for those that were killed and those that were wounded, hoping that there are no more fatalities. But that community in Providence won't recover. Those kids who are returning to campus, are going to be looking over their shoulder, wondering whether they are going to survive their next day in class - as kids all across America do, every single day that they show up in their classroom wondering whether they someday are going to have to flee for their lives.\n\n\u201cWe think maybe at least two of the kids at this shooting had already survived a previous shooting when they were in elementary and secondary school. That is just just not a reality that we should accept in this nation for our kids.\u201d\n\nMurphy refuted the tired notion that stronger gun laws have a minimal effect on preventing mass shootings: \u201cThe laws do make a difference. I mean, if you look at states like Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, California that have stronger laws, we have gun violence rates, murder rates, mass shooting rates that are two to 3 to 4 times lower than states that have loose gun laws. And many of the weapons that are used in our states for gun crimes come to our states from those states that have an ability for criminals and people with serious mental illness to buy weapons. So what we know is that stronger laws do work. And since we passed [The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act] in 2022, the first bill in 30 years that strengthens the nation's gun laws, gun violence rates and mass shooting rates have come down in this country.\u201d\n\nMurphy accused President Trump of engaging in a deliberate campaign to make gun violence more likely in this country: \u201cOver the last year, President Trump has been engaged in a dizzying campaign to increase violence in this country. He is restoring gun rights to felons and people who have lost their ability to buy guns. He eliminated the White House Office of Gun Violence [Prevention] , and he has stopped funding mental health grants and community anti-gun violence grants that Republicans and Democrats supported in that 2022 bill. So he has been engaged in a pretty deliberate campaign to try to make violence more likely in this country. And I think you're unfortunately going to see the results of that on the streets of America\u2026 The evidence tells you that when you stop funding mental health, when you stop funding community anti-gun violence programs, when you give gun rights back to dangerous people, you are going to have an increase in violence that is knowable and that is foreseeable.\u201d\n\nMurphy emphasized any conversation around gun violence must take into account a male loneliness epidemic in which disaffected young men often turn to violence: \u201cWe have an epidemic in this country of young men who are going through some deep, deep issues that end up taking out their anger in mass violence. We have a broader loneliness epidemic in this country. And what we know when we look at these shooters is that they tend to all follow the same pattern. They have some break with their community, with their peers, and they start to withdraw into a life of isolation. And so that's why in that bill in 2022, we put billions of dollars into the kind of support services that would recognize, especially these young men before it's too late and wrap around the kind of services for them that could make a difference\u2026So, yes, we have to acknowledge that the most important thing is to stop that brain that is breaking from getting access to a weapon. But we should also be putting services around those kids, especially those young men who are retreating into that life of isolation. And it's just a lot harder to do that now, since the president has, I think, illegally stopped funding the bipartisan commitment we made to try to help those young people in crisis.\u201d\n\nA full transcript of the interview is available below.\n\nDana Bash: Here with me now is someone all too familiar with mass shootings like this, Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut, elected to the Senate just weeks before the horrific Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, which was 13 years ago today. Just as you see what's happening in Rhode Island, not too far from your home state of Connecticut, your reaction?\n\nMurphy: Yeah. I mean, what I think about when one of these mass shootings happens is that community in Sandy Hook. Those parents, when they see these images on television, are always having to relive the horror of that day. And of course, it's especially tragic, given that we are marking 13 years since that shooting. What I know is that a community never, ever recovers from a shooting like this, and the trauma and the cost is not just in the lives lost. Obviously, we\n\nare mourning most deeply for those that were killed and those that were wounded, hoping that there are no more fatalities. But that community in Providence won't recover. Those kids who are returning to campus, are going to be looking over their shoulder, wondering whether they are going to survive their next day in class - as kids all across America do, every single day that they show up in their classroom wondering whether they someday are going to have to flee for their lives.\n\nWe think maybe at least two of the kids at this shooting had already survived a previous shooting when they were in elementary and secondary school. That is just just not a reality that we should accept in this nation for our kids. Unfortunately, right now we don't have the leadership in Washington to do anything, anything to respond to the shooting this weekend.\n\nDana Bash: Yeah, well, we haven't had the wherewithal to do anything in Washington. I mean, we did a little bit a few years ago, but [anything] of means for years and years and years. But having said that, Rhode Island has some pretty strict gun laws. They have universal background checks, red flag laws, waiting periods to purchase a gun. So this is about - and we've talked about this - much more than gun violence. It is gun violence. But the laws could be stronger. But they're stronger than other places in Rhode Island.\n\nMurphy: Well, but the laws do make a difference. I mean, if you look at states like Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, California that have stronger laws, we have gun violence rates, murder rates, mass shooting rates that are two to 3 to 4 times lower than states that have loose gun laws. And many of the weapons that are used in our states for gun crimes come to our states from those states that have an ability for criminals and people with serious mental illness to buy weapons. So what we know is that stronger laws do work. And since we passed that bill in 2022, the first bill in 30 years that strengthens the nation's gun laws, gun violence rates and mass shooting rates have come down in this country. But this is not shocking because over the last year, President Trump has been engaged in a dizzying campaign to increase violence in this country. He is restoring gun rights to felons and people who have lost their ability to buy guns. He eliminated the White House Office of Gun Violence [Prevention] , and he has stopped funding mental health grants and community anti-gun violence grants that Republicans and Democrats supported in that 2022 bill. So he has been engaged in a pretty deliberate campaign to try to make violence more likely in this country. And I think you're unfortunately going to see the results of that on the streets of America.\n\nDana Bash: That's a pretty big statement. He's in a campaign to make violence more likely.\n\nMurphy: Of course. I mean, he's knowingly restoring gun rights to dangerous people. He is cutting off grants that have bipartisan support to try to interrupt violence in our cities or to try to get necessary mental health resources to families and children in need. The evidence tells you that when you stop funding mental health, when you stop funding community anti-gun violence programs, when you give gun rights back to dangerous people, you are going to have an increase in violence that is knowable and that is foreseeable.\n\nDana Bash: This is probably a question I know the answer to, but I have to ask it anyway. There is the climate, and then in Washington and then there is the reality of the conversations. I know you and your colleagues have, across party lines on capitol hill, and it did happen when you worked with John Cornyn, the Republican, and others to make that narrow bill happen, a few years ago. Do you think that there is any appetite for any discussion right now?\n\nMurphy: I mean, of course I will try. And, you know, a month or two before we passed that bill in 2022, people would have said, no way. There's no way Democrats and Republicans can come together. But after Uvalde, things changed. And we were able to get a narrow but important agreement. So, I will never stop trying to get bipartisan support. But I think it is pretty clear that President Trump and this White House are in the pocket of the gun lobby. I just don't foresee that this White House is going to support anything that would cross the gun industry. And as we know right now, unfortunately, the Republicans in Congress don't ever meaningfully break from this President. So until they get the okay from President Trump to break with the gun lobby, I think the chances of us getting something done are slim. That doesn't mean I won't try.\n\nDana Bash: Can we talk about the other aspect? We don't, just want to be clear, we don't know anything about the shooter. We don't know the motive. We don't know specifically the age or anything. But another thing that you have talked extensively about is the epidemic of loneliness and the problems that, in addition to the epidemic of having too many, from your perspective, too many guns on the street, you know, have this cocktail of violence.\n\nMurphy: Yeah. Listen, I do think it's important to understand that you know, we have an epidemic in this country of young men who are going through some deep, deep issues that end up taking out their anger in mass violence. We have a broader loneliness epidemic in this country. And what we know when we look at these shooters is that they tend to all follow the same pattern. They have some break with their community, with their peers, and they start to withdraw into a life of isolation. And so that's why in that bill in 2022, we put billions of dollars into the kind of support services that would recognize, especially these young men before it's too late and wrap around the kind of services for them that could make a difference. That's why it's so tragic that president trump shut down that grant program as one of the first things he did in his second term. So, yes, we have to acknowledge that the most important thing is to stop that brain that is breaking from getting access to a weapon. But we should also be putting services around those kids, especially those young men who are retreating into that life of isolation. And it's just a lot harder to do that now, since the president has, I think, illegally stopped funding the bipartisan commitment we made to try to help those young people in crisis.\n\nDana Bash: Is there anything that you can do? I mean, I know that there are lawsuits and so forth to try to get that funding back up and running.\n\nMurphy: Well, I do wish that Republicans would stand up to the president on this issue. That wasn't the controversial part of our bill. I think if that bill was just funding for mental health and community anti-gun violence programs, we might have gotten 90 votes for it. So maybe in the wake of this shooting, maybe as we learn more about this shooter, we'll get a handful of Republicans in the Senate or the House, maybe the ones that voted for that bill to say to President Trump, restore the money for at least the programs in that bill that would make a difference.\n\nDana Bash: So just to go back to where we started, another New England town is devastated by this violence. And again, it is 13 years after Sandy Hook. You must just be exhausted. I mean, I think the country is exhausted.\n\nMurphy: Yeah, I think the country is exhausted. I think our kids are exhausted. And I do think it's important to remember that it is a little dangerous to view this crisis only through the prism of these mass shootings. Yes. There is something different about kids being targeted in a college or in a school classroom. But I live in the south end of Hartford, and when I talk to kids in that neighborhood, for them, the school is the safe place. What they fear is the walk to and from school. My neighborhood has thousands of kids, but you rarely ever see them out in the streets because their parents and grandparents who take care of them don't let them out of the house, ever. And so what we need to understand is that this choice we've made in this nation to subject our kids to daily exposure to violence, is not just about what happens inside the school. For many kids in our violent urban neighborhoods, it's about the trauma that is breaking their brains, that is causing them to be unable to learn, because every single day they are fearing for their lives, and every month they have a friend, a cousin, somebody they know that is gunned down in the streets. So it is just important for us, especially on a day like today when we're thinking about mass shootings, to remember that there are kids in this country who are facing that risk of daily street violence every single day.\n\nDana Bash: Senator Chris Murphy, thank you so much for being here. Sorry. We ended up talking about something that we had not planned.\n\nMurphy: It's important.\n\nDana Bash: But it is important. Thank you. Thank you.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-statement-on-trumps-va-plan-to-eliminate-more-than-35000-health-care-jobs", "Blumenthal Statement on Trump's VA Plan to Eliminate More Than 35,000 Health Care Jobs", "2025-12-13", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, D.C.] \u2013 Senate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) today released a statement following reporting from The Washington Post detailing the Trump Administration\u2019s plan to eliminate as many as 35,000 health care jobs at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) this month, including unfilled positions for doctors, nurses, and support staff.\n\n\u201cVA Secretary Collins\u2019 continued cuts to VA\u2019s workforce are incomprehensible and inexcusable. At a time where VA has already lost more than 30,000 employees, his plan to eliminate tens of thousands of unfilled positions, including doctors and nurses, is totally unacceptable. Unfilled does not mean unnecessary\u2014 and there are no excuses for failing to fill these mission critical jobs in the first place. Removing these jobs will stretch thin a staff already struggling to meet rising workloads\u2014 leading to longer wait times and reduced access to care for veterans. Secretary Collins must be held accountable and immediately provide Congress and veterans more information around these secret plans to shrink VA\u2019s essential workforce amid the Republican\u2019s ongoing efforts to slash Americans\u2019 access to health care.\u201d\n\nVA already lost more than 30,000 employees between January and September of this year as a result of President Trump and VA Secretary Collin\u2019s hiring freeze, deferred resignations, early retirements, and the significant number of VA staff who have quit since the Trump Administration took office in January 2025 due to draconian workforce policies.\n\nThe removal of these positions would put VA at pre-PACT Act staffing levels. More than one million veterans newly enrolled in VA health care as a result of expanded eligibility under the PACT Act, and millions more have increased reliance on VA because of toxic exposed illnesses and injuries.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/12/12/2025/blumenthal-leads-senate-introduction-of-no-check-no-sale-bill-to-close-the-charleston-loophole", "Blumenthal Leads Senate Introduction of \"No Check, No Sale\" Bill to Close the Charleston Loophole", "2025-12-12", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, D.C.] \u2013 This week, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) led twenty-five Senators in introducing legislation to close a current loophole that allows gun sales to proceed if a background check is not completed within a certain time period, even if the gun buyer is not legally allowed to purchase a gun. The gap in existing law has allowed thousands of gun sales to prohibited buyers, including the sale of the firearm used by the shooter in the deadly attack at Charleston\u2019s Emanuel AME Church. U.S. Representative James E. Clyburn has introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.\n\n\u201cThis loophole is a massive gateway to dangerous evasion of the background check rules,\u201d Blumenthal said. \u201cIf you haven\u2019t passed a background check, you shouldn\u2019t be able to purchase a weapon. No check, no gun. It\u2019s really that simple.\u201d\n\nWhen a criminal background check indicates that a firearm purchaser may have a criminal record, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) tries to determine whether the purchaser can legally buy a gun. If this process takes longer than 72 hours for those 21 years of age or older, or 10 days for those under 21, gun dealers can complete the sale even though there is a heightened risk that the purchaser is legally disqualified from purchasing a gun.\n\nThe Background Check Completion Act would require a completed background check for every gun buyer who purchases a gun from a federally-licensed gun dealer.\n\nThe Background Check Completion Act is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Chris Coons (D-DE), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).\n\nThe legislation has been endorsed by Everytown for Gun Safety, Giffords, Brady, Sandy Hook Promise and Newtown Action Alliance.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/senator-blumenthal-week-in-review-12/5/2025-12/12/2025", "Senator Blumenthal: Week in Review 12/5/2025-12/12/2025", "2025-12-12", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "Fighting Skyrocketing Healthcare Costs\n\n[WASHINGTON, D.C.] \u2013 U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) released the statement below after Senate Republicans blocked an effort to extend tax credits under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) which will force Americans across the country to pay significantly more in health insurance premiums:\n\n\u201cToday\u2019s failed vote to extend healthcare subsidies for millions of American families is devastating. People die when they can\u2019t afford health insurance. It is just wrong to force Americans already struggling with rising costs to bear the financial burden of skyrocketing premiums because Republicans won\u2019t work with us on broader health care reforms. Today Republicans refused to stand with Americans and their families, and they\u2019ll be held accountable.\u201d\n\nAt a hearing convened by Senate Republicans seeking to undermine the ACA, Blumenthal, Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, slammed Republicans for refusing to extend enhanced premium tax credits and working to dismantle key protections for Americans in the ACA.\n\nAt the hearing, Blumenthal invited testimony from Dan Jacobs, a chef and restaurant owner from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Aaron Lehman, a fifth-generation family farmer from Polk County, Iowa, who both discussed how Republicans\u2019 failure to extend enhanced premium tax credits will impact their families, businesses, and communities.\n\n\u201cAnybody consuming health care knows how expensive it is. But more important than what I say here is what the reality is for American families right now\u2014in their small businesses, like Dan Jacobs; at their farms, like Aaron Lehman; at their kitchen table, in their living rooms. Where they are going to buy health care right now, health care coverage, and they are confronting double and triple rates, and they are climbing,\u201d Blumenthal said at the hearing.\n\nLehman, the president of the Iowa Farmers Union, testified about the importance of the ACA for rural communities, \u201cOur farmers have been telling us that the Affordable Care Act has been one of the best investments in rural health care in decades. For farming families, entrepreneurs, and employees of small businesses who don\u2019t offer health insurance as a benefit, the ACA has expanded coverage, lowered cost, and encouraged farmers and rural residents to take more risks and make more investments on their farms and in their communities. I know this well because my family has benefited from having access to the ACA marketplace and insurance policies, and the affordability provided by the enhanced premium tax credits.\u201d\n\nAt the hearing, Jacobs testified about the importance of the ACA for small business owners, \u201cI\u2019m here today to express in the clearest possible terms, the Affordable Care Act is essential to the survival of small businesses like mine and to the health and security of the people we employ. The ACA leveled the playing field that has long been tilted against small employers. Before its passage, small businesses struggled to compete with large corporations for talent because we couldn\u2019t access the same expansive insurance pools or negotiate the same affordable rates. When that happens, workers suffer, families suffer, and small businesses lose the ability to attract and retain the kind of skilled, committed employees who keep our industries strong.\u201d\n\nThe video of Blumenthal\u2019s opening remarks is available here. The full video of Lehman\u2019s testimony available here, and the full video of Jacobs\u2019s testimony is available here.\n\nBlumenthal further slammed the rising healthcare premiums of Americans on Twitter/X.\n\n\u201cAcross the country, people are confronting health care premiums that are doubling, tripling, or more. It\u2019s sticker shock that is deadly. Republican plans to scrap the Affordable Care Act will harm small businesses, farmers, & American families,\u201d wrote Blumenthal with an accompanying video on Twitter/X.\n\nSlamming the Trump Administration\u2019s Assault & Detainment of U.S. Citizens\n\nAs Ranking Member of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Blumenthal released a report highlighting firsthand accounts of twenty-two Americans who were physically assaulted, pepper sprayed, denied medical treatment, and detained \u2013 sometimes for days \u2013 by federal immigration agents. The report contains new details of accounts that have already been made public as well as several encounters that have not been shared previously.\n\nThe report, Unchecked Authority: Examining the Trump Administration\u2019s Extrajudicial Immigration Detentions Of U.S. Citizens, was released ahead of a bicameral public forum hosted by Blumenthal and U.S. Representative Robert Garcia (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, to receive testimony from five Americans who were unconstitutionally detained by agents of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).\n\n\u201cAmericans should have a hard time recognizing our great nation in these stomach turning, heartbreaking stories of brutal assaults on our fellow citizens. Masked ICE and CPB agents chillingly seizing Americans isn\u2019t the nation we know and cherish. Totalitarian tactics have no place in our democracy. I hope that elevating stories of abhorrent abuse will reinforce our resolve to preserve democratic rights,\u201d said Blumenthal.\n\nIn October, Blumenthal and Garcia opened an inquiry into the increasing detention of U.S. citizens by federal immigration agents. In a letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Blumenthal and Garcia demanded information and records from the agency following increasingly frequent reports of unconstitutional detentions of U.S. citizens by agents of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), often using disproportionate force. Blumenthal and Garcia reiterated their request in another letter to Noem in November.\n\nBlumenthal joined MS NOW to discuss his public forum and report detailing U.S. citizens detained by ICE and CBP.\n\nBlumenthal delivered an opening statement at the bicameral public forum to receive testimony (available here) from five Americans who were unconstitutionally detained by agents of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).\n\n\u201cI call on every American to ask yourselves what it means to be an American to you and to uphold basic American values. And watch these videos, each of your arrests and many others, and ask whether that's the America that you know, the America that reflects your values and American rights,\u201d said Blumenthal.\n\n\u201cWe're here seeking accountability. We probably need to change laws to really make the federal government accountable to people like yourselves whose rights have been violated. I know that we're going to be working on it here in the United States Senate, and you will be providing a powerful impetus to us in that work.\u201d\n\nVideo of Blumenthal\u2019s opening statement is available here.\n\nBlumenthal further slammed the Trump Administration\u2019s wrongful tactics detaining U.S. citizens on Twitter/X.\n\n\u201cAmericans should have a hard time recognizing our great nation in these shocking, stomach churning stories of fellow citizens assaulted brutally by agents of the US government,\u201d wrote Blumenthal with an accompanying video on Twitter/X.\n\nBlumenthal and Garcia joined CNN to discuss the powerful testimony shared at their public forum from U.S. citizens wrongfully detained.\n\nHonoring the 13th Anniversary of Sandy Hook Shooting by Promoting Gun Violence Prevention\n\nBlumenthal and U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) along with U.S. Representatives John Larson (D-CT), Joe Courtney (D-CT), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Jim Himes (D-CT), and Jahana Hayes (D-CT) joined survivors and families of gun violence victims at a press conference to mark the 13th anniversary of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Over a decade after twenty first graders and six educators were killed in the Sandy Hook shooting, the lawmakers and advocates recommit themselves to honoring the memories of the lives lost with action to combat the deadly, tragic scourge of gun violence in America.\n\n\u201cIn the thirteen years since the Sandy Hook massacre, kids have grown up. Not only in Newtown, all around the state of Connecticut, all around the country, a new generation of advocates against gun violence has grown up, and they will carry the day. They are the new generation that will lead us. They will lead us to victory against gun violence,\u201d said Blumenthal\n\n\u201cAnd I\u2019ll be very blunt: it is a time of despair, and some feel defeatism. But we don\u2019t have the luxury of despair or defeatism. We don\u2019t have the luxury of putting our heads in the sand. The Trump Administration has been slashing funds for the enforcement of existing laws, they\u2019ve opposed new laws, they have just created a second amendment section in the Civil Rights Division. The gun industry continues to hold its grip on the Trump Administration and Congress. And we will break that grip, because gun violence prevention will be on the ballot. It will be on the ballot, and this movement that we\u2019ve created will make people accountable,\u201d continued Blumenthal.\n\nA video of the press conference can be found here.\n\nBlumenthal led twenty-five Senators in introducing legislation to close a current loophole that allows gun sales to proceed if a background check is not completed within a certain time period, even if the gun buyer is not legally allowed to purchase a gun. The gap in existing law has allowed thousands of gun sales to prohibited buyers, including the sale of the firearm used by the shooter in the deadly attack at Charleston\u2019s Emanuel AME Church. U.S. Representative James E. Clyburn has introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.\n\n\u201cThis loophole is a massive gateway to dangerous evasion of the background check rules,\u201d Blumenthal said. \u201cIf you haven\u2019t passed a background check, you shouldn\u2019t be able to purchase a weapon. No check, no gun. It\u2019s really that simple.\u201d\n\nWhen a criminal background check indicates that a firearm purchaser may have a criminal record, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) tries to determine whether the purchaser can legally buy a gun. If this process takes longer than 72 hours for those 21 years of age or older, or 10 days for those under 21, gun dealers can complete the sale even though there is a heightened risk that the purchaser is legally disqualified from purchasing a gun.\n\nThe Background Check Completion Act would require a completed background check for every gun buyer who purchases a gun from a federally-licensed gun dealer.\n\nOn the Senate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee\n\nAt a Senate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee hearing, Ranking Member Blumenthal emphasized the harmful impact failing to extend ACA enhanced premium tax credits will have on veterans and their families. Recent analysis found 267,000 veterans who rely on the ACA enhanced premium tax credits will no longer be able to afford ACA marketplace coverage if these credits are not extended.\n\nBlumenthal pressed the urgency of addressing this issue ahead of the vote on a Democratic proposal to extend ACA enhanced premium tax credits for three years before they expire at the end of the year: \u201c\u2026[W]e have to recognize the importance of votes that we will take tomorrow, one of them to extend the health care tax credits under the Affordable Care Act that will affect literally 267,000 veterans who rely on the ACA enhanced premium tax credits to afford health insurance. And whether you support the ACA, whether you have other views on what might be a perfect system in the long run if we had tons of time, the simple fact is we face a deadline at the end of the year when these tax credits will expire and 267,000 veterans will no longer be able to afford ACA coverage if these credits are not extended.\u201d\n\nThe Senator continued, \u201cThese are primarily veterans not eligible for Medicaid, TRICARE, or Medicare, and often not eligible to get care through VA \u2013 leaving them with ACA marketplace plans as their only option for health care coverage. The ACA isn\u2019t perfect\u2026 but the fact of the matter is the consequences of failing to extend these tax credits will be devastating for veterans and their families. Veterans will be forced to navigate a perfect storm \u2013 an understaffed VA health care system, increased wait times for VA health care, Medicaid cuts, and the loss of affordable health insurance. They deserve better. So do millions of Americans who will be impacted by the potential failure to extend these tax credits. I hope that we approve them to the benefit of those veterans and countless other Americans affected.\u201d\n\nVideo of Blumenthal\u2019s opening statement is available here.\n\nBlumenthal and Senate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee Chairman Jerry Moran (R-KS) and U.S. Senators Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and John Boozman (R-AR) introduced the Mammography Access for Veterans Act\u2014bipartisan legislation to expand veterans\u2019 access to lifesaving breast cancer screenings through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).\n\n\u201cFighting breast cancer requires early detection. It is imperative we expand VA\u2019s capacity to conduct mammograms and ensure veterans have access to these critical screenings no matter where they live,\u201d said Blumenthal. \u201cThese screenings save lives, and are particularly important given veterans\u2019 increased rates of cancers due to factors like toxic exposure.\u201d\n\nThe Senators\u2019 Mammography Access for Veterans Act would require VA make permanent a pilot program providing telescreening mammography for veterans living in states where VA does not offer a full-service mammography program. This involves conducting the mammogram at a VA facility and sending the images to a VA telescreening mammography center for interpretation by qualified radiologists. Without Congressional action, VA\u2019s telemammography pilot program is set to end in May 2026. The program went live in 2023 at five pilot sites in West Virginia, New York, Oklahoma, and Massachusetts. As of June 2025, 7,416 mammography screenings have taken place under this program.\n\nBlumenthal Bulletin\n\nBlumenthal urged USPS action to ensure servicemembers overseas can receive holiday packages.\n\nBlumenthal\u2019s bipartisan resolution to promote road safety and reduce roadside deaths passed the Senate.\n\nBlumenthal pressed the FTC to curb concentration in the dialysis market.\n\nBlumenthal visited South Park Inn in Hartford to demand VA meet its responsibility to help end veteran homelessness.\n\nBlumenthal joined the Heroes Tree lighting ceremony in Old Saybrook.\n\nBlumenthal joined the swearing in ceremony of Stamford Mayor Caroline Simmons.\n\nBlumental celebrated the Village for Families and Children\u2019s 25th annual \u201cGirl Within\u201d Luncheon.\n\nBlumenthal joined the swearing in ceremony for Bethany First Selectman Carol Goldberg.\n\nBlumenthal joined the swearing in ceremony for West Haven Mayor Dorinda Borer.\n\nBlumenthal celebrated the Feast of St. Nicholas at St. Mary\u2019s Ukrainian Orthodox Church in New Haven.\n\nBlumenthal honored Pear Harbor Day in Waterbury at the annual Veterans Committee ceremony.\n\nBlumenthal visited the \u201cJewish Hartford, Our Community\u201d exhibit at the Mandell JCC of Greater Hartford.\n\nBlumenthal slammed the Trump Administration\u2019s unrealistic caps on student loans for nurses.\n\nBlumenthal joined MS NOW to discuss the significant escalations in the Caribbean and the implications of the United States seizing a Venezuelan oil tanker.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-sanders-bicameral-colleagues-introduce-bill-to-protect-kids-from-seclusion-and-forcible-restraint-in-schools", "Murphy, Sanders, Bicameral Colleagues Introduce Bill To Protect Kids From Seclusion And Forcible Restraint in Schools", "2025-12-12", "2025", "2025-12", "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.) joined U.S. Senators Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) and Patti Murray (D-Wash.). in reintroducing the bipartisan Keeping All Students Safe Act to protect students from dangerous seclusion and restraint practices in school. In the House, the bill is sponsored by U.S. Representatives Robert C. \u201cBobby\u201d Scott (D-Va.-03), Don Beyer (D-Va.-08), and Abraham Hamadeh (R-Ariz.-08).\n\nThe Keeping All Students Safe Act would make it illegal for any school receiving federal taxpayer money to seclude children and ban dangerous restraint practices that restrict children\u2019s breathing, such as prone or supine restraint. The bill would also prohibit schools from physically restraining children, except when necessary to protect the safety of students and staff. The bill would provide grants to train school personnel to address school-expected behavior with evidence-based, proactive strategies, require states to monitor the law\u2019s implementation, and increase transparency and oversight to prevent future abuse of students.\n\nAccording to a yearlong investigation by Hearst Media, federal data show that incidents of restraint and seclusion occur on average at least 2,300 times per school day and impact upwards of 102,000 students each academic year. The most recent data shows that more than 50,000 public school students were restrained or secluded during the 2020-2021 school year. However, schools underreport incidents of restraint and seclusion, and there are likely many more incidents than are reflected in the data.\n\n\u201cNo kid should be locked alone in a room or forcibly restrained while at school. Yet a shocking amount of schools continue to use unnecessary force to discipline kids, particularly those with disabilities. These methods are not only ineffective, they risk traumatizing and physically harming students in need of care. Our bill will protect kids from abuse while giving teachers and staff the tools they need to address disruptive behavior to keep all students safe,\u201d said Murphy.\n\n\u201cIt is absolutely unacceptable that children across this country, disproportionately students of color and students with disabilities, face dangerous seclusion and restraint practices. It is our moral responsibility to ban these practices once and for all,\u201d said Sanders.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s past time we ban dangerous discipline practices that put students at risk in the classroom, and I\u2019m going to keep pushing until our bill banning these practices gets signed into law,\u201d said Murray. \u201cEvery kid deserves to learn in a safe, nurturing environment\u2014full stop.\u201d\n\nThis legislation is endorsed by Access Ready, Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint, Alliance of and for Visually Impaired Texans, Allies for Independence, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, American Association of People with Disabilities, American Bar Association, American Civil Liberties Union, American Psychological Association, Association of University Centers on Disabilities, Autism Society of America, Autistic People of Color Fund, Autistic Self Advocacy Network, Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network (AWN), Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, Boys Town, Center for American Progress (CAP), Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities (CCD), Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), Council for Learning Disabilities, Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA), Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation (CSAVR), Crisis Prevention Institute, DeafBlind Community of Texas, Disability Belongs, Disability Rights California, Education Trust, Epilepsy Foundation, Higher Education Consortium for Special Education (HECSE), Little Lobbyists, Lives in the Balance, Maine Parent Federation, National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities, National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD), National DeafBlind Coalition, National Disability Rights Network, National Down Syndrome Congress, National Down Syndrome Society, National Parents Union, National PTA, New America's B-12 Education Policy Program, New Disabled South, Oregon State Senator Sara Gelser Blouin, Respect ABILITY Law Center, SPAN Parent Advocacy Network, TASH, the Advocacy Institute, the Arc, the Arc of Northern Virginia, the Center for Learner Equity, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, the National Family Association for DeafBlind, the Satanic Temple and Protect Children Project, the U.S. Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication, Unsilenced, and Zero to Three.\n\nTo read the bill text for the Keeping All Students Safe Act, click here.\n\nTo read the fact sheet on the Keeping All Students Safe Act, click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-statement-on-republican-refusal-to-address-skyrocketing-healthcare-costs", "Blumenthal Statement on Republican Refusal to Address Skyrocketing Healthcare Costs", "2025-12-11", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, DC] \u2013 U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) released the statement below after Senate Republicans blocked an effort to extend tax credits under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) which will force Americans across the country to pay significantly more in health insurance premiums:\n\n\u201cToday\u2019s failed vote to extend healthcare subsidies for millions of American families is devastating. People die when they can\u2019t afford health insurance. It is just wrong to force Americans already struggling with rising costs to bear the financial burden of skyrocketing premiums because Republicans won\u2019t work with us on broader health care reforms. Today Republicans refused to stand with Americans and their families, and they\u2019ll be held accountable.\u201d\n\nConnecticut residents are facing extreme and unaffordable health insurance premium increases without the extension of the Affordable Care Act tax credits. One Old Lyme resident shared that her premiums were set to go up $400 a month without the Affordable Act tax credits. Another couple in Glastonbury was quoted over $40,000 for a year of health insurance without the tax credits.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/video-icymi-iowa-farmers-union-president-wisconsin-chef-and-small-business-owner-call-for-extension-of-aca-premium-tax-credits", "Video: ICYMI: Iowa Farmers Union President, Wisconsin Chef & Small Business Owner Call for Extension of ACA Premium Tax Credits", "2025-12-11", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, DC] \u2013 In case you missed it, Aaron Lehman, a fifth-generation farmer from Polk County, Iowa, and Dan Jacobs, a chef and restaurant owner from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, testified yesterday about the importance of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and called for the extension of enhanced premium tax credits for marketplace plans at a hearing in the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI).\n\nThe hearing, convened by Senate Republicans before they voted to allow health care premiums to skyrocket for millions of Americans, was aimed at undermining the ACA and weakening protections for patients with marketplace plans. U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ranking Member of PSI, invited Lehman and Jacobs to serve as the Minority\u2019s witnesses for the hearing and share their stories.\n\nLehman, the president of the Iowa Farmers Union, testified about the importance of the ACA for rural communities, \u201cOur farmers have been telling us that the Affordable Care Act has been one of the best investments in rural health care in decades. For farming families, entrepreneurs, and employees of small businesses who don\u2019t offer health insurance as a benefit, the ACA has expanded coverage, lowered cost, and encouraged farmers and rural residents to take more risks and make more investments on their farms and in their communities. I know this well because my family has benefited from having access to the ACA marketplace and insurance policies, and the affordability provided by the enhanced premium tax credits.\u201d\n\nLehman also shared his concerns about how expiring enhanced premium tax credits will make health insurance unaffordable for him and his family, \u201cAffordable health care coverage has been a game changer. But unfortunately, my wife and I have learned that in order to keep a similar policy in 2026, our health insurance costs will more than double. This affordability issue comes at a time when farmers like me are facing enormous challenges. Trade tensions have led to lower prices for what we grow and sell, at a time when we have higher costs for all of those inputs we purchase. The strained labor market has driven up our costs even further, and USDA cuts have led to increased uncertainty about the programs we depend on. Farmers and farm-lenders alike report the increased challenges of financing next year's crop, Farmer concern and mental health hotlines have increased volumes of calls from farmers under serious stress.\u201d\n\nAt the hearing, Jacobs testified about the importance of the ACA for small business owners, \u201cI\u2019m here today to express in the clearest possible terms, the Affordable Care Act is essential to the survival of small businesses like mine and to the health and security of the people we employ. The ACA leveled the playing field that has long been tilted against small employers. Before its passage, small businesses struggled to compete with large corporations for talent because we couldn\u2019t access the same expansive insurance pools or negotiate the same affordable rates. When that happens, workers suffer, families suffer, and small businesses lose the ability to attract and retain the kind of skilled, committed employees who keep our industries strong.\u201d\n\nJacobs continued, \u201cThe ACA is the reason I can continue to work in my small business, continue to contribute to my community as a small business owner and continue to employ the dozens of people who rely on me. It ensures that entrepreneurs with chronic or rare conditions still have the right to build something meaningful. It is not an abstract policy issue. It is the reason people like me can remain part of the workforce and the economy.\u201d\n\nThe full video of Lehman\u2019s testimony at yesterday\u2019s hearing is available here. The full video of Jacobs\u2019s testimony at yesterday\u2019s hearing is available here.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-demands-doj-restore-funding-for-community-based-gun-violence-organizations", "Murphy Demands DOJ Restore Funding For Community-based Gun Violence Organizations", "2025-12-11", "2025", "2025-12", "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, December 11th sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi objecting to the Department of Justice\u2019s changes to grant conditions for Community-Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative (CVIPI) program funding, which will exclude some community-based organizations from receiving federal funding.\n\nIn 2022, Senator Murphy led a bipartisan group of lawmakers to pass the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) \u2013 historic gun violence prevention legislation that provided funds specifically for these life-saving organizations.\n\nIn the letter, Murphy made clear that Congress intentionally appropriated funding for CVI groups: \u201cCongress stated that CVIPI was intended to \u2018[support] communities in developing comprehensive, evidence-based violence intervention and prevention programs, including efforts to address gang and gun violence, based on partnerships between community residents, law enforcement, local government agencies, and other community stakeholders.\u2019 Since the inception of CVIPI, hundreds of millions of dollars have been allocated to community-based organizations (\u2018CBOs\u2019) leading community violence intervention and prevention work, as well as state, county, and city governments.\u201d\n\nHe detailed how DOJ\u2019s new grant conditions fail to address the reality on the ground: \u201cRather than center community-led efforts to utilize evidence-based approaches to prevent violence and interrupt cycles of violence in the communities that experience the highest rates of gun violence, the FY25 NOFO instead centers law enforcement priorities. While law enforcement is an important part of the public safety ecosystem, so too are community-based organizations who are able to work directly with individuals at highest risk of participating in or being victimized by gun violence and engage them in non-punitive ways; the work of these community-based organizations complements and enhances law enforcement\u2019s efforts to reduce crime.\u201d\n\nThe Senator warned AG Bondi that changing grant conditions for CVIPI programs jeopardizes historic progress made in crime reduction since the passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act: \u201cThe DOJ has taken serious actions to hinder efforts and initiatives that led to historic reductions in gun violence and violent crime since January 20th, 2025. In 2023, most cities across the country began experiencing historic reductions in violent crime, reversing the trend seen during the first several years of the COVID-19 pandemic\u2026These declines did not happen by chance; they are the result of an intentional, coordinated, comprehensive effort to reduce gun violence involving multiple federal agencies. Rather than continue the strategies proven to be effective, this Administration decided to dismantle the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention and terminate $811 million in BSCA grants\u2014approximately $150 million of which was allocated for CVIPI.\u201d\n\nMurphy concluded by calling on the Department of Justice to fully restore CVIPI grant conditions to align with congressional intent and ensure community organizations working to reduce gun violence across the country can access funds and continue saving lives.\n\nFull text of the letter can be found here and below.\n\nDear Attorney General Bondi:\n\nAs one of the lead negotiators for the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), I write to object to the changed grant conditions for the Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) Community Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative (CVIPI) program as advertised through the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) released on September 17, 2025. As you know, BSCA authorized 1.4 billion in funding for violence prevention and intervention programs over five years (from 2022 to 2026), including 250 million for the CVIPI.\n\nOn April 22, 2025, the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) announced the termination of certain CVIPI grants, impacting dozens of local organizations working to address violence through a public health framework. Specifically, Community Based Organizations (CBOs) received abrupt notice that their multiyear awards were no longer aligned with OJP\u2019s mission and priorities, although state and local government awardees were not impacted. The additional conditions proposed on the FY25 NOFO represent a significant change in approach to addressing community violence and gun violence, starting with the exclusion of community-based organizations from funding eligibility, which is clearly not what Congress intended. Rather than center community-led efforts to utilize evidence-based approaches to prevent violence and interrupt cycles of violence in the communities that experience the highest rates of gun violence, the FY25 NOFO instead centers law enforcement priorities. While law enforcement is an important part of the public safety ecosystem, so too are community-based organizations who are able to work directly with individuals at highest risk of participating in or being victimized by gun violence and engage them in non-punitive ways; the work of these community-based organizations complements and enhances law enforcement\u2019s efforts to reduce crime.\n\nLaunched in 2022 as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, the CVIPI was initially funded with $50 million in Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22). In the report accompanying the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022, Congress stated that CVIPI was intended to \u201c[support] communities in developing comprehensive, evidence-based violence intervention and prevention programs, including efforts to address gang and gun violence, based on partnerships between community residents, law enforcement, local government agencies, and other community stakeholders.\u201d Since the inception of CVIPI, hundreds of millions of dollars have been allocated to CBOs leading community violence intervention and prevention work, as well as state, county, and city governments.\n\nThe DOJ has taken serious actions to hinder efforts and initiatives that led to historic reductions in gun violence and violent crime since January 20th, 2025. In 2023, most cities across the country began experiencing historic reductions in violent crime, reversing the trend seen during the first several years of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Federal Bureau of Investigation\u2019s Uniform Crime Reporting data indicated a 3 percent decline in violent crime and a nearly 12 percent decline in murder from 2022 to 2023. In the following year, from 2023 to 2024, violent crime decreased by 10.3 percent and murder decreased almost 23 percent. These declines did not happen by chance; they are the result of an intentional, coordinated, comprehensive effort to reduce gun violence involving multiple federal agencies. Rather than continue the strategies proven to be effective, this Administration decided to dismantle the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention and terminate $811 million in BSCA grants\u2014approximately $150 million of which was allocated for CVIPI.\n\nThe DOJ should immediately restore CVIPI grant conditions to align with congressional intent by ensuring CBOs can access these life-saving funds, directing funding for jurisdictions with the highest rates of gun violence, prioritizing applicants that intend to work with the populations at highest risk of committing or being victimized by gun violence, and reopening grant applications in light of the change and lapse in appropriations. Please respond to this letter within 30 days.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-murkowski-reintroduce-bill-to-give-metastatic-breast-cancer-patients-a-fighting-chance", "Murphy, Murkowski Reintroduce Bill To Give Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients A Fighting Chance", "2025-12-11", "2025", "2025-12", "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.) and U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Ala.) on Thursday reintroduced bipartisan legislation that would give metastatic breast cancer patients access to support and medical care well before the current law allows.The Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act would waive the five-month waiting period for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and the 24-month waiting period for Medicare benefits for eligible individuals with metastatic breast cancer. U.S. Representatives Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.-02) and Kathy Castor (D-Fla.-14) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.\n\n\u201cPatients diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer shouldn\u2019t have to wait months or even years to get the support they need to fight this horrible disease. Many die waiting for benefits. Our bill would get rid of these unnecessary waiting periods so patients can focus on getting the care they need as soon as they need it, without having to worry about red tape,\u201d said Murphy.\n\n\u201cFor many women living with metastatic breast cancer, waiting five months for disability insurance or two years for Medicare coverage simply isn\u2019t an option, they need support now,\u201d said Murkowski. \u201cCancer takes an enormous toll on patients and their families, and it\u2019s just common sense to expedite these benefits so women can access help when it\u2019s most urgently needed. Women\u2019s health and the fight against cancer have long been top priorities of mine, and I\u2019m proud to partner with Senator Murphy on legislation that offers real relief to those battling this devastating disease. And to all women 40 and older, please remember to get your annual mammogram \u2014 early detection saves lives.\u201d\n\n\u201cWomen and men with metastatic breast cancer live an average of three years after their diagnosis. These individuals\u2014already facing enormous physical, emotional, and financial burdens\u2014 are dying while waiting for earned benefits they are entitled to under the law,\" said Fran Visco, president of the National Breast Cancer Coalition (NBCC). \"Speaking on behalf of the tens of thousands of NBCC advocates across the country, we are grateful to Senators Murphy and Murkowski for their bipartisan leadership to end this arbitrary waiting period. We stand with them to move this bill into law.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-moran-hirono-and-boozman-lead-effort-to-expand-veterans-access-to-lifesaving-breast-cancer-screenings", "Blumenthal, Moran, Hirono & Boozman Lead Effort to Expand Veterans' Access to Lifesaving Breast Cancer Screenings", "2025-12-10", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, D.C.] \u2013 Senate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Chairman Jerry Moran (R-KS) and U.S. Senators Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and John Boozman (R-AR) introduced the Mammography Access for Veterans Act\u2014bipartisan legislation to expand veterans\u2019 access to lifesaving breast cancer screenings through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).\n\n\u201cFighting breast cancer requires early detection. It is imperative we expand VA\u2019s capacity to conduct mammograms and ensure veterans have access to these critical screenings no matter where they live,\u201d said Senator Blumenthal. \u201cThese screenings save lives, and are particularly important given veterans\u2019 increased rates of cancers due to factors like toxic exposure.\u201d\n\n\u201cWith women being the fastest-growing demographic within VA, it is essential that we prioritize services that promote their health and well-being,\u201d said Senator Moran. \u201cThis bill makes certain that women\u2019s health and safety remain at the forefront of VA health care and that breast cancer screenings are easily accessible for our nation\u2019s veterans.\u201d\n\n\u201cBreast cancer screenings are a critical component of women\u2019s health, yet there are many states where women veterans do not have access to this life-saving prevention tool,\u201d said Senator Hirono. \u201cEvery veteran deserves access to the medical care and services they need, regardless of where they live, to ensure they can stay safe and healthy. This legislation is an important step in expanding VA\u2019s ability to provide women veterans with mammography services in remote and rural areas to better promote the health and well-being of our veterans.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe know early detection and treatment are critical to fighting breast cancer, which is growing more prevalent among younger servicemembers and veterans,\u201d said Senator Boozman. \u201cPermanently authorizing funding I helped champion to ensure they always have access to modern breast imaging capabilities will save and enhance lives. I am proud to help lead the bipartisan, commonsense push to ensure the VA meets this need for those who serve our nation \u2013 including those living in rural or underserved areas.\u201d\n\nThe Senators\u2019 Mammography Access for Veterans Act would require VA make permanent a pilot program providing telescreening mammography for veterans living in states where VA does not offer a full-service mammography program. This involves conducting the mammogram at a VA facility and sending the images to a VA telescreening mammography center for interpretation by qualified radiologists. Without Congressional action, VA\u2019s telemammography pilot program is set to end in May 2026. The program went live in 2023 at five pilot sites in West Virginia, New York, Oklahoma, and Massachusetts. As of June 2025, 7,416 mammography screenings have taken place under this program.\n\nThe legislation would also require VA to offer either a telescreening mammography program, a full-service in-house mammography program, or mobile mammography program in each state. This would help ensure better access to mammograms for veterans in states where VA currently does not offer in-house mammography, including Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.\n\nThe Senators\u2019 legislative effort has been supported by key veterans advocates, including IAVA, MOAA, DAV, PVA, Wounded Warrior Project, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), and Service Women\u2019s Action Network (SWAN).\n\n\u201cWomen veterans have earned the same timely, high-quality health care as every other veteran, including seamless access to mammography. It is ridiculous that in 2025 many still have to fight for basic breast cancer screening,\u201d said Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America\u2019s (IAVA) CEO Dr. Kyleanne Hunter. \u201cThe Mammography Access for Veterans Act brings lifesaving mammography closer to where veterans live and strengthens women\u2019s health in VA. IAVA proudly supports this bill and every policy that honors the service and sacrifice of ALL those who wore the uniform.\u201d\n\n\u201cMOAA strongly supports the Mammography Access for Veterans Act because no veteran should face barriers to essential preventive care,\u201d said Military Officers Association of America\u2019s (MOAA) Vice President of Government Relations Major Gen. April Vogel, (USAF-Ret). \u201cThis legislation guarantees that every veteran\u2014regardless of location\u2014can access timely, high-quality breast cancer screenings through telescreening, mobile, or in-house programs. Building on the success of the MOAA-backed MAMMO Act enacted in 2022, this bill offers a commonsense solution that saves lives and reinforces VA\u2019s commitment to veterans\u2019 health.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe VA\u2019s telescreening mammography program is a proven lifesaver that strengthens health equity for our veterans,\u201d said Disabled American Veterans (DAV) National Legislative Director Joy Ilem. \u201cDAV strongly supports the Mammography Access for Veterans Act, which ensures every state and Puerto Rico offers telescreening, full-service or mobile mammography. By removing barriers to timely preventive care for women veterans and those with disabilities, we can save more lives. We applaud Sens. Moran and Blumenthal for their bipartisan leadership in expanding this vital program.\u201d\n\n\u201cPVA commends Senator Blumenthal for recognizing the importance of VA\u2019s tele mammography screening pilot program that was created with the passage of the MAMMO Act in the 117th Congress,\u201d said Paralyzed Veterans of America\u2019s (PVA) Chief Policy Officer Heather Ansley. \u201cCurrently, almost half of the states across the country lack a VA facility with an in-house mammography program. This legislation permanently authorizes the tele mammography program, fills critical gaps for veterans trying to access care, and directs VA to pay closer attention to accessibility for catastrophically disabled veterans.\u201d\n\n\u201cWounded Warrior Project supports legislation to expand breast cancer screening and treatment for women veterans, particularly those in rural areas,\u201d said Wounded Warrior Project\u2019s Vice President of Government and Community Relations Jose Ramos. \u201cWith one in eight women veterans in VA care expected to develop breast cancer, timely access to preventive care and treatment is critical. We thank Senator Blumenthal for leading this important effort.\u201d\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/video-at-senate-hearing-seeking-to-undermine-aca-blumenthal-calls-out-republicans-for-refusing-to-address-higher-health-care-costs", "Video: At Senate Hearing Seeking to Undermine ACA, Blumenthal Calls out Republicans for Refusing to Address Higher Health Care Costs", "2025-12-10", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, DC] \u2013 Today at a hearing convened by Senate Republicans seeking to undermine the Affordable Care Act (ACA), U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, slammed Republicans for refusing to extend enhanced premium tax credits and working to dismantle key protections for Americans in the ACA.\n\nAt today\u2019s hearing, Blumenthal invited testimony from Dan Jacobs, a chef and restaurant owner from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Aaron Lehman, a fifth-generation family farmer from Polk County, Iowa, who both discussed how Republicans\u2019 failure to extend enhanced premium tax credits will impact their families, businesses, and communities.\n\n\u201cAnybody consuming health care knows how expensive it is. But more important than what I say here is what the reality is for American families right now\u2014in their small businesses, like Dan Jacobs; at their farms, like Aaron Lehman; at their kitchen table, in their living rooms. Where they are going to buy health care right now, health care coverage, and they are confronting double and triple rates, and they are climbing,\u201d Blumenthal said at the hearing.\n\nBlumenthal continued, \u201cIt is sticker shock that is deadly. People will die. People will die if they can\u2019t afford health insurance. So, far more important than what I say here is what the United States Senate does tomorrow. The question is whether it will extend the health care tax credits that have made insurance affordable for millions and millions of Americans\u2014including small businesses, farmers, and others. Across the country more than 20 million Americans are facing an average premium increase of 114%\u2014that\u2019s doubling\u2014as a result of the loss of these subsidies.\u201d\n\nBlumenthal underscored the urgency for the Senate to act now and extend premium tax credits before individuals across the country are hit with higher costs, \u201cWe don\u2019t have the luxury of time. We don\u2019t have the leisure to delay. And I believe that we should recognize how the Affordable Care Act serves our small businesses, our farmers, our individual people, millions of them who will go without health insurance if we decide wrongly tomorrow.\u201d\n\nThe video of Blumenthal opening remarks is available here. The transcript is copied below.\n\nU.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. If today's hearing sounds familiar or repetitive, that is because it is. It is repetitive of the last hearing we held, and the Chairman\u2019s opening statement repeats a lot of what has been the Republican mantra\u2014I was inclined to say diatribe\u2014but essentially, to repeal the ACA. It has been the Republican mission since the passage of the ACA, and we have voted on it some 70 or more times. Fortunately, every time defeating the repeal effort. And I want to make very clear, our health care system costs too much. It has problems like fraud. It is far from perfect. So, the Chairman saying that I implied that there are no problems with our health care system I think somewhat misstates what I've said in the past. Anybody consuming health care knows how expensive it is.\n\nBut more important than what I say here is what the reality is for American families right now\u2014in their small businesses, like Dan Jacobs; at their farms, like Aaron Lehman; at their kitchen table, in their living rooms. Where they are going to buy health care right now, health care coverage, and they are confronting double and triple rates, and they are climbing. It is sticker shock that is deadly. People will die. People will die if they can\u2019t afford health insurance.\n\nSo far more important than what I say here is what the United States Senate does tomorrow. The question is whether it will extend the health care tax credits that have made insurance affordable for millions and millions of Americans\u2014including small businesses, farmers, and others.\n\nAcross the country more than 20 million Americans are facing an average premium increase of 114%\u2014that\u2019s doubling\u2014as a result of the loss of these subsidies. In both my home state of Connecticut and the Chairman\u2019s state of Wisconsin where Mr. Dan Jacobs is from, a family of four earning $66,000 per year and hoping to hang onto some benchmark plan they have right now will see their premiums more than triple. That\u2019s just one example. I could go through a variety of others. I have done it before in hearings that we have had here and speeches that we have made on the Floor. But tomorrow is decision day. And we can talk all we want about defining the problem and concocting solutions, and I agree we ought to look at reforms to make the Affordable Care Act better and cut the costs of health care and insurance, but let's extend the health care subsidies so we can save millions of Americans the awful fate of going without health care insurance.\n\nWe don\u2019t have the luxury of time. We don\u2019t have the leisure to delay. And I believe that we should recognize how the Affordable Care Act serves our small businesses, our farmers, our individual people, millions of them who will go without health insurance if we decide wrongly tomorrow.\n\nI am particularly thankful to Dan Jacobs, chef and small business owner from Wisconsin, and Aaron Lehman, a farmer from Iowa, who have agreed to testify today to share their stories. They are just two of the millions of Americans who rely on the Affordable Care Act and whose healthcare insurance premiums are about to skyrocket or have already sent sticker shock throughout the American public.\n\nThere is no question that we need to crack down on the brokers engaging in fraudulent behavior and take action to constrain health care costs, but let's resolve to come together, to do the right thing for the American people, and extend these health care subsidies. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/video-blumenthal-speaks-on-urgent-need-for-senate-republicans-to-extend-aca-premium-tax-credits-warns-of-harm-to-veterans", "Video: Blumenthal Speaks on Urgent Need for Senate Republicans to Extend ACA Premium Tax Credits, Warns of Harm to Veterans", "2025-12-10", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, D.C.] \u2013 At a Senate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee hearing today, Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal emphasized the harmful impact failing to extend Affordable Care Act (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits will have on veterans and their families. Recent analysis found 267,000 veterans who rely on the ACA enhanced premium tax credits will no longer be able to afford ACA marketplace coverage if these credits are not extended.\n\nBlumenthal pressed the urgency of addressing this issue ahead of a vote tomorrow on a Democratic proposal to extend ACA enhanced premium tax credits for three years before they expire at the end of the year: \u201c\u2026[W]e have to recognize the importance of votes that we will take tomorrow, one of them to extend the health care tax credits under the Affordable Care Act that will affect literally 267,000 veterans who rely on the ACA enhanced premium tax credits to afford health insurance. And whether you support the ACA, whether you have other views on what might be a perfect system in the long run if we had tons of time, the simple fact is we face a deadline at the end of the year when these tax credits will expire and 267,000 veterans will no longer be able to afford ACA coverage if these credits are not extended.\u201d\n\nThe Senator continued, \u201cThese are primarily veterans not eligible for Medicaid, TRICARE, or Medicare, and often not eligible to get care through VA \u2013 leaving them with ACA marketplace plans as their only option for health care coverage. The ACA isn\u2019t perfect\u2026 but the fact of the matter is the consequences of failing to extend these tax credits will be devastating for veterans and their families. Veterans will be forced to navigate a perfect storm \u2013 an understaffed VA health care system, increased wait times for VA health care, Medicaid cuts, and the loss of affordable health insurance. They deserve better. So do millions of Americans who will be impacted by the potential failure to extend these tax credits. I hope that we approve them to the benefit of those veterans and countless other Americans affected.\u201d\n\nVeterans who benefit from ACA tax credits are primarily those not eligible for Medicaid, TRICARE, or Medicare, or who are not eligible to get some or all of their health care through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). In addition, 1.6 million veterans and four million family members of veterans utilize Medicaid or the Children\u2019s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and are at risk of losing Medicaid or CHIP coverage because of the \u201cBig Beautiful Bill.\u201d One in ten veterans under the age of 65 rely on Medicaid, and forty percent of these veterans rely on Medicaid as their sole coverage.\n\nRepublicans have thus far refused to work with Democrats to extend the enhanced premium tax credits that have helped millions of Americans afford health insurance. Now, tens of millions of Americans across the country are staring down increased health insurance rates that are set to double and even triple their monthly premiums. Coupled with Republicans\u2019 Medicare and Medicaid cuts that go into effect next year, Americans, including millions of veterans, are bracing for higher costs and a looming health care crisis.\n\nVideo of Blumenthal\u2019s opening statement is available here and the full text is copied below.\n\nSenator Blumenthal: Thanks, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the opportunity to hear testimony on some very important bipartisan legislation today. But, before we begin, I think we have to recognize the importance of votes that we will take tomorrow, one of them to extend the health care tax credits under the Affordable Care Act that will affect literally 267,000 veterans who rely on the ACA enhanced premium tax credits to afford health insurance. And whether you support the ACA, whether you have other views on what might be a perfect system in the long run if we had tons of time, the simple fact is we face a deadline at the end of the year when these tax credits will expire and 267,000 veterans will no longer be able to afford ACA coverage if these credits are not extended.\n\nThese are primarily veterans not eligible for Medicaid, TRICARE, or Medicare, and often not eligible to get care through VA \u2013 leaving them with ACA marketplace plans as their only option for health care coverage. The ACA isn\u2019t perfect. We need to lower the costs of health care generally. We need to work on reforms, and we need to eliminate any fraud that exists in these programs, but the fact of the matter is the consequences of failing to extend these tax credits will be devastating for veterans and their families. Veterans will be forced to navigate a perfect storm - an understaffed VA health care system, increased wait times for VA health care, Medicaid cuts, and the loss of affordable health insurance. They deserve better. So do millions of Americans who will be impacted by the potential failure to extend these tax credits. I hope that we approve them to the benefit of those veterans and countless other Americans affected.\n\nOn the legislation today, I particularly want to thank Mr. Stichman for his work, alongside the Yale Veterans Legal Services Clinic, to improve how federal appellate courts process VA appeals.\n\nI\u2019ve worked with the Yale Veterans Legal Services Clinic over the years, and I know how important their work is generally. The Veterans Appeals Efficiency Act, which I co-lead with Senator Banks, is one of many bills that we\u2019re here to discuss. And I will be supporting many, if not all of them. For example, the Molly Loomis Act which would build on the promise of the PACT Act by exploring health conditions prevalent among descendants of veterans who were exposed to toxic substances during their service. And we have to confront, as well, the painful legacy of discrimination. The Commission on Equity and Reconciliation in the Uniformed Services Act would investigate the harm done to LGBTQ+ servicemembers and veterans, many of whom received punitive discharges, and were forced to hide their identities and ultimately denied benefits.\n\nThese measures are not partisan. This Committee generally is not partisan. And I welcome the support of my Republican colleagues for many of these important measures that we hopefully will advance after today\u2019s hearing. Thank you.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-and-robert-garcia-receive_firsthand-accounts-of-us-citizens-assaulted-illegally-detained-by-dhs-blumenthal--robert-garcia-receive-firsthand-accounts-of-us-citizens-assaulted-illegally-detained-by-dhsblumenthal--robert-garcia-receive-firsthand-accounts-of-us-citizens-assaulted-illegally-detained-by-dhs", "Blumenthal & Robert Garcia Receive Firsthand Accounts of U.S. Citizens Assaulted, Illegally Detained by DHS", "2025-12-09", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, DC] \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ranking Member of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI), and U.S. Representative Robert Garcia (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, held a bicameral public forum to receive testimony from five U.S. citizens who have experienced unconstitutional detentions by agents of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The forum will also feature a video compilation of footage showing several of today\u2019s witnesses during their encounters with immigration agents.\n\nThe following Americans shared their personal experiences being assaulted, detained, and denied their constitutional rights by DHS agents:\n\nWilmer Chavarria (Vermont): Mr. Chavarria, a school superintendent, was detained after returning to the U.S. from visiting family overseas, interrogated for hours, and had his personal and professional devices searched without his consent.\n\n\u201cWhen I held my US passport for the first time, I felt an enormous sense of pride and I was deeply inspired to give my new country the best of me, my talent, my work, and my dreams. I felt loved by my community and I believed with all my that the American Dream was me,\u201d said Mr. Chavarria.\n\n\u201cIf the goal is to make some citizens feel like they are of a second class, with only some of the rights but not others, then they have succeeded. But I choose to believe that the pendulum will swing the other way, and that our collective disgust for these abuses will catalyze into a powerful backlash against overreach.\n\nMr. Chavarria\u2019s written testimony is available here.\n\nDayanne Figueroa (Illinois): Ms. Figueroa was sideswiped while driving to work and then violently pulled from her car by DHS agents; while detained for hours, she suffered internal trauma, having recently undergone two kidney surgeries weeks before the incident, as well as injuries to her wrists from being handcuffed.\n\n\u201cWhat happened to me that day was not an arrest. It was an assault and the kidnapping of a U.S. citizen. I was never arrested. Never charged. Never given an explanation. And never given an apology. But the damage is done and continues,\u201d said Ms. Figueroa.\n\nMs. Figueroa\u2019s written testimony is available here.\n\nJavier Ramirez (California): Mr. Ramirez was violently assaulted by DHS agents and held for four days, where he was denied adequate treatment for diabetes, leading to severe complications.\n\n\u201cToday, I live with a constant shadow of anxiety, fearing that this could happen again \u2013 not just to me, but to my children and loved ones. The streets of my city, once a place of safety and comfort, have become tainted by the actions of those who should protect us,\u201d said Mr. Ramirez.\n\n\u201cI share my story not just for myself, but for everyone who has been unjustly treated, for those whose voices have been silenced. We must stand together against this injustice and demand a change \u2013 a change that ensures safety, dignity, and respect for every individual, regardless of their background.\u201d\n\nMr. Ramirez\u2019s written testimony is available here.\n\nGeorge Retes (California): Mr. Retes is a U.S. Army veteran who was violently arrested and detained during a raid at his job site in Southern California and detained for three days, during which time he was refused the ability to contact his family, and missed his daughter\u2019s birthday.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m here today not to reopen old wounds, but as a veteran, a father, and an ordinary person who still believes in the promise of this country and the values represented by our flag. I respect law enforcement. I respect the men and women who serve. But I also believe that accountability is not the enemy of respect \u2013 it is its foundation,\u201d said Mr. Retes.\n\nMr. Retes\u2019 written testimony is available here.\n\nAndrea Velez (California): Ms. Velez was on her way to work in downtown Los Angeles when she got caught up in an immigration raid and was held for two days before being falsely charged with assaulting an officer, a charge that was later dropped.\n\n\u201cThough I try to detach from my trauma, our community continues to be targeted simply because of the color of our skin. We are left vulnerable, forced to fend for ourselves\u2014and if this is how U.S. citizens are treated, imagine the cruelty inflicted on those without\u201d said Ms. Velez.\n\n\u201cI stand for every silenced voice, every family broken by fear, every community stripped of its humanity. Dignity, safety, and justice are not privileges\u2014they are fundamental rights.\u201d\n\nMs. Velez\u2019s written testimony is available here.\n\nAaron Reichlin-Melnick, a Senior Fellow at the American Immigration Council, joined the five Americans who have personal experiences being detained by U.S, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to share a policy and legal perspective on the Trump Administration\u2019s immigration enforcement agenda:\n\n\u201cPeople want an immigration system that is marked by order, not disorder; a system which provides opportunities for coming into compliance with the law for those who are otherwise law-abiding, while ensuring consistent, just, and proportionate penalties for those who are not. Building such a system is possible; we can couple order with compassion, forgiveness, justice, and other core American principles,\u201d said Mr. Reichlin-Melnick.\n\n\u201cBut unfortunately, the administration at the helm of this system is primarily interested in generating a perception of order through performative cruelty, rather than actual order through meaningful reforms.\u201d\n\nMr. Reichlin-Melnick\u2019s written testimony is available here.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-releases-new-report-featuring-firsthand-accounts-of-us-citizens-assaulted-illegally-detained-by-dhs", "Blumenthal Releases New Report Featuring Firsthand Accounts of U.S. Citizens Assaulted, Illegally Detained by DHS", "2025-12-09", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, DC] \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI), released a report highlighting firsthand accounts of twenty-two Americans who were physically assaulted, pepper sprayed, denied medical treatment, and detained \u2013 sometimes for days \u2013 by federal immigration agents. The report contains new details of accounts that have already been made public as well as several encounters that have not been shared previously.\n\nThe report, Unchecked Authority: Examining the Trump Administration\u2019s Extrajudicial Immigration Detentions Of U.S. Citizens, was released ahead of a bicameral public forum hosted by Blumenthal and U.S. Representative Robert Garcia (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, to receive testimony from five Americans who were unconstitutionally detained by agents of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).\n\n\u201cAmericans should have a hard time recognizing our great nation in these stomach turning, heartbreaking stories of brutal assaults on our fellow citizens. Masked ICE and CBP agents chillingly seizing Americans isn\u2019t the nation we know and cherish. Totalitarian tactics have no place in our democracy. I hope that elevating stories of abhorrent abuse will reinforce our resolve to preserve democratic rights,\u201d said Blumenthal.\n\nDHS continues to lie about its treatment of American citizens. In October, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem falsely claimed, \u201c[t]here\u2019s no American citizens that have been arrested or detained\u201d and the account @DHSgov posted just last week, \u201cICE does NOT arrest or deport U.S. citizens.\u201d\n\nThe report released today presents accounts from nearly two dozen Americans who spoke with PSI staff about their personal experiences with immigration agents, which frequently took place while citizens were going about their daily lives. These stories, which took place during the summer and fall of 2025 and span the United States, reveal widespread abuses and clear violations of the law. The report identifies several trends including:\n\nDetentions lasting several days, far longer than the short timeframe envisioned in \u201cKavanaugh Stops;\u201d\n\nDetentions of U.S. citizen children and the treatment of children with reckless disregard for their safety and wellbeing;\n\nRoutine and excessive force resulting in injuries to the citizens who have been detained;\n\nThe routine denial of medical care and other basic necessities to citizens who have detained, sometimes seemingly only to degrade those in custody;\n\nViolent reactions to citizens filming their actions;\n\nThe ignoring or denial of claims of citizenship and refusal to release Americans who have valid proof of citizenship readily available;\n\nFederal immigration agents frequently wear clothes designed to conceal their identities and refuse legitimate requests for identification; and\n\nRepeatedly fabricated claims made by immigration agents about the U.S. citizens who were detained.\n\nIn October, Blumenthal and Garcia opened an inquiry into the increasing detention of U.S. citizens by federal immigration agents. In a letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Blumenthal and Garcia demanded information and records from the agency following increasingly frequent reports of unconstitutional detentions of U.S. citizens by agents of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), often using disproportionate force. Blumenthal and Garcia reiterated their request in another letter to Noem in November.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/video-blumenthal-watch-these-videos-of-dhs-agents-and-ask-whether-thats-the-america-that-you-know", "Video: Blumenthal: Watch These Videos of DHS Agents and \"Ask Whether that's the America that You Know\"", "2025-12-09", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, DC] \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ranking Member of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI), delivered an opening statement at a bicameral public forum to receive testimony (available here) from five Americans who were unconstitutionally detained by agents of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).\n\n\u201cI call on every American to ask yourselves what it means to be an American to you and to uphold basic American values. And watch these videos, each of your arrests and many others, and ask whether that's the America that you know, the America that reflects your values and American rights,\u201d said Blumenthal.\n\n\u201cWe're here seeking accountability. We probably need to change laws to really make the federal government accountable to people like yourselves whose rights have been violated. I know that we're going to be working on it here in the United States Senate, and you will be providing a powerful impetus to us in that work.\u201d\n\nBlumenthal and U.S. Representative Robert Garcia (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, are hosting today\u2019s forum as part of their ongoing inquiry into the increasing detention of U.S. citizens by federal immigration agents.\n\nEarlier today, Blumenthal released a report highlighting firsthand accounts of twenty-two Americans who were physically assaulted, pepper sprayed, denied medical treatment, and detained \u2013 sometimes for days \u2013 by federal immigration agents. The report, Unchecked Authority: Examining the Trump Administration\u2019s Extrajudicial Immigration Detentions of U.S. Citizens, contains new details of accounts that have already been made public as well as several encounters that have not been shared previously.\n\nVideo of Blumenthal\u2019s opening statement is available here and the full text is copied below.\n\nMy name is Richard Blumenthal. I'm a United States Senator from Connecticut and the Ranking Member on the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. And I am honored to welcome all of you here. Thank you for being here. All the spectators, our staff, which has done such remarkably great work on this hearing, and most especially to Representative Garcia of the House Oversight Committee, where he is the Ranking Member, and he has been doing just extraordinarily valuable work as a point person on accountability. So, I admire and thank him for that work. Thank you for being here.\n\nMost important, I'd like to thank our witnesses, who have come from far away and have braved a lot of adversity to be here\u2014potential threats and intimidation that a lot of Americans may not appreciate without this hearing. We're going to be joined by our colleagues here, just to let you know. Senator Durbin is arriving right now. Members of the House will be coming as well. We\u2019ll be running in and out, because we have votes in the Senate that are ongoing, and House Members are coming from the other side of the Capitol.\n\nBut just to lay out at the beginning why we're here. Today, the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations is issuing a report. This report ought to shock America's conscience. Americans should be shocked to read these stories. Twenty-two American citizens treated in a way we would not tolerate anyone in this great nation, our fellow citizens, being abused and mistreated. Americans should have a hard time recognizing our great nation in these shocking, stomach-turning, stories of fellow Americans assaulted brutally by agents of the United States government.\n\nOur report documents twenty-two stories\u2014and yours are among them\u2014across ten different states, all across the United States, containing previously unreported details and new accounts. But we know that these twenty-two stories are among hundreds, literally among hundreds, that your voices and faces will reflect for us today. And they are fearful about coming forward because of intimidation and threats and potential retaliation. You have braved those threats and intimidation, and we are immensely grateful to you today.\n\nOur report outlines, and we'll hear it from five witnesses today, stories that would be totally abhorrent to most Americans. And they follow a through line. There's a script\u2014Americans living normal lives, citizens going about their business, taking kids to school or going to work. Immigration agents stop them, sometimes smashing into their cars, unprompted seizures at the airport, blockades at their streets, even intruding in their homes. Citizens are then subjected to brutal, physical violence. Children are treated with reckless disregard for their safety and well-being. Agents, frequently masked and unidentifiable, turn violent\u2014without provocation\u2014crashing their government vehicles into citizens\u2019 cars and dragging them from those cars, slamming them to the ground and violently assaulting them. This kind of abuse is a pattern.\n\nThis excessive force has resulted in injuries to some of you and many others that have lasting impact on them. We're talking about bleeding wounds, broken ribs, concussions, other kinds of real, physical, serious injury. And it doesn't matter if you have documentation, a passport, a REAL ID. Most strikingly to me, aside from the physical violence, is the disregard and denial of proof of citizenship by these masked agents who have detained you and hundreds of others. No due process, total disregard for this document, which we hold sacred in the United States Congress and the American people hold sacred\u2014the Constitution of the United States. No rights and no due process. Arrest first and investigate later.\n\nAnd then, as if they are secret police, agents kidnap citizens and disappear them, throwing them into vans to be transported elsewhere, without telling people where, without giving them access to telephones so they can contact their families, taking away their phones, no access to lawyers, and no knowledge about how many days or hours they will be held. In fact, contrary to Justice Kavanaugh in the decision in which he concurred, Noem v. Vasquez Perdomo, not a quick stop, detention for days, literally. Of just twenty-two people we spoke to for our report, seven citizens were held for more than twenty-four hours, and two others were held for more than twelve hours\u2014and a number of you for days, literally two days, three days. And by the way, the Department of Homeland Security will not tell us how many U.S. citizens have been detained. Nobody knows, apparently.\n\nThey've been held without access to necessary medical care, water, even bathrooms. They've been subject to indignities and disrespect. And when they are finally released, no answers. Sometimes charges against them, that are then dismissed, because they have no basis in fact or law.\n\nAnd the effects are long lasting. Post-traumatic stress, kidney infections, trips to the hospital, fear of falling asleep only to have nightmares about being dragged out of their homes again.\n\nIn many instances, as you have told me, federal immigration agents make up charges of assault to justify their abuses of you. And thankfully, video evidence absolutely refutes those charges. They have invented them, made them up out of whole cloth.\n\nI call on every American to ask yourselves what it means to be an American to you and to uphold basic American values. And watch these videos, each of your arrests and many others, and ask whether that's the America that you know, the America that reflects your values and American rights.\n\nThere's a lot more to say here, but I want to keep my comments brief because the focus today really should be on your faces and voices. We want you to tell your stories, which are so powerful, and that you have bravely come before us to tell us.\n\nWe're here seeking accountability. We probably need to change laws to really make the federal government accountable to people like yourselves whose rights have been violated. I know that we're going to be working on it here in the United States Senate, and you will be providing a powerful impetus to us in that work. And again, my thanks to you and to all of our colleagues from the House who are going to be joining us, most especially Representative Garcia, and I turn to him now.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-and-fischers-bipartisan-resolution-to-promote-road-safety_reduce-roadside-deaths-passes-senate", "Blumenthal & Fischer's Bipartisan Resolution to Promote Road Safety & Reduce Roadside Deaths Passes Senate", "2025-12-08", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, D.C.] \u2013 The bipartisan National Move Over Law Day Resolution led by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Deb Fischer (R-NE) passed the U.S. Senate. The resolution highlights Slow Down, Move Over laws across the country in an effort to reduce struck-by-vehicle injuries and fatalities. The resolution also recognizes and honors the important role fire and rescue personnel, emergency medical services personnel, law enforcement officers, tow truck operators, and transportation workers play in road safety.\n\n\u201cSlow Down, Move Over saves lives. It\u2019s the law in every state, but it needs to be amplified and elevated. Every year, failures to Slow Down and Move Over cause needless, senseless injuries and deaths to roadside workers like police, firefighters, emergency responders, tow truck operators, construction workers, and more. This resolution aims to make them safer by reminding drivers to slow down and move over,\u201d said Blumenthal.\n\n\u201cOur first responders and roadway emergency personnel work tirelessly to keep us safe. During a roadway emergency, the least we can do is help keep them safe by following the move over law. Slowing down and moving over a lane is one of the easiest and most effective ways to protect our emergency professionals and the people they\u2019re working to help. I\u2019m grateful for the bipartisan support of our commonsense resolution, which will help make America\u2019s roads safer for everyone,\u201d said Fischer.\n\nToday, all 50 states have Slow Down, Move Over laws that direct motorists to reduce speed or change lanes for stopped emergency and maintenance vehicles. Still, many drivers are unaware of these laws, and they vary state-by-state, leading to continued roadside fatalities and injuries across the country.\n\nThe resolution is endorsed by a number of organizations including the Towing and Recovery Association of America (TRAA), American Automobile Association (AAA), American Association of State Troopers, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, Connecticut Department of Transportation, Eastern Transportation Coalition, Governors Highway Safety Association, International Association of Chiefs of Police, National Association of Police Organizations, National District Attorneys Association, National Safety Council, National Volunteer Fire Council, the National Sheriffs' Association, and the International Association of Fire Chiefs.\n\n\"Emergency responders are the unsung heroes of our nation's roads,\" said Flagman Inc. Founder Cindy Iodice, \"So it's important to keep the message of Slow Down, Move Over in the eyes of the motoring public. This resolution from Senator Blumenthal, who has provided Flagman with unwavering support in the past, does just that.\"\n\nThe text of the resolution is available here.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-presses-ftc-to-curb-concentration-in-dialysis-market-release-findings-of-investigation", "Blumenthal Presses FTC to Curb Concentration in Dialysis Market, Release Findings of Investigation", "2025-12-08", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, D.C.] \u2013 U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) is calling on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) today to ramp up its efforts to crack down on concentration in the dialysis market. Currently, just two companies, DaVita and Fresenius, control more than three-fourths of the dialysis market, which more than a half a million Americans rely on to access lifesaving kidney dialysis.\n\nIn a letter, Blumenthal raised alarm over Americans\u2019 complaints with DaVita and Fresenius: \u201cVulnerable Americans receiving care from DaVita and Fresenius report gravely worrisome problems: understaffed clinics, safety shortcuts, rushed treatment, and high rates of potentially life-threatening mistakes. When staff try to address their concerns through unionization, they are reportedly blocked by aggressive anti-union tactics. When physicians who serve as the medical director for a dialysis clinic try to move to a competitor or open their own clinic, they are reportedly blocked by onerous non-compete clauses. When nascent competitors develop new technology that promises to improve the care available to patients, they are bought up. And most disturbing, when patients have tried to raise awareness and advocate for themselves, they have reportedly been blackballed \u2013 denied medically necessary, life-sustaining treatment.\u201d\n\nThe Senator called on the FTC to take additional steps to respond to the market concentration in the dialysis industry: \u201c\u2026[G]iven the ongoing harm to dialysis patients, doctors, and other employees at these companies, more must be done.\u201d\n\nBlumenthal concluded by requesting a briefing on the status of the Commission\u2019s investigation of DaVita and Fresnius\u2019 violations of antitrust laws reported in 2024, DaVita\u2019s compliance with its final order restricting future acquisitions of dialysis clinics by the company in 2022, and any other antitrust issues the FTC may be investigating in the dialysis industry. He concluded by urging the FTC to take \u201c\u2026robust enforcement action to remediate issues it has identified and protect patients, including veterans, from misconduct by these companies.\u201d\n\nThe full text of the Senator\u2019s letter is available here and copied below.\n\nDear Chairman Ferguson,\n\nI write with concerns regarding concentration in the dialysis market. Over half a million Americans, including over 40,000 veterans, receive kidney dialysis. For these patients, dialysis treatment is necessary and life-saving. Notwithstanding the importance of this care, most of these patients are forced to rely on just two companies, DaVita and Fresenius Medical Care (\u201cFresenius\u201d), with checkered track records, as they control at least 77% of the national dialysis market.\n\nVulnerable Americans receiving care from DaVita and Fresenius report gravely worrisome problems: understaffed clinics, safety shortcuts, rushed treatment, and high rates of potentially life-threatening mistakes. When staff try to address their concerns through unionization, they are reportedly blocked by aggressive anti-union tactics. When physicians who serve as the medical director for a dialysis clinic try to move to a competitor or open their own clinic, they are reportedly blocked by onerous non-compete clauses. When nascent competitors develop new technology that promises to improve the care available to patients, they are bought up. And most disturbing, when patients have tried to raise awareness and advocate for themselves, they have reportedly been blackballed \u2013 denied medically necessary, life-sustaining treatment.\n\nThese kinds of complaints are hallmarks of unlawful abuse of market power. Despite the unpopularity of DaVita and Fresenius, their share of the national market has increased dramatically over the past two decades.\n\nThe Commission has begun taking some initial steps to respond to the market concentration in the dialysis industry, including the imposition of a final order restricting future acquisitions of dialysis clinics by DaVita in 2022, as well as reports that, in 2024, the Commission opened an investigation of violations of antitrust law by DaVita and Fresenius. However, given the ongoing harm to dialysis patients, doctors, and other employees at these companies, more must be done. I write to request a briefing on the status of your investigation, DaVita\u2019s compliance with the 2022 final order restricting future acquisitions, and any other antitrust issues the FTC is currently examining in the dialysis industry. Further, upon prompt completion of the investigation, FTC must take appropriate robust enforcement action to remediate issues it has identified and protect patients, including veterans, from misconduct by these companies.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-urges-usps-action-to-ensure-servicemembers-overseas-can-receive-holiday-packages", "Blumenthal Urges USPS Action to Ensure Servicemembers Overseas Can Receive Holiday Packages", "2025-12-08", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[Hartford, CT] \u2013 U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal today wrote to the U.S. Postal Service urging swift action to establish and publicly share clear guidance about how holiday packages should be labeled and shipped to servicemembers overseas this holiday season.\n\nIn a letter to Postmaster General David Steiner, Blumenthal raises the case of Boxes to Boots Connecticut which had 844 of their 1139 holiday care packages for troops overseas inexplicably returned. Additionally, more than 100 packages are simply missing. USPS has yet to locate the missing packages or provide an explanation to the organization for why the packages were returned.\n\n\u201cIt has been a time-honored tradition for families and advocates to send holiday packages to our nation\u2019s military personnel deployed overseas. The men and women who serve our country in uniform are often away from family and friends during the holidays, and these packages have meaning and impact far beyond their contents. USPS must do right by our servicemembers by providing their families and advocates with a seamless, clear process for sending holiday packages\u2014all of which are sent to an APO address,\u201d Blumenthal wrote.\n\nIn addition to calling on USPS to publicly disseminate clear guidance and contact information for military families and organizations who are encountering similar obstacles, Blumenthal has asked for a USPS representative to directly contact Kristen Gauvin at Boxes to Boots Connecticut to resolve their issues and ensure the organization can deliver their care packages before the holidays.\n\nA full copy of Blumenthal\u2019s letter is available below and here:\n\nDecember 7, 2025\n\nDavid Steiner\n\nPostmaster General and Chief Executive Officer\n\nUSPS\n\n475 L'Enfant Plaza SW\n\nWashington, DC 20260-2200\n\nDear Mr. Steiner:\n\nI strongly urge you and the United States Postal Service (USPS) to take immediate action to ensure that our servicemembers deployed overseas are able to receive and enjoy their holiday packages. Specifically, I request that USPS establish and disseminate clear guidance about how the contents of such packages should be labeled and provide a point of contact who can assist military family and advocacy groups to ensure the prompt delivery of their holiday packages.\n\nAccording to Boxes for Boots\u2019s Connecticut representative, Kristen Gauvin, 1139 holiday packages\u2014all with similar labels\u2014were clearly labeled in accordance with newly adopted USPS regulations, yet 844 of these packages were returned and more than 100 are missing. Despite Ms. Gauvin\u2019s efforts to obtain guidance from USPS, no one has been able to explain why these 844 packages were returned and what the correct description and tariff code should be so that these packages can be quickly shipped and received before the holidays.\n\nIt has been a time-honored tradition for families and advocates to send holiday packages to our nation\u2019s military personnel deployed overseas. The men and women who serve our country in uniform are often away from family and friends during the holidays, and these packages have meaning and impact far beyond their contents. USPS must do right by our servicemembers by providing their families and advocates with a seamless, clear process for sending holiday packages\u2014all of which are sent to an APO address.\n\nWith the holidays rapidly approaching, time is of the essence; I request that you or a knowledgeable USPS representative contact Kristen Gauvin at 860-539-6391 as soon as possible to address this urgent matter. In addition, I request that you publicly disseminate clear guidance and contact information for other military families and advocates who may be encountering similar obstacles.\n\nIf you have any additional questions, please contact me or my State Director Rich Kehoe at (860) 258-6940.\n\nSincerely,\n\nRichard Blumenthal\n\nUnited States Senator\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-and-robert-garcia-to-hold-forum-to-receive-testimony-from-five-us-citizens-assaulted-illegally-detained-by-dhs", "Blumenthal & Robert Garcia to Hold Forum to Receive Testimony from Five U.S. Citizens Assaulted, Illegally Detained by DHS", "2025-12-06", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, DC] \u2013 On Tuesday, December 9, 2025 at 3 PM ET in 216 Hart Senate Office Building in Washington, DC, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ranking Member of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, and U.S. Representative Robert Garcia (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, will hold a bicameral public forum to receive testimony from five U.S. citizens who have experienced unconstitutional detentions by agents of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).\n\nDHS continues to lie about its treatment of American citizens. In October, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem falsely claimed, \u201c[t]here\u2019s no American citizens that have been arrested or detained\u201d and the account @DHSgov posted just last week, \u201cICE does NOT arrest or deport U.S. citizens.\u201d\n\nOn Tuesday, the following Americans will share their personal experiences being assaulted, detained, and denied their constitutional rights by DHS agents:\n\nWilmer Chavarria (Vermont): Mr. Chavarria, a school superintendent, was detained after returning to the U.S. from visiting family overseas, interrogated for hours, and had his personal and professional devices searched without his consent.\n\nDayanne Figueroa (Illinois): Ms. Figueroa was sideswiped while driving to work and then violently pulled from her car by DHS agents; while detained for hours, she suffered internal trauma, having recently undergone two kidney surgeries weeks before the incident, as well as injuries to her wrists from being handcuffed.\n\nJavier Ramirez (California): Mr. Ramirez was violently assaulted by DHS agents and held for four days, where he was denied adequate treatment for diabetes, leading to severe complications.\n\nGeorge Retes (California): Mr. Retes is a U.S. Army veteran who was violently arrested and detained during a raid at his job site in Southern California and detained for three days, during which he was refused the ability to contact his family during this time, and missed his daughter\u2019s birthday.\n\nAndrea Velez (California): Ms. Velez was on her way to work in downtown Los Angeles when she got caught up in an immigration raid and was falsely charged with assaulting an officer, a charge that was later dropped.\n\nIn October, Blumenthal and Garcia opened an inquiry into the increasing detention of U.S. citizens by federal immigration agents. DHS has since refused to respond to multiple requests from Blumenthal and Garcia for information on the number of U.S. citizens who have been detained by ICE or CBP.\n\nA livestream will be available here.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-and-merkley-raise-concerns-about-fda-pilot-program-that-would-expedite-review-of-nicotine-pouches-undercut-scientific-standards", "Blumenthal & Merkley Raise Concerns About FDA Pilot Program that would Expedite Review of Nicotine Pouches, Undercut Scientific Standards", "2025-12-05", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, DC] \u2013 Today, U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) wrote to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Martin Makary, raising concerns about a recently announced pilot program at FDA that would accelerate the review of nicotine pouches like Zyn. In their letter, Blumenthal and Merkley underscored the need for thorough oversight of nicotine products, pointing to how an expedited review process could undercut scientific review standards and allow for an uptick in the use of flavored nicotine pouches among youth.\n\nU.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and Jack Reed (D-RI) joined Blumenthal and Merkley in seeking answers from FDA about the pilot program.\n\n\u201cWhile youth use of nicotine pouches is still fairly low, it has steadily increased. Nicotine use among youth remains a serious public health concern, and appropriate oversight of nicotine pouches is needed. It is critical for FDA to avoid shortcuts that could undermine the scientific integrity of its review of these products,\u201d the Senators wrote.\n\nThe Senators highlighted public health concerns related to youth nicotine addiction, \u201cNicotine pouches are highly addictive and can deliver nicotine at levels similar to cigarettes. Health experts warn that nicotine is especially dangerous for youth because nicotine exposure can harm the developing brain. Adolescents\u2019 brains are still maturing, making them more vulnerable to nicotine\u2019s addictive properties and potentially leading to lasting physical and cognitive changes. According to the Surgeon General, nicotine exposure during this critical period can impair attention, learning, and memory, while increasing the likelihood of addiction to nicotine and other substances later in life.\u201d\n\n\u201cDespite these concerns, FDA has launched a pilot program to streamline the premarket review of nicotine pouch products. The accelerated timeline and possible reduced documentation requirements raise serious questions about how thorough FDA\u2019s evaluations will be. To date, little information has been shared on how this expedited process is being implemented and whether it will uphold the rigorous review standards mandated by the Tobacco Control Act, which requires a careful assessment of risks and benefits to the public\u2019s health, including the impact on youth,\u201d the Senator concluded.\n\nThe full text of the Senators\u2019 letter is available here and below.\n\nDr. Martin Makary, MD\n\nCommissioner\n\nU.S. Food and Drug Administration\n\n10903 New Hampshire Avenue\n\nSilver Spring, Maryland 20993\n\nDear Commissioner Makary,\n\nWe are deeply concerned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration\u2019s (FDA) recently announced pilot program related to the premarket review of nicotine pouch products, which could lead to weak standards and a harmful uptick in use among youth. As you know, Zyn and other nicotine pouch products are increasing in popularity. While youth use of nicotine pouches is still fairly low, it has steadily increased. Nicotine use among youth remains a serious public health concern, and appropriate oversight of nicotine pouches is needed. It is critical for FDA to avoid shortcuts that could undermine the scientific integrity of its review of these products.\n\nNicotine pouches come in a variety of appealing flavors such as peppermint, berry, citrus, and cinnamon, increasing their attractiveness to youth and non-smokers. Their odorless nature and discreet placement between the gum and lip make them difficult to detect in schools and homes. According to data from the 2024 National Youth Tobacco Survey, approximately 480,000 middle and high school students currently use nicotine pouches, more than double the number reported in 2021.[1] If left unchecked, these products will continue to contribute to increased nicotine addiction, posing serious public health risks among youth.\n\nThe nicotine pouch market has rapidly expanded in recent years. According to the CDC Foundation, total nicotine pouch dollar sales increased from $145.5 million in January 2023 to $510.5 million in August 2025, a 250% increase.[2] Leading brands such as Zyn, On!, and Velo are the most commonly used nicotine pouch products by youth and young adults.[3] These products are marketed as flavorful and healthier alternatives to traditional tobacco. Promoters on social media, often referred to as \u201cZynfluencers\u201d, portray nicotine pouch use in humorous situations, focus on young men, and downplay addiction.[4] While this advertisement appears to be mostly organic rather than company-sponsored, it has proven highly effective with the top 100 TikTok posts about Zyn alone having generated approximately 400 million views.[5] This trend is extremely concerning, given that flavored tobacco products have historically been marketed to appeal to youth and young adults.\n\nNicotine pouches are highly addictive and can deliver nicotine at levels similar to cigarettes.[6] Health experts warn that nicotine is especially dangerous for youth because nicotine exposure can harm the developing brain. Adolescents\u2019 brains are still maturing, making them more vulnerable to nicotine\u2019s addictive properties and potentially leading to lasting physical and cognitive changes. According to the Surgeon General, nicotine exposure during this critical period can impair attention, learning, and memory, while increasing the likelihood of addiction to nicotine and other substances later in life.[7],[8] Additionally, the CDC\u2019s Vaping Resource Guide notes that nicotine exposure can negatively affect normal brain development by impacting concentration and reducing impulse control.[9] Given these significant risks, any increased use of nicotine pouches among young people is alarming, especially as these products remain loosely regulated under existing U.S. tobacco control polices, are easily concealed and are widely marketed, making prevention and enforcement efforts more difficult.[10]\n\nDespite these concerns, FDA has launched a pilot program to streamline the premarket review of nicotine pouch products. The accelerated timeline and possible reduced documentation requirements raise serious questions about how thorough FDA\u2019s evaluations will be. To date, little information has been shared on how this expedited process is being implemented and whether it will uphold the rigorous review standards mandated by the Tobacco Control Act, which requires a careful assessment of risks and benefits to the public\u2019s health, including the impact on youth. Historically, insufficient oversight of new tobacco products, prior to their entry into the market, has contributed to widespread youth addiction and public health crises, highlighting the critical need for thorough review.[11]\n\nAs public health experts have emphasized, any efforts to speed up FDA review must not come at the expense of protecting youth from highly addictive nicotine products.[12] That is why we request answers to the following questions by December 19th, 2025:\n\nHow will FDA ensure that this expedited process does not increase youth use of tobacco products or compromise public health?\n\nUnder the pilot program, will FDA\u2019s scientific review of premarket applications for nicotine pouches change? In its press statement, FDA said it will focus its review on \u201cthe most critical elements for this product category.\u201d Which elements will FDA focus on and which elements will it de-emphasize?\n\nAre news reports accurate that under the pilot program manufacturers may not be required to submit product-specific studies in several areas and could instead rely on general research about the category of nicotine products? Hasn\u2019t FDA\u2019s experience reviewing e-cigarettes demonstrated the importance of product-specific data in determining whether a product is \u201cappropriate for the protection of the public health\u201d?\n\nGiven FDA\u2019s previous finding that flavored tobacco products present a higher risk of youth use, will FDA require manufacturers to provide evidence that a flavored nicotine pouch will help more people switch away from cigarettes than a tobacco-flavored nicotine pouch under the expedited review pilot program?\n\nHow will FDA consider the impact of nicotine pouch marketing in the expedited review process?\n\nHow will FDA monitor and respond if youth use rises as a consequence of these changes?\n\nTo ensure transparency, will FDA commit to holding a public meeting on the pilot program and issuing written materials on how FDA is implementing it?\n\nThank you for your commitment to protecting the health and well-being of our nation\u2019s children. We look forward to working with you on these issues.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/senator-blumenthal-week-in-review-11/28/2025-12/5/2025", "Senator Blumenthal: Week in Review 11/28/2025-12/5/2025", "2025-12-05", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "Slamming Pete Hegseth for Putting American Servicemembers at Risk\n\n[WASHINGTON, D.C.] \u2013 U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) ), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement in response to a report issued by the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General which found that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth\u2019s use of a commercial messaging application to share classified information put U.S. personnel and their mission at risk.\n\n\u201cThis Pentagon watchdog report is shocking and repugnant, and yet another reason for Secretary Hegseth to resign or be fired. His deliberate noncooperation with the investigation\u2014 refusing to provide his cell phone or be interviewed\u2014 call for additional investigation and action. Any other Department of Defense employee would be fired, lose their security clearance, and would likely face prosecution for doing what Secretary Hegseth did.\u201d\n\n\u201cHegseth clearly and severely endangered American pilots by disclosing highly sensitive classified details about a bombing mission they were about to conduct just hours later against well-armed Houthi terrorists. He revealed specifics like location of targets, time over targets and more on an unsecure, unapproved device with a commercial app\u2014 his personal cell phone on Signal. His disclosures were plainly vulnerable to hacking and other surveillance by hostile adversaries, as shown by subsequent reporting in the Atlantic.\u201d\n\n\u201cHegseth\u2019s contention that he unilaterally declassified this information fails to address the immediate serious risk he created for American military operations. This information would be immensely valuable to well-armed terrorist adversaries under imminent attack. It potentially deprived pilots of a preeminent advantage\u2014 the element of surprise.\u201d\n\nThe investigation was launched following reports that numerous members of President Trump\u2019s cabinet and national security team \u2013 including Hegseth, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of Defense Marco Rubio, then-National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe \u2013 discussed classified military operations over Signal in a group chat that included the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic.\n\nBlumenthal joined CNN News Central to discuss the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General report and the ways in which Hegseth\u2019s actions endangered American servicemembers.\n\n\u201cI think that, in effect, absolving Secretary Hegseth of any violation of rules gives him a pass\u2014because let\u2019s review clearly what happened here. Secretary Hegseth talked about the targets American pilots were going to hit just hours later\u2014targets that were manned by Houthi antiaircraft gunners, who have some of the most sophisticated weaponry by virtue of Iran providing it. Now, I\u2019ve talked to some of these pilots, I can tell you that going over the Houthi targets are challenging, and pilots would have been absolutely aghast that Secretary Hegseth was disclosing this kind of information on a nonsecure platform,\u201d said Blumenthal.\n\n\u201cSo, we need to look at the public responsibility here. Put aside all the technical detail\u2014whether it was classified or not, it was highly sensitive. It put our American pilots at severe risk. It endangered American servicemen for Secretary Hegseth to be disclosing as he did this kind of information. And frankly, anyone else in the Department of Defense doing it would have been disciplined, perhaps prosecuted, and the element of surprise was so critical for these pilots, that discipline against anyone else would have been well warranted. It\u2019s only because Secretary Hegseth is at the very top of the command that he will not be disciplined in this way,\u201d continued Blumenthal.\n\nCalling for Designation of Russia as a State Sponsor of Terrorism\n\nBlumenthal spoke at a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs to discuss Russia\u2019s abduction of Ukrainian children during the ongoing war. Blumenthal called out the brutality and criminality of Russia in their kidnapping of Ukrainian children and highlighted the need for his legislation with U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Katie Britt (R-AL) that designates Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism under U.S. law if they fail to return the Ukrainian children kidnapped during the course of the war.\n\n\u201cOf all the moments in my life, of this privilege of public service, which we all have, this one will stay with me forever\u2014talking with children about how they were declared orphans because the Russians killed their parents, or simply abducted by Russian soldiers,\u201d said Blumenthal. \u201cHaving talked to some of these children, I think the people of the United States should know about these atrocities, war crimes, genocide, as part of a systematic, deliberate effort to indoctrinate the children of Ukraine with pro-Russian ideologies and to delegitimize and deny their national identity.\u201d\n\n\u201cI was proud to join you, Mr. Chairman, along with Senator Britt and Senator Klobuchar in introducing this legislation earlier this year that would designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism\u2014part of a very exclusive club, well-earned by Russia and Vladimir Putin. I challenge my colleagues, on both sides of the aisle, to vote for this measure. And if you are in possession of an ounce of humanity, you will support this measure enthusiastically,\u201d said Blumenthal.\n\nA video of Blumenthal\u2019s full remarks can be found here.\n\nOn the Senate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee\n\nSenate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee Ranking Member Blumenthal and House Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee Ranking Member Mark Takano (D-CA) joined veteran advocates to highlight how 267,000 veterans who rely on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits will be harmed if Republicans allow these critical tax credits to expire.\n\nRepublicans have thus far refused to work with Democrats to extend the enhanced premium tax credits that have helped millions of Americans afford health insurance. Now with open enrollment underway, Americans across the country\u2014including 18.7 million ACA marketplace enrollees in Red states\u2014are staring down increased health insurance rates that are set to double and even triple their monthly premiums. Coupled with Republicans\u2019 Medicare and Medicaid cuts that are set to go into effect next year, Americans, including millions of veterans, are bracing for higher costs and a looming health care crisis.\n\n\u201cThe stark fact is that a failure to extend the healthcare tax credits will mean 267,000 veterans will go without healthcare insurance, because of skyrocketing premiums that affect all Americans who buy their healthcare insurance through the ACA marketplace. These 267,000 veterans need this insurance just as all the rest of Americans do. They will find it as unaffordable as all the rest of Americans who will be stranded without affordable healthcare insurance,\u201d said Blumenthal. \u201cSo, we face a real crisis, a perfect storm for veterans\u2014Medicare threats, Medicaid cuts, failure to extend the tax credits are combining to drive veterans out of healthcare or to the VA healthcare system, which cannot afford to provide the healthcare that they need. And so, there is really no excuse, zero excuse, for a failure to extend these healthcare tax credits because veterans will suffer\u2014all Americans will\u2014but veterans particularly will bear the brunt of that failure of Congress if there is inaction between now and the end of the year.\u201d\n\nBlumenthal further highlighted the need to protect veterans\u2019 access to affordable health insurance on Twitter/X.\n\n\u201cRepublicans are refusing to extend ACA tax credits, threatening access to affordable health care for Americans nationwide\u2014including 267,000 veterans. I\u2019ll fight to protect veterans\u2019 access to affordable health insurance,\u201d wrote Blumenthal with an accompanying video on Twitter/X.\n\nAt a Senate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee hearing, Blumenthal questioned witnesses on reports of significant mental health staffing shortages across the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).\n\n\u201cDr. Fletcher, to what extent have waiting times for mental health appointments been due to diminished staff?\u201d asked Blumenthal.\n\n\u201cWhat we\u2019ve heard from the warriors we\u2019ve served is they are experiencing access to care difficulties and that can create problems,\u201d said Dr. Erin Fletcher, Warrior Care Network director for Wounded Warrior Project.\n\nThe VA Office of Inspector General\u2019s witness, Dr. Julie Kroviak, the Acting Assistant Inspector General for Healthcare Inspections, also confirmed these mental health care staffing shortages: \u201cYeah, we are aware of shortages in mental health providers and access to care within mental health and health in VA. That\u2019s not unique to the VA health care system. The wait times we\u2019re seeing in VA are also reflected in the wait times veterans are experiencing when being referred to the community.\u201d\n\nDuring the hearing\u2019s second panel, Blumenthal noted reports that Connecticut veterans are experiencing longer wait times for critical mental health care at VA clinics across the state: \u201cAs you know, VA Secretary Collins has repeatedly stated that access to VA care has not been affected by staffing reductions. But the VA\u2019s own data, in my view, tells a very different story. Wait times for new mental health appointments have increased sharply since January in my home state, Connecticut. For example, the most recent data shows the current wait time for a new patient mental health appointment at the Orange VA Clinic in Connecticut\u2014an outpatient facility specializing in mental health\u2014is 208 days, nearly six months. Let me ask you, given these kinds of wait times, how does VA plan to prevent overreliance on medication when veterans cannot access timely appointments and what steps are necessary to address this issue?,\u201d asked Blumenthal.\n\nThe video link of Blumenthal\u2019s Q&A is available here.\n\nEnacting Guardrails on Future White House Construction & Demolition\n\nBlumenthal introduced new legislation that would put additional guardrails on the White House\u2019s construction and demolition process. The No Palaces Act requires the Executive Office of the President to obtain National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) approval for demolition activities and gives Congress a chance to disapprove of any modifications to the White House.\n\n\u201cPresident Trump took a wrecking ball to the White House\u2014demolishing the iconic East Wing to make way for his monstrous, multi-million-dollar ballroom,\u201d said Blumenthal. \u201cMy No Palaces Act prevents future presidents from recklessly destroying historic sites like the East Wing without approval from the independent National Capital Planning Commission or consideration from Congress. The guardrails in this measure will ensure future presidents cannot remake the People\u2019s House into their personal palace.\u201d\n\nAs Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Blumenthal has demanded answers from the private donors to President Trump\u2019s multi-million White House ballroom project, the fundraiser and lobbyists who have coordinated funds for the ballroom, and the architect, construction firm, and engineering firm working on the project.\n\nThe full text of the No Palaces Act is available here.\n\nBlumenthal Bulletin\n\nBlumenthal introduced the bicameral Junk Fee Prevention Act to end unfair surprise costs for consumers.\n\nBlumenthal joined MS NOW to discuss why Hegseth must go and the need for an investigation into the deadly military strikes in the Caribbean.\n\nBlumenthal visited with Israeli-American hostage families at the U.S. Capitol.\n\nBlumenthal visited Bridgeport\u2019s new \u201cThe Recollective\u201d for Shop Small Business Saturday.\n\nBlumenthal attended the swearing in ceremony of Bruce Walczak and other local officials in Newtown.\n\nBlumenthal celebrated Albania\u2019s Independence Day with ceremonies in Waterbury and Greenwich.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-and-bynum-introduce-bicameral-junk-fee-prevention-act-to-end-unfair-surprise-costs-for-consumers", "Blumenthal & Bynum Introduce Bicameral Junk Fee Prevention Act to End Unfair Surprise Costs for Consumers", "2025-12-04", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, D.C.] \u2013 With the holiday travel season in full swing, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and U.S. Representative Janelle Bynum (D-OR) announced legislation to eliminate excessive fees in the ticketing, hotel, and entertainment industries and bring transparency to the marketplace.\n\nThe Junk Fee Prevention Act would eliminate hidden and unnecessary fees imposed on consumers and require full prices of services to be provided upfront. The legislation is co-sponsored by U.S. Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and U.S. Representative Emilia Sykes (D-OH).\n\n\u201cConcealed surprise fees are nickel and diming Americans to distraction and must be stopped. Families booking flights for the holidays are experiencing surprise sticker shock firsthand when they click to confirm their tickets and are hit with hidden excessive charges,\u201d said Blumenthal. \u201cOur bill will help end this price gouging and protect consumers from abusive fees. It will mandate basic common-sense fairness and transparency, which consumers rightly demand and deserve.\u201d\n\n\u201cToo many companies have built businesses around misleading fees that confuse consumers and drive up costs,\u201d said Bynum. \u201cThis bill brings real accountability by requiring upfront pricing, stronger refund protections, and clear rules that put people first. I\u2019ll always work in Congress to lower costs for Oregonians and make our economy more fair.\u201d\n\n\u201cArizonans are tired of being hit with junk fees every time they book a flight, buy a concert ticket, or check into a hotel. They deserve to know the real price of services upfront,\u201d said Gallego. \u201cThis bill puts an end to that nonsense by requiring companies to disclose pricing upfront and holding them accountable when they try to deceive consumers. I was proud to lead this bill in the House, and I\u2019m going to keep fighting to put an end to hidden junk fees on all services.\u201d\n\n\u201cHardworking people across Ohio\u2019s 13th District should not have to shoulder deceptive fees that strain already tight budgets,\u201d said Sykes. \u201cThis bill protects our community by ending predatory junk fees and holding companies accountable for putting profits over consumers.\u201d\n\nThe Junk Fee Prevention Act would require the full price of a service to be displayed upfront, prevent excessive fees and ensure transparency, and empower the Federal Trade Commission and Federal Communications Commission to issue new rules and enforce against violations. It would also require airlines to share information about revenue received from ancillary fees with the U.S. Department of Transportation and for such information to be publicly available in a report on the Department\u2019s website.\n\nThe legislation specifically targets excessive online ticket fees, exorbitant early termination fees for communications services, surprise resort or destination fees, and airline ancillary fees. The legislation is endorsed by Consumer Reports, the National Consumers League (NCL), and Consumer Federation of America.\n\n\u201cAmericans are fed up with hidden junk fees that can really add up and cause financial hardship for families living on tight budgets,\u201d said Chuck Bell, advocacy program director for Consumer Reports. \u201cThe Junk Fee Prevention Act will help ensure that the total cost for tickets, hotels and short-term lodging are disclosed upfront to the customer, including all mandatory fees. The bill will also prevent telecom providers from imposing early termination fees for broadband, cable and mobile phone services, and improve the transparency and presentation of prices for bundled services.\u201d\n\n\u201cAmerican companies are addicted to junk fees, and this is an addiction that harms consumers and honest businesses alike,\u201d said NCL Senior Public Policy Manager Eden Iscil. \u201cThe Junk Fee Prevention Act is a vital piece of legislation that will mandate basic common-sense fairness and transparency, ensuring consumers know the full, all-in price up front and putting an end to these deceptive, abusive practices.\u201d\n\nBill text for the Junk Fee Prevention Act is available here.\n\n-30-\n\nConsumer Federation of America", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-introduces-no-palaces-act-to-put-guardrails-on-future-white-house-construction-and-demolition", "Blumenthal Introduces No Palaces Act to Put Guardrails on Future White House Construction & Demolition", "2025-12-04", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, D.C.] \u2013 U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) today introduced new legislation that would put additional guardrails on the White House\u2019s construction and demolition process. The No Palaces Act requires the Executive Office of the President to obtain National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) approval for demolition activities and gives Congress a chance to disapprove of any modifications to the White House. Blumenthal is introducing the No Palaces Act ahead of today\u2019s scheduled NCPC meeting, where President Trump\u2019s White House ballroom project may be discussed.\n\n\u201cPresident Trump took a wrecking ball to the White House\u2014demolishing the iconic East Wing to make way for his monstrous, multi-million-dollar ballroom,\u201d said Blumenthal. \u201cMy No Palaces Act prevents future presidents from recklessly destroying historic sites like the East Wing without approval from the independent National Capital Planning Commission or consideration from Congress. The guardrails in this measure will ensure future presidents cannot remake the People\u2019s House into their personal palace.\u201d\n\nSpecifically, the No Palaces Act:\n\nExplicitly includes \u201cdemolition activities\u201d in the list of actions that would trigger National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) review;\n\nRequires the Executive Office of the President, and any agency acting on its behalf, to complete NCPC review and obtain NCPC approval before beginning any demolition/improvements;\n\nCreates a new regime through which Congress could pass a joint resolution of disapproval on NCPC-approved improvement to the White House, modeled on the Congressional Review Act;\n\nRequires congressional authorization for the use of private funds for improvements to the White House;\n\nRequires that the executive branch comply with general appropriations requirements in financing improvements to the White House; and\n\nEstablishes a right of action for several well-positioned individuals and institutions, including any Member of Congress, to bring a civil action in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia seeking injunctive relief enforcing this law, with expedited procedures for review.\n\nAs Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Blumenthal has demanded answers from the private donors to President Trump\u2019s multi-million White House ballroom project, the fundraiser and lobbyists who have coordinated funds for the ballroom, and the architect, construction firm, and engineering firm working on the project.\n\nThe full text of the No Palaces Act is available here.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-statement-on-dod-ig-report-finding-hegseth-put-american-servicemembers-at-risk", "Blumenthal Statement on DOD IG Report Finding Hegseth Put American Servicemembers At Risk", "2025-12-04", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, D.C.] \u2013 U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement in response to a report issued by the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General which found that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth\u2019s use of a commercial messaging application to share classified information put U.S. personnel and their mission at risk.\n\nThe investigation was launched following reports that numerous members of President Trump\u2019s cabinet and national security team \u2013 including Hegseth, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of Defense Marco Rubio, then-National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe \u2013 discussed classified military operations over Signal in a group chat that included the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic.\n\n\u201cThis Pentagon watchdog report is shocking and repugnant, and yet another reason for Secretary Hegseth to resign or be fired. His deliberate noncooperation with the investigation\u2014 refusing to provide his cell phone or be interviewed\u2014 call for additional investigation and action. Any other Department of Defense employee would be fired, lose their security clearance, and would likely face prosecution for doing what Secretary Hegseth did.\u201d\n\n\u201cHegseth clearly and severely endangered American pilots by disclosing highly sensitive classified details about a bombing mission they were about to conduct just hours later against well-armed Houthi terrorists. He revealed specifics like location of targets, time over targets and more on an unsecure, unapproved device with a commercial app\u2014 his personal cell phone on Signal. His disclosures were plainly vulnerable to hacking and other surveillance by hostile adversaries, as shown by subsequent reporting in the Atlantic.\u201d\n\n\u201cHegseth\u2019s contention that he unilaterally declassified this information fails to address the immediate serious risk he created for American military operations. This information would be immensely valuable to well-armed terrorist adversaries under imminent attack. It potentially deprived pilots of a preeminent advantage\u2014 the element of surprise.\u201d\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/icymi-video-in-opening-statement-at-senate-hearing-blumenthal-calls-for-designation-of-russia-as-state-sponsor-of-terrorism-slams-russias-inhumanity-in-kidnapping-ukrainian-children", "ICYMI Video: In Opening Statement at Senate Hearing, Blumenthal Calls for Designation of Russia as State Sponsor of Terrorism, Slams Russia's Inhumanity in Kidnapping Ukrainian Children", "2025-12-04", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, D.C.] \u2013 In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) spoke at a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs to discuss Russia\u2019s abduction of Ukrainian children during the ongoing war. Blumenthal called out the brutality and criminality of Russia in their kidnapping of Ukrainian children and highlighted the need for his legislation with U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Katie Britt (R-AL) that designates Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism under U.S. law if they fail to return the Ukrainian children kidnapped during the course of the war.\n\n\u201cOf all the moments in my life, of this privilege of public service, which we all have, this one will stay with me forever\u2014talking with children about how they were declared orphans because the Russians killed their parents, or simply abducted by Russian soldiers,\u201d said Blumenthal. \u201cHaving talked to some of these children, I think the people of the United States should know about these atrocities, war crimes, genocide, as part of a systematic, deliberate effort to indoctrinate the children of Ukraine with pro-Russian ideologies and to delegitimize and deny their national identity.\u201d\n\n\u201cI was proud to join you, Mr. Chairman, along with Senator Britt and Senator Klobuchar in introducing this legislation earlier this year that would designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism\u2014part of a very exclusive club, well-earned by Russia and Vladimir Putin. I challenge my colleagues, on both sides of the aisle, to vote for this measure. And if you are in possession of an ounce of humanity, you will support this measure enthusiastically,\u201d said Blumenthal.\n\nA video of Blumenthal\u2019s full remarks can be found here, and a transcript is below.\n\nU.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT): Thank you very much, Chairman Graham. I've been to Ukraine eight times since the beginning of this war\u2014most of those trips, with you Mr. Chairman, some long overnight train rides. And first and foremost, thank you for your leadership, which has been truly historic, without any exaggeration on this issue. I also want to thank my colleague, Senator Klobuchar, for her leadership, which has been really instrumental. And our House colleagues who are here, thank you, and to the witnesses who will literally testify as to the inhumanity and the criminality that we see unfolding in the kidnapping of these children. It\u2019s more than a war crime, it is literally genocide. It is genocide because the ultimate goal of abducting these children is to erase the Ukrainian identity. It is part of a strategic effort to erase the nation of Ukraine from existence. And Putin tried it by conquering territory\u2014he continues that effort\u2014and the attempted negotiations, now ongoing in Moscow, we wish them well, but there\u2019s no sign of clear progress. And therefore, we need to move forward with our sanctions bill, with the designation of Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism as well as an effort to use the seized assets.\n\nI've witnessed firsthand the courage of the Ukrainian people, and the brutal toll of Putin's assault, the bombings and missiles that are designed, again, to erase Ukraine and damage the people of Ukraine directly, without any regard to the rules of war. And I have spoken to those, some of them, Ukrainian children who had been taken hostage. Of all the moments in my life, of this privilege of public service, which we all have, this one will stay with me forever. Talking with children about how they were declared orphans because the Russians killed their parents, or simply abducted by Russian soldiers. I cannot describe to you the absolute brutality and inhumanity with which they were treated.\n\n10-month-old Margarita Prokopenko, who was kidnapped by Russians under the false pretense of medical examination and rehabilitation. Her name and citizenship were changed, and her birthplace was altered from Kherson, Ukraine, to Podolsk, Russia. In another case, a 16-year-old Artem, forcibly taken by Russian soldiers to an orphanage where he said he slept, \u201con sagging metal beds, no bedding, just blankets, terrible sanitation, every day we ate barley stew, strange compote, and crackers.\u201d Nine-year-old Ilya lived with his mother in Mariupol. When the war began, \u201cI loved my school and my friends,\u201d he said. \u201cWe had a beautiful home.\u201d His mother was killed in a Russian missile strike. He buried her in their backyard. He was transferred to a hospital in Donetsk where he underwent surgery without anesthesia and was told by Russian doctors that he shouldn't say \u201cglory to Ukraine\u201d anymore.\n\nThose are just a few of the stories. Having talked to some of these children, I think the people of the United States should know about these atrocities, war crimes, genocide, as part of a systematic, deliberate effort to indoctrinate the children of Ukraine with pro-Russian ideologies and to delegitimize and deny their national identity.\n\nI was proud to join you Mr. Chairman along with Senator Britt and Senator Klobuchar in introducing this legislation earlier this year that would designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism\u2014part of a very exclusive club, well-earned by Russia and Vladimir Putin. And I want to thank all the members of the United States Senate\u2014I hope all the members. I challenge my colleagues, on both sides of the aisle, to vote for this measure. And if you are in possession of an ounce of humanity, you will support this measure enthusiastically. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/video-top-watchdog-confirms-va-mental-health-care-staffing-shortages-and-increased-wait-times-following-trump-cuts-they-are-losing-clinical-staff-because-morale-is-going-down", "Video: Top Watchdog Confirms VA Mental Health Care Staffing Shortages & Increased Wait Times Following Trump Cuts: \"They are Losing Clinical Staff Because Morale is Going Down\"", "2025-12-04", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, D.C.] \u2013 At a Senate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee hearing yesterday, Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal questioned witnesses on reports of significant mental health staffing shortages across the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).\n\n\u201cDr. Fletcher, to what extent have waiting times for mental health appointments been due to diminished staff?\u201d asked Blumenthal.\n\n\u201cWhat we\u2019ve heard from the warriors we\u2019ve served is they are experiencing access to care difficulties and that can create problems,\u201d said Dr. Erin Fletcher, Warrior Care Network director for Wounded Warrior Project.\n\nThe VA Office of Inspector General\u2019s witness, Dr. Julie Kroviak, the Acting Assistant Inspector General for Healthcare Inspections, also confirmed these mental health care staffing shortages: \u201cYeah, we are aware of shortages in mental health providers and access to care within mental health and health in VA. That\u2019s not unique to the VA health care system. The wait times we\u2019re seeing in VA are also reflected in the wait times veterans are experiencing when being referred to the community.\u201d\n\nIn response, Blumenthal stressed the unique nature of VA Secretary Collins\u2019 workforce cuts, freezes, and firings, and questioned Dr. Kroviak on if this has had an impact on recruitment and retention of VA mental health professionals: \u201cIt\u2019s not unique but what is maybe unique, certainly unusual, to the VA health care system is it is discouraging talented mental health professionals from coming to the VA through policies of furloughs and firings, would you agree?\u201d\n\nDr. Kroviak stated VA OIG has received feedback from VA employees that the Department is losing in-demand clinical staff \u201cbecause of morale\u201d hits, due to uncertainty at the Trump VA: \u201cSo I will say through our cyclical reviews, where we go out to facilities not for cause, [but] to try to get a feel for culture and quality of care practices, we are getting more feedback that morale is going down because of the uncertainty within the federal government. So yes, while they aren\u2019t participating in the [Deferred Resignation Program] or didn\u2019t participate in DRP or other programs clinical staff were exempted from, they are still losing clinical staff because of morale.\u201d\n\nDuring the hearing\u2019s second panel, Blumenthal noted reports that Connecticut veterans are experiencing longer wait times for critical mental health care at VA clinics across the state: \u201cAs you know, VA Secretary Collins has repeatedly stated that access to VA care has not been affected by staffing reductions. But the VA\u2019s own data, in my view, tells a very different story. Wait times for new mental health appointments have increased sharply since January in my home state, Connecticut. For example, the most recent data shows the current wait time for a new patient mental health appointment at the Orange VA Clinic in Connecticut\u2014an outpatient facility specializing in mental health\u2014is 208 days, nearly six months. Let me ask you, given these kinds of wait times, how does VA plan to prevent overreliance on medication when veterans cannot access timely appointments and what steps are necessary to address this issue?,\u201d asked Blumenthal.\n\nIn response, VA\u2019s witness, Dr. Ilse Wiechers, Acting Deputy Assistant Under Secretary for Health for Patient Care Services, acknowledged there are wait times at some facilities \u201cthat are beyond [VA\u2019s] expectations and standards.\u201d\n\nThe video link of Blumenthal\u2019s Q&A is available here.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-schiff-introduce-bicameral-bill-to-prevent-inexperienced-temporary-immigration-judge-appointments-close-loopholes-exploited-by-trump-administration", "Murphy, Schiff Introduce Bicameral Bill To Prevent Inexperienced Temporary Immigration Judge Appointments, Close Loopholes Exploited By Trump Administration", "2025-12-03", "2025", "2025-12", "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.) joined U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) in introducing the Temporary Immigration Judge Integrity Act, legislation to prevent inexperienced temporary immigration judge appointments in light of the Trump administration\u2019s abuse of loopholes in current regulations. U.S. Representative Juan Vargas (D-Calif.-52) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.\n\nThe bill is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawai'i), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).\n\nFollowing the Trump administration\u2019s mass firing of immigration judges and decision to authorize up to 600 military lawyers to serve as temporary immigration judges, the bill aims to close the loopholes the administration has been utilizing to speed up their mass deportation agenda \u2013 such as the lack of due process protections for individuals in immigration court proceedings.\n\n\u201cBy forcing a mass exodus of experienced immigration judges and replacing them with temporary judges who have no experience with immigration law, Trump has thrown our already broken system into more chaos,\u201d said Murphy. \u201cOur bill codifies a basic principle: immigration law judges should know immigration law. President Trump doesn\u2019t get to exploit a crisis he created to sidestep the rule of law and push his anti-immigrant agenda.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Trump administration\u2019s willingness to fire experienced immigration judges and hire inexperienced or temporary \u201cdeportation judges,\u201d especially in places like California, has fundamentally impacted the landscape of our justice system. Given the administration\u2019s unlawful terminations of qualified judges, and their plan to leverage the power of temporary positions to speed up their mass deportation agenda, the risks of grave injury to families, fairness, and due process have expanded. The administration\u2019s unlawful mass firing of immigration judges at an alarming rate is their latest aggressive enforcement tactic that jeopardizes our judicial workforce. Amidst the growing number of pending cases in immigration courts, this legislation will ensure that only experienced and trained temporary immigration judges will have the privilege of adjudicating cases that have permanent consequences for millions of people,\u201d said Schiff.\n\n\u201cAfter purging over 100 permanent immigration judges from the DOJ, the Trump Administration is now looking to push attorneys with limited to no prior immigration law experience into these roles,\u201d said Vargas. \u201cAnyone facing the life-altering consequences of deportation deserves to have their case heard in front of a judge who is trained and experienced in immigration law. We need guardrails now as the Trump Administration continues to attack our immigrant communities and due process rights.\u201d\n\nThe bill would:\n\nCap temporary immigration judge appointments at four consecutive six-month terms: 2-year maximum service limit with at least a 3-year break in between services;\n\nPrevent military attorneys and Judge Advocate Generals (JAGs) from being appointed as temporary immigration judges;\n\nAuthorize appointments of attorneys at the Department of Justice (DOJ) who meet the eligibility requirements; and\n\nEstablish basic training requirements.\n\nThe bill is endorsed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), American Immigration Council (AIC), American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), Brennan Center for Justice, and the National Association of Immigration Judges (NAIJ).\n\n\u201cThe Trump administration has exploited its ability to improperly influence immigration judges\u2019 decisions, further eroding the integrity of the immigration court system. This year alone, the administration has fired or pushed out more than a hundred permanent judges while simultaneously taking steps to hire hundreds of unqualified temporary judges. The American Immigration Council supports this bill because it would prevent future administrations from replacing permanent immigration judges with temporary appointees who lack immigration law experience and are vulnerable to political pressure. Noncitizens are entitled to fair and impartial hearings, and this bill is a critical step toward protecting the independence and credibility of immigration courts,\u201d said Adriel D. Orozco, Senior Policy Counsel, American Immigration Council (AIC).\n\n\u201cEveryone should have their fair day in court, but the Trump administration is firing massive numbers of judges and hiring in their place temporary judges who have barely a few weeks of training and no immigration law experience whatsoever. The administration\u2019s watered-down standards for temporary judges are undermining the fairness and integrity of America\u2019s courts. That is why AILA endorses this important bill led by Sen. Schiff to ensure every judge is qualified and well-trained before they make decisions that can change someone\u2019s life,\u201d said the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA).\n\n\u201cThe bill is a common-sense approach that ensures temporary immigration judges have sufficient expertise and training to allow them to handle immigration cases. The Supreme Court has recognized immigration law as a complex legal specialty, and minimum requirements are needed to make sure immigrants' due process rights are respected,\u201d said Brennan Center for Justice.\n\n\u201cStrengthening appointment criteria to emphasize credentials, judicial temperament, and commitment to due process reinforces public trust that decisions are based on law and evidence\u2014not politics. Further, implementing rigorous vetting, training, and performance evaluation standards, with safeguards against political influence, promotes judicial excellence and consistency across both permanent and temporary appointments,\u201d said the National Association of Immigration Judges (NAIJ).", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-leads-colleagues-in-introducing-legislation-to-increase-social-security-benefits", "Blumenthal Leads Colleagues in Introducing Legislation to Increase Social Security Benefits", "2025-11-25", "2025", "2025-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, D.C.] \u2013 U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Patty Murray (D-WA) introduced legislation to expand Social Security benefits for widows, widowers, and surviving divorced spouses. The Surviving Widow(er) Income Fair Treatment (SWIFT) Act makes necessary changes to Social Security benefit rules by addressing outdated benefit caps, arbitrary legal restrictions, and claiming requirements\u2014resulting in increased benefits for widow(ers) and surviving divorced spouses.\n\n\u201cThe SWIFT Act corrects outdated rules and restrictions and removes barriers limiting Social Security benefits\u2014ensuring widows, widowers, and surviving divorced spouses receive the Social Security benefits they rightfully deserve. Social Security is a lifeline for Americans, playing a critical role in their economic security and financial well-being\u2014and yet, many individuals face burdensome hurdles and arbitrary requirements preventing them from receiving the full benefits they are owed. With this legislation, we make sure that no American is missing out on the benefits they need to live with dignity,\u201d said Blumenthal.\n\n\u201cOur seniors have spent a lifetime working hard and paying into Social Security, and they deserve to receive adequate benefits and retire with dignity, not spend their golden years just trying to get by,\u201d said Gillibrand. \u201cBut outdated rules and antiquated policies mean that too many seniors, especially widowed spouses, and women disproportionately, aren\u2019t receiving the benefits they\u2019ve earned or being treated fairly. Our SWIFT Act will help modernize the program and strengthen benefits for our seniors.\u201d\n\nThe SWIFT Act allows widow(ers) and surviving divorced spouses with disabilities to receive 100% of the survivor benefits they are entitled to, regardless of their age, and empowers widow(er)s and surviving divorced spouses to increase their survivor benefits beyond current arbitrary caps. The legislation also expands child-in-care benefits for widow(er)s and surviving divorced spouses caring for children, significantly helping families struggling with the burden of caregiving.\n\nThe legislation is supported by a number of organizations, including AFL-CIO, AFSCME, National Organization of Social Security Claimants\u2019 Reps, National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, Women\u2019s Institute for a Secure Retirement, The Arc of the United States, Justice in Aging, Alliance for Retired Americans, National Association of Disability Representatives, Social Security Works, and Strengthen Social Security Coalition.\n\n\u201cOur communities are stronger when families have the support they need during times of tragedy \u2014 and that\u2019s exactly what the SWIFT Act provides. By ensuring widows and widowers can access their full Social Security survivor benefits, this bill will prevent countless families from falling through the cracks after losing a loved one. On behalf of 1.4 million AFSCME members, the public service workers who support working families every single day, we thank Sen. Blumenthal for introducing this critical piece of legislation and urge the Senate to pass it without delay,\u201d said AFSCME President Lee Saunders.\n\n\u201cThe SWIFT Act delivers meaningful improvements for disabled survivors by removing outdated barriers and ensuring timely access to full benefits. NADR is proud to endorse this bill and values the bipartisan commitment to modernizing Social Security for the people who depend on it,\u201d said Kelly Blad, President of the National Association of Disability Representatives.\n\n\"Losing a spouse is one of the saddest, most difficult times in a person\u2019s life. For many, the emotional loss is compounded by sudden economic insecurity. The SWIFT Act recognizes this extra vulnerability, and addresses it by expanding Social Security\u2019s benefits paid to those who have lost a spouse. Social Security Works enthusiastically endorses the SWIFT Act and thanks Senator Blumenthal for his extraordinary vision and sensitivity to this important issue,\u201d said Nancy Altman, President of Social Security Works.\n\nThe full text of the bill can be found here.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-and-hawley-call-for-federal-investigation-of-metas-profiting-from-scams_fraud", "Blumenthal & Hawley Call for Federal Investigation of Meta's Profiting from Scams & Fraud", "2025-11-24", "2025", "2025-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, D.C.] \u2013 After major new reporting in Reuters revealed that Meta Platforms, Inc. (Meta) earns a significant amount of its overall annual revenue \u2013 as much as $16 billion every year \u2013 from hosting advertising for scams and banned goods on its platform, U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Josh Hawley (R-MO) urged the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to \u201cinvestigate and, if appropriate, bring enforcement actions against Meta for its facilitation of and profiting from criminal investment scams, fake government benefits schemes, deepfake pornography, and other fraudulent activities.\u201d\n\nInternal documents reviewed by Reuters show that every day, Meta shows its platforms\u2019 users an estimated 15 billion \u201chigher risk\u201d advertisements that show clear signs of being fraudulent \u2013 making those users vulnerable to illicit gambling, payment scams, crypto scams, AI deepfake sex services, and fake offers of federal benefits. \u201cMeta\u2019s central, facilitating role in scams against consumers is unprecedented: by its own employees\u2019 assessment, Meta was involved in one-third of all successful scams in the US and was unmatched by other Big Tech platforms,\u201d the senators wrote.\n\nThe Senators also urged the agencies to take appropriate enforcement action if their investigation validates the reporting, including to \u201cfully disgorge all profits from fraudulent advertisements, impose steep civil penalties, hold individual executives personally accountable, and seek binding terms to end this scourge on consumers, our economy, and our national security.\u201d\n\nThe full text of the Senators\u2019 letter is available here and copied below.\n\nDear Chairman Ferguson and Chairman Atkins,\n\nWe write to urge the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to investigate and, if appropriate, bring enforcement actions against Meta for its facilitation of and profiting from criminal investment scams, fake government benefits schemes, deepfake pornography, and other fraudulent activities.\n\nAccording to recent reporting from Reuters, internal documents show that Meta has earned billions of dollars from fraudulent and scam advertising while internally stifling measures to prevent fraud. By its own assessment, 10% of Meta\u2019s annual revenue for last year was generated from scam advertisements, a windfall of $16 billion in one year alone. Meta\u2019s central, facilitating role in scams against consumers is unprecedented: by its own employees\u2019 assessment, Meta was involved in one-third of all successful scams in the US and was unmatched by other Big Tech platforms. Using the FTC estimate of $158.3 billion in overall fraud per year, this would suggest Meta was responsible for more than $50 billion in consumer loss last year. This internal finding supports a December 2024 report by a U.K. financial regulator that found Meta\u2019s platforms (Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp) were linked to 54% of payment scams and a JPMorgan Chase investigation that found Meta accounted for nearly half of all reported scams on Zelle, such as romance scams that feign a love interest to deceive a victim and fake investment schemes.\n\nMeta\u2019s ill-gotten gains appear to be no accident: it has made conscious choices based on business considerations that turned a blind eye and enabled it to profit from illicit advertisements. According to Reuters, Meta had \u201cspecific revenue guardrails\u201d that blocked its anti-fraud team from taking action that would cost Meta more than even a mere 0.15% of the company\u2019s total revenue. In line with that approach, Meta only bans advertisers if its automated systems predict the marketers are all-but- certain to be committing fraud and by its own estimates, it has ignored or incorrectly rejected 96% of user reports of fraud. Moreover, perversely, Meta reportedly charges higher rates for ads that it suspects might be fraudulent \u2014 in effect, imposing a scam tax that provides an additional lucrative revenue stream that it knows is tied to fraud. Further, because Meta\u2019s advertising algorithms targets individuals based on their past clicks and interest, a person that falls for a scam is more likely to be targeted by even more scams or fraudulent advertising \u2014 making Facebook and Instagram a fraud trap that can repeatedly exploit vulnerable individuals. Meanwhile, these scams have been allowed to take over Facebook and Instagram as Meta has drastically cut its safety staff, including for FTC mandated reviews, even as it dumps unimaginable sums into its generative AI projects.\n\nAs it does every time its abuses and failures are discovered, Meta has repeatedly claimed it is cleaning up its act \u2014 but there is overwhelming evidence it continues to knowingly profit from fraud. Even a short review of Meta\u2019s Ad Library at the time of this letter shows clearly identifiable advertisements for illicit gambling, payment scams, crypto scams, AI deepfake sex services, and fake offers of federal benefits, advertisements that often falsely appear to link to legitimate sites. Further, despite the company\u2019s rules against nudity, advertisements for pornographic and sexually explicit material, and which often lead to malware, are widespread on Meta\u2019s products. While Meta has been warned about advertisement deepfakes impersonating politicians, it still continues to run fraudulent clips, including President Trump claiming to offer a \u201c$1,000 Snap replacement program\u201d \u2014 preying on the most vulnerable in America. The beneficiaries of these scams are often cybercrime groups based in China, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and the Philippines.\n\nThe reporting makes clear that Meta will not act on this rampant fraud and criminality unless the FTC and SEC put an end to it. According to Reuters, Meta executives actually limited their anti-fraud enforcement efforts to focus only on \u201ccountries where it feared near-term regulatory action.\u201d In line with these efforts, in anticipation of enforcement, Meta had budgeted for penalties of up to $1 billion, which were a mere fraction of the $7 billion in annual revenue from high-risk advertisement alone.\n\nThe FTC and SEC should immediately open investigations and, if the reporting is accurate, pursue vigorous enforcement action where appropriate to force Meta is fully disgorge all profits from fraudulent advertisements, impose steep civil penalties, hold individual executives personally accountable, and seek binding terms to end this scourge on consumers, our economy, and our national security.\n\nThank you for your attention to this matter.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-and-reed-lead-senators-in-demanding-declassification_public-release-of-legal-memo-on-lethal-caribbean--east-pacific-airstrikes", "Blumenthal & Reed Lead Senators in Demanding Declassification & Public Release of Legal Memo on Lethal Caribbean & East Pacific Airstrikes", "2025-11-24", "2025", "2025-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, D.C.] \u2013 Today, U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Jack Reed (D-RI), the Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, led the Democratic members of the Senate Armed Services Committee in writing Attorney General Pam Bondi and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth requesting the declassification and public release of the Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) written opinion on the Trump Administration\u2019s lethal airstrikes in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean.\n\n\u201cFew decisions are more consequential for a democracy than the use of lethal force. We therefore believe that the declassification and public release of this important document would enhance transparency in the use of deadly force by our Nation\u2019s military and is necessary to ensure Congress and the American people are fully informed of the legal justification supporting these strikes,\u201d the Senators wrote.\n\nIn addition to Blumenthal and Reed, today\u2019s letter was signed by U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Angus King (I-ME), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI).\n\nMembers of the Senate Committee on Armed Services were finally allowed to review the Trump Administration\u2019s classified OLC opinion in a closed setting last week. To date, the Trump Administration has carried out 21 unauthorized military strikes \u2013 primarily off the coast of Venezuela \u2013 that have killed 83 people.\n\nThe full text of the Senators\u2019 letter is available here and copied below.\n\nDear Attorney General Bondi and Secretary Hegseth:\n\nWe are writing to request expeditious declassification and public release of the Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel\u2019s written opinion, dated September 5, 2025, concerning the domestic and international legal basis for recent military strikes of certain vessels near South America and the Caribbean, with appropriate redactions necessary to protect military personnel and sensitive intelligence matters.\n\nSignificant and noteworthy precedent exists for the public release of OLC opinions related to overseas military action. After the United States carried out military strikes in Libya in 2011 and in Syria in 2018, the Department of Justice released the applicable OLC opinion justifying each operation.\n\nFew decisions are more consequential for a democracy than the use of lethal force. We therefore believe that the declassification and public release of this important document would enhance transparency in the use of deadly force by our Nation\u2019s military and is necessary to ensure Congress and the American people are fully informed of the legal justification supporting these strikes.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-and-swalwell-introduce-legislation-to-ease-burden-of-student-loan-debt-on-teachers-police-officers_other-public-servants", "Blumenthal & Swalwell Introduce Legislation to Ease Burden of Student Loan Debt on Teachers, Police Officers, & Other Public Servants", "2025-11-24", "2025", "2025-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, DC] \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and U.S. Representative Eric Swalwell (D-CA) announced the introduction of the Strengthening Loan Forgiveness for Public Service Workers Act, legislation to amend the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF) to provide meaningful and timely student debt relief to teachers, police officers, public health workers, and others who dedicate their careers to public service.\n\n\u201cOur measure helps reduce the immense weight of student loan debt on our nation\u2019s dedicated public servants,\u201d said Blumenthal. \u201cBy expanding student loan forgiveness to the teachers, police officers, and public health workers who make sacrifices for our communities every day, the Strengthening Loan Forgiveness for Public Service Workers Act repays a debt of gratitude to public servants across the country.\u201d\n\n\u201cIf we want the best and brightest serving our communities, we need to make public service a realistic, sustainable career\u2014not a financial sacrifice,\u201d said Swalwell. \u201cRight now, too many teachers, police officers, public health workers, and other public servants are being forced to choose between serving their community and paying off crushing student debt. That\u2019s unacceptable. The Strengthening Loan Forgiveness for Public Service Workers Act will ensure public service is a pathway to opportunity, not a financial dead end. This bill expands and strengthens loan forgiveness so that the people we rely on every day can build a future for themselves while serving others. Supporting public servants isn\u2019t charity, it\u2019s an investment in our country.\u201d\n\nThe Strengthening Loan Forgiveness for Public Service Workers Act amends PSLF and eliminates uncertainty for borrowers. The legislation allows borrowers to receive forgiveness for their loans in qualifying intervals, further incentivizing individuals to pursue careers in public service.\n\nThe legislation is cosponsored in the Senate by U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-VT), Ben Ray Luj\u00e1n (D-VT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).\n\nThe full text of the bill can be found here.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-and-takano-press-va-secretary-collins-to-immediately-increase-funding-for-critical-program-housing-homeless-veterans", "Blumenthal & Takano Press VA Secretary Collins to Immediately Increase Funding for Critical Program Housing Homeless Veterans", "2025-11-24", "2025", "2025-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, D.C.] \u2013 Senate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and House Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee Ranking Member Mark Takano (D-CA) are pressing Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins to immediately increase reimbursement rates for organizations housing and providing critical resources for more than 25,000 homeless veterans.\n\nIn a letter, the lawmakers called out Secretary Collins for failing to comply with a law that ordered increasing these critical funds: \u201cIn January, Congress directed the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to increase the reimbursement for organizations serving homeless veterans through the Grant and Per Diem (GPD) program. For months, the Department has provided assurances that this bipartisan priority would be implemented as soon as possible. Now, nearly a year later, you continue to withhold these critical funds and undercut the very lifeline that supports nearly 25,000 veterans in their greatest time of need.\u201d\n\nNearly one year after Congress directed increases to the Grant & Per Diem (GPD) program, community organizations are still being reimbursed at rates that fall well below what the law directs and far short of what they need to serve homeless veterans. The GPD program is one of VA\u2019s central homelessness initiatives, providing grants to community-based nonprofits that deliver transitional housing, case management, and supportive services that help veterans regain stability and move toward permanent housing.\n\nThe lawmakers emphasized the harmful impact of Collins\u2019 failure to increase the reimbursement rates: \u201cThis legislative language is the result of years of calls from VA and homeless advocacy groups to raise the per diem rate to more adequately reimburse providers for the services they deliver to veterans. Failure to exercise this authority is a betrayal to Congress, community service providers, and homeless veterans, and failure to exercise this authority will move us further from the goal we share to end veteran homelessness. Any additional delays in the implementation of these policies, which have strong bipartisan backing and the support of Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs) and homeless service providers, will negatively impact the delivery of these services for this extremely vulnerable population of veterans.\u201d\n\nSince the end of pandemic, which temporarily increased funding to rates that better reflect the true operating and services costs for these organizations, 74 grantees operating nearly 1,000 beds in total have left the GPD program citing unsustainable funding in the face of rising costs. The delay in raising rates further threatens the stability of the program itself, and risks further decreasing services for homeless veterans across the country.\n\nIn January 2025, Congress passed the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare & Benefits Improvement Act\u2014bipartisan legislation that included a provision authorizing higher per-diem rates for GPD providers. While VA raised the base rate this past September to 133% of the State Home Domiciliary Rate, the law clearly allows for reimbursement up to 200% in high-cost areas or for programs serving veterans with especially intensive needs.\n\nThe lawmakers called on Collins to immediately implement the full GPD rate increases mandated under the law, and provide Congress with their planned implementation timeline. They concluded, \u201cThere is no excuse for further delay. You have legal authority, funding, and appropriate policy plans in place for full implementation.\u201d\n\nThis letter follows the Trump Administration\u2019s efforts to slash funding for programs helping end homelessness. This month, Trump\u2019s Department of Housing and Urban Development slashed $2.2 billion\u2014about a 70% cut\u2014from programs that provide supportive housing and rapid rehousing to help those with complex situations achieve long-term stability. Half of homeless veterans struggle with serious mental health challenges, and 70% face substance use disorders. These cuts jeopardize homeless veterans who aren\u2019t sober or \u201ctreatment-ready,\u201d who will now likely lose access to housing and supportive services.\n\nThe full letter is HERE and copied below.\n\nDear Secretary Collins,\n\nIn January, Congress directed the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to increase the reimbursement for organizations serving homeless veterans through the Grant and Per Diem (GPD) program. For months, the Department has provided assurances that this bipartisan priority would be implemented as soon as possible. Now, nearly a year later, you continue to withhold these critical funds and undercut the very lifeline that supports nearly 25,000 veterans in their greatest time of need.\n\nAgain, we urge you to immediately adhere to bipartisan, bicameral Congressional intent and fully implement Section 402 of P.L. 118-210, the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act of 2025 (the Dole Act). While we acknowledge the Department increased the GPD per diem rate in September from 115% to 133% of the State Home Domiciliary Rate, the law also calls for VA to reimburse providers who operate in high-cost areas, serve veterans with extensive care needs, or offer expanded services up to 200% of the State Home Domiciliary Rate. This is in addition to the base funding increase for all providers.\n\nThis legislative language is the result of years of calls from VA and homeless advocacy groups to raise the per diem rate to more adequately reimburse providers for the services they deliver to veterans. Failure to exercise this authority is a betrayal to Congress, community service providers, and homeless veterans, and failure to exercise this authority will move us further from the goal we share to end veteran homelessness. Any additional delays in the implementation of these policies, which have strong bipartisan backing and the support of Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs) and homeless service providers, will negatively impact the delivery of these services for this extremely vulnerable population of veterans.\n\nSection 402 of the Dole Act was enacted to make certain that providers could be retained in the program and veterans could continue to receive these critically important services. For years, the number of organizations participating in GPD has decreased drastically because the funds authorized per veteran serviced by each provider were too low to provide basic care and services amid growing costs of living and increasing needs of homeless veterans, especially as the veteran population ages. Since the end of the pandemic public health emergency, which temporarily allowed for a funding increase, 74 grantees (operating nearly 1,000 beds) have withdrawn from the program. Delays in implementation risk further decreased services for homeless veterans in communities across the country.\n\nIn the years of negotiations and communication with Congress before the Dole Act became law, VA assured Congress the Department would be fully able to implement these changes immediately after the bill was signed into law. Further, Congress and the Department were clear that the overall cap increase would be applied congruent with current GPD guidelines, and waivers for funding increases above that cap would be provided to organizations in regions with high costs of living, high rates of veterans homelessness, minimal alternative services for homeless veterans, or other challenges that require more time, effort, and funds from organizations. These assurances are in line with the intent of Congress at the time of the enactment of the Dole Act.\n\nCongress took additional steps to allow for timely implementation of section 402 with the passage of P.L. 119-31, the VA Home Loan Program Reform Act, which was signed into law on July 30, 2025. Section 5 of this legislation increased the authorization of appropriations for comprehensive service programs for homeless veterans, which includes the GPD program, to $344 million. This came after the Department very belatedly notified Congress that the previous authorization of appropriation for these programs was a barrier to implementation of section 402 of the Dole Act. Three months have passed and this provision is still not fully implemented, and VA has not provided any additional justification for this egregious and harmful delay.\n\nWe write today to reaffirm the clear intent of Congress and to strongly urge you to fully implement the GPD per diem rate increases by December 5, 2025 and to backdate those increases to the beginning of fiscal year 2026, which began on October 1, 2025. We also request a response to this letter with VA\u2019s planned timeframe for implementing the increase, consistent with Congressional intent by December 5, 2025. There is no excuse for further delay. You have legal authority, funding, and appropriate policy plans in place for full implementation.\n\nOnce these rates have been increased, it is critical the Department completes its strategic review of the GPD program in direct consultation and coordination with Congress, GPD providers, homelessness advocates, VSOs, and other stakeholders as required by law in Section 402 of the Dole Act. Only once that plan is complete and approved by Congress should any further changes be made to the GPD program.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-and-peters-launch-inquiry-into-trump-staffer-paul-ingrassias-interference-in-federal-investigation-of-andrew_tristian-tate", "Blumenthal & Peters Launch Inquiry into Trump Staffer Paul Ingrassia's Interference in Federal Investigation of Andrew & Tristan Tate", "2025-11-21", "2025", "2025-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, DC] \u2013 U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, and Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, yesterday launched an inquiry into Trump staffer Paul Ingrassia\u2019s interference in a federal investigation of alleged rapists and human traffickers Andrew and Tristian Tate. This week, ProPublica reported that Ingrassia, while serving as White House liaison to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), personally intervened in a federal investigation of the Tates, who are facing multiple criminal and civil charges of sex trafficking and rape in three different countries.\n\nIn letters sent to White House Chief of Staff Susan Wiles, White House Counsel David Warrington, and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, Blumenthal and Peters requested all records and communications regarding Ingrassia\u2019s actions. In a letter to DHS Inspector General Joseph Cuffari, Blumenthal and Peters called for the Office of the Inspector General to open an investigation into Ingrassia\u2019s conduct and whether his interference in the Tate investigation occurred at the direction of the White House.\n\n\u201cAfter Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized the Tate brothers\u2019 electronic devices upon their February 2025 arrival in the United States, Mr. Ingrassia reportedly reprimanded DHS officials for doing so and directed them to return the devices to them. Mr. Ingrassia reportedly made clear to the DHS officials that this demand was coming directly from the White House,\u201d the Senators wrote to Wiles and Warrington.\n\nThe Senators raised concerns about Ingrassia\u2019s preexisting relationship with the Tate brothers: \u201cMr. Ingrassia\u2019s alleged actions in this case constitute a brazen interference with a federal investigation in an apparent attempt to provide favorable treatment to individuals with whom he has a preexisting relationship. Prior to joining the Administration, Mr. Ingrassia had been a member of the legal team representing the Tate brothers. Additionally, Mr. Ingrassia has heaped extensive praise on the Tate brothers in statements and social media posts.\u201d\n\n\u201cMr. Ingrassia\u2019s behavior raises grave questions regarding the independence and impartiality of federal law enforcement operations and the White House\u2019s potential meddling in such investigations. Mr. Ingrassia\u2019s reported actions may have violated government ethics rules and other legal standards of conduct. Moreover, appallingly, this alleged conduct would mean that the White House allowed a self-proclaimed \u2018Nazi\u2019 to intervene in a federal investigation to protect indicted rapists and child sex traffickers. If this behavior is not examined and addressed, it could dangerously undermine the independence, legitimacy, and effectiveness of DHS law enforcement operations and implicate the White House as complicit in the most heinous crimes and hateful ideologies imaginable,\u201d the Senators concluded.\n\nThe full text of Blumenthal and Peters\u2019 letter to the White House is available here and below. Similar letters sent to Secretary Noem and Inspector General Cuffari are available here and here.\n\nNovember 20, 2025\n\nVIA EMAIL\n\nSusan Wiles\n\nChief of Staff\n\nThe White House\n\n1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW\n\nWashington, D.C. 20500\n\nDavid Warrington\n\nWhite House Counsel\n\nThe White House\n\n1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW\n\nWashington, D.C. 20500\n\nDear Ms. Wiles and Mr. Warrington,\n\nOn November 18, 2025, ProPublica reported that Paul Ingrassia, while serving as White House liaison to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), personally intervened in a federal investigation of the online influencer brothers and alleged rapists and human traffickers, Andrew and Tristan Tate.[1] After Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized the Tate brothers\u2019 electronic devices upon their February 2025 arrival in the United States, Mr. Ingrassia reportedly reprimanded DHS officials for doing so and directed them to return the devices to them.[2] Mr. Ingrassia reportedly made clear to the DHS officials that this demand was coming directly from the White House.[3]\n\nThe individuals whom Mr. Ingrassia reportedly intervened to assist, Andrew and Tristan Tate, are extremist online media personalities facing multiple criminal and civil charges of sex trafficking and rape in three different countries.[4] Andrew Tate is a self-described \u201cmisogynist\u201d[5] who has said that women \u201care given to the man and belong to the man,\u201d[6] and should \u201cbear some responsibility\u201d for being raped.[7] Mr. Tate has also questioned whether the Nazis were really the \u201cbad guy[s]\u201d of World War II.[8] Mr. Tate and his brother, Tristan, have been indicted in Romania for human trafficking, rape, and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women;[9] charged in the United Kingdom with 21 counts of sex crimes, including rape, actual bodily harm, and human trafficking;[10] sued for sexual assault in California[11] and the United Kingdom;[12] and placed under formal investigation for potential crimes in Florida.[13]\n\nMr. Ingrassia has his own history of deeply troubling conduct. He has reportedly described himself as having \u201ca Nazi streak\u201d and insisted that \u201c[w]e need competent white men in positions of leadership\u201d because \u201c[t]he founding fathers were wrong that all men are created equal.\u201d[14] Mr. Ingrassia has made countless other bigoted and incendiary remarks, including, according to reports, that the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday should be \u201ctossed into the seventh circle of hell,\u201d that he would \u201c[n]ever trust a chinaman or Indian,\u201d and that the October 7th attack on Israel should be dismissed as a \u201cpsyop.\u201d[15]\n\nMr. Ingrassia\u2019s alleged actions in this case constitute a brazen interference with a federal investigation in an apparent attempt to provide favorable treatment to individuals with whom he has a preexisting relationship. Prior to joining the Administration, Mr. Ingrassia had been a member of the legal team representing the Tate brothers.[16] Additionally, Mr. Ingrassia has heaped extensive praise on the Tate brothers in statements and social media posts. For example, he called Andrew Tate \u201can extraordinary human being\u201d whose \u201cphysical prowess\u201d and \u201cwillpower and spirit\u201d make him \u201cthe embodiment of the ancient ideal of excellence.\u201d[17]\n\nMr. Ingrassia\u2019s behavior raises grave questions regarding the independence and impartiality of federal law enforcement operations and the White House\u2019s potential meddling in such investigations. Mr. Ingrassia\u2019s reported actions may have violated government ethics rules and other legal standards of conduct. Moreover, appallingly, this alleged conduct would mean that the White House allowed a self-proclaimed \u201cNazi\u201d to intervene in a federal investigation to protect indicted rapists and child sex traffickers. If this behavior is not examined and addressed, it could dangerously undermine the independence, legitimacy, and effectiveness of DHS law enforcement operations and implicate the White House as complicit in the most heinous crimes and hateful ideologies imaginable.\n\nTo assist the Committees\u2019 understanding of potential White House involvement in protecting known sexual predators, please provide the following information to the Committees by December 4, 2025:\n\nWas Paul Ingrassia\u2019s decision to intervene on behalf of Andrew and Tristan Tate made on his own volition or at the direction of White House personnel?\n\nIf the former, when and how did White House personnel become aware of Mr. Ingrassia\u2019s representation that he was acting at the direction of the White House?\n\nWhat actions, if any, did the White House take in response to Mr. Ingrassia\u2019s conduct, and when?\n\nIf the latter, who instructed Mr. Ingrassia to intervene, and why?\n\nWho at the White House was aware of Mr. Ingrassia\u2019s intervention on behalf of Andrew and Tristan Tate?\n\nIn addition, please produce the following records[18] on or before December 4, 2025:\n\nAll communications between White House personnel and any current or former DHS personnel, including but not limited to Mr. Ingrassia, referring or relating to Andrew or Tristan Tate.\n\nAll internal White House communications referring or relating to Andrew or Tristan Tate.\n\nAll White House communications with third parties referring or relating to Andrew or Tristan Tate.\n\nAll communications referring or relating to Mr. Ingrassia\u2019s instructions to DHS personnel on behalf of Andrew and Tristan Tate, including communications referring or relating to any steps taken to address this conduct.\n\nPlease contact the Committees should you have any questions about responding to these requests. Thank you for your attention to this matter.\n\nSincerely,\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/senator-blumenthal-week-in-review-11/14/2025-11/21/2025", "Senator Blumenthal: Week in Review 11/14/2025-11/21/2025", "2025-11-21", "2025", "2025-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "Sounding the Alarm on the Trump Administration\u2019s Looming Hunger Crisis\n\n[WASHINGTON, D.C.] \u2013 U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) joined advocates in Hartford to sound the alarm on a historic 20 percent cut to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that will cause millions of Americans to lose access to fresh food.\n\nTrump\u2019s \u201cOne Big Beautiful Bill\u201d reduced funding for SNAP by $186 billion\u2014a 20 percent cut and the largest reduction in the history of the program. The bill also imposed strict work requirements that disproportionally impact vulnerable participants like seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, individuals experiencing homelessness and more without improving employment outcomes. Millions of recipients are expected to lose their benefits or see reduced benefits because of these changes.\n\n\u201cThis economic perfect storm is going to create more need, not less, for programs that address hunger in America,\u201d Blumenthal said. \u201cAnd right now the Administration is shredding that safety that exists for families and children across East Hartford, Connecticut, and the country.\u201d\n\nBlumenthal further slammed the Trump Administration for threatening access to food for millions of Americans on Twitter/X.\n\n\u201cThe President plans to deprive millions of families of SNAP benefits while increasing the financial burden on states by hundreds of millions of dollars. Trump & Republicans are shredding the hunger safety net & making sure kids go without the food they need,\u201d wrote Blumenthal on Twitter/X.\n\nDuring a Nominations Hearing of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Blumenthal pressed John Walk, nominee to be Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, on the Trump Administration\u2019s plans to have every recipient of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) reapply for benefits as a \u201cfraud prevention measure.\u201d States are already required to reconfirm eligibility every 6-12 months. This costly move would simply add unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles for hardworking families to access food assistance. As the Trump Administration continues to attack SNAP and attempts to kick eligible recipients off the highly effective and successful program reducing hunger, Walk confirmed that there is no legal requirement forcing recipients to reapply for SNAP benefits.\n\n\u201cMr. Walk, we were talking, or you were talking to the Chairman about the SNAP program. And we understand, or we\u2019ve heard, that the Secretary of Agriculture has said that there has to be reapplication on the part of all current SNAP recipients now. There is no legal requirement that all of the current SNAP beneficiaries reapply as though they hadn\u2019t been receiving SNAP benefits, is there?\u201d questioned Blumenthal.\n\n\u201cSir, my understanding is that there is a requirement for recertification but in terms of taking folks off unless they reapply, I do not know that there is a requirement for that,\u201d answered Walk.\n\n\u201cThere is none, correct?\u201d pressed Blumenthal.\n\n\u201cNot that I am aware of,\u201d Walk confirmed.\n\nA video of Blumenthal\u2019s exchange with Walk can be found here.\n\nLaunching Inquiry into Trump Staffer\u2019s Interference in Investigation of Tate Brothers\n\nBlumenthal, Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, and U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, yesterday launched an inquiry into Trump staffer Paul Ingrassia\u2019s interference in a federal investigation of alleged rapists and human traffickers Andrew and Tristan Tate. This week, ProPublica reported that Ingrassia, while serving as White House liaison to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), personally intervened in a federal investigation of the Tates, who are facing multiple criminal and civil charges of sex trafficking and rape in three different countries.\n\nIn letters sent to White House Chief of Staff Susan Wiles, White House Counsel David Warrington, and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, Blumenthal and Peters requested all records and communications regarding Ingrassia\u2019s actions. In a letter to DHS Inspector General Joseph Cuffari, Blumenthal and Peters called for the Office of the Inspector General to open an investigation into Ingrassia\u2019s conduct and whether his interference in the Tate investigation occurred at the direction of the White House.\n\n\u201cAfter Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized the Tate brothers\u2019 electronic devices upon their February 2025 arrival in the United States, Mr. Ingrassia reportedly reprimanded DHS officials for doing so and directed them to return the devices to them. Mr. Ingrassia reportedly made clear to the DHS officials that this demand was coming directly from the White House,\u201d the Senators wrote to Wiles and Warrington.\n\n\u201cMr. Ingrassia\u2019s behavior raises grave questions regarding the independence and impartiality of federal law enforcement operations and the White House\u2019s potential meddling in such investigations. Mr. Ingrassia\u2019s reported actions may have violated government ethics rules and other legal standards of conduct. Moreover, appallingly, this alleged conduct would mean that the White House allowed a self-proclaimed \u2018Nazi\u2019 to intervene in a federal investigation to protect indicted rapists and child sex traffickers. If this behavior is not examined and addressed, it could dangerously undermine the independence, legitimacy, and effectiveness of DHS law enforcement operations and implicate the White House as complicit in the most heinous crimes and hateful ideologies imaginable,\u201d the Senators concluded.\n\nThe full text of Blumenthal and Peters\u2019 letter to the White House is available here. Similar letters sent to Secretary Noem and Inspector General Cuffari are available here and here.\n\nDemanding Answers on White House Ballroom Private Donations\n\nBlumenthal and U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Adam Schiff (D-CA) this week wrote to the leading fundraiser and lobbyists working to coordinate private donations for President Trump\u2019s multi-million-dollar White House ballroom project. According to recent reporting, Meredith O\u2019Rourke, the Trump campaign\u2019s lead finance operative, is coordinating with lobbyists with close ties to the Trump Administration to solicit donations for the ballroom from major corporations, Big Tech companies, and billionaires with interests before the Administration. Blumenthal, Warren, and Schiff are demanding answers from O\u2019Rourke and the lobbyists she is working with about how the fundraising is being organized and coordinated, how donors are being identified and solicited, and what promises may have been or may yet be made in exchange for these substantial contributions.\n\n\u201cSoliciting hundreds of millions of dollars in private donations to build a White House ballroom bearing the president\u2019s name raises questions that Americans deserve to have answered. Many of the donors to the project have deep financial, business, or other personal interests before the Administration,\u201d the Senators wrote.\n\nThe Senators continued, \u201cIndeed, a recent report revealed that more than half of the Trump Ballroom donors are facing, or have recently faced, enforcement actions from the federal government and that ballroom donors have received more than $279 billion in federal contracts in the last five years. And, another report found that two-thirds of the corporate ballroom funders are represented by one of the three lobbying firms identified as coordinating the ballroom funding.\u201d\n\nBlumenthal has written to each of the reported donors to the White House ballroom project as well as donors previously kept secret by the White House to seek information about the terms of their donations and any potential deals made in exchange for contributions.\n\nThe full text of the letter sent to O\u2019Rourke is available here. Similar letters were sent to Jeffrey Miller, CEO of Miller Strategies LLC; Reince Priebus, President & Chief Strategist of Michael Best Strategies LLC; and Brian Ballard, President of Ballard Partners.\n\nBlumenthal highlighted his demand for answers regarding private donations to President Trump\u2019s White House ballroom project on Twitter/X.\n\n\u201cFundraisers & lobbyists have coordinated the donation of hundreds of millions of dollars to destroy the East Wing & build Trump\u2019s gilded ballroom. I\u2019m demanding info about their role in soliciting money from those who have deep financial, business, or personal ties to this Administration,\u201d wrote Blumenthal on Twitter/X.\n\nOn the Senate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee\n\nContinuing their efforts to protect the rights of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employees, Blumenthal, Senate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee Ranking Member, and U.S. Representative Delia Ramirez (D-IL), House Veterans\u2019 Affairs Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Ranking Member, introduced the Right to Representation for VA Workers Act\u2014legislation to restore VA employees\u2019 right to have their choice of representation in inquiries with other Department staff that could lead to disciplinary action.\n\nBlumenthal and Ramirez have heard from various unions and VA employees that Trump VA officials no longer allow employees have the right to choose their own representation in investigation meetings.\n\n\u201cVA workers deserve to be represented by someone of their choice\u2014a right that must be guaranteed by statute because the VA is routinely denying it in practice. It\u2019s part of Secretary Collins\u2019 assault on VA worker rights, including an illegal ban on collective bargaining. Ultimately, it harms care and benefits for veterans, and it must be stopped,\u201d said Blumenthal.\n\nThe introduction of the Right to Representation for VA Workers Act follows the Blumenthal and Ramirez\u2019 introduction of bipartisan legislation last week to restore and protect VA employees\u2019 collective bargaining rights in response to the Trump Administration\u2019s cancellation of union contracts for 80% of VA employees. Their legislation, the VA Care and Benefits Accountability (VA CBA) Act, would restore union bargaining rights and protections for nearly 400,000 VA employees, among which almost 25% are veterans.\n\nBlumenthal Bulletin\n\nBlumenthal demanded Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem provide information on CBP and ICE\u2019s detention of U.S. citizens.\n\nBlumenthal demanded the Trump Administration stop stalling toxic chemical cleanups and protect military families and nearby communities.\n\nBlumenthal joined Gabe Feldman on his podcast SportsWise to discuss how the benefits of the SAFE Act in protecting college athletes.\n\nBlumenthal slammed a potential Executive Order that would punish and coerce states for commonsense AI safeguards.\n\nBlumenthal called for strong sanctions on Russia\u2019s oil and gas revenue to stop Putin\u2019s war machine.\n\nBlumenthal slammed efforts to impose a moratorium on state regulation of artificial intelligence\u2014a safeguard against election deepfakes and other AI abuses.\n\nBlumenthal called for accountability from the Department of Justice in releasing all of the Epstein files.\n\nBlumenthal called on the WNBA to support keeping the CT Sun in Connecticut.\n\nBlumenthal swore in Pat Del Monaco as First Selectman of New Fairfield.\n\nBlumenthal joined First Selectman Bill Morrison and his team in Stafford.\n\nBlumenthal attended the Uniformed Professional Fire Fighters Association 24th Peter Carozza Biennial Convention.\n\nBlumenthal joined the swearing in ceremony for Mayor Roberto Alves of Danbury.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/ahead-of-senate-vote-murphy-blumenthal-connecticut-families-demand-extension-of-aca-tax-credits", "Ahead of Senate Vote, Murphy, Blumenthal, Connecticut Families Demand Extension of ACA Tax Credits", "2025-11-21", "2025", "2025-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "HARTFORD\u2014Today, U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) joined Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam, Ken Barela, President and CEO of the Hispanic Health Council, James Michel, CEO of Access Health CT, Connecticut\u2019s health insurance marketplace, and Connecticut residents in a press conference to spotlight the urgent need to extend Affordable Care Act premium subsidies before Connecticut families receiving subsidies will be forced to pay, on average, $6,212.40 more per year for their health care in 2026.\n\nAfter Republicans refused to address the health care catastrophe they created during the government shutdown, Senators Murphy and Blumenthal gathered with constituents and health experts in Connecticut to highlight the stakes of this crisis and demand Republicans join with Democrats to extend the subsidies when the Senate takes up the issue in December.\n\nFind excerpts of the press conference remarks below:\n\nSenator Murphy emphasized his commitment to fight for Connecticut residents, and Americans across the country, who face skyrocketing health care premiums \u2013 or outright loss of the their health coverage - in 2026, demanding Republicans come to the table to deliver a solution to the health care crisis they created: \u201cThere's about 20 million Americans right now who are on Affordable Care Act plans, and when these subsidies end on January 1, there is going to be a massive increase in premiums for people all across this country. In Connecticut, the average individual who's on an ACA plan will see a $6,000 increase in their premiums. There are many people here in Connecticut who will see a $25,000 increase in their premiums. Obviously, most middle and low-income people in Connecticut do not have $6,000 lying around under the mattress, and so when these premiums go up on January 1, the first consequence is that millions of people all across this country are just going to lose their health insurance. Probably the biggest decrease in health insurance rates in the last 20 years\u2026There will be a vote in December on a bill to stop these premium increases, Republicans will have a chance to vote with us. We're going to fight every single day between now and then to try to get the number of Republicans we need in order to pass that legislation.\u201d\n\nSenator Blumenthal called out Republicans for putting Connecticut families in a life-threatening and totally preventable health care crisis: \u201cLet me put it as historically and bluntly as possible: people will die. People will die if these health care subsidies are not extended\u2026 Now, you know, normally, I'm a pretty bipartisan kind of guy. Normally, I try to be as kind and gentle as possible to people who may differ with me, but there is no excuse \u2013 none \u2013 for what Republicans are doing to the country. It is an intentional, purposeful, cruel and avoidable crisis\u2026 We've been promised a vote. We're going to hold Republicans to that promise. We are going to vote unanimously among Democrats for the extension of health care tax credits \u2013 unanimously among Democrats. I challenge Republicans to come forward and say, you'll do it. Eliminate the anxiety and fear that people feel right now that they won't be able to afford health care insurance.\u201d\n\nAlison, a resident of New Britain, CT spoke of her struggles to afford health care while juggling the rising costs of groceries and other basic necessities: \u201cI have chronic illness which requires daily medication. I have chronic pain which requires daily management. I have an awareness that the older I get, the more susceptible I am to illness and injury and complications from illness and injury, and this is the point in my life where I should be budgeting for an increased level of insurance, not doing without it altogether. And that will be the outcome for me if the tax credits are not extended. Because this, of course, is not happening in isolation. I'm struggling to pay for increased prices of groceries and other necessary goods. On January 1, fees associated with my living costs are increasing to become even greater than my mortgage. I'm scared, I'm sad, I'm very angry, because nobody should have to make a choice between staying nourished, staying securely housed and having access to health care\u2026. I hope that the people who are voting next month can really have it at the forefront of their mind that they are not voting for a policy or for a disposable budget line. I know they are voting for human beings.\u201d\n\nLeslie, a resident of West Hartford, CT shared she fears she will not be able to afford to treat her MS if health care costs rise anymore: \u201cIf I want to stay employed the way I am, stay productive, keep working, keep helping smaller businesses grow, I need to stay healthy. I need that insurance. Without insurance, the one medication I take with my MS costs $7,000 a month. I switched to that medication because the one I had before was $10,000 a month, and I honestly couldn't stomach it. I couldn't stomach taking it, knowing that's what it cost. This insurance, this exchange, is a lifeline for so many\u2026. So I thank our Senators. I admire them more and more all the time [because] I think what's happening in DC right now\u2026 it's worse than cruel. It's indifferent.\u201d\n\nHartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam slammed Republicans in Congress for prioritizing millionaires and billionaires over Hartford families struggling to afford health care next year: \u201cRepublicans in Washington don't care about your health and your health care as much as they care about tax breaks for their billionaire friends who have bought and sold them, and they're selling you out in the process. We are appreciative to have two Senators who are standing with ordinary working families. This is a catastrophe for so many across the state, and certainly right here in the City of Hartford. It is so important that we tell these stories and we recognize that it impacts every single one of us\u2026 It is going to have ripples of impact all across the health system, and somehow, in the wealthiest country in the history of the world, we are still more focused on millionaires and billionaires than we are on health coverage for ordinary, hardworking families.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-kaine-bicameral-colleagues-urge-trump-administration-to-restore-ban-on-non-compete-clauses", "Murphy, Kaine, Bicameral Colleagues Urge Trump Administration To Restore Ban On Non-Compete Clauses", "2025-11-21", "2025", "2025-11", "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 Tim Kaine (D-Va.), alongside U.S. Representatives Scott Peters (D-Calif.-50), and Maggie Goodlander (D-N.H.-02), and 12 other Senate and House members, sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman Andrew Ferguson regarding the Administration\u2019s recent decision not to continue defending the federal rule banning non-compete clauses. This comes after the Department of Justice announced that it would no longer defend the FTC\u2019s 2024 rule banning non-compete clauses in appeals courts.\n\n\u201cNon-compete clauses hurt workers across all income levels,\u201d the members wrote. \u201cNon-competes suppress wages and lower job quality by depriving workers of bargaining leverage and trapping them in bad or lower-paying jobs. The FTC estimated that its ban on non-compete clauses would increase workers' earnings by approximately $400 billion over the next decade.\u201d\n\nThe letter also outlines how non-competes curtail wages, restrict worker mobility, raise consumer costs\u2014especially in health care\u2014and limit entrepreneurship and small-business growth.\n\nThe members continued, urging the Administration to work with Congress to pass legislation to ban non-compete clauses: \u201cIn the absence of an administrative effort to ban non-compete clauses, we urge the Administration to work with Congress to pass legislation to ban non-compete clauses. In 2024, current Chairman Ferguson and Commissioner Holyoak stated in their dissent that the FTC lacked statutory authority to issue a rule banning non-competes. A legislative ban on most noncompete clauses would resolve that concern while increasing workers' wages, lowering costs for consumers, supporting small businesses, and spurring economic growth.\u201d\n\nLast year, Murphy and Peters sent a letter urging the FTC to finalize a Biden-era rule to ban non-compete agreements. Earlier this year, Murphy reintroduced the bipartisan, bicameral Workforce Mobility Act, which would protect American workers by prohibiting employers\u2019 ability to force employees to sign noncompete agreements except in certain cases.\n\nFull text of the letter can be found here and below.\n\nDear Attorney General Bondi and Chairman Ferguson:\n\nOn September 5, 2025, the Department of Justice (DOJ) withdrew its appeals to defend a 2024 rule banning non-compete clauses. The decision by the DOJ comes after the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) voted 3-1 on a party-line basis to dismiss the appeal of two federal district court decisions that prevented the FTC from enforcing the ban. Non-compete clauses are employment provisions that prohibit individuals from joining a competing firm or starting a new competing venture after leaving their employer. While Chairman Ferguson announced that the FTC will attempt to use existing power to block aspects of some non-competes on a case-by-case basis, we believe this will be woefully insufficient to help the estimated 30 million Americans whose economic freedom is limited by non-compete clauses.\n\nNon-compete clauses hurt workers across all income levels. Non-competes suppress wages and lower job quality by depriving workers of bargaining leverage and trapping them in bad or lower-paying jobs. The FTC estimated that its ban on non-compete clauses would increase workers' earnings by approximately $400 billion over the next decade.\n\nThese clauses also harm consumers by increasing prices and limiting their choices. A ban on non-compete clauses would increase competition for existing businesses, especially in sectors such as health care, where the FTC estimated a ban on non-competes would lower costs for consumers by as much as $194 billion over the next decade through increased competition. In health care, non-compete clauses also prevent physicians from starting new practices in their communities, limiting physician autonomy and patients' ability to seek care from a doctor of their choice.\n\nAdditionally, non-compete clauses hurt economic growth by limiting entrepreneurship and preventing existing small businesses from hiring skilled workers. Research from Small Business Majority found that 33 percent of small business owners were prevented from hiring an employee due to a non-compete clause, and nearly 50 percent were subject to a non-compete clause that prevented them from starting or growing a business of their own. In 2024, the FTC found that banning non-competes would grow the American economy and lead to the creation of over 8,500 startups each year.\n\nWe appreciate FTC Chair Ferguson\u2019s acknowledgement of the harm non-compete clauses can pose when he asserted these agreements, \u201ccan be, and sometimes are, abused to the effect of severely inhibiting workers\u2019 ability to make a living,\u201d and the FTC continuing case by case enforcement of illegal non-compete clauses. However, this strategy will be insufficient to combat the harmful consequences of non-competes.\n\nIn the absence of an administrative effort to ban non-compete clauses, we urge the Administration to work with Congress to pass legislation to ban non-compete clauses. In 2024, current Chairman Ferguson and Commissioner Holyoak stated in their dissent that the FTC lacked statutory authority to issue a rule banning non-competes. A legislative ban on most non-compete clauses would resolve that concern while increasing workers' wages, lowering costs for consumers, supporting small businesses, and spurring economic growth. Thank you for your attention to this matter.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-leads-45-senators-to-reintroduce-background-check-expansion-act", "Murphy Leads 45 Senators To Reintroduce Background Check Expansion Act", "2025-11-21", "2025", "2025-11", "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.), alongside Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), led 45 senators in reintroducing the Background Check Expansion Act to expand federal background checks to all gun sales. Although more than 90 percent of Americans support comprehensive background checks, under current federal law, unlicensed or private sellers are not required to conduct a background check prior to transferring a firearm. Research indicates that as many as a quarter of all gun sales in the United States may occur without a background check. U.S. Representatives Mike Thompson (D-Calif.-4) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.-1) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.\n\nThe Background Check Expansion Act will require background checks for the sale or transfer of all firearms. This requirement extends to all unlicensed sellers, whether they do business online, at gun shows, or out of their home. Exceptions to the Background Check Expansion Act include transfers between law enforcement officers, temporarily loaning firearms for hunting and sporting events, providing firearms as gifts to immediate family members, transferring a firearm as part of an inheritance, or temporarily transferring a firearm for immediate self-defense.\n\n\u201cNearly 90 percent of Americans \u2013 including the overwhelming majority of gun owners \u2013 support universal background checks,\u201d said Murphy. \u201cIt\u2019s just common sense that somebody who can\u2019t pass a background check shouldn\u2019t be able to buy a deadly firearm. As Trump endangers lives by getting rid of successful, bipartisan programs that brought down gun violence rates, we\u2019re working to keep guns away from violent criminals and make communities safer.\u201d\n\n\u201cA few years ago, the Senate proved we could enact commonsense gun reform with the passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. But we must go further,\u201d said Leader Schumer. \u201cA vast majority of Americans support background checks, and it\u2019s nothing but obedience to the gun lobby and special interests to continue to block the will of the people. As the author of the original Brady Bill, I have dedicated my career to fighting tooth and nail to advance gun safety legislation. This legislation is a vital, broadly supported and long-overdue step in the right direction and will save countless lives in our country from the scourge of gun violence.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt is too easy for those prohibited by law to receive guns under our current system. Most Americans support the use of background checks, yet not all gun sales in this country require them. Congress needs to address the ongoing reality that there are far too many guns on our streets,\u201d Durbin said. \u201cThe Background Check Expansion Act is long overdue.\u201d\n\n\u201cOur commonsense legislation to expand background checks for all gun sales will spare countless communities from the terror, tragedy, and trauma of gun violence. A national standard for comprehensive background checks is long overdue. I\u2019ll keep fighting to make sure this lifesaving measure becomes law,\u201d said Blumenthal.\n\nIn addition to Murphy, Schumer, Durbin, and Blumenthal, U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Elisa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Ben Ray Luj\u00e1n (D-N.M.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Angus King (I-Maine), and John Fetterman (D-Pa.) co-sponsored the bill.\n\nMultiple gun violence prevention organizations also endorse the legislation:\n\n\u201cChildren deserve to grow up safe in their schools, homes, and communities. Expanding background checks is not just good policy, but a vital step to protect kids and give families peace of mind,\u201d said Mark Barden, co-founder of the Sandy Hook Promise Action Fund and father of Daniel, who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy. \u201cThis bill closes dangerous loopholes in existing law that allow firearms to be sold without any vetting, keeping them away from those who pose a risk to themselves or others, and protecting the lives of young people.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Universal Background Checks Act is straightforward: if a person can\u2019t pass a background check, you shouldn\u2019t be able to buy a gun\u2014regardless of where or how you try to purchase it. This commonsense measure keeps guns out of the hands of felons, domestic abusers, and other dangerous individuals, while still respecting the rights of responsible gun owners. The American people have been demanding this for years; it\u2019s time for Congress to make universal background checks law. We thank Senator Murphy for his steadfast leadership on this legislation,\u201d said GIFFORDS Executive Director Emma Brown.\n\n\u201cBackground checks are the bedrock of any serious plan to reduce gun violence, and with more than 90% support in poll after poll, it\u2019s both good policy and good politics,\" said John Feinblatt, President of Everytown for Gun Safety. \"We\u2019re grateful Senator Murphy is once again leading the charge to close deadly gaps in our laws, and keep guns out of dangerous hands.\u201d\n\n\u201cSince its implementation, the Brady Background Check System has saved countless lives by preventing over 5 million transactions to prohibited purchasers. Yet, loopholes in the system, exacerbated by the rise of gun shows and sales facilitated by the internet, have allowed for far too many guns to be sold without background checks, leading to devastating consequences. The Background Check Expansion Act will fix this problem by expanding background checks to cover, with limited and reasonable exceptions, every transfer of firearms, fulfilling the mission of our namesakes, Jim and Sarah Brady. We applaud Senator Murphy for introducing this legislation and for his steadfast dedication to freeing America from gun violence,\u201d said Kris Brown, Brady President.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-joins-colleagues-in-demanding-trump-administration-stop-stalling-toxic-chemical-cleanups-protect-military-families-and-nearby-communities", "Blumenthal Joins Colleagues in Demanding Trump Administration Stop Stalling Toxic Chemical Cleanups, Protect Military Families & Nearby Communities", "2025-11-20", "2025", "2025-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[Hartford, CT] \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) joined 27 of his Democratic Senate colleagues in demanding that the Trump administration reverse its decision to delay the cleanup of toxic chemicals at military installations across the country, including the Bradley Air National Guard Base in Windsor Locks, and take action to protect military families and nearby communities by addressing contamination at the affected sites.\n\nIn a letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, the senators called on the Trump administration to immediately restore the previous timetable for remediating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination at U.S. military bases and to reverse plans that would further delay long-overdue cleanups.\n\n\u201cFor years, communities contaminated by PFAS from nearby DOD installations in our states have waited for the DOD to take action. We request that the Department reverse its decision, return to the previous timetable released in December 2024, and accelerate efforts to remediate confirmed PFAS contamination,\u201d the senators wrote.\n\nAt least 700 military sites in the United States are known or suspected to have PFAS contamination from DOD activities. DOD\u2019s delayed timetable would postpone cleanup efforts at approximately 150 of them, in some cases for nearly a decade. Specifically, DOD pushed back the time frame of the Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) phase for these bases, which involves collecting detailed information on the nature and extent of the PFAS contamination and conducting a study to evaluate potential options for cleanup.\n\nPFAS chemicals are widespread contaminants found in many industrial applications and especially around U.S. military installations. PFAS exposure is linked to an array of health problems, including various cancers, reduced immune function, reproductive challenges, birth defects, thyroid issues, and more. The use of PFAS-containing firefighting foam at Department of Defense (DOD) facilities, and the subsequent stormwater runoff, is a significant source of drinking water pollution. This contamination poses serious health risks to service members and their families, as well as surrounding communities.\n\nThe letter, led by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), was signed by Blumenthal and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Maine), Ben Ray Luj\u00e1n (D-N.M.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).\n\nThe full text of the senators\u2019 letter to Secretary Hegseth can be found here.\n\nA full list of military installations affected by the delays can be found here.\n\nInformation on the military installations affected by the Trump administration in Connecticut can be found below.\n\nInstallation Type\n\nInstallation Name\n\nEstimated RI/FS End Date Released in December 2024\n\nEstimated RI/FS End Date Released March 31, 2025\n\nNational Guard\n\nBradley International Airport\n\n9/2029\n\n9/2035\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/icymi-video-blumenthal-questions-trump-administration-nominee-on-unnecessary-wasteful-snap-reapplication-plan", "ICYMI Video: Blumenthal Questions Trump Administration Nominee on Unnecessary, Wasteful SNAP Reapplication Plan", "2025-11-20", "2025", "2025-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, D.C.] \u2013 In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) pressed John Walk, nominee to be Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, on the Trump Administration\u2019s plans to have every recipient of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) reapply for benefits as a \u201cfraud prevention measure.\u201d States are already required to reconfirm eligibility every 6-12 months. This costly move would simply add unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles for hardworking families to access food assistance. As the Trump Administration continues to attack SNAP and attempts to kick eligible recipients off the highly effective and successful program reducing hunger, Walk confirmed that there is no legal requirement forcing recipients to reapply for SNAP benefits.\n\n\u201cMr. Walk, we were talking, or you were talking to the Chairman about the SNAP program. And we understand, or we\u2019ve heard, that the Secretary of Agriculture has said that there has to be reapplication on the part of all current SNAP recipients now. There is no legal requirement that all of the current SNAP beneficiaries reapply as though they hadn\u2019t been receiving SNAP benefits, is there?\u201d questioned Blumenthal.\n\n\u201cSir, my understanding is that there is a requirement for recertification but in terms of taking folks off unless they reapply, I do not know that there is a requirement for that,\u201d answered Walk.\n\n\u201cThere is none, correct?\u201d pressed Blumenthal.\n\n\u201cNot that I am aware of,\u201d Walk confirmed.\n\nTrump\u2019s \u201cOne Big Beautiful Bill\u201d reduced funding for SNAP by $186 billion\u2014a 20 percent cut and the largest reduction in the history of the program. The bill also imposed strict work requirements that will disproportionally impact vulnerable participants like seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, individuals experiencing homelessness and more without improving employment outcomes. Millions of recipients are expected to lose their benefits or see reduced benefits because of these changes. The Trump Administration\u2019s plans to have recipients reapply for benefits is the latest attempt to prevent people from accessing critical SNAP benefits.\n\nA video of Blumenthal\u2019s exchange with Walk can be found here, and a transcript is below.\n\nU.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Welcome to the Committee, and welcome to your families, and thank you for your willing to serve our country. As Inspectors Generals of Agriculture and Health and Human Services, you play a critical role in ensuring the integrity and effectiveness of our government. Mr. Walk, we were talking, or you were talking to the Chairman about the SNAP program. And we understand, or we\u2019ve heard, that the Secretary of Agriculture has said that there has to be reapplication on the part of all current SNAP recipients now. Is that your understanding?\n\nJohn Walk: Sir, I have only read that in the news in the same way. I have not had any conversations with the Secretary.\n\nBlumenthal: But you\u2019re a senior advisor to her, correct?\n\nWalk: That\u2019s right, right.\n\nBlumenthal: And you haven\u2019t heard anything about it?\n\nWalk: I generally would say I know what has been reported, and I understand that to be accurate.\n\nBlumenthal: There is no legal requirement that all of the current SNAP beneficiaries reapply as though they hadn\u2019t been receiving SNAP benefits, is there?\n\nWalk: Sir, my understanding is that there is a requirement for recertification but in terms of taking folks off unless they reapply, I do not know that there is a requirement for that.\n\nBlumenthal: There is none, correct?\n\nWalk: Not that I am aware of.\n\nBlumenthal: Okay, and the recertification is different from the application process, correct?\n\nWalk: It is.\n\nBlumenthal: Recertification is done periodically every six months depending on what the state decides is appropriate?\n\nWalk: Yes.\n\nBlumenthal: Will you commit that you will make sure that all of the 42 million current SNAP recipients and beneficiaries receive these benefits if they are entitled to do so under current law and that the approval process is done expeditiously and timely so that they get those benefits as they need them to put food on the table?\n\nWalk: Senator, thank you for the question. And as I said, I did spend four months at FNCS, and one of the initiatives I took on in that short time was to send the governors a letter that we expected timeliness in terms of the 30 days/seven-day period of completing the approval process for the applications. So that is an important issue to me even on that side. Of course, as an IG, my role would not be to be in the policy role. But as IG I would practice \u2013\n\nBlumenthal: If there are delays, it would be your responsibility to assure that the approvals are done in a timely and important way because people depend on the SNAP benefits literally to feed their children, correct?\n\nWalk: Senator, I agree the IG should continue to practice effective oversight over the SNAP application process.\n\nBlumenthal: And if I come to you as a member of the Senate, and I say the information available to me is that there are delays and bureaucratic hangups, you would look into it, correct?\n\nWalk: Senator, that is correct. As IG, I need to keep Congress fully and currently informed.\n\nBlumenthal: Well, I\u2019m going to hold you to that commitment.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-and-ramirez-lead-legislative-push-to-protect-va-worker-rights", "Blumenthal & Ramirez Lead Legislative Push to Protect VA Worker Rights", "2025-11-19", "2025", "2025-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, D.C.] \u2013 Continuing their efforts to protect the rights of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employees, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Senate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee Ranking Member, and U.S. Representative Delia Ramirez (D-IL), House Veterans\u2019 Affairs Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Ranking Member, introduced the Right to Representation for VA Workers Act\u2014legislation to restore VA employees\u2019 right to have their choice of representation in inquiries with other Department staff that could lead to disciplinary action.\n\nBlumenthal and Ramirez have heard from various unions and VA employees that Trump VA officials no longer allow employees have the right to choose their own representation in investigation meetings.\n\n\u201cVA workers deserve to be represented by someone of their choice\u2014a right that must be guaranteed by statute because the VA is routinely denying it in practice. It\u2019s part of Secretary Collins\u2019 assault on VA worker rights, including an illegal ban on collective bargaining. Ultimately, it harms care and benefits for veterans, and it must be stopped,\u201d said Senator Blumenthal.\n\n\u201cVA employees are essential to ensuring the VA effectively serves veterans and meets its mission. Protecting VA employees and their rights ensures we retain the workforce that delivers on the promises we made to our veterans as a nation,\u201d said Congresswoman Ramirez. \u201cAs the Trump administration doubles down on their attacks on federal workers, we must reaffirm every worker's right to a voice in decisions that affect their work and to be protected from actions that would jeopardize their rights, safety, and dignity. I am proud to work with Senator Blumenthal on legislation that will defend workers' rights.\u201d\n\nThe Weingarten right has been a long-held principle previously protected through collective bargaining agreements. Since the Trump Administration\u2019s cancellation of union contracts, this right has consistently been infringed upon at VA for employees across the nation.\n\nThe Right to Representation for VA Workers Act is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Ed Markey (D-MA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Angus King (I-ME), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL). The legislation is endorsed by the American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO (AFGE), National Association of Government Employees (NAGE), National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE), National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU), Service Employees International Union (SEIU), American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), and Common Defense.\n\nThe introduction of the Right to Representation for VA Workers Act follows the Blumenthal and Ramirez\u2019 introduction of bipartisan legislation last week to restore and protect VA employees\u2019 collective bargaining rights in response to the Trump Administration\u2019s cancellation of union contracts for 80% of VA employees. Their legislation, the VA Care and Benefits Accountability (VA CBA) Act, would restore union bargaining rights and protections for nearly 400,000 VA employees, among which almost 25% are veterans.\n\nIn August, Trump VA Secretary Doug Collins terminated union contracts for most of VA\u2019s bargaining-unit employees\u2014enforcing the executive orders despite ongoing litigation and the Office of Personnel Management\u2019s recommendation to wait until court proceedings had been fully resolved. This decision impacts nearly 80% of VA\u2019s workforce, including mission-critical positions like mental health providers, nurses, and claims processors. This action stripped employees of certain essential rights that help protect whistleblowers who advocate for accountable leadership and increased support and resources to provide quality, effective, and efficient services to all Americans.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-warren-and-schiff-demand-answers-from-trump-fundraiser_lobbyists-solicitating-hundreds-of-millions-in-private-donations-for-white-house-ballroom-project", "Blumenthal, Warren, & Schiff Demand Answers from Trump Fundraiser & Lobbyists Solicitating Hundreds of Millions in Private Donations for White House Ballroom Project", "2025-11-19", "2025", "2025-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, DC] \u2013 U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Adam Schiff (D-CA) this week wrote to the leading fundraiser and lobbyists working to coordinate private donations for President Trump\u2019s multi-million-dollar White House ballroom project. According to recent reporting, Meredith O\u2019Rourke, the Trump campaign\u2019s lead finance operative, is coordinating with lobbyists with close ties to the Trump Administration to solicit donations for the ballroom from major corporations, Big Tech companies, and billionaires with interests before the Administration. Blumenthal, Warren, and Schiff are demanding answers from O\u2019Rourke and the lobbyists she is working with about how the fundraising is being organized and coordinated, how donors are being identified and solicited, and what promises may have been or may yet be made in exchange for these substantial contributions.\n\n\u201cSoliciting hundreds of millions of dollars in private donations to build a White House ballroom bearing the president\u2019s name raises questions that Americans deserve to have answered. Many of the donors to the project have deep financial, business, or other personal interests before the Administration,\u201d the Senators wrote.\n\nThe Senators continued, \u201cIndeed, a recent report revealed that more than half of the Trump Ballroom donors are facing, or have recently faced, enforcement actions from the federal government and that ballroom donors have received more than $279 billion in federal contracts in the last five years. And, another report found that two-thirds of the corporate ballroom funders are represented by one of the three lobbying firms identified as coordinating the ballroom funding.\u201d\n\nBlumenthal has written to each of the reported donors to the White House ballroom project as well as donors previously kept secret by the White House to seek information about the terms of their donations and any potential deals made in exchange for contributions.\n\nThe full text of the letter sent to O\u2019Rourke is available here and below. Similar letters were sent to Jeffrey Miller, CEO of Miller Strategies LLC; Reince Priebus, President & Chief Strategist of Michael Best Strategies LLC; and Brian Ballard, President of Ballard Partners.\n\nNovember 18, 2025\n\nMeridith O\u2019Rourke\n\nOwner\n\nThe O\u2019Rourke Group\n\nTallahassee, FL\n\nDear Ms. O\u2019Rourke:\n\nSince July 2025, President Trump has solicited $300 million in private donations to build what has been presented to donors and the public as \u201cthe President Donald J. Trump Ballroom\u201d (\u201cTrump Ballroom\u201d).[1] Despite assurances from the White House that the President has been \u201cincredibly transparent\u201d about the renovations,[2] critical details about the plans for the project have changed numerous times, including its total cost and scope.[3] Indeed, the cost of the project has been projected to jump 50 percent to $300 million from a previous projection of $200 million.[4] Moreover, recent reporting has revealed that the donation pledge form for the Trump Ballroom offers donors the option to donate without public disclosure and that, in fact, a significant number of private donors to the project had been kept secret by the White House, completely belying the Administration\u2019s claims of transparency, and raising serious questions about the identity and motivation for these donors.[5] The sheer amount of fundraising necessary to complete this project has clearly required coordination and expertise. Recent news reporting indicated that these efforts are being led by one of the Trump campaign\u2019s leading fundraisers, in coordination with three lobbyists with close ties to the Administration.[6] Given your reported role in this fundraising effort, we write to request information regarding your efforts to raise money for the construction of the Trump Ballroom.\n\nSoliciting hundreds of millions of dollars in private donations to build a White House ballroom bearing the president\u2019s name raises questions that Americans deserve to have answered. Many of the donors to the project have deep financial, business, or other personal interests before the Administration.[7] Indeed, a recent report revealed that more than half of the Trump Ballroom donors are facing, or have recently faced, enforcement actions from the federal government and that ballroom donors have received more than $279 billion in federal contracts in the last five years.[8] And, another report found that two-thirds of the corporate ballroom funders are represented by one of the three lobbying firms identified as coordinating the ballroom funding.[9] Many questions remain about the fundraising for this project, including how the fundraising is being organized and coordinated, how donors are being identified and solicited, the amount of each contribution, any agreement reached with each contributor, what promises may have been or may yet be made in exchange for these substantial contributions, the reasons donations were permitted to be made anonymously, and the extent of any pledges and donations that have not yet been disclosed.[10] The American people are entitled to all the relevant facts about who is funding the most substantial construction project at the White House in recent history.\n\nAs one of the parties raising private donations for the construction of the Trump Ballroom, you and your firm possess critical information about the Administration\u2019s management of this project, how contributions have been obtained, and what President Trump or his representatives may have agreed to provide in exchange. To assist our offices in our inquiry into the financing of the demolition of the East Wing and construction of the Trump Ballroom, please preserve all documents, records,[11] and communications[12] related to contributions to the Trump Ballroom, and provide the following information by December 4, 2025:\n\nPlease provide a comprehensive description of your and your firm\u2019s role in the effort to raise funds for the Trump Ballroom, including but not limited to:\n\nWhen were you first asked to assist with efforts to raise funds for the Trump Ballroom?\n\nWho requested your participation in this effort? Please identify everyone you spoke with about the project, including but not limited to all White House personnel or members of the Trump family.\n\nWhat was the target amount of funds that you were originally asked to raise?\n\nHas the target fundraising goal changed at any point in time? If so, to what amount and why?\n\nWhat guidance or instructions were provided to you regarding which donors or type of donors to solicit funds from?\n\nWere you told not to solicit funds from any individual donors or types of donor (e.g., foreign countries or entities)?\n\nWhat were you told to offer donors in exchange for a contribution to the Trump Ballroom? Did this vary based on the identity of the donor or the amount of the contribution? If so, how?\n\nWere donors offered the opportunity to be named in an acknowledgement wall or other similar fashion within the Trump Ballroom?\n\nPlease produce all materials that you were provided or otherwise used to solicit donations for the Trump Ballroom.\n\nDo you have any formal and/or financial relationship to or arrangement with the Trust for the National Mall?\n\nHow are you and/or your firm being compensated for your role in the Trump Ballroom fundraising project?\n\nWill you receive a fixed fee or are you receiving a percentage of funds raised?\n\nAre you eligible for incentive payments for achieving target fundraising goals?\n\nWhat is the total amount of compensation you expect to receive for raising funds for the White House Ballrooms?\n\nPlease produce any and all agreements you have entered into reflecting the scope of your fundraising efforts and/or any compensation you or your company will receive in exchange.\n\nIs any payment you are receiving derived from the Trust for the National Mall?\n\nPlease provide a complete list of individuals or entities that you have solicited for donations or pledges to fund construction of the Trump Ballroom, as well as the following information about each solicited pledge or contribution\n\nThe total amount of each donation or pledge solicited;\n\nThe date of each solicitation;\n\nWhether the donation or pledge was made and, if so, in what amount;\n\nWhether the individual or entity from which you solicited the donation is your client;\n\nThe date the donation or pledge was made or offered;\n\nWhether the donation or pledge was intended to be anonymous;\n\nWhether you made any representations that the prospective donor would be more likely to secure favorable action from the federal government if it made a donation;\n\nWas anything offered in exchange for the donation or pledge, including but not limited to access to government officials, attendance at White House or other events, public or private recognition of the donation, or anything else, regardless of inherent monetary value?\n\nWill the donation be made to the Trust for the National Mall or to another entity (including the name of any other entity receiving the donation)?\n\nPlease contact our offices if you have any questions about responding to these requests. Thank you for your attention to this matter.\n\nSincerely,\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-and-robert-garcia-demand-noem-provide-information-on-cbp_ices-detention-of-us-citizens", "Blumenthal & Robert Garcia Demand Noem Provide Information on CBP & ICE's Detention of U.S. Citizens", "2025-11-18", "2025", "2025-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, DC] \u2013 U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ranking Member of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, and U.S. Representative Robert Garcia (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, wrote Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) refused to provide information on the number of U.S. citizens who have been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).\n\nIn an interview on October 30, Noem stated that \u201c[t]here\u2019s no American citizens that have been arrested or detained.\u201d This statement has been repeatedly disproven by public reporting; and, in fact, Noem was present at an immigration raid in Illinois where two U.S. citizens were detained.\n\n\u201cYour false statement denying that any detentions of U.S. citizens have occurred makes your failure to provide any of the information requested by our inquiry particularly concerning,\u201d the members wrote. \u201cThis failure also goes against your own commitments at the time of your confirmation to work with Congress. We expect not only a full response to our request, but that DHS begin tracking comprehensive information on how many U.S. citizens it detains\u2014for any period of time and for whatever reason\u2014and provide updates to our committees on a regular basis.\u201d\n\nOn October 20, Blumenthal and Garcia opened an inquiry into the increasing detention of U.S. citizens by federal immigration agents. In a letter to Noem, Blumenthal and Garcia demanded information and records from the agency following increasingly frequent reports of unconstitutional detentions of U.S. citizens by agents of ICE and CBP, often using disproportionate force.\n\nThe full text of Blumenthal and Garcia\u2019s letter to Noem on October 20 letter is available here. The full text of the November 17 letter to Noem is available here and copied below.\n\nDear Secretary Noem:\n\nOn October 20, 2025, we wrote to you regarding the disturbing and increasingly frequent reports of unconstitutional detentions of U.S. citizens by agents of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).[1] Among other requests, our letter asked that you provide information on the number of U.S. citizens that have been detained by ICE and CBP during this Administration, and provided a response deadline of November 3.[2] Your failure to provide any response whatsoever by the stated deadline is troubling and appears to indicate that DHS does not know how many U.S. citizens are being swept up in its reckless immigration enforcement.\n\nOur concern over your failure to respond is compounded by your recent falsehood regarding the detention of U.S. citizens. In an interview on October 30, you stated that \u201c[t]here\u2019s no American citizens that have been arrested or detained. We focus on those that are here illegally. And anything that you would hear or report that would be different than that is simply not true.\u201d[3] What is particularly concerning about this false statement is that you were present at an immigration raid in Illinois a month before this interview, where two U.S. citizens were detained.[4] In addition, multiple news organizations have reported on and spoken with dozens of U.S. citizens who have been detained by federal immigration officials.[5] New reports of additional U.S. citizen detentions have emerged regularly since ProPublica found on October 16 that more than 170 U.S. citizens had been detained in the Trump Administration\u2019s immigration raids.[6] Given these facts, you will not be able to mislead the American people about the results of the Trump Administration\u2019s reckless immigration enforcement efforts.\n\nYour false statement denying that any detentions of U.S. citizens have occurred makes your failure to provide any of the information requested by our inquiry particularly concerning. This failure also goes against your own commitments at the time of your confirmation to work with Congress.[7] We expect not only a full response to our request, but that DHS begin tracking comprehensive information on how many U.S. citizens it detains\u2014for any period of time and for whatever reason\u2014and provide updates to our committees on a regular basis.\n\n-30-\n\n[1] Letter from the Hon. Richard Blumenthal, Ranking Member, U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, and Rep. Robert Garcia, Ranking Member, U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, to Secretary Kristi Noem, Department of Homeland Security (Oct. 20, 2025), https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025-10-20-Letter-from-Blumenthal-and-Garcia-to-Noem.pdf.\n\n[2] Id.\n\n[3] Noem suggests Chicago immigration blitz includes 5 other states, claims no U.S. citizens detained, Chicago-Sun Times (Oct. 30, 2025), https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2025/10/30/chicago-midway-blitz-noem-trump-immigration-gary-indiana.\n\n[4] 2 U.S. citizens among 7 detained at early morning Elgin, Illinois ICE raid, CBS News (Sept. 18, 2025), https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/ice-raid-elgin-illinois/.\n\n[5] See, e.g., \u2018I\u2019m From Here!\u2019: U.S. Citizens Are Ending Up in Trump\u2019s Dragnet, N.Y. Times (Sept. 29, 2025), https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/29/us/trump-immigration-agents-us-citizens.html; We Found That More Than 170 U.S. Citizens Have Been Held by Immigration Agents. They\u2019ve Been Kicked, Dragged and Detained for Days, ProPublica (Oct. 16, 2025), https://www.propublica.org/article/immigration-dhs-american-citizens-arrested-detained-against-will.\n\n[6] See, e.g., Armed agents drive off with child after detaining her father, a U.S. citizen accused of assault, L.A. Times (Nov. 4, 2025), https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-11-04/ice-border-patrol-dodger-stadium-parking-lot; In Chicago, a Halloween weekend of immigration arrests and violence, NPR (Nov. 2, 2025), https://www.npr.org/2025/11/02/nx-s1-5594866/chicago-evanston-ice-border-patrol-protest-immigration-illinois; Federal agents arrest 3 US citizens after crash during immigration operation in Evanston, ABC 7 Chicago (Nov. 1, 2025), https://abc7chicago.com/post/ice-evanston-today-news-cook-county-officials-speak-federal-immigration-agents-reportedly-area-halloween/18095995/.\n\n[7] WATCH: Kristi Noem testifies at Senate confirmation hearing for DHS secretary, PBS News (Jan. 17, 2025), https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-live-kristi-noem-testifies-at-senate-confirmation-hearing-for-dhs-secretary.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-warren-continue-ethics-investigation-related-to-trumps-envoy-to-the-middle-east", "Murphy, Warren Continue Ethics Investigation Related to Trump\u2019s Envoy to the Middle East", "2025-11-18", "2025", "2025-11", "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 Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) today announced a continuation of their ethics investigation into U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, and wrote to The White House and Office of Government Ethics (OGE) pushing for answers about inconsistencies in Witkoff\u2019s ethics disclosure forms and concerns related to a deal that gives the United Arab Emirates (UAE) enormous power to acquire U.S.-made A.I. chips.\n\nThe new letter continuing the investigation is vital \u201c(g)iven the sensitive nature of Mr. Witkoff\u2019s role and the scale of his conflicts.\u201d\n\nBefore his appointment to the role of Special Envoy, Witkoff partnered with the Trump family to launch World Liberty Financial (WLF), a cryptocurrency company. Later, as Special Envoy, Witkoff reportedly advocated to advance an export deal to send the world\u2019s most advanced A.I. chips to the UAE \u2014 a deal which was previously stalled due to national security concerns. Around the same time the deal was approved, a UAE government-backed firm \u201ceffectively handed World Liberty a $2 billion bank deposit\u201d by investing $2 billion in WLF\u2019s stablecoin.\n\n\u201c(This deal) appears to have aided a foreign power\u2019s effort to acquire U.S. technology with serious economic and national security implications \u2014 and he potentially did so in exchange for his personal financial benefit,\u201d wrote the senators.\n\nWitkoff\u2019s financial disclosure forms raise several issues, including that no agency ethics officials have signed the form or indicated that he is in compliance with ethics laws and regulations. Witkoff\u2019s form also lists June 30, 2025 as the date of his appointment as Assistant to the President and Special Envoy for Peace Missions and states that he held no other federal positions before filing his disclosure form. However, as early as January and February 2025, he was working in an official capacity, representing the Trump administration in high-level meetings in Saudi Arabia, announcing official travel to Gaza under the President\u2019s orders, and participating in diplomatic negotiations concerning Israel and Gaza.\n\nThe ethics disclosure form also does not make clear how large of an investment Witkoff currently has in the WLF crypto company or whether he has completely divested from the company. In May, WLF stated Witkoff was \u201cfully divesting\u201d and, months later, the White House said he was \u201cstill in the process of divesting.\u201d To date, Witkoff\u2019s ethics forms only make clear he divested $120 million in one of his holdings but does not specify which investment.\n\n\u201cThese issues are not mere technicalities. They obstruct the public\u2019s ability to understand the full scope of Mr. Witkoff\u2019s apparent conflicts of interest, and the extent to which they are ongoing,\u201d said the senators.\n\nMurphy and Warren asked the White House and OGE to, by December 1, 2025, explain why ethics officials have not signed off on Witkoff\u2019s ethics forms, whether Witkoff has fully divested from WLF, whether Witkoff has been issued ethics waivers related to his work in the administration, and any legal analysis the officials conducted about the UAE\u2019s investment in WLF and whether it was tied to the deal giving the country access to AI chips.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/murphy-democrats-must-draw-firm-moral-line-in-the-sand", "Murphy: Democrats Must Draw Firm Moral Line In The Sand", "2025-11-16", "2025", "2025-11", "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.) on Sunday appeared on ABC\u2019s This Week to hammer Trump\u2019s lawlessness and corruption: from obstructing the release of the Epstein files to doing nothing to stop the disaster American families face once ACA premium subsidies expire at the end of the year. With stakes this high, Sen. Murphy made clear Democrats must draw a firm moral line for the survival of our democracy.\n\nMurphy implored Senate Republicans to follow the House\u2019s bipartisan lead in taking up a vote to release the Epstein files this week: \u201cJohn Thune should bring that vote to the Senate floor as soon as it passes the House of Representatives. It's true that Donald Trump is trying to cover up for, I think, a host of really powerful and rich people, but he's frankly, not that selfless. He wouldn't be going through all of this effort to try to stop the release of these files, if he wasn't seriously implicated in those files. This is most likely the biggest corruption scandal in the history of the country. We know that, because Donald Trump is going to these extraordinary lengths to stop these files from coming out. The Senate should take this vote. I think it will be likely another big bipartisan vote, and I'm grateful to our House colleagues for sending it our way.\u201d\n\nMurphy emphasized that while he didn\u2019t support the deal to re-open the government, his fight to protect Americans from catastrophic premium increases is not over: \u201cI thought it was a mistake for Democrats to give up what was real political advantage coming off the elections, that could have allowed us to reduce these premiums. In the end, I thought we had a real shot to get a continuing resolution passed that would have lowered prices for people. And I also worry that by capitulating, we have empowered Donald Trump, that Donald Trump is going to act even more brazenly and more lawlessly in the future because of how this vote turned out. Now, what did we get? We got a commitment for a vote in December on the cancellation or the postponement of these massive premium increases. If Republicans don't vote with us, then it is even more clear to the American public who is responsible for the horror \u2013 the horror \u2013 that is going to happen when millions of people lose their insurance starting in January. That's a very thin silver lining to me, but I'm going to work very hard to make sure that that vote passes, and if it doesn't, hold Republicans accountable.\u201d\n\nIn speaking to where Democrats go from here, Murphy outlined the path forward to protect Americans and save democracy: \u201cDemocrats didn't want this shutdown, but we have values, and so if you want Democratic votes for a budget, it has to be a moral budget that doesn't destroy our democracy. The fact of the matter is, if you don't put constraints on Donald Trump's illegality, this democracy isn't going to be here next November. It isn't going to be here in 2028. So Democrats, yes, have to draw firm moral lines in the sand right now. We would be suckers if we were to sign on to a long-term budget that, for instance, fully funds the Department of Justice to engage in a witch hunt operation against Democratic senators. So we don't want a shutdown. But the situation is unique. Donald Trump is trying to weaponize our compassion against us. This is how we lose democracies all over the world. When despots, or would-be despots, say, \u2018I'm going to hurt the people. Use their pain as extortion to try to get you to give me more power to corrupt the nation.\u2019 So there is not an easy path to saving the democracy. There is not a path that doesn't involve some pain. We will have to find unique ways, as the Civil Rights Movement did, to mitigate the pain for people. But there's no simple, pain-free path to saving our democracy. And I hope that my colleagues, who I respect greatly, realize that.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-murkowski-schumer-and-ramirez-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-restore-va-employees-collective-bargaining-rights", "Blumenthal, Murkowski, Schumer & Ramirez Introduce Bipartisan Bill to restore VA Employees' Collective Bargaining Rights", "2025-11-14", "2025", "2025-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, D.C.] \u2013 U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Senate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee Ranking Member, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), U.S. Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY), and U.S. Representative Delia Ramirez (D-IL), House Veterans\u2019 Affairs Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Ranking Member, introduced bipartisan legislation to restore and protect Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employees\u2019 collective bargaining rights in response to the Trump Administration\u2019s cancellation of union contracts for 80% of VA employees.\n\n\u201cWe must erase Trump\u2019s unlawful executive orders restricting VA workers\u2019 rights to collective bargaining,\u201d said Ranking Member Blumenthal. \u201cVA worker rights are essential to imposing proper oversight and scrutiny and providing veterans the care and compensation they deserve. As this Administration broadly cuts federal employees and their pay, collective bargaining rights are more important than ever.\u201d\n\n\u201cOur country made a promise to care for those who have served \u2014 and that promise is upheld by ensuring that our Veterans Affairs workforce is able to provide the best possible care to our former servicemembers. That includes upholding their right to collectively bargain so they have access to working conditions that allow them to focus on supporting our veterans,\u201d said Senator Murkowski. \u201cThis legislation will defend those who speak up about waste, fraud, and abuse within the Department. When we protect this workforce, we protect veterans\u2019 access to the high-quality care and benefits they\u2019ve earned.\u201d\n\n\u201cEarlier this year, the Trump administration implemented a cruel, anti-vet, and anti-worker order that compromised the health and livelihood of our nation\u2019s veterans,\u201d said Leader Schumer. \u201cWe now must fight for our VA workforce \u2013 many of whom are veterans themselves \u2013 and make sure that we defend their right to collective bargaining. Despite what the Trump administration might espouse, strong unions protect workers, promote excellent customer service, and prevent high turnover. Our nation\u2019s heroes deserve nothing less.\u201d\n\n\u201cVA employees are essential to ensuring the VA effectively serves veterans and meets its mission. Protecting VA employees and their rights ensures we retain the workforce that delivers on the promises we made to our veterans as a nation,\u201d said Congresswoman Ramirez. \u201cAs the Trump administration doubles down on their attacks on federal workers, we must reaffirm every worker's right to voice in decisions that affect their work and to be protected from actions that would jeopardize their rights, safety, and dignity. I am proud to work with Senator Blumenthal on legislation that will defend workers' rights.\u201d\n\nThe lawmakers\u2019 VA Care and Benefits Accountability (VA CBA) Act will restore cancelled union contracts and nullify Executive Order 14251 (90 Fed. Reg. 14553) and Executive Order 14343 (90 Fed. Reg. 42683). This will restore union bargaining rights and protections for nearly 400,000 VA employees, among which almost 25% are veterans.\n\nIn August, Trump VA Secretary Doug Collins terminated union contracts for most of VA\u2019s bargaining-unit employees\u2014enforcing the executive orders despite ongoing litigation and the Office of Personnel Management\u2019s recommendation to wait until court proceedings had been fully resolved. This decision impacts nearly 80% of VA\u2019s workforce, including mission-critical positions like mental health providers, nurses, and claims processors. This action stripped employees of certain essential rights that help protect whistleblowers who advocate for accountable leadership and increased support and resources to provide quality, effective, and efficient services to all Americans.\n\nThe unions impacted by the Trump VA\u2019s policy are the American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO (AFGE), National Association of Government Employees (NAGE), National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE), National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU), and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).\n\nThe lawmakers\u2019 legislation is supported by key labor partners and veterans\u2019 advocates.\n\n\u201cAFGE and its National Veterans Affairs Council (NVAC) strongly support H.R. 6015/S. 3174, the 'VA CBA Act of 2025.' We greatly appreciate Senator Blumenthal and Representative Ramirez for introducing this bill that would restore collective bargaining rights to hundreds of thousands of Department of Veterans Affairs Employees, including those covered by the NVAC CBA, the single largest bargaining unit in the federal workforce,\u201d said AFGE\u2019s NVAC President Mary Jean \u201cMJ\u201d Burke. \u201cPassing this legislation would restore protections for VA employees and allow unions to bargain and grieve when a problem occurs in VA facilities across the country. Restoring these rights will help the VA with recruitment and retention, and enable VA employees, a third of whom are veterans themselves, to better serve veterans.\u201d\n\n\u201cNFFE strongly supports H.R. 6015/S. 3174, the VA CBA Act of 2025, and urges its swift passage,\u201d said National Federation of Federal Employees\u2019 (NFFE-IAM) National President Randy Erwin. \u201cThis legislation is essential to restoring collective bargaining rights for hundreds of thousands of VA employees\u2014many of them veterans\u2014so they can speak out about fraud, waste, abuse, or management failures without fear of retaliation. At a time when outside interests increasingly pressure the VA to prioritize private profit over patient care, these protections are more critical than ever. Collective bargaining is not just about supporting employees; it ensures they have the confidence and security to hold management accountable to the promises we make to veterans every day.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou can\u2019t claim to support veterans while breaking the backs of the people who care for them. When VA employees lose their right to organize and advocate for safe staffing and fair treatment, it\u2019s veterans who suffer,\u201d said Common Defense\u2019s Political Director Naveed Shah. \u201cThe Veterans Affairs Care and Benefits Accountability Act of 2025 restores balance and reaffirms a simple truth: veterans deserve a VA that is strong, public, and staffed by professionals who have a voice on the job. Common Defense thanks Senators Blumenthal and Murkowski for their leadership in standing up for the VA workforce and protecting the system our veterans depend on.\u201d\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-slams-trump-administration-for-backtracking-on-consumer-protections-for-the-flying-public", "Blumenthal Slams Trump Administration for Backtracking on Consumer Protections for the Flying Public", "2025-11-14", "2025", "2025-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, DC] \u2013 U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) today issued the below statement slamming the Trump Administration for formally withdrawing from proposed rulemaking under the Biden Administration that would have required airlines to compensate passengers for flight cancellations or delays within carriers\u2019 control:\n\n\u201cThe Trump Administration withdrawing this commonsense proposal that protects and compensates passengers makes their priorities clear. Their aim is to pad the pocketbooks of the airline industry\u2014not help consumers caught up in the chaos of air travel when their plans are upended by flight delays and cancellations.\u201d\n\nAs the author of the Airline Passengers\u2019 Bill of Rights, Blumenthal has pushed to ensure that airlines provide passengers with fair compensation, refunds, and recourse in the event of airline-caused flight delays and cancellations. His comprehensive legislation would require airlines to pay at least $1,350 to passengers denied boarding as a result of an oversold flight and mandate airlines to immediately refund bag fees for damaged or lost bags.\n\nBlumenthal has also repeatedly called for enhanced consumer protections for travelers who are eligible for airline ticket refunds. Most recently, Blumenthal joined his Democratic colleagues in writing to U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to encourage the Department to reverse its decision to roll back and weaken regulations that would ensure passengers receive fair compensation for travel disruptions.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/senator-blumenthal-week-in-review-11/7/2025-11/14/2025", "Senator Blumenthal: Week in Review 11/7/2025-11/14/2025", "2025-11-14", "2025", "2025-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "Voting Against Stopgap Funding with No Support for Health Care Costs\n\n[WASHINGTON, D.C.] \u2013 U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) released the following statement after voting against a stopgap spending measure that does not address rising health insurance costs:\n\n\u201cMy position has always been: no affordable healthcare, no deal. I am unwilling to accept a vague promise for a vote at an indefinite time on an indeterminate bill. Millions of Americans and tens of thousands in Connecticut are forced to make impossible choices right now about what health insurance they can afford. The urgency of this moment demands action now to reduce health insurance costs.\u201d\n\nHonoring Veterans Day by Fighting for Veterans\u2019 Health Care\n\nBlumenthal honored our nation\u2019s veterans and thanked them for their dedication to our country on Twitter/X. Blumenthal attended Veterans Day ceremonies across Connecticut, including in Derby, New Haven, and Middletown.\n\n\u201cOn Veterans Day, we honor our nation\u2019s heroes for their service & sacrifice. Their unyielding courage & strength always inspire us. Today & every day, we must recommit to providing the support, care & benefits they\u2019ve earned & deserve,\u201d wrote Blumenthal on Twitter/X.\n\nSenate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee Ranking Member Blumenthal demanded answers from Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins on data showing Connecticut veterans are experiencing longer wait times for critical mental health care at VA clinics across the state.\n\n\u201cVeterans seeking care for mental health conditions\u2014many of whom have urgent and acute needs\u2014deserve timely access to treatment with the highly qualified providers at VA who have unique knowledge and experience working with veterans and coordinating the wide variety of related services available exclusively through VA. The reports of significant delays are deeply troubling and raise urgent questions about the Department\u2019s management of mental health access,\u201d wrote Blumenthal in a letter to VA Secretary Collins.\n\nBlumenthal continued pressing Collins: \u201cMy staff has heard reports from veterans and their families who have been forced to wait weeks or even months for an initial mental health appointment. Such delays are not only inconsistent with VA\u2019s stated access-to-care standards but also pose serious risks to the health and safety of those who served our nation.\u201d After speaking with Connecticut veterans and advocates who raised concerns about long wait times and collecting data directly from VA\u2019s website, the Senate Veterans Affairs\u2019 Committee Minority staff have found serious delays in care. It is especially critical for veterans to be able to access this care at VA facilities, which have providers with unique knowledge and experience working with veterans and coordinating the wide variety of related services available exclusively through VA.\n\nThe Senator\u2019s full letter can be found here.\n\nBlumenthal held a press conference in West Haven highlighting the critical issue of long wait times for VA mental health care and his demand for answers from VA Secretary Collins for the delay in care for veterans.\n\nBlumenthal cited evidence, based on VA\u2019s own wait-time data (available HERE), signaling unacceptable wait times for Connecticut veterans seeking mental health care at the following facilities:\n\nOrange VA Clinic\u2014average wait time greater than 100 days for a new patient mental health appointment since May 2025;\n\nWillimantic VA Clinic\u2014average wait times over 100 days for a new patient mental health appointment in September and October; and\n\nMcGuirk, Winsted, Stamford, Waterbury and Danbury VA Clinics\u2014times well above 50 days for a new patient mental health appointment.\n\nSlamming the Trump Administration as Data Centers Drive Up Utility Prices\n\nBlumenthal wrote to White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Michael Kratsios and U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick about rising utility costs facing American consumers due to the buildout of power-hungry data centers. In a letter sent to Kratsios and Lutnick, Blumenthal and U.S. Senators Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Ron Wyden (D-WA), and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) demanded answers about the steps the Trump Administration is taking to protect consumers from the burden of new data centers that have driven up electricity demand and threatened water supplies in communities across the country.\n\n\u201cAs American families face soaring electricity bills caused by the Trump Administration\u2019s sweetheart deals with Big Tech companies, we write to demand information about the failure of the Administration to prevent consumers from being forced to subsidize the cost of data centers \u2014 costs compounded by the Administration\u2019s reckless abandonment and assault on new, clean energy sources,\u201d the Senators wrote.\n\nThe Senators continued, \u201cSince his second inauguration, President Trump has cozied up to Meta, Google, Oracle, OpenAI, and other Big Tech companies, fast-tracking and pushing for the buildout of power-hungry data centers across the country. The power demands of these new data centers are staggering and unprecedented: for example, Meta\u2019s new data centers, promoted during the President\u2019s dinner with tech executives, will consume up to 5 gigawatts each: the equivalent to nearly four million homes. National power consumption from data centers is projected to rise from around 5% to 12% within three years and adding to fears of more blackouts on burdened grids.\u201d\n\nThe Senators are also seeking information from the Trump Administration about any legal arrangements made with Big Tech companies to ensure that new data centers do not increase electricity rates or risks of blackouts. The full text of the Senators\u2019 letter is available here.\n\nHonoring the 250th Anniversary of the Marine Corps\n\nA bipartisan resolution commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States Marine Corps led by Blumenthal and U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) passed the U.S. Senate. The Senators spoke on the Senate Floor, ahead of the Marine Corps anniversary on November 10th, highlighting the important history of the Marine Corps and honoring the service and sacrifice of Marines in dedication to our country.\n\n\u201cTelling the story of America is impossible without telling the story of the United States Marine Corps. Their sacrifices have safeguarded our freedom. Their discipline has inspired generations. Their traditions of toughness, honor, duty have stood the test of time. This milestone, 250 years, is an opportunity to reflect, to honor, and to recommit. We honor every Marine past and present who has earned the title with sweat, sacrifice, and a fierce sense of purpose. As we look to the next 250 years of the greatest nation in the history of the world, let's ensure that our policies, our resources, our commitments match the trust we place in all of our military, including our United States Marines. Let us rededicate ourselves to the ideals they uphold\u2014freedom, justice, service above self,\u201d said Blumenthal.\n\nA video of the Senators\u2019 remarks can be found here.\n\nBlumenthal further highlighted the anniversary of the Marine Corps on Twitter/X.\n\n\u201cHappy Birthday Marines! For 250 years you have answered the call with courage & conviction not because it was easy, but because it was right. I was proud to lead a resolution honoring your service to the nation,\u201d wrote Blumenthal with an accompanying video on Twitter/X.\n\nBlumenthal Bulletin\n\nBlumenthal slammed the Trump Administration for backtracking on consumer protections for the flying public.\n\nBlumenthal joined the swearing in ceremony for New Britain\u2019s new Mayor Bobby Sanchez.\n\nBlumenthal introduced a bipartisan bill to restore VA employees\u2019 collective bargaining rights.\n\nBlumenthal highlighted the need for his SAFE Bet Act.\n\nBlumenthal highlighted a bipartisan coalition of former FCC chairs petitioning the agency to repeal the News Distortion policy.\n\nBlumenthal joined Stew Leonard\u2019s 46th Turkey Brigade, providing support to those who need help putting Thanksgiving dinner on the table.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-blumenthal-call-on-starbucks-ceo-to-stop-union-busting-and-negotiate-a-fair-contract", "Murphy, Blumenthal Call On Starbucks CEO to Stop Union-Busting and Negotiate a Fair Contract", "2025-11-14", "2025", "2025-11", "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.), a member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) joined their colleagues in a letter to Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol demanding that the multibillion-dollar corporation stop its illegal union-busting campaign and negotiate a fair contract with its workers. The Starbucks Workers United union represents more than 12,000 workers at about 550 stores nationwide, and 92% of unionized Starbucks workers voted to authorize a nationwide strike this week. Both Murphy and Blumenthal have previously joined striking Starbucks workers in Connecticut to support their fight for a fair contract negotiation. Murphy also confronted former Starbucks CEO Howard Schulz on Starbucks\u2019 egregious record of violating federal labor laws during a Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing in the U.S. Senate.\n\n\u201cWe are writing to express concern regarding Starbucks\u2019 failure to reach a fair first contract with its baristas. Additionally, we have heard of a troubling return to union busting, which has impeded the ability of Starbucks workers\u2014many of whom are our constituents\u2014to exercise their statutory and constitutional right to organize,\u201d began the lawmakers.\n\nSince workers began organizing, Starbucks has waged an aggressive and illegal anti-union campaign. The company has been found guilty of more than 500 labor law violations and has been accused of 125 new allegations of union-busting since January of this year. Last year, Starbucks and its workers made progress toward a fair contract, reaching 33 tentative agreements on key issues such as health and safety and protections against unfair firing and discipline. But after Niccol took over as CEO in September 2024, the company abruptly halted negotiations and walked away from the bargaining table.\n\n\u201cWe are troubled by reports that since you started your role as CEO in September 2024, the company has failed to put forward a serious economic proposal, backtracking on the previously agreed-upon path forward,\u201d the Senators continued. \u201cAs you well know, Starbucks is not a poor company. Last year, Starbucks made over $3.6 billion in profit and paid out nearly $5 billion in stock buybacks and dividends. In fact, in the first 3 quarters of the year, Starbucks made $1.7 billion in profit and paid out over $2 billion in dividends. Last year, you made $95 million in compensation for the four months you worked in 2024, roughly 6,666 times more than what your average worker was paid for the entire year.\u201d\n\nWhile Starbucks executives and wealthy shareholders reap enormous profits, the company continues to deny its workers a living wage, predictable scheduling and decent benefits \u2014 demands that would cost less than one day of Starbucks\u2019 average sales. Instead, Starbucks has refused to settle the more than 700 union-busting charges against it and is implementing a restructuring plan to close stores and lay off hundreds of workers.\n\n\u201cIt is clear that Starbucks has the money to reach a fair agreement with its workers,\u201d the Senators concluded. \u201cStarbucks must reverse course from its current posture, resolve its existing labor disputes, and bargain a fair contract in good faith with these employees.\u201d\n\nThis letter was led by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. In addition to Murphy and Blumenthal, the letter was signed by Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-raises-alarm-over-increasing-wait-times-for-connecticut-veterans-seeking-mental-health-care", "Blumenthal Raises Alarm Over Increasing Wait Times for Connecticut Veterans Seeking Mental Health Care", "2025-11-13", "2025", "2025-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, D.C.] \u2013 Senate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) is demanding answers from Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins on data showing Connecticut veterans are experiencing longer wait times for critical mental health care at VA clinics across the state.\n\n\u201cVeterans seeking care for mental health conditions\u2014many of whom have urgent and acute needs\u2014deserve timely access to treatment with the highly qualified providers at VA who have unique knowledge and experience working with veterans and coordinating the wide variety of related services available exclusively through VA. The reports of significant delays are deeply troubling and raise urgent questions about the Department\u2019s management of mental health access,\u201d wrote Blumenthal in a letter to VA Secretary Collins.\n\nBlumenthal continued pressing Collins: \u201cMy staff has heard reports from veterans and their families who have been forced to wait weeks or even months for an initial mental health appointment. Such delays are not only inconsistent with VA\u2019s stated access-to-care standards but also pose serious risks to the health and safety of those who served our nation.\u201d After speaking with Connecticut veterans and advocates who raised concerns about long wait times and collecting data directly from VA\u2019s website, the Senate Veterans Affairs\u2019 Committee Minority staff have found serious delays in care. It is especially critical for veterans to be able to access this care at VA facilities, which have providers with unique knowledge and experience working with veterans and coordinating the wide variety of related services available exclusively through VA.\n\nThe Senator cited evidence, based on VA\u2019s own wait-time data (available HERE), signaling unacceptable wait times for Connecticut veterans seeking mental health care at the following facilities:\n\nOrange VA Clinic\u2014average wait time greater than 100 days for a new patient mental health appointment since May 2025;\n\nWillimantic VA Clinic\u2014average wait times over 100 days for a new patient mental health appointment in September and October; and\n\nMcGuirk, Winsted, Stamford, Waterbury and Danbury VA Clinics\u2014times well above 50 days for a new patient mental health appointment.\n\nThe most recent data available shows the current wait time for new mental health care patients at the Orange VA Clinic, which specializes in providing mental health care, is 179 days\u2014nearly six months.\n\nBlumenthal underscored how these increasing wait times may point to a larger concerning trend for veterans seeking care across America: \u201cThese examples in Connecticut are not isolated and are likely indicative of a broader systemic issue that must be addressed immediately. We can see this from the drastic increase in wait times for a new patient mental health appointment since the beginning of the year. Extreme examples include the Orange VA Clinic, which had a wait time of 43 days on January 29, the Willimantic VA Clinic, which had a wait time of 41 days on February 18, the Winsted VA Clinic, which had a wait time of 19 days on March 23, and the Stamford VA Clinic, which had a wait time of 10 days on April 14. These are the earliest recorded wait times the VA website produced for each of these clinics, all under 50 days and well below 100 days.\u201d\n\nThe Senator\u2019s full letter can be found HERE and below.\n\nDear Secretary Collins,\n\nI write to express my serious concern regarding the increasing and unacceptable wait times for new patient mental health appointments across Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facilities in Connecticut. Veterans seeking care for mental health conditions\u2014many of whom are in acute distress\u2014deserve timely access to treatment. The reports of significant delays are deeply troubling and raise urgent questions about the Department\u2019s management of mental health access.\n\nMy staff has heard reports from veterans and their families who have been forced to wait weeks or even months for an initial mental health appointment. Such delays are not only inconsistent with VA\u2019s stated access-to-care standards but also pose serious risks to the health and safety of those who served our nation.\n\nThe Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Minority staff have been tracking patient wait times once a week since January 2025 from VA\u2019s Access to Care website. I am particularly alarmed by the following findings based on VA\u2019s own wait-time data at the following facilities:\n\nOrange VA Clinic\u2014only 3 weeks since May 2025 had a wait time under 100 days for a new patient mental health appointment\n\nWillimantic VA Clinic\u2013 several weeks in September and October had wait times over 100 days for a new patient mental health appointment\n\nMcGuirk, Winsted, Stamford, Waterbury and Danbury VA Clinics\u2014all consistently have wait times well above 50 days for a new patient mental health appointment\n\nThese examples in Connecticut are not isolated and are likely indicative of a broader systemic issue that must be addressed immediately. We can see this from the drastic increase in wait times for a new patient mental health appointment since the beginning of the year. Extreme examples include the Orange VA Clinic, which had a wait time of 43 days on January 29, the Willimantic VA Clinic, which had a wait time of 41 days on February 18, the Winsted VA Clinic, which had a wait time of 19 days on March 23, and the Stamford VA Clinic, which had a wait time of 10 days on April 14. These are the earliest recorded wait times the VA website produced for each of these clinics, all under 50 days and well below 100 days. The substantial rise in new patient mental health appointment wait times across Connecticut during the past year raises serious concerns.\n\nAccordingly, I request that the Department provide the following information within 30 days of receipt of this letter:\n\nA detailed explanation of the factors contributing to increased wait times for new mental health appointments, including staffing shortages, resource allocation, or scheduling inefficiencies.\n\nThe Department\u2019s current plan of action to restore timely access, including short-term mitigation steps and long-term solutions to both new and existing patient mental health appointments.\n\nData on current national average wait times for new and existing mental health appointments across all VA medical centers and outpatient clinics.\n\nAn update on efforts to expand telehealth to ensure that veterans are not left without timely treatment.\n\nThe Department\u2019s mission is to provide care and support worthy of the sacrifice of America\u2019s veterans. Persistent barriers to mental health care are unacceptable and demand swift corrective action. Congress will continue to exercise oversight to ensure that VA fulfills this critical responsibility.\n\nI appreciate your prompt attention to this matter and look forward to your response.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-blumenthal-join-entire-senate-democratic-caucus-in-demanding-answers-from-trump-admin-on-new-review-of-mifepristone-despite-decades-of-evidence-proving-its-safety-and-efficacy", "Murphy, Blumenthal Join Entire Senate Democratic Caucus In Demanding Answers From Trump Admin On New \u201cReview\u201d Of Mifepristone Despite Decades Of Evidence Proving Its Safety & Efficacy", "2025-11-13", "2025", "2025-11", "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.), a member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) joined the entire Senate Democratic caucus in a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Marty Makary expressing alarm over the Trump administration's plans to conduct \u201cits own review of the evidence\u201d on the safety and effectiveness of mifepristone.\n\nMifepristone was approved by the FDA in 2000 and is used in the overwhelming majority of abortions in the United States. Access to medication abortion is more critical than ever in the aftermath of the Supreme Court\u2019s disastrous Dobbs decision that overturned the Constitutional right to abortion and allowed dozens of states to enact extreme abortion bans that threaten women\u2019s health and lives. According to data from Guttmacher, medication abortion accounted for nearly two-thirds of abortions in the U.S. in 2023, the first year after the Dobbs decision.\n\n\u201cDecades of evidence and hundreds of studies prove the safety and efficacy of mifepristone, which is not only the most common method of abortion in the U.S., but is also frequently prescribed to women to help manage early pregnancy loss or miscarriage. We are alarmed by the Department\u2019s obvious attempts to politicize the review, regulation, and approval of mifepristone at the FDA, and we write to request more information,\u201d the senators wrote.\n\nThe letter lays into a recent junk science \u201creport\u201d put out by the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC), an avowedly anti-abortion think tank, that appears to be the basis for the Trump administration\u2019s announced review of mifepristone. The EPPC report parrots anti-abortion disinformation, was not peer-reviewed or published in any medical journal and has been widely criticized by reputable health organizations since its release.\n\n\u201cBy elevating the sham EPPC report as rationale for restricting access to mifepristone, HHS is blatantly undermining well-established science and weaponizing disinformation to fit the Trump administration\u2019s clear agenda to cut off abortion access in any way possible,\u201d the senators continued. \u201cFDA relying on a partisan, sham report as part of the evidence review for any drug is deeply concerning\u2014and in this case, it\u2019s clear that the Trump administration is downright eager to do away with established science if it helps further their extreme anti-abortion agenda.\u201d\n\nMifepristone is already subject to burdensome Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) requirements that must be followed for prescribing and dispensing mifepristone\u2014in fact, FDA already restricts mifepristone more heavily than 99.5% of the over 20,000 prescription drugs it regulates. On October 30th, a federal court ruled that the FDA\u2019s explanation for its current restrictions on mifepristone is unreasoned, unsupported, and illogical. In their letter, the senators ask how the administration plans to comply with this ruling and ensure any review of mifepristone is consistent with the court order.\n\n\u201cThat court order reinforces that, in conducting this new review, FDA may not cherry-pick junk science serving an anti-abortion agenda, but must instead look at the full body of evidence both confirming mifepristone\u2019s safety and underscoring the harms of the FDA\u2019s onerous restrictions,\u201d the senators wrote.\n\n\u201cThe bottom line is that access to mifepristone allows patients to receive time-sensitive, essential health care, including abortion care and miscarriage management,\u201d the senators continued. \u201cIf HHS insists on rejecting the science that clearly proves mifepristone is safe and effective, and instead decides to impose additional restrictions on its use, this will force countless women to carry pregnancies to term against their will\u2014regardless of the consequences for their health or lives.\u201d\n\nThe Senate Democrats concluded by demanding answers to a number of detailed questions, including what exactly prompted the administration to initiate the review, what process will be used to conduct it, whether there is any unreported data on adverse events it is considering, and how FDA will ensure compliance with the court order in Purcell v. Kennedy: \u201cThe American people need to be able to trust that any reviews, regulations, and approvals of medication by HHS and FDA are based on science and evidence\u2014not on partisan attempts to attack abortion access. It is critical that scientific experts and evidence are central to any FDA review or REMS initiative. Mifepristone has long been shown to be safe and effective, and there is no new evidence to justify burdensome restrictions that block women from getting the health care they need.\u201d\n\nThe full letter is available HERE and below.\n\nDear Secretary Kennedy and Commissioner Makary,\n\nWe write today with serious concerns about the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services\u2019 (HHS or the Department) announcement that it will conduct, through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), \u201cits own review of the evidence\u201d on the safety and effectiveness of mifepristone, which has been approved by the FDA since 2000 for the medical termination of pregnancy. Decades of evidence and hundreds of studies prove the safety and efficacy of mifepristone, which is not only the most common method of abortion in the U.S., but is also frequently prescribed to women to help manage early pregnancy loss or miscarriage. We are alarmed by the Department\u2019s obvious attempts to politicize the review, regulation, and approval of mifepristone at the FDA, and we write to request more information on the details of the review of mifepristone. We are especially troubled by this administration\u2019s clear intent to tee up further restrictions on medication abortion, in light of a recent federal court order holding that the agency has failed to justify its current extreme restrictions on mifepristone and must consider lifting them.\n\nIn an April 28, 2025 letter, Senator Hawley called on the FDA to revisit its existing restrictions on mifepristone, alleging the \u201cresearch showing the safety risks\u201d of medication abortion are \u201cfar greater than the FDA currently acknowledges.\u201d The same day, the avowedly anti-abortion think tank Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC) published a junk science \u201creport\u201d that parrots anti-abortion disinformation, was not peer-reviewed or published in any medical journal, and has been widely criticized by reputable health organizations. Based on apparently nothing but the nakedly partisan and easily debunked EPPC report, Commissioner Makary committed to conducting a new review of mifepristone in a June 2, 2025 letter. Secretary Kennedy and Commissioner Makary similarly sent a September 19, 2025 letter to Republican attorneys general, highlighting the EPPC report as alleged evidence of the \u201cpotential dangers that may attend offering mifepristone without sufficient medical support or supervision.\u201d By elevating the sham EPPC report as rationale for restricting access to mifepristone, HHS is blatantly undermining well-established science and weaponizing disinformation to fit the Trump administration\u2019s clear agenda to cut off abortion access in any way possible.\n\nMifepristone has been proven to be safe and effective in hundreds of studies over more than two decades, and this has been backed up by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)\u2014which represents more than 90% of the nation\u2019s OBGYNs, the American Medical Association (AMA), the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, and the Society of Family Planning. While the EPPC report makes unsubstantiated claims about the rate of adverse events following medication abortion, the safety label for mifepristone clearly states that \u201cserious adverse reactions were reported in <0.5% of women\u201d in accordance with the data from 10 clinical trials of more than 30,000 women in settings in the U.S. and abroad. And, the FDA\u2019s own website states that \u201cthe FDA\u2019s periodic reviews of the postmarketing data for Mifeprex and its approved generic have not identified any new safety concerns with the use of mifepristone for medical termination of pregnancy through 70 days.\u201d\n\nThere are numerous serious methodological issues with the EPPC report, whose analyses cannot be verified or replicated due to EPPC\u2019s failure to transparently share its data sources. As the Society of Family Planning stated in a May letter to Commissioner Makary, \u201cthis paper is not a methodologically rigorous, evidence-based resource, and does not warrant consideration, particularly in scientific spaces.\u201d The FDA should be using gold-standard science and evidence when making decisions about medication access for the American people. Typically, the FDA relies on its Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) or other postmarketing surveillance data to consider the safety risk of a particular drug, not unverified claims from a debunked report. FDA relying on a partisan, sham report as part of the evidence review for any drug is deeply concerning\u2014and in this case, it\u2019s clear that the Trump administration is downright eager to do away with established science if it helps further their extreme anti-abortion agenda.\n\nIt is also important to note that mifepristone is already subject to burdensome Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) requirements that must be followed for prescribing and dispensing mifepristone. The REMS already restricts the number of providers who can prescribe or dispense the drug, and the FDA already restricts mifepristone more heavily than 99.5% of the over 20,000 prescription drugs it regulates, making it more difficult for women to receive the timely access to care they need. On January 3, 2023, the FDA approved a modification to the mifepristone REMS, which included permanent removal of the requirement that the drug be dispensed in-person, and the addition of a new pharmacy certification process to allow qualified retail pharmacies to dispense mifepristone to patients with a prescription. These commonsense changes allow for improved access to mifepristone, yet the REMS criteria continues to impose unnecessary restrictions that cause administrative burdens for providers, which may impede their ability to provide the medication, thus impacting patient access.\n\nLeading health experts, including ACOG and the AMA, have long advocated for removal of the mifepristone REMS, given that the restrictions do not make care safer and are not based on medical evidence or need. ACOG argues these restrictions only create further barriers to abortion care and medical management of early pregnancy loss, particularly for communities that already face structural barriers to care.\n\nAbortion opponents are particularly focused on reinstating an \u201cin-person dispensing\u201d requirement for mifepristone. This would force every patient in the country to travel, in some cases hundreds of miles, to pick up the medication in-person at a health center. This mandate would apply even when the patient has been thoroughly evaluated and counseled by a licensed provider via telemedicine and there is no clinical reason to necessitate a health center visit, and even when it would be extremely burdensome or impossible to arrange the transportation, childcare, and time off work necessary for that in-person trip. Yet, as the FDA itself found, \u201cthere does not appear to be a difference in adverse events between periods when the in-person dispensing requirement was being enforced and periods when the in-person dispensing requirement was not being enforced. This suggests that mifepristone may be safely used without an in-person dispensing requirement.\u201d\n\nOn October 30, 2025, a federal court ruled in Purcell v. Kennedy that the FDA\u2019s explanation for its current restrictions on mifepristone is unreasoned, unsupported, and illogical; that the FDA did not engage with the objections of preeminent medical associations like ACOG and AMA that the mifepristone REMS is medically unnecessary and harmful; and that the FDA ignored peer-reviewed research showing both that mifepristone remains extremely safe when regulated like other prescription drugs and that the FDA\u2019s restrictions significantly reduce patient access. The court also found that the FDA failed to meaningfully address the guardrails that Congress imposed on the agency\u2019s authority to impose a REMS. That court order reinforces that, in conducting this new review, FDA may not cherry-pick junk science serving an anti-abortion agenda, but must instead look at the full body of evidence both confirming mifepristone\u2019s safety and underscoring the harms of the FDA\u2019s onerous restrictions.\n\nThe bottom line is that access to mifepristone allows patients to receive time-sensitive, essential health care, including abortion care and miscarriage management. Medication abortion is a critical option for patients who want to end their pregnancy in a place of their choosing, with access to the medical support and information they need. This option is particularly essential for patients who live in remote or rural areas and those who already face barriers to care due to inequities in our country\u2019s health care system. If HHS insists on rejecting the science that clearly proves mifepristone is safe and effective, and instead decides to impose additional restrictions on its use, this will force countless women to carry pregnancies to term against their will\u2014regardless of the consequences for their health or lives.\n\nAs you review the evidence regarding the safety and efficacy of mifepristone, we request responses to the following questions by November 28, 2025:\n\nFollowing the March 6, 2025 HELP Committee hearing to consider Dr. Makary\u2019s nomination to be FDA Commissioner, he was asked, in a question for the record, if he planned to make any changes to how mifepristone can be prescribed, dispensed, or accessed. He responded: \u201cI have no immediate plans to make changes to regulation of any specific products and would not do so without a fulsome review of safety and efficacy data.\u201d What qualifies as a \u201cfulsome review of safety and efficacy data?\u201d\n\nWhat prompted the Department to initiate the recent review of mifepristone?\n\nWhat studies or data are HHS or FDA relying on to justify restrictions on mifepristone, including but not limited to, initiating a new review of mifepristone?\n\nHave any mifepristone manufacturers communicated to HHS or FDA any changes in the safety and efficacy data for their products?\n\nWhat process will you use to conduct this review?\n\nWill you solicit unbiased expert review and public comment through advisory committees, expert review panels, public workshops, a request for information, the federal rulemaking process, or other avenues? If utilizing an expert review panel, how will you establish that members have relevant expertise, including recent experience prescribing mifepristone? If utilizing an advisory committee, does HHS commit to following all statutory requirements of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA; 5 U.S.C. Chapter 10)?\n\nPlease list all procedural steps you intend to take in the review of mifepristone to ensure public participation and review of all relevant data.\n\nHow will you ensure that this review is based on the best available science? For example, will the agency consider only studies that have undergone peer review?\n\nHow will you ensure that the review is consistent with the court order in Purcell v. Kennedy and FDA\u2019s limited authority under 21 U.S.C \u00a7 355-1(a), (f), and (g)?\n\nThe FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) documents any reported adverse events to specific prescription drugs approved by the FDA. Does the agency have additional unreported data on adverse events that it is considering in initiating its new review of mifepristone? If yes, will the agency release the unreported data to the public and to the signatories of this letter?\n\nA recent letter led by Senator Cassidy documented several statements from Secretary Kennedy on mifepristone in a September 4, 2025 Finance Committee hearing. Secretary Kennedy claimed the Biden administration \u201ctwisted the data\u201d to bury one of the safety signals for mifepristone and that the signal showed an approximately 11% adverse event risk. Please respond to this letter with the same information you provide in response to Senator Cassidy\u2019s letter.\n\nSenator Cassidy asked a question regarding a statement by Secretary Kennedy in the same Finance Committee hearing, indicating studies relating to the safety of mifepristone are \u201cprogressing and that they\u2019re ongoing.\u201d Please respond to this letter with the same answer you provide to Senator Cassidy regarding the details of these studies, including the scope, expected timeframe, agencies involved, and type of study.\n\nAt the close of the same Finance Committee hearing, Ranking Member Wyden inquired about Secretary Kennedy\u2019s planned mifepristone review which is \u201cnot based on new clinical trials or data from the scientific community,\u201d but based on one non-peer-reviewed paper from an anti-abortion political organization. Secretary Kennedy responded by committing to \u201cgood science and good scientists\u201d as part of this needless safety review. Please explain how the Secretary intends to meet this commitment and if the preeminent medical professional associations (i.e. ACOG, AMA) will be consulted as part of the review.\n\nThe American people need to be able to trust that any reviews, regulations, and approvals of medication by HHS and FDA are based on science and evidence\u2014not on partisan attempts to attack abortion access. We are seriously alarmed by this administration\u2019s obvious attempts to interfere with the science and politicize the drug review process in order to restrict abortion access. It is critical that scientific experts and evidence are central to any FDA review or REMS initiative. Mifepristone has long been shown to be safe and effective, and there is no new evidence to justify burdensome restrictions that block women from getting the health care they need.\n\nThank you for your prompt attention to this matter and we look forward to your response.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/icymi-blumenthal-and-democratic-colleagues-demand-answers-from-trump-administration-as-data-centers-drive-up-utility-prices", "ICYMI: Blumenthal & Democratic Colleagues Demand Answers from Trump Administration as Data Centers Drive Up Utility Prices", "2025-11-11", "2025", "2025-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, DC] \u2013 In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) wrote to White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Michael Kratsios and U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick about rising utility costs facing American consumers due to the buildout of power-hungry data centers. In a letter sent yesterday to Kratsios and Lutnick, Blumenthal and U.S. Senators Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Ron Wyden (D-WA), and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) demanded answers about the steps the Trump Administration is taking to protect consumers from the burden of new data centers that have driven up electricity demand and threatened water supplies in communities across the country.\n\n\u201cAs American families face soaring electricity bills caused by the Trump Administration\u2019s sweetheart deals with Big Tech companies, we write to demand information about the failure of the Administration to prevent consumers from being forced to subsidize the cost of data centers \u2014 costs compounded by the Administration\u2019s reckless abandonment and assault on new, clean energy sources,\u201d the Senators wrote.\n\nThe Senators continued, \u201cSince his second inauguration, President Trump has cozied up to Meta, Google, Oracle, OpenAI, and other Big Tech companies, fast-tracking and pushing for the buildout of power-hungry data centers across the country. The power demands of these new data centers are staggering and unprecedented: for example, Meta\u2019s new data centers, promoted during the President\u2019s dinner with tech executives, will consume up to 5 gigawatts each: the equivalent to nearly four million homes. National power consumption from data centers is projected to rise from around 5% to 12% within three years and adding to fears of more blackouts on burdened grids.\u201d\n\nThe Senators pointed to the Trump Administration\u2019s attacks on clean energy, which have made it more difficult to increase and diversify sources of household electricity sources, as contributing to rising utility rates, \u201cPresident Trump has hiked tariffs on critical energy infrastructure, expanded liquified natural gas exports that could push natural gas prices up by 30% by 20504 and undermined energy assistance programs that millions of families rely on. In addition, President Trump\u2019s attacks on wind and solar \u2014 the cheapest and fastest-to-deploy energy sources \u2014 through imposing burdensome regulatory requirements and revoking tax credits are driving up costs and prolonging timelines for deployment.\u201d\n\nThe Senators raised concern about how the buildout of new data centers have threatened water supplies for rural communities, \u201cSimilarly, data centers have become increasing burdens on water supplies, especially in rural locations, as they use water to cool servers and facilities.These sharp increases can have a devastating impact on consumers who must make significant sacrifices just to keep the lights on. As one Ohio retiree put it, \u2018I can adjust the thermostat to save money \u2014 I freeze in the winter and roast in the summer.\u2019\u201d\n\nThe Senators are also seeking information from the Trump Administration about any legal arrangements made with Big Tech companies to ensure that new data centers do not increase electricity rates or risks of blackouts. The full text of the Senators\u2019 letter is available here and below.\n\nDear Mr. Kratsios and Mr. Lutnick,\n\nAs American families face soaring electricity bills caused by the Trump Administration\u2019s sweetheart deals with Big Tech companies, we write to demand information about the failure of the Administration to prevent consumers from being forced to subsidize the cost of data centers \u2014 costs compounded by the Administration\u2019s reckless abandonment and assault on new, clean energy sources.\n\nSince his second inauguration, President Trump has cozied up to Meta, Google, Oracle, OpenAI, and other Big Tech companies, fast-tracking and pushing for the buildout of power-hungry data centers across the country. The power demands of these new data centers are staggering and unprecedented: for example, Meta\u2019s new data centers, promoted during the President\u2019s dinner with tech executives, will consume up to 5 gigawatts each: the equivalent to nearly four million homes. National power consumption from data centers is projected to rise from around 5% to 12% within three years and adding to fears of more blackouts on burdened grids. The Office of Science and Technology Policy itself has conceded that \u201ctechnological advancements of AI are increasing pressures on the grid.\u201d While the Administration has gestured at eventually adding some more power sources and improving grid infrastructure, it has failed to keep up with increasing demand. As a result, everyday Americans are already being forced into bidding wars with trillion-dollar companies to keep the lights on at home.\n\nAs electricity demand has increased, the Trump Administration has supercharged this cost-of-living crisis by making it harder to increase and diversify sources of household electricity sources. President Trump has hiked tariffs on critical energy infrastructure, expanded liquified natural gas exports that could push natural gas prices up by 30% by 20504 and undermined energy assistance programs that millions of families rely on. In addition, President Trump\u2019s attacks on wind and solar \u2014 the cheapest and fastest-to-deploy energy sources \u2014 through imposing burdensome regulatory requirements and revoking tax credits are driving up costs and prolonging timelines for deployment.\n\nDuring repeated, lofty announcements alongside Mark Zuckerberg, Sam Altman, Larry Ellison, and other executives, the Trump Administration has already failed to prevent those new data centers from driving up electricity prices from a surge of new commercial demand. Despite President Trump\u2019s promises to lower Americans\u2019 bills, since January, families have seen the average price of household energy climb by ten percent. In the Mid-Atlantic region, which hosts the highest concentration of data centers in the country, residential retail rates are projected to further increase between 30% and 60% in the next five years. Similarly, data centers have become increasing burdens on water supplies, especially in rural locations, as they use water to cool servers and facilities. These sharp increases can have a devastating impact on consumers who must make significant sacrifices just to keep the lights on. As one Ohio retiree put it, \u201cI can adjust the thermostat to save money \u2014 I freeze in the winter and roast in the summer.\u201d\n\nAmericans should not be expected to bankroll Big Tech\u2019s infrastructure through excessive electricity bills and threats to their water supplies. Given the significant and rising utility bills facing American households, we request answers to the following questions by November 21,\n\n2025:\n\nWhat steps has the Office of Science and Technology Policy and the Department of Commerce taken to measure the cost and burden to American households from increasing electricity rates and water supply use due to the buildout of new data centers promoted by the Trump Administration?\n\nWhat legal arrangements has the Trump Administration made with Big Tech companies to ensure that new data centers are not increasing electricity rates right now or increasing risks of blackouts, instead of waiting for future increases in electricity supply and upgrades to grid infrastructure?\n\nWhat legal arrangements has the Trump Administration made with Big Tech companies to ensure that new data centers are not imposing burdens or creating environment or health risks to water supplies?\n\nPlease provide a list of all companies that the Trump Administration has coordinated with on the buildout of new data centers, the locations of those data centers, and the estimated power and water usage of each data center.\n\nWhat national coordination has the Trump Administration taken to ensure that states and municipalities are aware of, and able to respond to, local regional increases in demand for electricity and water supplies due to data center build outs.\n\nWhat steps is the Trump Administration and its partners in the artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency industries taking to compensate American households for drastic increases in their utility bills?\n\nThank you for your attention to this important matter.\n\nSincerely,\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/icymi-video-blumenthal-sullivan-lead-passage-of-bipartisan-resolution-honoring-250th-anniversary-of-the-marine-corps", "ICYMI Video: Blumenthal, Sullivan Lead Passage of Bipartisan Resolution Honoring 250th Anniversary of the Marine Corps", "2025-11-10", "2025", "2025-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, D.C.] \u2013 In case you missed it, a bipartisan resolution commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States Marine Corps led by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Dan Sullivan (R-AK) passed the U.S. Senate. The Senators spoke on the Senate Floor highlighting the important history of the Marine Corps and honoring the service and sacrifice of Marines in dedication to our country.\n\n\u201cTelling the story of America is impossible without telling the story of the United States Marine Corps. Their sacrifices have safeguarded our freedom. Their discipline has inspired generations. Their traditions of toughness, honor, duty have stood the test of time. This milestone, 250 years, is an opportunity to reflect, to honor, and to recommit. We honor every Marine past and present who has earned the title with sweat, sacrifice, and a fierce sense of purpose. As we look to the next 250 years of the greatest nation in the history of the world, let's ensure that our policies, our resources, our commitments match the trust we place in all of our military, including our United States Marines. Let us rededicate ourselves to the ideals they uphold\u2014freedom, justice, service above self,\u201d said Blumenthal.\n\n\u201cNo matter where Marines are, anywhere in the world, deployed, they always take time to celebrate the birthday of our beloved Corps on November 10. At these birthday celebrations, we, of course, as Senator Blumenthal mentioned, remember our fallen. We recommit ourselves to keep the Marines the world's finest fighting force, which it is and has been for decades. And we take time to recognize not just the Marines present, but the, in particular, the oldest and youngest Marines present. We have a long tradition of being the service that's most ready when our nation is least ready, and, again, to all the Marines out there, Semper Fi, happy birthday, and here's to 250 more years for our Corps,\u201d said Sullivan.\n\nA transcript of the Senators\u2019 remarks can be found below, and a video can be found here.\n\nU.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT): Thank you, Mr. President. I'm honored and proud to be here today with the presiding officer in the chair, a veteran, albeit of the Navy, not the Marine Corps, but accompanied by a fellow Marine, Senator Sullivan, to whom I will yield shortly\u2014 especially honored to pay tribute to one of the nation's most storied and steadfast institutions in the history, the entire history, of our nation, the United States Marine Corps, which marks its 250th anniversary on Monday.\n\nAs legend and history have it, 250 years ago in a back room of Tun Tavern in Philadelphia, a new fighting force was born\u2014a force of grit, determination, and unshakable loyalty. Since that day in 1775, Marines have answered every call, without any exception, with courage and conviction, not because it was easy, but because it was right.\n\nThe motto of the Marine Corps, Semper Fidelis, always faithful, is more than just a phrase. It is a lifelong commitment. And as we know, there are no former Marines. There are no ex-Marines. It is a lifelong commitment and identity. Semper Fidelis speaks to the bond between Marines, to the cause they serve and to the nation that they protect. That bond by no means ends with active duty. It continues in communities across America, where Marines continue to serve living out the values of America as teachers, first responders, public servants, and leaders.\n\nThe Marine Corps has fought in every American conflict\u2014from the Revolutionary War, to the War on Terror on the beaches of Iwo Jima, to the frozen mountains of Korea, in the jungles of Vietnam, and in the sands of Fallujah. The Marines have stood their ground, they have led from the front often at great personal cost with no expectation of glory.\n\nTelling the story of America is impossible without telling the story of the United States Marine Corps. Their sacrifices have safeguarded our freedom. Their discipline has inspired generations. Their traditions of toughness, honor, duty have stood the test of time. Historic battles exemplify the Marine Corps's unyielding commitment to courage, sacrifice, and duty, and they define the very character of our military. Derna, Chapultepec, First Bull Run, Belleau Wood, Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Peleliu, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, the Chosen Reservoir, Khe Sanh, Hue the liberation of Kuwait, Fallujah and Helmand Province, the Marines have not only fought our wars, they have also responded to humanitarian crises, assisted in natural disasters and stood sentry in times of peace. They are not just war fighters. They are ambassadors of American resolve and resilience.\n\nThis milestone, 250 years, is an opportunity to reflect, to honor, and to recommit. We honor the thousands of Marines who never made it home, who gave their last full measure of devotion, as the saying goes. We honor the Gold Star families who carry their memory every single day. We honor the wounded in body and some in spirit whose lives are forever shaped by their service. We honor every Marine past and present who has earned the title with sweat, sacrifice, and a fierce sense of purpose. Let me acknowledge as well the families who stand behind every Marine\u2014spouses, children, parents. They serve quietly, often without any recognition but always with deep devotion. Their strength sustains the Corps, those families and friends and loved ones. Their sacrifices, too, must be honored.\n\nMr. President, the 250th anniversary is not only a celebration, it is a solemn reminder we make to all who wear the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor that we will never forget their service, and we will always fight to give them the support, care, and respect they have earned. This milestone is a chance to educate future generations about what it means to serve and why the Marine Corps's legacy matters, not just in history books but in the daily defense of our democracy and our ideals. The world has never been more dangerous and more in need of that service.\n\nAs we look to the next 250 years of the greatest nation in the history of the world, let's ensure that our policies, our resources, our commitments match the trust we place in all of our military, including our United States Marines. We need to provide our Marines and our military men and women with the tools and the resources they need to fight and win and the care they deserve when they return home. It's not about the rhetoric or just the celebration of birthdays. What really matters is what we do between the birthdays to keep faith with our men and women in uniform and afterward when they return to our great nation. We can leave no veteran behind in health care as well as education, training, and everything they need to be successful when they come back.\n\nLet us rededicate ourselves to the ideals they uphold\u2014freedom, justice, service above self. To every Marine, from the youngest recruit in Parris Island or San Diego, to the oldest veteran in our communities, we say thank you. Thank you for your service. Thank you for your sacrifice. Thank you for never wavering as a Marine. Happy birthday, United States Marine Corps. Semper Fidelis.\n\nI am happy now to yield to my colleague and friend from Alaska and fellow Marine, United States Senator Dan Sullivan.\n\nU.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK): Mr. President.\n\nThe presiding officer: Colonel of Marines and the Senator from Alaska, Semper Fi.\n\nSullivan: Thank you, Mr. President. I want to thank my colleague, Senator Blumenthal, and the presiding officer for his great service as well. We do know the Marine Corps is part of the Department of the Navy, so we're all related here. I won't say what I used to say to my father who was a Navy officer but, in response to that.\n\nBut it is an honor to be on the Senate Floor here with Senator Blumenthal, my colleague and fellow Marine. You know, a lot of frustration going on here in the Senate. We're trying to get this government reopened, pay our workers, people are suffering. But I do think it's also important to switch gears, come down here in a bipartisan fashion to pass Senate Resolution 124 by Senator Blumenthal and myself on commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States Marine Corps. A truly remarkable milestone, by one of America's most remarkable institutions. And that happens tomorrow, on November 10, our birthday, the Marine Corps birthday.\n\nNow, we Marines, Mr. President, you know this, take our November 10 birthday very seriously. No matter where Marines are, anywhere in the world, deployed, they always take time to celebrate the birthday of our beloved Corps on November 10. Everybody in the Marine Corps wishes each other a happy birthday. We also are kind of proud of the fact that we're the only military service that was founded in a bar, yes, that's true. Tun Tavern, Philadelphia, PA, was where the Marine Corps was founded. And at our birthday celebrations, we do a lot. They're great celebrations. If you haven't been to one, anyone watching, I encourage you to go to a Marine Corps birthday ball. You will have the time of your life. You will come away filled with a sense of patriotism and pride, whether you served in the military, in the Marine Corps, or not. You will love it. At these birthday celebrations, we, of course, as Senator Blumenthal mentioned, remember our fallen. We recommit ourselves to keep the Marines the world's finest fighting force, which it is and has been for decades. And we take time to recognize not just the Marines present, but the, in particular, the oldest and youngest Marines present. We have a very solemn cake-cutting ceremony. In fact, after the birthday cake is cut, with the Mameluke sword, the guest of honor presents the first piece of cake to the oldest Marine present, and then he hands that piece of cake off after he takes a bite to the youngest Marine present\u2014signifying the passing of heritage and culture and tradition from one generation to the other.\n\nNow, Mr. President, last night, there were two special Marine Corps balls that I cared a lot about. One, the one I really cared about, was in Anchorage, Alaska, hosted by Delta Company, Fourth Law Enforcement Battalion. I was very honored and set to be there as the guest of honor last night. This is Alaska Marine Corps ball. We have such a great time, I've been going to that ball for years with my wife, my daughters, friends, fellow Marines, and alas, given the work that we're doing here in the Senate to reopen the government, I was not able to attend. A huge disappointment for me, really, really wanted to be in Alaska with my fellow Marines, and my family.\n\nThere was also another marine Corps ball, Mr. President, last night. It was actually in DC here, the Commandant\u2019s ball, and at the last minute, I thought, hey, if I can't be in Anchorage, I'm going to at least celebrate the 250th with the Commandant, some top generals, top enlisted Marines, couple of my Senate colleagues\u2014Senator Ernst, Senator Daines. The Vice President, JD Vance, was the guest of honor. By the way, Mr. President, he's the first Marine Vice President ever, so got a lot of shouts and recognition last night. But the Marine who stole the show last night, Mr. President, was the oldest Marine, Corporal Nils Mockler\u201499 years old, born in 1926, Iwo Jima combat Marine, D-1, looking as strong as he did when he was an 18-year-old corporal storming the beaches of Iwo Jima. Last night, he was there. The place went nuts when he was recognized. A five-minute standing ovation for this great American hero. What a moment.\n\nFinally, Mr. President, at every Marine Corps birthday ball throughout the world, for the last hundred years, this message that I'm going to read right now is read. It's the message delivered to the Marines on the birthday of the Marine Corps by the Commandant of the Marine Corps, the 13th Commandant of the Marine Corps, General John Lejeune, in 1921, and he issued this statement, this message, and ever since then, since 1921, every single Marine Corps birthday celebration for over 100 years has been read, has had this proclamation, read. It was read last night in Anchorage, it was read last night in DC, and for the Marine Corps balls today and tomorrow on November 10, it will be read there. And here's what it says, Mr. President. Remember, this is from 1921, but it kind of gives you the sense of how we feel about our illustrious Corps. A message from the Commandant of the Marine Corps, republished in the United States Marine Corps Manual, edition 1921. On November 10, 1775, a Corps of Marines was created by a resolution of the continental Congress. Since that date, many thousand men have born the name Marine. In memory of them, it is fitting that we who are Marines should commemorate the birthday of our Corps by calling to mind the glories of its long and illustrious history. The record of our Corps is one which will bear comparison with that of the most famous military organizations in the world's history. During 90 of the 146 years of its existence, the Marine Corps has been in action against the nation's foes. From the Battle of Trenton, to the Argon, Marines have won foremost honors in war, and in the long eras of tranquility at home, generation after generation of Marines have grown gray in war, in both hemispheres, and in every corner of the seven seas, that our country and its citizens might enjoy peace and security. And every battle and skirmish since the birth of our Corps, Marines have acquitted themselves with the greatest distinction, winning new honors on each occasion until the term \u201cMarine\u201d has come to signify all that is highest in the military efficiency and soldierly virtue. This high name of distinction and soldierly repute, we who are Marines today have received from those who proceeded us in the Corps. With it, we also receive from them the eternal spirit, which has animated our Corps from generation to generation, and has been the distinguishing mark of the Marines in every age. So long as that spirit continues to flourish, Marines will be found equal to every emergency in the future, as they have been in the past, and the men of our nation will regard us as worthy successors to the long line of illustrious men who have served as soldiers of the sea since the founding of the Corps.\n\nMr. President, you've heard that before, that's the message from the Marine Corps birthday from the Commandant of the Marine Corps, John Lejeune, issued in 1921. And every Marine hears this every year, and it's still incredibly relevant.\n\nSo, I want to thank Senator Blumenthal, again, for leading this effort, on the 250th birthday resolution that we're going to pass here in the Senate in commemoration of the Marine Corps\u2019s founding. We have a long tradition of being the service that's most ready when our nation is least ready, and, again, to all the Marines out there, Semper Fi, happy birthday, and here's to 250 more years for our Corps. I yield the floor.\n\nBlumenthal: Mr. President.\n\nThe presiding officer: Senator from Connecticut.\n\nBlumenthal: Thank you, Mr. President. I thank my colleague from Alaska for those very powerful words from himself and the Commandant, and as he has remarked, this Marine Corps birthday always has enormous personal meaning for all of us who have served in the United States Marine Corps\u2014including for my son, Matthew, who was in Helmand Province, I'm hopeful that he will invite his younger brother to one of the Marine Corps balls, Michael served as a Navy SEAL. And this occasion is joined by our colleagues, Senators Gallego and Young, also Marines. And I'm sure is supported by others in this body, in the House of Representatives, who have served.\n\nSo, on this great occasion, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed Services be discharged from further consideration of S. Resolution 124 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.\n\nThe clerk: Senate Resolution 124, recognizing the 250th anniversary of the United States Marine Corps.\n\nThe presiding officer: Is there objection to proceeding to the measure? Without objection, the Committee is discharged. And the Senate will proceed.\n\nBlumenthal: Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Resolution be agreed to, the Blumenthal Amendment to the preamble, which is at the desk, be considered and agreed to, the preamble as amended be agreed to, and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.\n\nThe presiding officer: Is there objection? Without objection.\n\nBlumenthal: Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the Floor.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-votes-against-funding-stopgap-with-no-support-for-health-care-costs", "Blumenthal Votes Against Funding Stopgap with No Support for Health Care Costs", "2025-11-09", "2025", "2025-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, D.C.] \u2013 U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) released the following statement after voting against moving ahead with a stopgap spending measure that does not address rising health insurance costs:\n\n\u201cMy position has always been: no affordable healthcare, no deal. I am unwilling to accept a vague promise for a vote at an indefinite time on an indeterminate bill. Millions of Americans and tens of thousands in Connecticut are forced to make impossible choices right now about what health insurance they can afford. The urgency of this moment demands action now to reduce health insurance costs.\u201d\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-statement-on-continuing-resolution-that-fails-to-protect-health-care-rein-in-trumps-lawlessness", "Murphy Statement On Continuing Resolution That Fails To Protect Health Care, Rein In Trump's Lawlessness", "2025-11-09", "2025", "2025-11", "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.) released the following statement after voting against a continuing resolution that fails to prevent millions of people from losing access to health care and does nothing to rein in Trump\u2019s lawlessness:\n\n\u201cDonald Trump and his Republican enablers caused the shutdown. And even more egregiously, Trump has gone out of his way to make it worse, most recently by illegally trying to use hungry kids as leverage to compel Democrats into submission. He is hurting people in order to enrich himself, destroy our democracy, and stay in power forever. His actions over the past month confirm this. Bullies gain power when their misconduct succeeds in causing righteous people to yield in the face of their wrongdoing. That\u2019s why voting for Trump's continuing resolution - without any protection against his health care cuts or his growing illegality - is a mistake.\n\n\u201cLast Tuesday, people poured out of their homes and to the polls to reject Donald Trump, but also to urge Democrats to hold firm in our refusal to vote for a short term budget that throws millions of their health care and allows Trump\u2019s corruption to continue, fully funded and unabated. People know the government shutdown hurts. But people also know that Americans will die when millions cannot afford health insurance next year because of Trump\u2019s massive premium hikes. They wanted us to continue that fight, even knowing that victory was not certain. And 7 million people rushed to the streets last month because they did not want allies of democracy to vote for a budget that puts no significant checks on Trump\u2019s increasing authoritarian behavior. They did not want this outcome.\n\n\u201cI understand my colleagues' desire to fund the government. What Trump has put people through these last few weeks is abhorrent. Of course I want to end the shutdown too. But not at any cost. Standing up to a tyrant who is willing to impose pain in order to compel loyalty or capitulation is hard. Especially for people of good heart who never want to see people suffer. But there is no path to saving our democracy that doesn\u2019t involve hard choices - some that involve enduring pain in the service of proving the demagogue's bullying tactics do not work. Republicans have said they will discuss putting off the premium increases they set in motion once the government opens. If it does open, I hope they are true to their word. If they are not, and millions suffer as their health care costs double - all to finance a giant tax cut for billionaires and corporations - voters will know who to blame.\n\n\u201cDespite my deep disappointment at this deal, make no mistake - the evil that is about to be done on families with sick kids and high medical bills lays solely at the feet of Donald Trump and his Republican enablers. This will not be the last test put to the defenders of democracy. There is no way to sugarcoat this moment. It will have a cost. But it is up to us to keep the fight going. There will likely be even bigger, more consequential moments ahead of us - more chances to stand together against this growing totalitarian inhumanity. The fight isn\u2019t over - by any stretch.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/senator-blumenthal-week-in-review-10/31/2025-11/7/2025", "Senator Blumenthal: Week in Review 10/31/2025-11/7/2025", "2025-11-07", "2025", "2025-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "Sounding the Alarm on the Republican Health Care Crisis\n\n[WASHINGTON, DC] \u2013 U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) led fellow Democratic Senators in speaking on the Senate Floor about the health care crisis facing millions of Americans due to Republicans\u2019 refusal to extend enhanced premium tax credits for Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans. With open enrollment now underway, the Senators underscored how higher premiums will impact Americans across Red and Blue states and called out President Trump and Republicans for blocking Democratic efforts to lower costs for families.\n\n\u201cA 60-year-old couple living in Raleigh, making $85,000 a year, currently pays $89 for the least expensive plan. Without these credits, they\u2019re going to be paying $1,893 per month. Same plan, same coverage, nothing better, just more money that is charged to people,\u201d said Blumenthal. \u201cRepublicans know that these increases are going to crush hardworking Americans. It is ludicrous to expect any American enrolled in one of these plans to have the disposable income to keep their coverage. This is not a partisan issue. I can\u2019t say it often enough. This is about ensuring that every American \u2013 regardless of their zip code or their income level or their partisan affiliation \u2013 has access to health insurance coverage they need to guarantee they can live healthy and productive lives.\u201d\n\n\u201cRepublicans are choosing to make Connecticut families, Indiana families, North Carolina families, and families across the country pay more for their healthcare. So, I implore my Republican colleagues to listen to their own constituents who are telling them, we can't afford these unconscionable, exorbitant health insurance increases. Give us the means to live with the assurance that we will have healthcare insurance to take care of our kids and our families. Do the right thing for the American people. Come to the table and reinstate these credits because we are going to stand strong and stand firm on this side of the aisle, and we are the bulwark against a wave of premium increases that will surely deluge America economically and morally. We will do everything we can to stop it,\u201d concluded Blumenthal.\n\nThe full video of the Senators\u2019 remarks on the Senate Floor can be found here.\n\nBlumenthal further called out Republicans for their refusal to protect Americans\u2019 affordable access to health care on Twitter/X.\n\n\u201cAmerica\u2019s health care crisis is deepening because Republicans are reveling in the shutdown rather than making health insurance affordable. Skyrocketing premiums are breaking family budgets,\u201d wrote Blumenthal with an accompanying video on Twitter/X.\n\nSlamming Republican Efforts to Dismantle ACA Protections\n\nBlumenthal joined five Americans from across the country in demanding Congress take action to extend the ACA enhanced tax credits. The virtual press conference highlighted how millions of Americans are facing higher health care costs due to Republicans\u2019 refusal to extend enhanced premium tax credits for ACA plans. Blumenthal and the five speakers shed light on the importance of the ACA and the enhanced premium tax credits in providing affordable access to care and protecting Americans\u2019 health.\n\n\u201cIt is an assault on the Affordable Care Act. Nothing less than a blatant, clear attempt to destroy the Affordable Care Act\u2014at a moment when Americans are going to the exchanges, open enrollment has started, and they are making decisions about whether they can afford health care insurance. And what they are seeing is premiums spiking. Those premiums are doubling, tripling, because Republicans are blocking an agreement to extend the health care tax credits or subsidies that are necessary for them to afford insurance. And that\u2019s the reason that Republicans have shut down the government\u2014they\u2019re unwilling to reach that agreement that we have insisted be part of the stopgap funding bill now before us,\u201d said Blumenthal.\n\n\u201cRenewing the Enhanced Premium Tax Credit (EPTC) will empower people like me to take charge of our health, to continue working and running businesses and care for ourselves and loved ones. I am calling on all of you to support the ACA and renew the EPTC to help cancer survivors like me stay healthy and alive. Nobody should have to choose between financial devastation or death,\u201d said Victoria Sylvester of Traverse City, Michigan.\n\n\u201cWe are in a health care crisis. Since Donald Trump and the Congressional Republicans have taken power, they have put on a full blown assault on health care, and unless they stop their scheme to rip away tax credits from working families, over 20 million Americans will lose their coverage, and they\u2019ll log into the ACA marketplace and find that their health plans are more than twice as expensive as they were last year. Over 4 million will lose coverage because these skyrocketing prices are simply unaffordable, and why? To hand tax breaks to billionaires and corporations and that\u2019s just obscene,\u201d said DonnaMaria Woodson of Charlotte, North Carolina.\n\nA full video of this week\u2019s press conference is available here.\n\nBlumenthal\u2019s press conference came ahead of a hearing held by Republicans on the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations which further sought to undermine and dismantle the ACA. At the hearing, Blumenthal, Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, slammed efforts to roll back patient protections established by the ACA and block the extension of enhanced premium tax credits for ACA plans.\n\n\u201cThis hearing is part of an increasingly isolated and abhorrent movement within the Republican party itself to continue the effort to repeal affordable health care,\u201d Blumenthal said. \u201cAs a parent of four children, now a grandparent, I think often of the people who have approached me and told me they sleep better because they know that their children down the hall from them will have access to health care if they break a bone the next day in school or if they come down with some life-threatening illness or face a potentially lethal diagnosis, and they need treatment and care, and the emotional impact and physical trials are bad enough. But fortunately, they have coverage that means they are spared from financial ruin.\u201d\n\n\u201cHealth care costs in this country are way too high, no matter what kind of coverage you have. And we should work to bring down the cost of health care, whether it is pharmaceutical drugs or hospital charges, there are many things we could do to fix those problems. But forcing Americans who rely on the ACA to pay more, especially in this economy, will not help.\u201d\n\nAt the hearing, Blumenthal invited testimony from Shana Verstegen, a small business employee from Madison, Wisconsin who currently receives health care coverage through the marketplace established by the ACA.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m here today as a proud user of the Affordable Care Act and the health care marketplace. Like so many other working families, I don\u2019t know what my family would do without it. My husband and I both work in the fitness industry as trainers and fitness instructors at a wonderful small gym in Madison. We love our jobs and work very hard helping others on a daily basis. We have been employed there since high school\u2014so almost 30 years,\u201d Verstegen said.\n\nIn her testimony, Verstegen discussed how she became an advocate within the Huntington\u2019s disease community after her mother was diagnosed with, and later passed way from, the disease. In an exchange with U.S. Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI), Chairman of PSI, Verstegen called attention to how the ACA helps individuals with pre-existing conditions, such as Huntington\u2019s disease, access affordable health insurance, \u201cI do know that the Affordable Care Act is the only option for coverage for my family. It\u2019s the only option for coverage for Huntington\u2019s disease families, for entrepreneurs. And I would really hope that lawmakers would work together to help reign in this corporate spending to help bring that down, and quite honestly, yes, the premiums are going up but so is my gas, so is my electricity, so are my grocery prices. And I don\u2019t feel like the answer to this is to increase our premiums more. I know you said this is Democrat sponsored, but Republicans and everybody have the power to pass this extended premium tax credit, so our bills don\u2019t go up even more. I\u2019m not here to fix this today, but please help us for 2026.\u201d\n\nAfter Johnson suggested that the ACA\u2019s coverage for pre-existing conditions has driven up premium prices for people like Verstegen and suggested that people with pre-existing conditions should instead be put in a \u201chigh-risk pool,\u201d Verstegen said, \u201cRespectfully, Senator, if I had tested positive for Huntington\u2019s disease, what would my option have been then? I wouldn\u2019t have had an option.\u201d\n\nThe video of Blumenthal opening remarks is available here. A video of Verstegen\u2019s testimony and her exchange with Johnson is available here.\n\nBlumenthal further slammed Republican efforts to dismantle the ACA on Twitter/X.\n\n\u201cOur contentious hearing today dramatically showed Republicans real agenda\u2014abolishing the ACA. They exploited myths & misinformation claiming that the ACA is hurting people in their continuing campaign to subvert health care insurance.This relentless campaign, dating to 15 years ago when the ACA was passed, seems to be an unstoppable obsession. It is broader & bigger than the health care tax credits. Republicans seek to tear down & demolish affordable health care insurance just as Trump destroyed the White House East Wing. It\u2019s cruel, & it\u2019s stupid,\u201d wrote Blumenthal on Twitter/X.\n\nFighting to Protect SNAP Benefits\n\nBlumenthal spoke on the Senate Floor slamming the lapse in regularly appropriated funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and calling for protections to SNAP benefits for the millions of Americans who rely on the program.\n\n\u201cWe've been clear again, and again, and again as Democrats. Americans should never have to choose between food and health, between food and rent, between food and mortgage payments, between food and electricity. There should be no need for families to choose because there should be no choice by our public officials to make them choose. But that's what we're seeing right now,\u201d said Blumenthal. \u201cAnd if we can be sure of one thing here, kids will go to bed hungry because I've talked to their moms and dads. Kids will go to bed hungry, or they will be unable to go to a doctor because Republicans say, \u2018well, reopen the government, and then we'll talk about health care insurance coverage.\u2019 We should be talking about it right now because families are making decisions about whether they can afford health insurance right now on the open markets that are ongoing right now. And they can't afford to get sick on Donald Trump's timetable. Nobody can.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs of Saturday, the regularly appropriated funding for SNAP ended, which left families across the country wondering how they're going to put food on the table, and that was when the courts stepped into this crisis. And, to state the obvious, there's no reason for anyone to go hungry, not just because the courts have ordered that SNAP benefits be provided, but because there is a moral imperative in America,\u201d continued Blumenthal.\n\nA video of Blumenthal\u2019s remarks can be found here.\n\nOn Twitter/X, Blumenthal further slammed President Trump for defying court orders calling on the Trump Administration to continue providing benefits under SNAP during the government shutdown.\n\n\u201cOnce again the court is unequivocal, the Trump Admin must stop playing politics with hunger & deliver SNAP benefits\u2014now.Continuing to deny SNAP benefits\u2014including to 1.2 million veterans\u2014would be a moral abomination, & clear illegality after the court order today. The Administration should be held in contempt if it stalls or obstructs,\u201d wrote Blumenthal on Twitter/X.\n\nHighlighting the Harm of the Republican Health Care Crisis on Veterans\n\nAt a Senate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee hearing, Ranking Member Blumenthal underscored how veterans will be harmed by the health care crisis facing millions of Americans due to Republicans\u2019 refusal to extend enhanced premium tax credits for ACA plans.\n\n\u201cOur veterans are suffering, just as Americans are, from looking at the exchanges and the premium on open enrollment, as we speak right now, at their kitchen tables, trying to figure out how they are going to afford health insurance. And they can\u2019t do it because premiums are doubling and tripling. Where are these veterans going to go?,\u201d pressed Blumenthal. \u201cIf eligible, they\u2019ll go to VA. And we\u2019ll see a dramatically increased reliance on VA health care, stretching the capacities of our docs, our nurses, our VA facilities generally, which are already suffering from cuts and furloughs unnecessarily imposed by this Administration\u2026cuts that have already eroded the Department\u2019s ability to support the needs of veterans. And according to the Department\u2019s actuarial firm: For every one percent of increased reliance on VA health care, VA can expect its costs to increase by $2.6 billion.1 percent. $2.6 billion. They don\u2019t have the money.\u201d\n\nBlumenthal also slammed President Trump for withholding funding for SNAP benefits\u2014emphasizing the harmful impact this is having on veterans: \u201cAnd the Administration, rather than curbing costs for the average American worker, including veterans, is prioritizing historic cuts, and I mean unprecedented cuts, in SNAP, Medicaid, and health care coverage. Americans often don\u2019t appreciate that veterans use these programs and depend on them. More than 1.2 million veteran households use SNAP, yet this Administration refuses to fully fund the program despite orders from courts that they do so. There\u2019s no equivalent service like SNAP through VA or any other federal program to serve as a safety net, meaning these cuts have devastating impacts on veterans and their families.\u201d\n\nA video of Blumenthal\u2019s remarks is available here.\n\nBlumenthal further called out his Republican colleagues for their fueling of the health care crisis impacting veterans across the country on Twitter/X.\n\n\u201cVeterans use SNAP, Medicaid, ACA premium tax credits\u2014all programs being cut & stripped of funding to devastating effect. Republicans need to stop fueling this health care & hunger crisis & work to ensure veterans have access to these critical services,\u201d wrote Blumenthal with an accompanying video on Twitter/X.\n\nBlumenthal Bulletin\n\nBlumenthal spoke on the Senate Floor in support of Senate Democrats\u2019 proposal to end the Republican shutdown and address healthcare affordability.\n\nBlumenthal demanded answers from secret donors to Trump\u2019s White House Ballroom Project.\n\nBlumenthal spearheaded a bill requiring transparency in the PACT Act toxic exposure presumptive decision process for veterans.\n\nBlumenthal pushed for transparency on secretive ICE air operations and reports of improper treatment of detainees.\n\nBlumenthal visited West Hartford students working to support food pantries amid President Trump\u2019s SNAP shutdown.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/video-blumenthal-speaks-on-senate-floor-in-support-of-senate-democrats-proposal-to-end-the-republican-shutdown-and-address-healthcare-affordability", "Video: Blumenthal Speaks on Senate Floor in Support of Senate Democrats' Proposal to End the Republican Shutdown & Address Healthcare Affordability", "2025-11-07", "2025", "2025-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, DC] \u2013 U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) spoke on the Senate Floor today after Senate Democrats offered a proposal to reopen the government, which would end the longest shutdown in American history and address the growing problem of skyrocketing healthcare costs.\n\nConnecticut residents are facing extreme and unaffordable health insurance premium increases without the extension of the Affordable Care Act tax credits. One Old Lyme resident shared that her premiums were set to go up $400 a month without the Affordable Act tax credits. Another couple in Glastonbury was quoted over $40,000 for a year of health insurance without the tax credits.\n\n\u201cNobody in America needed Tuesday\u2019s election to tell them that the costs of rent and electricity and food and all of other necessities in life are spiraling out of control \u2013 and, yes, health care costs are spiraling out of control. And they are at the kitchen table right now across America looking at the exchanges and concluding they simply can't afford those spiking premiums \u2013 multiples of three and four times, and at least twice what they were paying. And many of them are taking the risk that they will go without insurance,\u201d said Blumenthal on the Senate Floor.\n\n\u201cThis measure guarantees an outcome. The Majority Leader, Senator Thune, has said he can't guarantee an outcome. All he can promise is a process. And I am unwilling to accept a promise of some vote at an indefinite point on an undefined bill sometime in the future because the urgency of now for American families means they are making choices about whether they can afford insurance this moment for next year.\u201d\n\nThe video of Blumenthal\u2019s remarks is available here. The full transcript is copied below.\n\nMr. President, I thank my colleagues for this unified support for a measure that is eminently reasonable. I thank the leader of our side, Senator Schumer, for advancing this proposal. It is a compromise. It's simple and plain, and I\u2019ll be very blunt \u2013 it's not everything I would have wanted.\n\nLike the Senator from Wisconsin, my friend, Senator Baldwin, I would have wanted the health care tax credits to be permanently guaranteed. I would have wanted a guarantee as well that there be no rescissions or impoundments of funds, as this President has done repeatedly. I would have wanted a reversal of the firings, the so-called RIFs, reductions in forces that have been eminently unfair, and a guarantee of back pay to everybody who has been furloughed. There are other provisions that, for me, were profoundly important.\n\nIt is a compromise, and compromise is not a four-letter word. It is the way we get things done. And this picture of unity is worth a thousand of my words, but it is also a clear response to a crisis that we face. And we face it today. It is a crisis in health care. It is a crisis in hunger. It is a crisis in air transportation and for millions of Americans, it's a crisis of affordability.\n\nNobody in America needed Tuesday\u2019s election to tell them that the costs of rent and electricity and food and all of other necessities in life are spiraling out of control \u2013 and, yes, health care costs are spiraling out of control. And they are at the kitchen table right now across America looking at the exchanges and concluding they simply can't afford those spiking premiums \u2013 multiples of three and four times, and at least twice what they were paying. And many of them are taking the risk that they will go without insurance.\n\nThis measure guarantees an outcome. The Majority Leader, Senator Thune, has said he can't guarantee an outcome. All he can promise is a process. And I am unwilling to accept a promise of some vote at an indefinite point on an undefined bill sometime in the future because the urgency of now for American families means they are making choices about whether they can afford insurance this moment for next year.\n\nAnd, in fairness to the Majority Leader, he can't promise anything for either the Speaker of the House or the President. And they have been absent without leave. They have been AWOL. They have refused to talk. And we are presenting them now with a reasonable compromise that the Majority Leader can accept and our colleagues on the other side of the aisle should embrace.\n\nAnd the problem here is one of trust. What we've seen from the Administration is a strategy of maximum pain to magnify political pressure. In just minutes from now in the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, this Administration will argue that SNAP benefits should be ended, after the President himself promised that they would be paid in full in compliance with the District Court orders in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. There's no way to trust that SNAP benefits will be provided without a guarantee from the courts.\n\nThe urgency that we face is also in air transportation. We all want people to be able to reach their destinations safely \u2013 it has to come first. And we need to make sure that the TSA and air controllers are paid. They are heroes for having worked for so long without pay.\n\nWe need to stop the madness of this trend line. It's a through line in the Administration's tactics here. It's a through line of cruelty and stupidity that has magnified the costs for the American people, not just in \u201cblue states\u201d but all across the country.\n\nAnd we should seek reform and improvement in the ACA, eliminating any kind of fraud and stopping the spiraling increase in health care costs. But I should warn my colleagues, we will not sacrifice the ACA. Very revealing yesterday in a hearing of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigation was the commentary from a number of my Republican colleagues, in effect, saying that we should kill the ACA \u2013 an effort that has been part of their relentless campaign over the last 15 years to decimate this resounding and important law that now is embraced by the vast majority of the American people.\n\nAnd we put in the record stories of individuals from Michigan and Pennsylvania and Iowa. Aaron Lehman, a fifth-generation farmer who told us, \u201cI grow corn, soybeans, oats, and hay with my family. The Affordable Care Act has been one of the best investments in rural health care in decades.\u201d We cannot afford as a nation to go back to the days when preexisting conditions were a pretext for denying health care if someone had a history of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, HIV, asthma, depression, pregnancy\u2014the list goes on. Insurers could force patients to pay more or refuse to offer them coverage at all.\n\nStanding strong for the ACA very simply means providing health care to Americans. Extending the health care tax credits for one year is a compromise that makes sense. It will put the government back to work fully and capably and fairly. And I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this reasonable compromise. I yield the Floor.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-dexter-58-democrats-introduce-bicameral-bill-to-ensure-dhs-detainees-can-speak-to-a-lawyer-contact-their-families", "Murphy, Dexter, 58 Democrats Introduce Bicameral Bill To Ensure DHS Detainees Can Speak To A Lawyer, Contact Their Families", "2025-11-07", "2025", "2025-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and U.S. Representative Maxine Dexter (D-Ore.-03) on Friday led 58 of their Senate and House colleagues in introducing the Restoring Access to Detainees Act, a bill to ensure the Department of Homeland Security allows noncitizens who have been detained to contact their legal counsel and families. The bill comes after months of credible reporting that ICE and CBP have deprived detainees \u2013 including children and longtime legal residents \u2013 of the ability to access a lawyer, sometimes for months at a time. People have also reportedly been taken into custody and, in some cases, transferred to facilities in other countries without being allowed to contact their families.\n\nThe bill is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Ben Ray Luj\u00e1n (D-N.M.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), and U.S. Representatives Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.), Judy Chu (D-Calif.), Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.), Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.), Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.),?Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.), Dave Min (D-Calif.), Nellie Pou (D-N.J.), Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii), Becca Balint (D-Vt.), Emily Randall (D-Wash.), Jes\u00fas \u201cChuy\u201d Garc\u00eda (D-Ill.), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pa.), Yvette D. Clarke (D-N.Y.), Laura Friedman (D-Calif.), Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.), Julie Johnson (D-Texas), Nikema Williams (D-Ga.), Robin Kelley (D-Ill.), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.), Suhas Subramanyam (D-Va.), Val Hoyle (D-Ore.), Andrea Salinas (D-Ore.), Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Lizzie Fletcher (D-Texas), Kelly Morrison (D-Minn.), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Veronica Escobar (D-Texas), and Derek Tran (D-Calif.).\n\n\u201cFor months now, Americans have watched the horrific videos of CBP and ICE agents violently snatching people off the street at schools, workplaces, and grocery stores. But what happens after people are taken into custody is equally disturbing,\u201d said Senator Murphy. \u201cDHS has repeatedly refused to allow people to contact their families and lawyers, traumatizing children and families who are left searching for answers when their loved one suddenly misses after-school pickup or just doesn\u2019t come home for dinner. It\u2019s heartless and deeply un-American. This bill protects the basic right of people in this country to call their family \u2013 which often includes American citizens \u2013 when they are taken into custody. DHS has proven time and again they cannot be trusted to follow basic humanitarian principles, and it\u2019s on Congress to step in and hold them accountable.\u201d\n\n\u201cI saw with my own eyes the reality of Trump\u2019s immigration system: a mother and her four U.S. citizen children disappeared and locked in a windowless cell unable to contact a lawyer or their loved ones. The inhumanity was staggering. If we allow this to continue, we will lose who we are,\u201d said Representative Dexter. \u201cI\u2019m proud to join Senator Chris Murphy in defending the simple truth that access to legal counsel and communication with loved ones isn\u2019t a luxury, it is a fundamental human right.\u201d\n\n\u201cEvery noncitizen should be able to call their family and access legal representation while in detention,\u201d said Senator Padilla. \u201cYet under Donald Trump, ICE and CBP have repeatedly denied detained individuals due process or the ability to talk to a lawyer, even disappearing them to other countries without letting them alert their families. Our bill would restore commonsense, humane protections for noncitizens in detention that were established during the first Trump Administration to ensure the basic dignity of being able to contact legal counsel or their families.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs the Trump administration continues to indiscriminately detain and deport noncitizens without due process, this bill is more important than ever. Families deserve to know where their loved ones are and detained immigrants should be able to access an attorney. I will keep pushing for Congress to pass this legislation,\u201d said Senator Schiff.\n\n\"Despite President Trump\u2019s utter contempt for the rule of law, every person in this country is entitled to due process and dignity. I am proud to fight for this legislation, which would restore telephone service for detainees to speak with legal counsel and maintain communication with their families. Our nation is built on the principle that every person may have liberty and justice \u2013 we won\u2019t let President Trump strip that away,\" said Senator Alsobrooks.\n\n\u201cDue process is a fundamental right for everyone in America. Yet the Trump administration has repeatedly violated that right by cruelly detaining people and denying them contact with their families or legal counsel,\u201d said Senator Luj\u00e1n. \u201cThis blatant disregard for basic rights is unacceptable and un-American. That\u2019s why I\u2019m fighting to pass legislation to ensure that people in federal custody have the right to speak with their families and attorneys.\u201d\n\n\u201cOur Constitution guarantees everyone in America the right to due process \u2013 a right that this Administration has disregarded for countless people they have detained in pursuit of their indiscriminate mass deportation agenda. Our immigration laws should be enforced humanely and by the book \u2013 and this legislation will help ensure that,\u201d said Senator Van Hollen.\n\n\u201cNew Jerseyans have watched in horror as the Trump Administration has raided homes, workplaces, schools, and places of worship to detain noncitizens who pose no threat to public safety,\u201d said Senator Booker. \u201cOnce detained, the Administration routinely transfers individuals far from their homes and communities, cutting them off from family support and legal representation. This strips detainees of their most basic rights and isolates them from the outside world. The least our government can do is ensure that those torn from their families are able to contact their loved ones and legal counsel. I am proud to cosponsor this commonsense bill, which restores a measure of due process and guarantees access to communication for all people in detention.\u201d\n\n\u201cICE is using alarming tactics to satisfy Donald Trump\u2019s mass deportation agenda,\u201d said Senator Markey. \u201cICE agents are arresting people and moving them to detention centers far away from their communities. Immigrant families are left without answers, desperate to know where their loved ones have been taken. This important legislation would ensure people in immigration detention are able to contact their family members and attorneys as they fight deportation. We must protect the rights of our immigrant communities.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s inhumane for the Trump administration to snatch people off the street and deny them access to their lawyers and families,\u201d said Senator Warren. \u201cCongress needs to stand up and fight to ensure everyone has due process protections.\u201d\n\n\u201cDepriving those detained of access to legal counsel is illegal, unconstitutional, and un-American,\u201d said Senator Merkley. \u201cThe Trump Administration must immediately restore legal access and family communication to detainees!\u201d\n\n\u201cPresident Trump\u2019s takeover of our immigration system has been nothing short of inhumane\u2013conducting violent raids and detaining folks right off the street. As a result, children and families all across the country are now desperately trying to figure out why their family member didn\u2019t come home and where they are being held\u2014it\u2019s cruel,\u201d said Senator Welch. \u201cOur bill aims to ensure families have access to their loved ones while in immigration detention and access to a lawyer. Everyone deserves due process.\"\n\n\u201cThe right to legal counsel is a central tenet of our justice system. The consequences of denying someone contact with their lawyer or even their family remembers while in custody can be incredibly grave - under the cruel Trump regime, people have suffered catastrophic medical events and removal to countries they\u2019ve never even been to, all done in the dark. We have a basic moral obligation to ensure that these life-and-death decisions are made with due process, including access to one\u2019s attorney,\u201d said Senator Blumenthal.\n\n\u201cImmigrants have always been integral to New York\u2019s identity, and those who come here seeking a better life should be met with an immigration system that treats them with compassion, humanity, and fairness,\u201d said Senator Gillibrand. \u201cThat\u2019s why I\u2019m proud to champion the Restoring Access to Detainees Act, which would help ensure due process and human dignity in our immigration proceedings. We must act to defend the integrity of our court system and guarantee that detainees can contact their families and obtain legal representation when in custody.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhile Trump continues to sow chaos and fear in our communities, this legislation will help to ensure that those who are detained by DHS have the right to promptly contact their loved ones and communicate with legal counsel while in custody or when being moved to new facilities,\u201d said Senator Hirono. \u201cWith this Administration repeatedly threatening to deprive immigrants of due process, and as families continue to live in fear, I will keep doing everything in my power to protect our communities and their basic rights.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Trump Administration has shown a complete disregard for humane immigration enforcement and has replaced civil rights, due process, and fair treatment with indefensible cruelty,\u201d said Senator Bennet. \u201cThis bill upholds the basic dignity of our neighbors swept into civil immigration detention by ensuring they can reach their families and legal counsel during the most critical moments.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Trump Administration\u2019s practices of snatching people off the street, denying them access to lawyers or calls to family is cruel, unnecessary, and puts U.S. citizens and lawfully present immigrants at risk of wrongful detention and deportation. The Restoring Access to Detainees Act will go a long way toward ensuring our country can enforce immigration laws without throwing away due process rights,\u201d said Senator Wyden.\n\n\u201cPeople being detained by masked agents and denied their constitutional right to speak with their attorney\u2014and even their families\u2014is something that should never happen in the United States,\u201d said Senator Duckworth. \u201cFamilies across the country are worried sick because they don\u2019t know where their loved ones are. It\u2019s not \u2018the worst of the worst\u2019 being targeted by Trump\u2019s agents\u2014it\u2019s innocent children, U.S. citizens, hardworking neighbors with no criminal record and longtime legal residents who are being arrested and denied the opportunity to call anyone. Our legislation would put an end to this cruel, inhumane practice by the Trump Administration and ensure those who are detained can get in contact with legal counsel and their loved ones. It\u2019s the bare minimum.\u201d\n\nCivil rights groups including the American Immigration Lawyers Association, National Immigration Law Center, National Immigrant Justice Center, Stop AAPI Hate, and New Haven Legal Assistance Association have endorsed The Restoring Access to Detainees Act:\n\n\u201cNothing is more vital to ensuring a fair day in court than ensuring access to legal counsel for people deprived of their liberty who are trying to understand complex immigration laws. The \u2018Restoring Access to Detainees Act\u2019 is exactly the kind of good government reform that not only makes the immigration system more fair but also improves the courts\u2019 efficiency. The American Immigration Lawyers Association applauds Senator Murphy and his cosponsors for leading the way,\u201d said Gregory Z. Chen, Esq., Senior Director of Government Relations at the American Immigration Lawyers Association.\n\n\u201cThis bill provides urgently needed due process protections to Connecticut residents in DHS custody,\u201d said Leanne Gale, an immigration attorney at the New Haven Legal Assistance Association, which provides free legal services to low-income immigrants across Connecticut. \u201cWhen our clients and community members are detained by ICE, they are transferred to detention facilities out-of-state with limited opportunities to speak to an attorney. For instance, at the Plymouth County Correctional Facility, where many Connecticut residents are detained, the only way to arrange a legal call with our clients is through a web-platform known as JurisLink at the exorbitant cost of $49.99 per half hour. Otherwise, we are forced to take a six-hour roundtrip from New Haven to Plymouth to speak with our clients. These barriers to legal access are unacceptable. We welcome this critical step towards ensuring that all people detained by DHS are able to exercise their due process right to legal counsel.\u201d\n\nThe Restoring Access to Detainees Act would ensure:\n\nPeople detained, or transferred to a new facility, have the right to call their families to let them know where they are;\n\nPeople detained have an opportunity to speak confidentially with their legal counsel or to find competent legal counsel while in custody;\n\nPeople detained have an opportunity to communicate confidentially with existing oversight entities, if applicable; and\n\nThe restoration of a program from the first Trump Administration which established a process for noncitizens to call their families while they are in deportation proceedings.\n\nNotable instances of the Trump Administration cutting off detainees from legal counsel include:\n\nMahmoud Khalil, a 30-year-old Columbia University graduate and U.S. permanent resident, was arrested without a warrant and transferred across three states \u2014 from New Jersey to New York to Louisiana \u2014 where he spent more than three months in a detention center with limited access to legal counsel.\n\nKilmar Abrego Garcia, a 29-year-old from El Salvador living in Maryland, was arrested without a warrant and detained in Texas. Days later, he called his wife to tell her that he was being sent to El Salvador\u2019s notorious Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT \u2014 which turned out to be the last time his family heard from him until his return to the US in June.\n\nJackie Merlos, a 44-year-old mother with a U-deferred visa and her four U.S. citizen children, who were detained for weeks in a windowless cell without access to legal counsel and unable to contact family or friends.\n\nA 13-year-old Brazilian national was arrested in Everett, MA and transferred to a Virginia detention center. His family and lawyers were left in the dark for days about his location or the reason for his arrest.\n\nLuis Peralta, who has lived in the US since he was a child, was detained and transferred from Miami to Tacoma. Officers denied him access to his personal documents, leaving him unable to contact his family or attorney.\n\nGeorge Retes, a US citizen, was detained by ICE agents and held incommunicado, leaving him unable to contact his family \u2014 who only learned what happened to him after his release.\n\nRamon Eduardo Contreras-Hernandez was denied access to legal representation after being transferred from an ICE detention center to a county jail, cutting him off from information about his own case.\n\nA ProPublica investigation found that more than 20 U.S. citizens have reported being detained for over a day without being able to call their loved ones or an attorney.\n\nCivil rights attorneys representing detainees in \u201cAlligator Alcatraz\u201d filed for a temporary restraining order against the detention center, citing systemic violations of detainees\u2019 constitutional rights to legal representation and due process.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/americans-from-across-the-country-sound-the-alarm-on-rising-premiums-and-republican-efforts-to-dismantle-aca-protections", "Americans from Across the Country Sound the Alarm on Rising Premiums & Republican Efforts to Dismantle ACA Protections", "2025-11-06", "2025", "2025-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, DC] \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, joined five Americans from across the country in demanding Congress take action to extend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) enhanced tax credits.\n\nThe virtual press conference comes as millions of Americans are facing higher health care costs due to Republicans\u2019 refusal to extend enhanced premium tax credits for ACA plans. As Americans brace for a looming health care crisis that will put millions at risk of going uninsured, Republicans on the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations are holding a hearing today further seeking to undermine the ACA.\n\nVictoria Sylvester \u2013 Traverse City, Michigan\n\n\u201cI am 55 years old, and I\u2019m from Traverse City, Michigan. My husband and I are both small business owners. He\u2019s in the construction trades, and I am a hair stylist. We work hard, we pay our taxes, and we contribute to society. What we lack, though, and most small business owners lack, are employees that would enable us to have the discounts a small group policy has. We also make too much money to be on Medicaid, so before the ACA and the Enhanced Premium Tax Credit (EPTC), we simply could not afford insurance, and we went without it for years. It was very unsettling. It was like playing Russian roulette, but we had no choice. Since the ACA and the EPTC, we have quality insurance that we can afford, which thank God, because in 2022 I was, out of the blue, diagnosed with an aggressive form of stage three ovarian cancer.\u201d\n\n\u201cRenewing the EPTC will empower people like me to take charge of our health, to continue working and running businesses and care for ourselves and loved ones. I am calling on all of you to support the ACA and renew the EPTC to help cancer survivors like me stay healthy and alive. Nobody should have to choose between financial devastation or death.\u201d\n\nDonnaMarie Woodson \u2013 Charlotte, North Carolina\n\n\u201cWe are in a health care crisis. Since Donald Trump and the Congressional Republicans have taken power, they have put on a full blown assault on health care, and unless they stop their scheme to rip away tax credits from working families, over 20 million Americans will lose their coverage, and they\u2019ll log into the ACA marketplace and find that their health plans are more than twice as expensive as they were last year. Over 4 million will lose coverage because these skyrocketing prices are simply unaffordable, and why? To hand tax breaks to billionaires and corporations and that\u2019s just obscene.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s very personal for me. I\u2019m a 10-year survivor of both stage three colon cancer and stage one breast cancer, and I\u2019m able to speak with you today because of grace and the Affordable Care Act, which literally saved my life\u2026 It saved my life, because if I would not have gotten those screenings, I would not be here today. I was in late stage. So, it\u2019s, it\u2019s very distressing, disturbing, and just, it\u2019s just evil, because eliminating tax credits will gut the ACA and cost the lives of millions of Americans, and this cavalier attitude by the Republicans and Donald Trump just can\u2019t stand.\u201d\n\nAaron Lehman \u2013 Polk County, Iowa\n\n\u201cI\u2019m a fifth-generation farmer here in central Iowa, and I grow corn, soybeans, oats and hay with my family. And we\u2019re farmers because we take a great pride in growing food for our community and for people around the world. And I get to serve as the President of the Iowa Farmers Union. You know, the Affordable Care Act has been one of the best investments in rural health care in decades. And at the Farmers Union, our members are telling us how important the ACA has become for their families, and their farming operations, and their local rural health care system. And I know this personally. My family benefits from the ACA marketplace insurance and from an ACA market insurance policy, and we appreciate the affordability provided by the enhanced premium tax credits.\u201d\n\n\u201cNow, earlier this fall, we already heard that my family and thousands and thousands of farmers learned that we would see pretty steep health care insurance premiums increases, averaging about 18%. Now on top of that, we\u2019re learning that unless Congress acts, those enhanced premium tax credits won\u2019t be available. For our farm, that means for the very same policy that we have now, we would anticipate that our costs for health care insurance would be about 220% of what we\u2019re paying now. Our farmers are being stressed right now by low prices because of trade wars, increased production costs, and tens of millions of dollars in cuts to USDA programs. And a dramatic increase in health care premiums for 2026 will crash family budgets on farms and intensify the economic crisis that rural America is feeling right now.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe success of the ACA was that it meant that people were able to invest more in their farming operations. Sometimes bringing the next generation on the farm, sometimes bringing new innovation on the farm in conservation and local community food systems.\u201d\n\nAmy Raslevich \u2013 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania\n\n\u201cI\u2019m one of 16% of Americans who\u2019s either self-employed or runs a small business or works for one. One of the people that both parties continue to talk about is the backbone of America, the ranchers and the farmers like Aaron, the realtors, the shop owners like Victoria, the dentists, the restaurant owners.\u201d\n\n\u201cHalf the people who bought insurance on the marketplace last year fall in that group, and it's actually been a success. What does the marketplace do? It guarantees that insurance that is offered actually covers preexisting conditions; that it gives us preventive services and screenings that we need for things like cancer, essential health benefits, behavioral health care and eliminates annual lifetime benefits and other protections that everybody with employer-based insurance or Medicare or Medicaid are already guaranteed.\u201d\n\n\u201cNow it\u2019s been a success, and the first Trump Administration actually made it easier for brokers to help people find the right insurance. The Biden Administration came along and gave more subsidies, so more people don\u2019t pay premiums. They did this after research found that nobody double dips. You\u2019re not getting insurance from an employer and one at the marketplace, maybe one or two who forgot to cancel. But what it did is it helped younger people, healthier people actually afford insurance before they needed it, which brought premiums down for everybody. Now they want to take these subsidies away, which is going to more than double the cost, and leave on the insurance plans the sick, which is the point of insurance is to bring everybody in, and they\u2019re kicking everybody off.\u201d\n\nAlejandro Lopez \u2013 San Antonio, Texas\n\n\u201cOne of the biggest pieces of the ACA that impacted me personally is the dependent coverage extension, which allows any young adult under the age of 26 to remain on their parents\u2019 insurance. When I got the diagnosis, I was just starting a new job, and I had to rely on my parents\u2019 insurance. The extension got me through the beginning stages of my chemotherapy treatments. A friend of mine was in a similar situation. She had no insurance of her own and had to rely on her mom\u2019s coverage in order to continue with her treatments for leukemia. And I know so many more people just like us.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhen we turn 27, we lose the lifeline of our parents\u2019 insurance, suddenly we'll be standing on the edge of a health care cliff, and there'll be no safety net below us. The Affordable Care Act also provides enhanced tax credits for cancer survivors like myself. I'm tied to a schedule of expensive critical care, high medical bills, ongoing prosthesis management, and those crucial scans to confirm my cancer hasn\u2019t a relapse. This isn\u2019t optional care. It\u2019s survival.\u201d\n\n\u201cIf the crucial enhanced tax credits that make ACA coverage affordable are allowed to expire, if I lose my job in this tough economy, I simply won\u2019t be able to afford my cancer care.\u201d\n\nA full video of this week\u2019s press conference is available here.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/video-at-senate-hearing-on-rolling-back-aca-protections-blumenthal-slams-republican-refusal-to-lower-health-care-costs", "Video: At Senate Hearing on Rolling Back ACA Protections, Blumenthal Slams Republican Refusal to Lower Health Care Costs", "2025-11-06", "2025", "2025-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, DC] \u2013 Today at a hearing convened by Senate Republicans on dismantling the Affordable Care Act (ACA), U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, slammed efforts to roll back patient protections established by the ACA and block the extension of enhanced premium tax credits for ACA plans.\n\n\u201cThis hearing is part of an increasingly isolated and abhorrent movement within the Republican party itself to continue the effort to repeal affordable health care,\u201d Blumenthal said.\n\n\u201cAs a parent of four children, now a grandparent, I think often of the people who have approached me and told me they sleep better because they know that their children down the hall from them will have access to health care if they break a bone the next day in school or if they come down with some life-threatening illness or face a potentially lethal diagnosis, and they need treatment and care, and the emotional impact and physical trials are bad enough. But fortunately, they have coverage that means they are spared from financial ruin.\u201d\n\n\u201cHealth care costs in this country are way too high, no matter what kind of coverage you have. And we should work to bring down the cost of health care, whether it is pharmaceutical drugs or hospital charges, there are many things we could do to fix those problems. But forcing Americans who rely on the ACA to pay more, especially in this economy, will not help.\u201d\n\nAt today\u2019s hearing, Blumenthal invited testimony from Shana Verstegen, a small business employee from Madison, Wisconsin who currently receives health care coverage through the marketplace established by the ACA.\n\nEarlier today, Blumenthal also spoke with five Americans who will be impacted by rising premium prices if Congress fails to extend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) enhanced tax credits.\n\nThe video of Blumenthal opening remarks is available here. The transcript is copied below.\n\nU.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT): Let's be very clear why we are here. It is a Republican effort to destroy the Affordable Care Act. We are seeking to extend the health care tax credits past the end of the year. They make health care insurance affordable for millions of Americans who are right now going to the exchanges and trying to determine whether they could afford insurance. A commitment, an agreement, a guarantee that those tax credits will be extended, will enable reopening the government.\n\nBut that issue is not what brings us here today. It is a broader, relentless, calculated campaign to repeal the law that underlies those tax credits to destroy the ACA and take away health care insurance from millions and millions of Americans who have come to rely on it.\n\nFifteen years ago, Congress passed the Affordable Care Act\u2014literally lifesaving legislation that made health care accessible for millions of Americans and guaranteed coverage for millions more who suffered from the so-called pre-existing conditions that insurance companies use as a pretext to deny coverage. It made insurance available for millions of small business people, farmers, and others who are self-employed. It made health care accessible to children who otherwise would break bones or get sick and have no accessible health care. And it lowered the cost of insurance for millions.\n\nEver since then, Republicans have been trying to destroy it. They sought to destroy it through more than 60 votes within a few years of its passage\u2014and failed every time. But they came close.\n\nI am haunted by a moment\u2014one of the most moving and momentous moments in my time in the United States Senate, when a single vote prevented the repeal of the Affordable Care Act. It was John McCain's vote when he famously went to the well of the United States Senate as the last one of us to vote, and he gave that famous thumbs down with his still handicapped arm. That moment lives with us. And it showed the courage and strength of that great hero\u2014a bipartisan hero.\n\nAnd the Affordable Care Act ought to have bipartisan support because the people who benefit from it don't get sick according to their partisan affiliation. People who are Republicans, Democrats, Red states, Blue states, we all need health care, and we all need health care insurance.\n\nNow, in the years since that moment, that famous moment, when John McCain preserved the Affordable Care Act, it has soared in popularity. It turns out that Americans really like having access to affordable health care. And the ACA is more popular than ever. This hearing is part of an increasingly isolated and abhorrent movement within the Republican party itself to continue the effort to repeal affordable health care.\n\nToday, 24 million Americans have coverage through the ACA, and they are your neighbors and your friends, small businesses, farmers, families\u2014people like Shana who are here today. And she will tell you what it has meant to her\u2014just as others on a call I had this morning provided gripping accounts, real life stories, for how it helped to save their lives.\n\nAs a parent of four children, now a grandparent, I think often of the people who have approached me and told me they sleep better because they know that their children down the hall from them will have access to health care if they break a bone the next day in school or if they come down with some life-threatening illness or face a potentially lethal diagnosis, and they need treatment and care, and the emotional impact and physical trials are bad enough. But fortunately, they have coverage that means they are spared from financial ruin. Crushing medical debt is the number one cause of bankruptcy still in this country today.\n\nSo the ability to access health care has real-life consequences. But instead of hearing about those financial and medical and emotional impacts today, we are going to be hearing about spurious claims of fraud, no real plan to fix them. One of the real Americans who relies on the ACA from your state, Mr. Chairman, is here with us today. And I again thank her for being here. And we should let the American people know that the agenda is trying to repeal the ACA. Because you will hear me say the ACA is not perfect. Health care costs in this country are way too high, no matter what kind of coverage you have. And we should work to bring down the cost of health care, whether it is pharmaceutical drugs or hospital charges, there are many things we could do to fix those problems. But forcing Americans who rely on the ACA to pay more, especially in this economy, will not help. And the American people said loud and clear on Tuesday that affordability is front and center on their minds. The affordability of rent and food and electricity and yes, health care and health care coverage. Millions of Americans have no other options than the ACA. And they can obtain coverage only through the ACA. One of them is Sarah Colon. She lives in Clearwater, Florida. And I want to tell you a little bit about her story. We are going to play a video.\n\nU.S. Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI): You are running out of time, how much longer is this going to go?\n\nBlumenthal: Well, Mr. Chairman, I think that\u2014\n\nJohnson: Turn this off.\n\n[Video clip]\n\nSarah Colon: Hi, my name is Sarah Colon. I live in Clearwater, Florida with my husband. We have a blended family of six kids. Our oldest is 24 and expecting a baby this month. The other five children live with us. Jordan, our second oldest, has muscular dystrophy and is permanently physically disabled in a wheelchair. Our other two college-age kids are in college. And our youngest are nine and 11. And these four are all on our health insurance. We have health insurance through the health care marketplace. We got it a couple of years ago when my husband was no longer eligible for health insurance through his employer due to needing to take a little bit of extra time to take care of Jordan, who\u2019s in a wheelchair and needs extra help. The marketplace was really the only option for us. For middle-class Americans who don't have private health insurance through their employer and don't qualify for Medicare or Medicaid, there isn\u2019t another option. So, we did apply through the marketplace, and we got health insurance. It is not cheap. The only thing that makes it even remotely possible is the tax credits that we get that help defray some of the cost of the insurance.\n\nWe found out this month that our health insurance costs are going to skyrocket to about $3700 a month, without these tax credits, and that is just completely impossible for our family to afford.\n\nOur house flooded last year during Hurricane Helene. We had to evacuate Jordan in a canoe. We just got back in our house in March, and, you know, we just got through a tremendous amount of renovations, a huge expense, and, you know, we are not really in a position where we can move because our house set up for Jordan. We have a handicapped accessible bathroom, we have widened door ways, his wheelchair can get around, and it wouldn\u2019t be able to in another place.\n\nBetween home insurance and flood insurance and health care, we would be looking at paying about half of our income just toward insurance. And this is completely unrealistic for a middle-class American family. My husband and I are hard workers. My husband voted for President Trump. We just want to have affordable health care for our family. It is really scary to think about dropping health care when you have two young kids\u2014the little things that happen, they get broken bones, sprains, things like that. And my husband and I want to have access to routine health care to make sure that we don't miss any health care issues as we get older in our 40's and 50's.\n\n[Video ends]\n\nBlumenthal: I\u2019m sorry, Mr. Chairman, if you want to cut me off\u2014\n\nJohnson: No, the Committee\u2014I am cutting you off. I am cutting you off right now. I\u2019m cutting you off right now.\n\nBlumenthal: But you cannot muzzle a Ranking Member under these rules, and you are stopping an opening statement just because you don't want to hear the facts. I think that\u2019s really regrettable\u2014\n\nJohnson: You can continue your opening statement.\n\nBlumenthal: And fortunately, my Republican colleagues, I think, are willing to listen to this story.\n\nJohnson: You can continue your opening statement, but let me make a ...\n\nBlumenthal: Let me just conclude by saying\u2014\n\nJohnson: You are going to conclude? That\u2019s good to hear.\n\nBlumenthal: \u2014that right now, millions of Americans are wondering what is happening in Washington, D.C. And watching this hearing, where the Chairman is trying to muzzle a Ranking Member who\u2019s simply calling attention to the facts surrounding the ACA\u2014\n\nJohnson: Totally untrue.\n\nBlumenthal: \u2014and the real-life stories of people like Sarah and Shayna Verstegen from Wisconsin indicates to me that we need to shine a light on what this effort is to repeal the ACA, and we need to stand strong in favor of affordable health insurance in the United States.\n\nThank you to all of the people who have come forward, contacted me, who are here today to bear witness and be advocates in favor of affordable health care for people in the United States. I have more that I'm going to say but just, let's be clear, \u201cAssessing the damage done by Obamacare,\u201d\u2014the name of this hearing\u2014 gives away the game plan. Republicans are refusing to extend enhanced tax credits because they hate the ACA more than they care about the pain that this move will inflict on families. Thank you.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/video-wisconsin-mom-testifies-at-senate-hearing-on-affordable-care-act-shuts-down-ron-johnson-for-attacking-aca-coverage-of-pre-existing-conditions", "Video: Wisconsin Mom Testifies at Senate Hearing on Affordable Care Act, Shuts Down Ron Johnson for Attacking ACA Coverage of Pre-Existing Conditions", "2025-11-06", "2025", "2025-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, DC] \u2013 Today, Shana Verstegen, a mother of two from Madison, Wisconsin, testified at a hearing in the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI) about the importance of extending enhanced premium tax credits for millions of Americans with Affordable Care Act marketplace plans. As Americans brace for a looming health care crisis that will put millions at risk of going uninsured, Republicans on PSI held a hearing today further seeking to undermine the ACA.\n\nU.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ranking Member of PSI, invited Verstegen to serve as the Minority\u2019s witness and share her story about how the enhanced premium tax credits help her family afford health insurance.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m here today as a proud user of the Affordable Care Act and the health care marketplace. Like so many other working families, I don\u2019t know what my family would do without it. My husband and I both work in the fitness industry as trainers and fitness instructors at a wonderful small gym in Madison. We love our jobs and work very hard helping others on a daily basis. We have been employed there since high school\u2014so almost 30 years,\u201d Verstegen said.\n\nVerstegen continued, \u201cWe are currently paying $460 each month for our family of four. Without the enhanced premium tax credits, our premiums are projected to increase to an unaffordable $700 a month in 2026. Losing enhanced premium tax credit support would create a real crisis for my family. Trust me, we\u2019ve cut back on spending in every way we know along with adding lots of additional work hours to both of our schedules.\u201d\n\nIn her testimony, Verstegen discussed how she became an advocate within the Huntington\u2019s disease community after her mother was diagnosed with, and later passed way from, the disease. In an exchange with U.S. Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI), Chairman of PSI, Verstegen called attention to how the ACA helps individuals with pre-existing conditions, such as Huntington\u2019s disease, access affordable health insurance, \u201cI do know that the Affordable Care Act is the only option for coverage for my family. It\u2019s the only option for coverage for Huntington\u2019s disease families, for entrepreneurs. And I would really hope that lawmakers would work together to help reign in this corporate spending to help bring that down, and quite honestly, yes, the premiums are going up but so is my gas, so is my electricity, so are my grocery prices. And I don\u2019t feel like the answer to this is to increase our premiums more. I know you said this is Democrat sponsored, but Republicans and everybody have the power to pass this extended premium tax credit, so our bills don\u2019t go up even more. I\u2019m not here to fix this today, but please help us for 2026.\u201d\n\nAfter Johnson suggested that the ACA\u2019s coverage for pre-existing conditions has driven up premium prices for people like Verstegen and suggested that people with pre-existing conditions should instead be put in a \u201chigh-risk pool,\u201d Verstegen said, \u201cRespectfully, Senator, if I had tested positive for Huntington\u2019s disease, what would my option have been then? I wouldn\u2019t have had an option.\u201d\n\nA video of Verstegen\u2019s testimony and her exchange with Johnson is available here. The full transcript of her testimony and exchange with Johnson is available below.\n\nMs. Verstegen: Good afternoon, Senators, and thank you for the opportunity to share my family story today. My name is Shana Verstegen, and I live in Madison, Wisconsin with my husband and our two wonderful little boys who are seven and 10 years old. I\u2019m a proud member of Moms Rising. I\u2019m here today as a proud user of the Affordable Care Act and the health care marketplace. Like so many other working families, I don\u2019t know what my family would do without it. My husband and I both work in the fitness industry as trainers and fitness instructors at a wonderful small gym in Madison. We love our jobs and work very hard helping others on a daily basis. We have been employed there since high school\u2014so almost 30 years. Due to the small number of full-time employees at our gym, the owners don\u2019t provide us with health insurance.\n\nSo, we purchased health coverage for our families through the ACA marketplace for many years. We are currently paying $460 each month for our family of four. Without the enhanced premium tax credits, our premiums are projected to increase to an unaffordable $700 a month in 2026. Losing enhanced premium tax credit support would create a real crisis for my family. Trust me, we\u2019ve cut back on spending in every way we know along with adding lots of additional work hours to both of our schedules. We rarely go out to eat. We haven\u2019t gone on vacation in years. And for 2026, we are looking at scaling back some of our children\u2019s sports and other activities our kids enjoy.\n\nWith the threat of the subsidy ending, we\u2019re exploring all of our options. My husband is even considering finding another job that offers employer-sponsored health coverage. That\u2019s been really emotional for us because although we are certainly not above working at a large realtor like Costco, it would mean setting aside the skills he went to college for and work that we truly love.\n\nWe are also considering shopping for a cheaper plan, most likely with a higher deductible, but that\u2019s risky for our financial stability. We also did talk about not being covered at all but with two kids, that didn't sound like a safe choice for our family. These options and decisions are tough, and quite frankly, really scary. We\u2019re middle-class healthy, hard-working family. And like so many others, we are struggling to make ends meet with the prices for food, housing, clothing, electricity, and everything else skyrocketing.\n\nThe prospect of our health insurance increasing by several hundred dollars is devastating for us. It will be a major financial blow to our family. This truly doesn\u2019t feel like it\u2019s about politics or polling or winners or losers in congress, families like mine in every state\u2014Red states, Blue states, everywhere in between, rely on the Affordable Care Act. This is about real families, real kids, and real health.\n\nSpeaking of health, I grew up with a mother who had Huntington\u2019s disease, a devastating neurological disorder. Living at risk of inheriting it myself I spent years fearing I would never be able to obtain health insurance. Although I ultimately tested negative for the disease, the Affordable Care Act gives me peace of mind that I will be covered no matter what health challenge I or my family may face. Sadly, many in the Huntington\u2019s disease community who have become like family to me did not receive that same test result. At our state chapter convention last weekend in the Wisconsin Dells, there was so much to celebrate. Just over a month ago, new research identified a potential treatment, a really big moment of hope for our community. But that hope was shadowed by fear. Many families expressed deep concern that the Affordable Care Act may be overturned and they may lose access to the essential health care that they depend on.\n\nNone of these individuals did anything to deserve the genetics they were delt. And they too deserve affordable, reliable health care, just like everyone of us. The Affordable Care Act is essential for entrepreneurs and small business employees like myself to afford health care coverage. The Affordable Care Act is essential to those with pre-existing conditions like Huntington\u2019s disease to afford health care coverage.\n\nThe Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credits are essential for millions of Americans to be able to afford health care coverage. I am here as an example of the people who you all represent. I am a working middle-class mom speaking for 24 million other Americans who rely on the affordable care act to keep children healthy, their bills manageable and their future secure.\n\nI ask you sincerely and urgently to stand with us and support the families who need you now more than ever.\n\nChair Johnson: Thank you, Ms. Verstegen. I will start with questioning. I purchased health care in Wisconsin for my smaller business, about 30 years. And it was quite a few years before we got over 100 employees, so I\u2019m very familiar with the small employee market. We actually had for one year when the companies were really trying to buy shares, we had zero-dollar deductibles. Literally everything was covered. There was no deductibles, there was nothing. I think next year they raised premiums 40%, we had to switch over. But we were talking about $100 deductible per person with out-of-pocket maximums of a couple thousand. I think when I left in 2010, the most I ever remember was a couple deductibles, $2,500 per person, with an out of pocket max of about $5,000. That is off the top of my head, but again, nothing like you are describing right now. So I would like to, and again, I appreciate you working with the staff trying to fill in the details here, but just would like to get a feel for what your current situation is and kind of where you\u2019ve been in terms of health care.\n\nSo, going back to 2013, I\u2019m showing you the rate of increase since the implementation of Obamacare, what kind of insurance did you have in 2013?\n\nMs. Verstegen: Yeah, in 2013 our gym was a little bit larger. It\u2019s a racquetball gym, so I don\u2019t know if any of you play racquetball, you probably don\u2019t know many who do, therefore, it has gotten to be much smaller. And back in 2013 we did have employee sponsored health care at that time.\n\nChair Johnson: So you did have employer-sponsored health care. Did you contribute anything to it?\n\nMs. Verstegen: I did. And it was actually \u2013\n\nChair Johnson: And I don\u2019t expect you to, do you remember approximately how much \u2013\n\nMs. Verstegen: No, I sure can, and I remember this because my husband and I weren\u2019t married yet and because I was a female of childbearing age, I paid almost $600 a month \u2013\n\nChair Johnson: Okay.\n\nMs. Verstegen: And he had to pay under $200 per month and we found that really unfair. So it was actually, even though it was employee sponsored, it was still quite unaffordable.\n\nChair Johnson: So then, 2014 and 15 you are also on employee sponsored care, correct?\n\nMs. Verstegen: Yes \u2013\n\nChair Johnson: It was the same one?\n\nMs. Verstegen: Yes.\n\nChair Johnson: Similar types of rates?\n\nMs. Verstegen: Yes.\n\nChair Johnson: So, you, again, were paying about $600 a month?\n\nMs. Verstegen: Yes. I can\u2019t give you, I apologize, I don't have the exact numbers on me.\n\nChair Johnson: So in 2016 your employer no longer covered employees. So you end up having to get your insurance through the Obamacare exchanges. Next thing I have is in 2019, you are paying $1,000 month for a silver plan?\n\nMs. Verstegen: In 2019, I don\u2019t know if it was a silver plan, I know it was a higher tier plan than we have right now.\n\nChair Johnson: That you chose?\n\nMs. Verstegen: Yes, I chose a higher plan, and it was about $1,000 per month.\n\nChair Johnson: Do you remember what the deductible was, and by the way do you have deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums? Is that how that works on your exchange?\n\nMs. Verstegen: This year I don\u2019t have deductibles, I have fairly high co-pays and an out-of-pocket maximum. I do not remember what my deductibles were in that year that I was paying about $1,000, but I know they were significantly less than they are now. We have a lower tier plan now.\n\nChair Johnson: Because now you saw you switch to the bronze plan, that was $250 per month, but you said that I\u2019m assuming it\u2019s the out-of-pocket maximum of $14,000 or is that just a deductible of $14,000?\n\nMs. Verstegen: The $14,000 I believe that was an out-of-pocket maximum. It\u2019s not $250 a month. It\u2019s $460 per month.\n\nChair Johnson: No in 2021,\n\nMs. Verstegen: In 2021 \u2013\n\nChair Johnson: It was $250 a month.\n\nMs. Verstegen: Okay, yeah. Yes, when we dropped to that lower tier plan, yes.\n\nChair Johnson: And you were getting subsidies back then?\n\nMs. Verstegen: I don\u2019t believe so.\n\nChair Johnson: Back in 2021, you weren\u2019t qualifying for subsidies?\n\nMs. Verstegen: I can\u2019t recall.\n\nChair Johnson: Okay, I would think paying $250 a month, you probably were. Can we put up this next chart? And I\u2019ve got this sheet in front of you. I\u2019ve tried to cobble together what I think was representative of the kind of plan you are on. I\u2019m not saying that this is yours, but this will be somewhat similar. This was the bronze plan. So, for 2025, you\u2019re saying that the net premium is 460, and I know in your House testimony, you had a subsidy of 800, so your gross premium was 1,260 a month. So on an annualized basis, that\u2019s $15,000 gross premium, you got a $9,600 subsidy and you paid $5,500. Okay. Now, in Wisconsin, we\u2019re actually not the national average is 26% increase year. We actually are about 17%. I did this based on 2026. So assuming the national average growth increase, your total annual premium is going to go from $15,000 to about $19,000, is that about what you are seeing? Probably a little bit less than that. It\u2019s probably a little less than that \u2013\n\nMs. Verstegen: A little less.\n\nChair Johnson: Because in Wisconsin, our average is about \u2013\n\nMs. Verstegen: A little less than that, yeah.\n\nChair Johnson: Somewhere around $18,000 or $19,000.\n\nMs. Verstegen: Yeah.\n\nChair Johnson: You are saying that you are going to be paying $700 per month. So that translates to $8,400 annually, correct?\n\nMs. Verstegen: Yes.\n\nChair Johnson: Times 12.\n\nMs. Verstegen: Yes.\n\nChair Johnson: So that means you will be getting a subsidy still of $10,600 roughly, about $10,000 subsidy.\n\nMs. Verstegen: No my subsidy is $420.\n\nChair Johnson: If your premium is 18-19,000, you\u2019re paying $8,400, you\u2019re going to get about a $10,000 subsidy even with the enhanced subsidies going away\u2014the temporary subsidies. Let me explain.\n\nMs. Verstegen: Yeah, enhanced was much more than that. Now it would go down to 400.\n\nChair Johnson: The last column is, what I did was I deflated the $19,000 back to 2013. That gives us $8,500 is what your premium\u2014similar type of plans would have been before the ACA. Then if I reinflate it based on employer-sponsored insurance going up about 64%, your premium should be less than $14,000. That is a $5,000 difference. Now if you inflated based on inflation 39%, you\u2019d be saving about $7,500 in premiums. So again, I\u2019m just laying this out. This is what\u2019s happening. So, there\u2019s no reason for a plan like yours to cost $19,000 per year. But even with the enhanced temporary subsidies. And again, we\u2019re not the ones that set those to expire, that\u2019s what the Democrats did. Even with those subsidies expiring, again, you will still be getting about 10-11,000 subsidy. The problem is the premium, the gross premium, and that is being \u2013 and we\u2019ll talk about this later with our other witnesses \u2013 that\u2019s Obamacare\u2019s faulty design. The fact that it forced all of the individuals like you, in these individual policies to bear the full cost of covering people with pre-existing conditions. Prior to Obamacare, in Wisconsin, we had something called high risk pool, it worked great. Now it wasn\u2019t perfect, we could\u2019ve tweaked it to make sure everybody with pre-existing conditions were covered, but Obamacare did away with those and put that full cost of covering people with the pre-existing conditions on the backs of people like you. That\u2019s why health care primarily is so expensive on the individual exchange. Many other reasons, but we will get that to with witnesses.\n\nMs. Verstegen: Is this a\u2014can I answer?\n\nChair Johnson: Sure.\n\nMs. Verstegen: I know it wasn\u2019t exactly a question, but again, I\u2019m not here to speak on\u2014I\u2019m clearly not an expert on why the co-pays and why the premiums and everything are rising, but I do know that the Affordable Care Act is the only option for coverage for my family. It\u2019s the only option for coverage for Huntington\u2019s disease families, for entrepreneurs. And I would really hope that lawmakers would work together to help reign in this corporate spending to help bring that down, and quite honestly, yes the premiums are going up but so is my gas, so is my electricity, so are my grocery prices. And I don\u2019t feel like the answer to this is to increase our premiums more. I know you said this is Democrat sponsored, but Republicans and everybody have the power to pass this extended premium tax credit so our bills don\u2019t go up even more. I\u2019m not here to fix this today, but please help us for 2026.\n\nChair Johnson: The reason this is your only option is Obamacare made it your only option. The reason you can\u2019t afford it is because Obamacare made premiums skyrocket. So again, it doesn\u2019t make any sense to throw hundreds of billions of dollars to hide and mask the faulty design of Obamacare. I\u2019m happy, I would be more than willing to sit down in good faith to work with Democrats to repair the damage done by Obamacare and transition to a system that actually keeps costs down, but again when you\u2019ve gone from an insurance policy that was somewhere around $8,000 before Obamacare, to now it is $19,000, four times more the rate of inflation. Yeah, everything is up 39%. Obamacare rates are up 169%. I forgot the exact figure. Again, it is a faulty design. And with that I\u2019ll turn it to \u2013\n\nMs. Verstegen: Respectfully, Senator, if I had tested positive for Huntington\u2019s disease, what would my option have been then? I wouldn\u2019t have had an option.\n\nChair Johnson: Again, we what would\u2019ve done is high-risk pools, we would\u2019ve had guaranteed you within those. The cost would have been spread over everybody. That\u2019s the way it was originally. Everybody, everybody participating \u2013\n\nMs. Verstegen: My friends who tested positive were not able to afford a plan.\n\nChair Johnson: Had a small percentage onto their insurance and it paid for the high-risk pools. It worked marvelously, but Obamacare outlawed that. But anyway, Senator Blumenthal.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/icymi-video-democratic-senators-sound-the-alarm-on-republicans-health-care-crisis-underscore-impact-of-premium-cliff-on-red-states", "ICYMI Video: Democratic Senators Sound the Alarm on Republicans' Health Care Crisis, Underscore Impact of Premium Cliff on Red States", "2025-11-05", "2025", "2025-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, DC] \u2013 In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) led fellow Democratic Senators in speaking on the Senate Floor about the health care crisis facing millions of Americans due to Republicans\u2019 refusal to extend enhanced premium tax credits for Affordable Care Act plans. The Senators underscored how higher premiums will impact Americans across Red and Blue states and called out President Trump and Republicans for blocking Democratic efforts to lower costs for families.\n\nU.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) joined Blumenthal in speaking on the Floor.\n\n\u201cA 60-year-old couple living in Raleigh, making $85,000 a year, currently pays $89 for the least expensive plan. Without these credits, they\u2019re going to be paying $1,893 per month. Same plan, same coverage, nothing better, just more money that is charged to people,\u201d said Blumenthal. \u201cRepublicans know that these increases are going to crush hardworking Americans. It is ludicrous to expect any American enrolled in one of these plans to have the disposable income to keep their coverage. This is not a partisan issue. I can\u2019t say it often enough. This is about ensuring that every American \u2013 regardless of their zip code or their income level or their partisan affiliation \u2013 has access to health insurance coverage they need to guarantee they can live healthy and productive lives.\u201d\n\n\u201cLast week, we learned from the Department of Insurance in Illinois that Illinois residents can expect to see a nearly 80 percent average cost increase for their Affordable Care Act health plans next year\u2014virtually doubling in the northern part of the state, tripling in the southern part of the state. Why? Because Republicans in Congress refuse to sit down with any Democrats and negotiate an extension of a crucial policy that helps tens of millions of Americans afford their health insurance,\u201d said Durbin.\n\n\u201cRepublicans passed this big, beautiful bill at the beginning of the year which intentionally sets our health care system on a death spiral. You can\u2019t pull $2 trillion out of the American health care system without parts of it collapsing \u2013 massive cuts to Medicaid, massive cuts to the Affordable Care Act, cuts to funding that goes to nursing homes. Seventeen million people losing their health care. A couple million immediately because of these Affordable Care Act subsidy cuts, but over time, 17 million people. That is a cataclysm. The reason we\u2019re shut down is because Republicans are refusing to negotiate with Democrats over our reasonable demand that we just make the pain of the big, beautiful bill a little bit less acute this fall, when premiums are scheduled to go up on American families by thousands of dollars. These people are worth fighting for. This principle that the government shouldn't exist to transfer money from the poor and the middle class, to the wealthy and the powerful, is a principle that is worth fighting for,\u201d said Murphy.\n\nPresident Trump and Republicans have refused to work with Democrats to extend premium tax credits that have helped millions of Americans afford health insurance. Now with open enrollment underway, Americans across the country are staring down increased insurance rates that are set to double and even triple\u2014including 18.7 million ACA marketplace enrollees in Red states. Coupled with Republicans\u2019 Medicare and Medicaid cuts that are set to go into effect next year, Americans are bracing for higher costs and a looming health care crisis that will put millions at risk of going uninsured.\n\nThe full video of the Senators\u2019 remarks on the Senate Floor can be found here.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/video-at-hearing-blumenthal-details-how-republicans-health-care-crisis-will-harm-veterans", "Video: At Hearing, Blumenthal Details How Republican's Health Care Crisis Will Harm Veterans", "2025-11-05", "2025", "2025-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, D.C.] \u2013 At a Senate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee hearing today, Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal underscored how veterans will be harmed by the health care crisis facing millions of Americans due to Republicans\u2019 refusal to extend enhanced premium tax credits for Affordable Care Act plans.\n\n\u201cOur veterans are suffering, just as Americans are, from looking at the exchanges and the premium on open enrollment, as we speak right now, at their kitchen tables, trying to figure out how they are going to afford health insurance. And they can\u2019t do it because premiums are doubling and tripling. Where are these veterans going to go?,\u201d pressed Blumenthal. \u201cIf eligible, they\u2019ll go to VA. And we\u2019ll see a dramatically increased reliance on VA health care, stretching the capacities of our docs, our nurses, our VA facilities generally, which are already suffering from cuts and furloughs unnecessarily imposed by this Administration\u2026cuts that have already eroded the Department\u2019s ability to support the needs of veterans. And according to the Department\u2019s actuarial firm: For every one percent of increased reliance on VA health care, VA can expect its costs to increase by $2.6 billion.1 percent. $2.6 billion. They don\u2019t have the money.\u201d\n\nPresident Trump and Republicans have refused to work with Democrats to extend premium tax credits that have helped millions of Americans afford health insurance. Now with open enrollment underway, Americans across the country\u2014including 18.7 million ACA marketplace enrollees in Red states\u2014are staring down increased health insurance rates that are set to double and even triple their monthly premiums. Coupled with Republicans\u2019 Medicare and Medicaid cuts that are set to go into effect next year, Americans, including millions of veterans, are bracing for higher costs and a looming health care crisis.\n\nDuring the hearing, Blumenthal noted that up to 1.75 million veterans and active-duty servicemembers rely on Medicaid, including one in ten veterans under the age of 65. Forty percent of these veterans rely on Medicaid as their sole coverage. He also noted that of the estimated 10.3 million individuals who are likely to lose Medicaid coverage because of the \u201cBig Beautiful Bill,\u201d 267,000 are veterans.\n\nBlumenthal also slammed President Trump for withholding funding for SNAP benefits\u2014emphasizing the harmful impact this is having on veterans: \u201cAnd the Administration, rather than curbing costs for the average American worker, including veterans, is prioritizing historic cuts, and I mean unprecedented cuts, in SNAP, Medicaid, and health care coverage. Americans often don\u2019t appreciate that veterans use these programs and depend on them. More than 1.2 million veteran households use SNAP, yet this Administration refuses to fully fund the program despite orders from courts that they do so. There\u2019s no equivalent service like SNAP through VA or any other federal program to serve as a safety net, meaning these cuts have devastating impacts on veterans and their families.\u201d\n\nHearing witnesses testified that cutting SNAP benefits hurts veterans, especially those transitioning from military to civilian life.\n\n\u201cIt is very difficult to transition without a military pension, without health care for life, and that is what the average veteran is doing when they head back to school. So it\u2019s no surprise to see benefits like SNAP and other things being relied on while you\u2019re back in school while you\u2019re trying to make ends meet. When those benefits go away, veterans are impacted and more than that\u2014their family members that rely on those benefits are impacted as well,\u201d said Jared Lyon, National President and CEO of Student Veterans of America.\n\n\u201cIt is a very serious concern\u2026Here recently, we have seen a surge in food insecurity and housing assistance requests. For food insecurity within the past 30 days, about a 46% month over month increase in food security assistance. And then around 35-36% increase in housing support\u2014financial assistance, rent, mortgage, utility assistance,\u201d said Mike Hutchings, CEO of Combined Arms.\n\nThe full text of Blumenthal\u2019s opening is copied below and a video link is available here.\n\nSen Richard Blumenthal (D-CT): Thanks, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for holding this hearing and thank you to all of our witnesses, an unusually large panel. But we appreciate every one of you. I want to thank particularly Holly Hermes, who is Yale University\u2019s Liaison for Military Families and Veterans. This office has enabled two of my sons, who have attended Yale Law School, to go there with more aid and service and companionship than they would have otherwise. One Marine Corps veteran who served in Afghanistan, the other a Navy SEAL veteran who, actually, is there right now. I hope he\u2019s in class. I am really honored to serve as Ranking Member on this committee along with very distinguished colleagues and let me come right to the point. We\u2019re here because we need to assure veterans that they have the information and services they need when they go from military service to civilian life, often continuing to serve our country. And I know about this transition because of my two sons and countless others whom I have watched and seen and sought to mentor as they go through this, sometimes, very, very difficult transition period when they need help from a VSO in filing a disability claim, or how best to use their earned education benefits, connect with local employers, or access assistance when they need it most. And unfortunately, this Administration has increased the difficulty of our veterans, not only in transitioning, but in living through civilian life after they leave the military. All Americans are struggling with the increased cost of rent, food, electricity, and yes, health care. Most especially health care insurance, which is why we as Democrats are standing firm that there has to be an extension of health care insurance tax credits or subsidies past the end of the year. And the Administration, rather than curbing costs for the average American worker, including veterans, is prioritizing historic cuts, and I mean unprecedented cuts, in SNAP, Medicaid, and health care coverage. Americans often don\u2019t appreciate that veterans use these programs and depend on them. More than 1.2 million veteran households use SNAP, yet this Administration refuses to fully fund the program despite orders from courts that they do so. There\u2019s no equivalent service like SNAP through VA or any other federal program to serve as a safety net, meaning these cuts have devastating impacts on veterans and their families. And at the same time, reductions in access to private health insurance, Medicaid, and funding for community health services\u2014we all know about the clinics that exist in the communities with federal support\u2014they will result in veterans relying more on VA for their health care and benefits. Here\u2019s a startling number. Up to 1.75 million veterans and active-duty service member households rely on Medicaid. Let me just give you that again. 1.75 million veterans and their households rely on Medicaid. And that\u2019s nearly one in ten veterans under the age of 65. Forty percent of them rely on Medicaid as their sole coverage, often due to ineligibility for Medicare or VA health care. Of the 10.3 million individuals who are likely to lose Medicaid coverage because of the great Big, Beautiful Bill, which I call the great Big Blatant Betrayal, 267,000 are veterans. And meanwhile, many veterans who escape the impacts of Medicaid cuts will instead lose their health care access when ACA premium tax credits expire, making their health care coverage unaffordable. Our veterans are suffering, just as Americans are, from looking at the exchanges and the premium on open enrollment, as we speak right now, at their kitchen tables, trying to figure out how they are going to afford health insurance. And they can\u2019t do it because premiums are doubling and tripling. Where are these veterans going to go? If eligible, they\u2019ll go to VA. And we\u2019ll see a dramatically increased reliance on VA health care, stretching the capacities of our docs, our nurses, our VA facilities generally, which are already suffering from cuts and furloughs unnecessarily imposed by this Administration. Their increased reliance will come on the heels of catastrophic and unnecessary cuts to VA\u2019s workforce and resources by Secretary Collins; cuts that have already eroded the Department\u2019s ability to support the needs of veterans. And according to the Department\u2019s actuarial firm: For every one percent of increased reliance on VA health care, VA can expect its costs to increase by $2.6 billion.1 percent. $2.6 billion. They don\u2019t have the money. Those costs have not been accounted for in the Department\u2019s funding requests or factored into Secretary Collins\u2019 plans for further cuts in VA resources. If veterans are not eligible for VA care, there is a real fear they\u2019ll simply lose access to health care completely. Our veterans losing access to health care seems unacceptable to me, but it\u2019s going to happen. Given the health care and cost-of-living crises in this country, the services provided by the groups here today are more critical than ever before. So, I want to just thank you, every one of you, and your organizations for what you do. I look forward to hearing your insights and recommendations on how we can make sure that veterans get what they need, what they deserve, what we have promised them. Thank you.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-joins-push-for-transparency-on-secretive-ice-air-operations-and-reports-of-improper-treatment-of-detainees", "Blumenthal Joins Push for Transparency on Secretive ICE Air Operations & Reports of Improper Treatment of Detainees", "2025-11-04", "2025", "2025-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[Hartford, CT] \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) joined colleagues in pressing the Trump Administration for answers regarding its use of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Air Operations (IAO) as part of its mass deportation agenda. In their letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and acting ICE Director Todd Lyons, the Senators raised concerns with the \u201cnear-total secrecy\u201d under which IAO operates in light of a series of troubling immigration enforcement actions that this Administration has taken \u2013 pointing to examples and credible reports of violations of detainees\u2019 rights and inhumane treatment while in ICE custody. They pressed Secretary Noem and acting Director Lyons for responses to a series of questions in the interest of providing much-needed transparency for Congress and the American public on these issues, including around the costs of operations, treatment of deportees, fleet and operations, carriers and contracting, flight data and destinations, and voluntary returns.\n\n\u201cWe write to express our concerns regarding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Air Operations\u2019 (IAO) severe lack of transparency. IAO has been at the center of troubling actions ICE has taken under this administration but provides no public data on its operations,\u201d the Senators began.\n\n\u201cIAO has been centrally involved in facilitating several concerning immigration enforcement actions under the second Trump Administration,\u201d they wrote, pointing to the wrongful deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the relocation of university student Rumeysa Ozturk before a judge could rule on her case, and the attempted deportation of unaccompanied minors to Guatemala without due process. \u201cThese cases paint a troubling picture of IAO attempting to shortcut due process rights and avoid or defy judicial authority.\n\n\u201cIAO operates in near-total secrecy. ICE does not provide any publicly accessible data on its flights, destinations, costs to taxpayers, or passengers,\u201d they continued. \u201cThe ICE Flight Monitor August 2025 report finds that flight volume is also trending upward, as the number of IAO flights has steadily increased throughout the year, with the months of May through August reaching higher figures than ever previously recorded.\u201d\n\n\u201cAdditionally, the conditions on board IAO flights have been described as \u2018dehumanizing\u2019 and even \u2018dangerous,\u2019\u201d they added. \u201cA recent lawsuit alleges that ICE put several detainees on a military cargo plane wearing straitjackets for 16 hours and did not tell them where they were going. [\u2026] Detainees have reportedly made hundreds of allegations of verbal, physical, and even sexual abuse by IAO personnel since 2010. In addition, numerous public accounts report medical emergencies and systemic limitations on access to critical care on board deportation flights. These reported conditions raise serious human rights concerns.\n\n\u201cGiven the complete opacity of IAO, the troubling actions the division has taken under this Administration, and the impending escalation of activities as ICE implements its newly-inflated budget and requests ever-more resources from Congress, ICE must provide greater transparency,\u201d they concluded, going on to list a series of questions for response by Secretary Noem and acting Director Lyons regarding the costs of operations, treatment of deportees, fleet and operations, carriers and contracting, flight data and destinations, and voluntary returns.\n\nThe letter was led by Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and signed by Blumenthal and Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.). The full text can be viewed here.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-spearheads-bill-to-require-transparency-in-the-pact-act-toxic-exposure-presumptive-decision-process-for-veterans", "Blumenthal Spearheads Bill to Require Transparency in the PACT Act Toxic Exposure Presumptive Decision Process for Veterans", "2025-11-04", "2025", "2025-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, D.C.] \u2013 Senate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) is introducing legislation today to require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide transparency to veterans on whether the Department is considering expanding or removing benefits for their specific toxic exposures or conditions and where VA is in the presumptive process, which was established by the PACT Act in 2022.\n\nThis comes on the heels of ProPublica reporting exposing the Trump Administration for rolling back benefits for a presumptive condition established under the landmark PACT Act for toxic-exposed veterans.\n\n\u201cThis measure guarantees essential information to veterans suffering from toxic exposure-related illnesses. They need and deserve to know whether their specific condition qualifies for PACT Act presumptive care and benefits. This is especially critical as the VA is reportedly rolling back coverage of conditions without scientific evidence,\u201d said Blumenthal.\n\nThe PACT Act provided VA resources and authorities to further expand the list of presumptive toxic exposure-related service-connected disabilities, which it has used to expand benefits for Agent Orange-exposed veterans and ease the burden of proof for burn pits exposed veterans diagnosed with leukemia, myelomas, bladder cancer and related genitourinary cancers.\n\nBlumenthal\u2019s bill\u2014the Presumptive Clear Legal Assessment and Review of Illnesses from Toxic Exposure Yields (CLARITY) Act\u2014would require VA to establish a public-facing website to educate toxic-exposed veterans on the processes it uses to determine which conditions are related to military toxic exposures. This would ensure veterans know if VA plans to add or remove their exposure or condition as a presumptive and instruct veterans on how they can provide input. Currently, VA lacks a consolidated website where veterans can access this information.\n\nProPublica\u2019s reporting revealed how the Trump VA is removing a presumptive condition for a rare but deadly cancer\u2014male breast cancer\u2014without scientific evidence to support their decision. This policy, leaked in an internal memo, will make it harder for veterans with this deadly cancer to get health care and strips them of their PACT Act benefits.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-saving-health-care-for-millions-of-americans-is-a-fight-worth-having", "Murphy: Saving Health Care For Millions Of Americans Is A Fight Worth Having", "2025-11-04", "2025", "2025-11", "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.) on Tuesday gave a fiery speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate hammering the life-or-death stakes of Republicans\u2019 refusal to negotiate with Democrats to end the government shutdown and protect access to health care for millions of Americans. With the ACA\u2018s open enrollment period beginning on November 1st, families across the country are facing catastrophic premium increases that will push many to simply forego health insurance altogether. Murphy urged his colleagues to keep up the fight and push for a solution to prevent millions of people from being thrown off a health care cliff.\n\nIn his speech, Murphy railed against the manufactured pain Donald Trump and Republicans have created for millions of working families across this country: \u201cThis is madness. The President of the United States is playing with people's lives right now. He may think it's funny. He may think he's scoring political points, but this is ultimately leading to ruin for people. And it is yet another example of the enthusiasm that this President and many of his enablers here in the United States Senate have for ruining people's lives so as to be able to pad the pockets of the very rich, the very wealthy, and the very powerful in this country. Why are we shut down right now? We are shut down primarily because Republicans have refused to negotiate with Democrats on whether or not we should write a budget that intentionally destroys the American health care system.\u201d\n\nAfter traveling to Trump\u2019s backyard this week to fight for Americans\u2019 health care, Murphy shared the story of one South Florida woman: \u201cKara Farley told us her story. She had a hard time telling us her story. We had a hard time listening to her story. Kara is a mother of four living in South Florida. She's already a cancer survivor, having survived ovarian cancer, but she just got a new diagnosis: a malignant melanoma. Her husband has a complicated form of diabetes in which he often has seizures if it goes untreated. And for 20 years, it went untreated and he was in and out of the hospital. Why? Because they were uninsured. They could not afford insurance. But the ACA and the subsidies saved them. But now Kara has this new diagnosis. She has visits planned out over the next several months to address, to try to treat this malignant melanoma. Her premiums are not going up by 10%, not by 20%, not by 50%, but by 100%. Her premiums are doubling. They cannot afford that. And so you know what conversation Kara and her husband are having? \u2018Which one of us is going to survive?\u2019 \u2026 This is a choice. This is a choice that our Republican colleagues have made to put families in this country through a kind of inhumane misery, deciding which parent will live, just to enrich people who are already making millions of dollars. This is a principle worth fighting for. These people are worth fighting for.\u201d\n\nAfter sharing the human costs of Republicans\u2019 cruel inaction, Murphy concluded: \u201cI'm glad to be here on this floor with my colleagues to explain in very real terms what this is about. This isn't about politics. This isn't about point scoring. This isn't about elections. This is about human beings that Republicans have intentionally decided to leave in a ruinous condition. And Democrats - I'm proud of my Democratic colleagues for standing up and fighting for a very simple premise: that if we're going to pass a budget, it better be a moral budget. If we're going to pass a budget, it better be a budget that doesn't send the health care system of South Florida and the health care system of many other parts of this country into a death spiral. As we left those families yesterday, they were begging us to keep up this fight\u2026 It's a fight worth having.\u201d\n\nA video of the speech is available HERE. A full transcript of the speech is available below.\n\nThank you, Mr. President.\n\nI thank my colleague from Connecticut for convening us here. This is a pretty normal thing that we do on a regular basis. We come down here and talk about something that we care about. But it is kind of worth noting that this is a very unusual moment. Most of the discussions I've had in the last hour are trying to figure out whether we are paying food stamp benefits or we're not paying food stamp benefits. I don't know if the presiding officer or any Republicans who may wander onto the floor of the Senate could help us, but there are millions of really hungry families out there who have no idea whether they're getting nutrition benefits or not. The law says they have to get benefits because Republicans and Democrats have put into the law a requirement that the president, during a shutdown, use a contingency fund which is flush with money, $5 billion, to pay those benefits. The President has, alternatively over the past 72 hours, said he's paying them, he's not paying them, he's going to comply with a court order, he's not going to comply with the court order.\n\nThis is madness. The President of the United States is playing with people's lives right now. He may think it's funny. He may think he's scoring political points, but this is ultimately leading to ruin for people. And it is yet another example of the enthusiasm that this President and many of his enablers here in the United States Senate have for ruining people's lives so as to be able to pad the pockets of the very rich, the very wealthy, and the very powerful in this country.\n\nWhy are we shut down right now? We are shut down primarily because Republicans have refused to negotiate with Democrats on whether or not we should write a budget that intentionally destroys the American health care system. Republicans passed this Big, Beautiful Bill at the beginning of the year which intentionally sets our health care system on a death spiral. You can't pull $2 trillion out of the American health care system without parts of it collapsing. Massive cuts to Medicaid, massive cuts to the Affordable Care Act, cuts to funding that goes to nursing homes. 17 million people losing their health care. A couple million immediately because of these Affordable Care Act subsidy cuts but, over time, 17 million people.\n\nThat is a cataclysm. That is a cataclysm. The reason we're shut down is because Republicans are refusing to negotiate with Democrats over our \u201cunreasonable\u201d demand that we just make the pain of the Big, Beautiful Bill a little bit less acute this Fall, when premiums are scheduled to go up on American families by thousands of dollars. These people are worth fighting for. This principle - that the government shouldn't exist to transfer money from the poor and the middle class to the wealthy and the powerful - is a principle that is worth fighting for.\n\nYesterday, Senator Warren, Senator Smith and I took a trip down to South Florida. Why did we go to South Florida? Because in South Florida is the highest concentration of people in this country who rely on the Affordable Care Act for their health care coverage. In fact, in many parts of South Florida, one out of every four families gets their health care from the Affordable Care Act. They also need these subsidies to be able to make their health care affordable. The decision that we are making now - are we going to continue the subsidies or are we not - it is a matter of life and death for everybody who relies on those subsidies in America, but in particular in South Florida.\n\nAnd I guess I just want to share what we're talking about here. We met a gentleman by the name of Seth Grossman. He is a small business owner. He's a husband. He's a father. He's got a wife with a diagnosis of cancer. And the ACA is what pays their medical bills. He just went on to the exchange to see what his increase will be for the year. $1,000 would have been hard to handle. They run on a pretty tight budget. $5,000, well, that's a head scratcher, how the Grossmans are going to figure that out. $10,000, wow, that would be pretty bad. $18,000 increase for the Grossmans for their health care! An $18,000 increase in their premiums because of what Republicans did intentionally so that they could muster up enough money to give a massive tax cut to corporations and the wealthy. My Republican colleagues decided to increase premiums on the Grossmans by $18,000 - they got a cancer diagnosis that they are trying to pay for - just so that they could help out their wealthy and powerful friends.\n\nBut it gets worse. Kara Farley told us her story. She had a hard time telling us her story. We had a hard time listening to her story. Kara is a mother of four living in South Florida. She's already a cancer survivor, having survived ovarian cancer, but she just got a new diagnosis: a malignant melanoma. Her husband has a complicated form of diabetes in which he often has seizures if it goes untreated. And for 20 years, it went untreated and he was in and out of the hospital. Why? Because they were uninsured. They could not afford insurance. But the ACA and the subsidies saved them. But now Kara has this new diagnosis. She has visits planned out over the next several months to address, to try to treat this malignant melanoma. Her premiums are not going up by 10%, not by 20%, not by 50%, but by 100%. Her premiums are doubling. They cannot afford that. And so you know what conversation Kara and her husband are having? Which one of us is going to survive? We can't afford health care for both of us so, for our kids, which one of us should get treated and which one of us shouldn't? Why are you putting people through that just so that you can give a new $270,000 tax cut to the very wealthy in this country?\n\nThis is a choice. This is a choice that our Republican colleagues have made to put families in this country through a kind of inhumane misery, deciding which parent will live, just to enrich people who are already making millions of dollars. This is a principle worth fighting for. These people are worth fighting for. We are shut down today because Republicans refuse to even talk to Democrats about a path forward to make sure that Kara and her husband don't have to choose which of them live.\n\nIt's an abomination that we're even in that conversation. And I'm glad to be here on this floor with my colleagues to explain in very real terms what this is about. This isn't about politics. This isn't about point scoring. This isn't about elections. This is about human beings that Republicans have intentionally decided to leave in a ruinous condition. And Democrats - I'm proud of my Democratic colleagues for standing up and fighting for a very simple premise: that if we're going to pass a budget, it better be a moral budget. If we're going to pass a budget, it better be a budget that doesn't send the health care system of South Florida and the health care system of many other parts of this country into a death spiral. As we left those families yesterday, they were begging us to keep up this fight, begging us not to give in, begging us not to cave. It's a fight worth having.\n\nI yield the floor.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-demands-answers-from-secret-donors-to-trumps-white-house-ballroom-project-presses-donors-on-potential-deals-made-in-exchange-for-undisclosed-contributions", "Blumenthal Demands Answers from Secret Donors to Trump's White House Ballroom Project, Presses Donors on Potential Deals Made in Exchange for Undisclosed Contributions", "2025-11-03", "2025", "2025-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, DC] \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ranking Member of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI), demanded answers from donors to President Trump\u2019s ballroom project who had been kept secret by the White House.\n\nRecent reporting has revealed that the White House omitted the names of several individuals and corporations on their publicly released list of donors to the ballroom project. In letters sent today to each of the donors kept anonymous by the White House, Blumenthal is seeking all documents, records, and communications related to their contributions to the White House ballroom project, including the terms of their donations and why it was not previously disclosed.\n\n\u201cMost recently, The New York Times identified several donors for the ballroom who had been kept secret by the White House, completely belying the Administration\u2019s claims of transparency, and raising serious questions about why the Administration and these donors sought to keep their donations a secret in the first place. You have been identified as one of the donors to this project who chose to remain anonymous,\u201d Blumenthal wrote in a letter to Larry Fink, chairman and CEO of BlackRock Inc.\n\nBlumenthal continued, \u201cAs one of the individuals or entities identified as a secret donor to the East Wing demolition and ballroom construction, you possess critical information about the Administration\u2019s management of this project, how your contribution was obtained, why your donation was not publicly disclosed, and what President Trump or his representatives may have agreed to provide in exchange.\u201d\n\nAs PSI Ranking Member, Blumenthal has written to all donors previously made public by the White House. A compilation of those letters can be found here. Additionally, last week, Blumenthal wrote to the lead architect, construction firm, and engineering firm working on President Trump\u2019s ballroom project, seeking information about the contractors became involved in the project and the terms of their selection to participate. Letter to the contractors can be found here.\n\nThe full text of letters sent today to secret donors for the ballroom project is available here and below.\n\nDear Mr. Fink:\n\nSince July 2025, President Trump has solicited $300 million in private donations to build what has been presented to donors and the public as \u201cthe President Donald J. Trump Ballroom.\u201d[1] Despite assurances from the White House that President Trump has been \u201cincredibly transparent\u201d about the project, as well as a claim that the Administration had \u201creleased the full list of donors thus far,\u201d[2] critical details about the plans for the project have changed numerous times, including its total cost and scope.[3] Most recently, the New York Times identified several donors for the ballroom who had been kept secret by the White House, completely belying the Administration\u2019s claims of transparency, and raising serious questions about why the Administration and these donors sought to keep their donations a secret in the first place.[4] You have been identified as one of the donors to this project who chose to remain anonymous.[5] Pursuant to Senate Rule XXV of the Standing Rules of the Senate and Senate Resolution 94 (119th Cong.), Section 12, I write to request information regarding the terms of your donation and why it was not previously disclosed.\n\nWhen President Trump announced the ballroom project in July 2025, he assured the American public that the new ballroom \u201cwon\u2019t interfere with the current building. It\u2019ll be near it, but not touching.\u201d[6] Yet last month\u2014without advance notice to Congress or the public\u2014the entire East Wing of the White House was demolished to make way for the new ballroom.[7] Photos of construction crews leveling the most iconic residence in America shocked the public and prompted alarm among historians and preservationists about what irreplaceable American heritage may have been lost.[8]\n\nThe use of private donations to fund this project raises questions that Americans deserve to have answered. Many of the donors have deep financial, business, or other personal interests before the Administration.[9] Many questions remain about the fundraising for this project including amount of each contribution, the agreement reached with each contributor, what promises may have been or may yet be made in exchange for what presumably will be substantial contributions, and why the White House chose to allow donors to remain anonymous and then lie to the public about that fact.[10] The American people are entitled to all the relevant facts about who is funding the most substantial construction project at the White House in recent history.\n\nAs one of the individuals or entities identified as a secret donor to the East Wing demolition and ballroom construction, you possess critical information about the Administration\u2019s management of this project, how your contribution was obtained, why your donation was not publicly disclosed, and what President Trump or his representatives may have agreed to provide in exchange. To assist the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations in its inquiry into the financing of the demolition of the East Wing and construction of the new ballroom, please preserve all documents, records,[11] and communications[12] related to your contributions to the White House Ballroom project, and provide the following information by November 14, 2025:\n\nPlease list all White House personnel or other representatives or associates of the Trump Administration or Trump family with whom you have spoken about the donation.\n\nPlease identify the individual or individuals who solicited your donation, including the date(s) of any and all solicitations.\n\nPlease describe the scope and nature of the discussions or negotiations with each individual listed.\n\nWhat amount did you contribute to the White House Ballroom project?\n\nWas this amount suggested to you by the President, Trump Administration officials, or other individuals representing or otherwise affiliated with the President or his family?\n\nIf not, how did you determine the amount you contributed?\n\nDid you receive any documentation memorializing your donation or otherwise providing a receipt for the funds that you provided? If so, please provide a copy of that documentation.\n\nDid you enter into any formal agreement or other written terms in connection with your donation? If so, please produce a copy of that agreement.\n\nAt what point did the White House offer you a choice for whether your name would appear on the list of donors released by the White House?\n\nWhy did you choose to have your name remain anonymous?\n\nPlease provide a list of all lobbying contacts you or anyone working on your behalf has made with the White House, or any executive agency, since January 20, 2025, including the date and subject matter of each meeting.\n\nPlease contact the Subcommittee if you have any questions about responding to these requests. Thank you for your attention to this matter.\n\nSincerely,\n\n-30-\n\n[1] Kenneth P. Vogel, Trump\u2019s Team Offers to Keep Some Ballroom Donors Incognito, New York Times (Nov. 1, 2025), https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/01/us/politics/trumps-team-offers-to-keep-some-ballroom-donors-incognito.html.\n\n[2] The National Desk, Karoline Leavitt faces barrage of questions over Trump's White House ballroom construction, cost YouTube (Oct. 23, 2025) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z988ECzreSI.\n\n[3] Zachary Small and Ashley Wu, Architects Urged a Review of Trump\u2019s Ballroom. Cue the Demolition Crew., N.Y. Times (Oct. 21, 2025), https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/21/arts/design/trump-ballroom-architects-review.html.\n\n[4] Kenneth P. Vogel, Trump\u2019s Team Offers to Keep Some Ballroom Donors Incognito, New York Times (Nov. 1, 2025), https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/01/us/politics/trumps-team-offers-to-keep-some-ballroom-donors-incognito.html.\n\n[5] Victoria Bisset, Here are the donors contributing to Trump\u2019s White House ballroom, Wash. Post (Oct. 24, 2025), https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/10/24/trump-white-house-ballroom-donors-list/.\n\n[6] Jonathan Edwards, Trump plans $200M ballroom he\u2019s long sought in East Wing expansion, Wash. Post (July 31, 2025), https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/07/31/trump-ballroom-east-wing-overhaul/.\n\n[7] Aaron Blake, Why Trump\u2019s sudden East Wing demolition is extraordinary \u2014 and dicey, CNN (Oct. 22, 2025), https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/22/politics/white-house-east-wing-demolition-trump.\n\n[8] Zachary Small and Ashley Wu, Architects Urged a Review of Trump\u2019s Ballroom. Cue the Demolition Crew., N.Y. Times (Oct. 21, 2025), https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/21/arts/design/trump-ballroom-architects-review.html; Aaron Blake, Why Trump\u2019s sudden East Wing demolition is extraordinary \u2014 and dicey, CNN (Oct. 22, 2025), https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/22/politics/white-house-east-wing-demolition-trump.\n\n[9] Cat Zakrzewski and Jonathan Edwards, Trump wants a White House ballroom. These companies are funding it., Wash Post (Oct. 15, 2025), https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/10/15/trump-ballroom-donations-companies/.\n\n[10] Victoria Bisset, Here are the donors contributing to Trump\u2019s White House ballroom, Wash. Post (Oct. 24, 2025), https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/10/24/trump-white-house-ballroom-donors-list/.\n\n[11] For purposes of this request, \u201crecords\u201d include any written, recorded, or graphic material of any kind, including letters, memoranda, reports, notes, electronic data (emails, email attachments, and any other electronically-created or stored information), direct messages, chats, calendar entries, inter-office communications, meeting minutes, phone/voice mail or recordings/records of verbal communications, and drafts (whether or not they resulted in final documents).\n\n[12] For purposes of this request, \u201ccommunications\u201d include any records, as defined above, transmitted in any way between two or more individuals or entities.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/with-trump-and-republicans-mia-from-washington-senators-murphy-smith-and-warren-meet-with-floridians-hardest-hit-by-republican-health-care-crisis", "With Trump and Republicans MIA from Washington, Senators Murphy, Smith, and Warren Meet with Floridians Hardest Hit by Republican Health Care Crisis", "2025-11-03", "2025", "2025-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", "chrismurphy", "https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "MIAMI, FL\u2014Today, U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) traveled to Miami, Florida to host a roundtable with Floridians struggling with the rising health care costs and massive coverage cuts caused by President Trump and his Republican allies in Congress.\n\nWhile Trump throws lavish parties and House Republicans refuse to show up for work, Americans who rely on the ACA for health insurance are seeing their premiums double or triple. As the top market for ACA insurance coverage in the country, South Florida is the epicenter of this Republican-made crisis. According to estimates, nearly a third of the 4.7 million Floridians enrolled in ACA plans could lose coverage because of Donald Trump and Republicans\u2019 cuts to Medicaid and ACA tax credits.\n\nSenators Murphy, Smith, and Warren sat down with Floridians who rely on the ACA tax credits, health care providers, and union members in Miami to hear the real-life consequences of Republicans\u2019 refusal to come to the table and negotiate an end to the government shutdown that lowers health care costs for working Americans.\n\nFind excerpts of the roundtable discussion below:\n\nSenator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) emphasized the importance of traveling to Miami-Dade to speak to Floridians facing the most extreme impacts of Republicans\u2019 health care attacks: \u201cDonald Trump and Republicans in Washington would rather shut down the government than help make health care affordable for more Americans. It\u2019s just that straightforward. We\u2019re here, particularly in Miami-Dade, because you\u2019re ground zero in absorbing the pain from the Republicans\u2019 cuts. You are the ones who will lose more people off health care altogether, and more people will see their premiums go up than any place else in the country.\u201d\n\nSenator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) put a spotlight on Republicans\u2019 bankrupt priorities after they passed tax cuts for billionaires this summer while creating a health care crisis for everyday Americans: \u201cLast summer, Donald Trump and Republicans passed the \u2018Big Beautiful Bill,\u2019 and in that bill, they found ways of drastically cutting Medicaid and they found ways of extending huge tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans and the biggest corporations. But what they couldn't figure out how to do is how to pass the affordable tax credits for the ACA that actually make health insurance affordable for regular people. And so, here we are at this moment, where people are opening up to shop on the exchange, and in some cases they\u2019re seeing that their costs are going up thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars a year, and people just can\u2019t afford it.\u201d\n\nSenator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) outlined the stakes of the shutdown fight, demanding Republicans come to the table and work with Democrats to stop the devastating health care crisis they created: \u201cThis fight matters. As you know, the government is shut down right now, and what Democrats have said is that we want to get the government open, but not with an immoral budget that throws millions of people off their health care\u2026 If we're going to fund the government, let's fund a government that doesn't result in the kind of devastation of the health care system that is planned under the current trajectory. Are we going to help the billionaires and the corporations? Are we going to help regular people throughout the country?\u201d\n\nScott Darius, the executive director of Florida Voices for Health, a nonprofit advocacy organization working to improve health care outcomes in the state, highlighted the millions in Florida who will suffer as a result of health care premium subsidies expiring: \u201cWe\u2019re in a really precarious moment in health care. I think for as long as I\u2019ve been in this work, it\u2019s the one moment where we\u2019ve had so many people at risk of losing their access to care, and that\u2019s a big deal. 4.7 million Floridians are enrolled in the marketplace. 1 million - over 1 million of them here in Miami-Dade County alone\u2026 so all of that to say: Florida, we\u2019re the epicenter. We\u2019re where things will get bad if we aren\u2019t able to extend these enhanced premium tax credits.\u201d\n\nFrancoise Cham, a single mom with a family history of heart disease, shared the impossible choice she faces with skyrocketing premium costs: \u201cI\u2019m a single mom, I\u2019m self-employed, and before the ACA came about, I spent 25 years without insurance. I could never keep a nine-to-five job because I had to take care of my parents and a brother who was paralyzed. And in that process, I became a mother, so I have four people relying on me\u2026 The other day, I went online to check to see what my premium would be, and it went up by more than 250%. So now, I have to decide: food or my premium.\u201d\n\nKara Farley, a cancer survivor whose husband is diabetic, said she feared having to choose between her care or his: \u201cI qualify for the ACA plan with a tax credit subsidy for myself and my husband. Prior to this, I didn\u2019t have insurance at all. Back in 2008, I went through an ovarian cancer diagnosis. I was diagnosed in an emergency room, where I went with pain symptoms. I had to have all of my treatment done without insurance, which sent me into medical debt for years. My husband is a type one diabetic who also suffers from seizures. .. In 2021, we qualified for a tax credit subsidy through the Affordable Care Act, and it has made an everlasting difference for us\u2026 My husband hasn\u2019t been to the emergency room with a diabetic episode in over four years\u2026 I did check the marketplace and our insurance is going up double what we\u2019re paying now\u2026 I honestly don\u2019t know where we\u2019ll find that extra money in our budget, and I don\u2019t want to be back in a position where we\u2019re trying to decide if I can get treatment or my husband does.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-statement-on-court-rulings-ordering-trump-administration-to-continue-providing-some-snap-benefits", "Blumenthal Statement on Court Rulings Ordering Trump Administration to Continue Providing Some SNAP Benefits", "2025-10-31", "2025", "2025-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, D.C.] \u2013 U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) issued the following statement after federal courts ordered the Trump Administration to continue providing some benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during the government shutdown:\n\n\u201cWhile I welcome this court order, it\u2019s only a temporary stop gap\u2014 a band aid on a deeper, gaping wound. Millions of Americans are struggling to put food on the table\u2014 a harsh reality that President Trump has abjectly failed to recognize, and Republicans have made worse by refusing to work with Democrats on reopening the government and providing access to health care. The Administration is forcing Americans to make unconscionable choices, like whether to feed a hungry child or to take them to a doctor for medical treatment. Americans see through this cruelly malign strategy\u2014 inflicting pain to maximize political pressure. They\u2019re using our most vulnerable Americans as political pawns.\u201d\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:32:54Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/senator-blumenthal-week-in-review-10/24/25-10/31/2025", "Senator Blumenthal: Week in Review 10/24/25-10/31/2025", "2025-10-31", "2025", "2025-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "Fighting for Americans\u2019 Access to Affordable Health Care\n\n[WASHINGTON, D.C.] \u2013 U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) spoke on the Senate Floor calling out Republicans for refusing to join Democrats in protecting affordable health care by extending Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits.\n\nLast week, more than 15,000 residents across Connecticut received letters warning of expected health insurance premium increases for 2026. If Republicans continue to refuse to come to the table and work with Democrats on extending the ACA tax credits, millions of people will suffer as premiums rise to incomprehensible levels.\n\n\u201cWe\u2019re in the midst of a health care crisis\u2026The American people know that this crisis is real and urgent, because they know if you don\u2019t have your health, you don\u2019t have anything. That old saying epitomizes the importance of health care when it affects our children, who can\u2019t get health care for themselves, our seniors, who also depend on others, and everyday Americans across the country, who are at their kitchen tables tonight, or workplaces, with their families, wondering when will it happen?\u201d said Blumenthal. \u201cEverybody needs health care, and it should be regarded as a human right. And we face an imminent and real and present crisis right now for millions of Americans who will no longer be able to afford health care insurance, beginning in days or weeks, because premiums are skyrocketing.\u201d\n\nIn his remarks, Blumenthal highlighted the stories of Connecticut residents facing astronomical health insurance premium increases.\n\n\u201cFor example, a couple in their 60s, living in Hartford, Connecticut, our capital, making a hundred thousand dollars a year, will go from paying $260.83 to $2,614.60. That\u2019s for the same plan,\u201d Blumenthal said. \u201cA family of four living in Hartford, making $159,767, roughly $160,000 a year, the average salary for a family of four in our state would be forced to pay $1,159.52 more. They go from $796.65 this year to $1,956.17 next year. I don\u2019t know how they can afford it. And the simple answer is probably they can\u2019t, and that family will be at risk of financial catastrophe without health care insurance coverage.\u201d\n\nA video of Blumenthal\u2019s speech is available here.\n\nBlumenthal further called out President Trump and congressional Republicans for the looming health care crisis on Twitter/X.\n\n\u201cWith health insurance premiums doubling or even tripling, Trump & Republicans are making CT families & Americans nationwide choose between affordable health care or putting food on the table. It\u2019s cruel & unnecessary & will undoubtedly cost people their health & their lives,\u201d wrote Blumenthal on Twitter/X.\n\nBlumenthal highlighted the story of a Connecticut constituent who is suffering from the health care crisis created by President Trump and congressional Republicans on Twitter/X.\n\n\u201cRepublicans would like you to believe that we can deal with the health care crisis they\u2019ve created \u2018later.\u2019 For my constituents like Jessica, \u2018later\u2019 isn\u2019t an option,\u201d wrote Blumenthal with an accompanying video on Twitter/X.\n\nBlumenthal joined U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Indiana State Senator and Minority Leader Shelli Yoder to discuss how the impending health care crisis caused by Republicans will impact families across the country. The Senators called on President Trump and Congressional Republicans to work with Democrats on a bipartisan solution that would extend the credits, keep costs from skyrocketing, and reopen the government.\n\n\u201cWhat we face here is a monster. It is an absolutely scary specter of Americans losing health care, and if you don\u2019t think that\u2019s scary, you should talk to the every-day American\u2014whether it\u2019s in Indiana or Connecticut\u2014who worries about putting food on the table, paying the rent or mortgage, giving their kids clothing, and now, potentially doubling and tripling their premiums. They can\u2019t afford it. It\u2019s that simple. And so, there\u2019s an urgency here\u2014Americans can\u2019t afford to get sick on Donald Trump\u2019s timetable,\u201d said Blumenthal.\n\nCalling for Protections to SNAP Benefits\n\nBlumenthal issued the following statement after federal courts ordered the Trump Administration to continue providing some benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during the government shutdown:\n\n\u201cWhile I welcome this court order, it\u2019s only a temporary stop gap\u2014 a band aid on a deeper, gaping wound. Millions of Americans are struggling to put food on the table\u2014 a harsh reality that President Trump has abjectly failed to recognize, and Republicans have made worse by refusing to work with Democrats on reopening the government and providing access to health care. The Administration is forcing Americans to make unconscionable choices, like whether to feed a hungry child or to take them to a doctor for medical treatment. Americans see through this cruelly malign strategy\u2014 inflicting pain to maximize political pressure. They\u2019re using our most vulnerable Americans as political pawns.\u201d\n\nExpanding Social Security Benefits for Seniors\n\nBlumenthal along with U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), and U.S. Representative Nikki Budzinski (D-IL) introduced the bicameral Boosting Benefits and COLAs for Seniors Act, legislation to protect and expand Social Security benefits for older adults. As Social Security benefits have failed to accurately account for rising costs and inflation, the Boosting Benefits and COLAs for Seniors Act makes necessary changes to the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) formula, better supporting older Americans who rely on Social Security benefits. This year\u2019s COLA was announced last week as 2.8 percent\u2014a number that three out of four Americans aged 50 and older say is not enough to keep up with rising prices.\n\n\u201cThis overdue measure makes necessary adjustments to Social Security benefits\u2014more accurately accounting for rising prices and inflation\u2014to better support older Americans,\u201d said Blumenthal. \u201cOur nation\u2019s seniors are struggling to afford basic necessities like food, medication, and clothing, and the overall cost of living index may not reflect their particular needs. This legislation ensures that older Americans have the support they deserve to live with dignity.\u201d\n\nThe Boosting Benefits and COLAs for Seniors Act directs the Social Security Administration to adjust benefits based on the Consumer Price Index for Americans aged 62 or older (CPI-E), whereas current benefits are based off the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners (CPI-W). The CPI-E takes into account more of the costs incurred by older Americans, such as medical expenses\u2014making it more a more reflective index to use when calculating benefits.\n\nThe full text of the bill can be found here.\n\nSlamming Trump\u2019s Assault on Voting Rights\n\nBlumenthal spoke on the Senate Floor slamming the Trump Administration\u2019s continued efforts to suppress voters and attack the right to vote itself\u2014including rigging election maps, intimidating election officials, and undermining the Voting Rights Act. Blumenthal\u2019s remarks come as voters head to the polls on November 4th.\n\n\u201cWhat has always separated America from other nations around the world is the right to vote. But as we stand here, this cherished right is coming under attack, because in 2026, we can expect a continuation of what is happening in these last nine months\u2014that the Trump Administration is doing everything it can to undermine the confidence in elections and sow distrust in the election process,\u201d said Blumenthal. \u201cIt\u2019s like a spider weaving a web. The Trump Administration has crafted multiple strands when combined together, attack and change the voting landscape in a way that America will not recognize. Trump is attempting to strip power from the states, consolidate it for himself, and subvert the will of the people. It is systematic. It\u2019s strategic. And it is deeply and urgently serious.\u201d\n\nBlumenthal called upon his colleagues and the American public to decidedly stand against President Trump\u2019s attack on voters and to promote fair and free elections, saying \u201cNow, each of these individual actions of anti-election assault is serious and significant, but each action needs to be seen together as something deeper and broader. It is the sum and substance of totalitarianism. Not at some distant point in the future, not a vague storm cloud on the horizon, but the destruction of democracy here and now. As we approach our democracy's 250th anniversary, we can't afford the luxury of defeatism or despair or complacency.\u201d\n\nA video of Blumenthal\u2019s full remarks can be found here.\n\nBlumenthal Bulletin\n\nBlumenthal introduced legislation protecting children from AI chatbots.\n\nBlumenthal spoke at a press conference on the dangers of Big Tech\u2019s exploitative AI chatbots.\n\nBlumenthal questioned White House ballroom contractors on their participation in the construction project and the terms of their involvement.\n\nBlumenthal joined advocates from Veterans Service Organizations in slamming the dangerous narrative that VA\u2019s disability compensation process is \u2018too generous\u2019 at a hearing.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:32:54Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/icymi-video-blumenthal-sounds-alarm-on-voter-suppression-as-trumps-attacks-on-the-right-to-vote-mount", "ICYMI Video: Blumenthal Sounds Alarm on Voter Suppression As Trump's Attacks on the Right to Vote Mount", "2025-10-30", "2025", "2025-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, DC] \u2013 In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) spoke on the Senate Floor yesterday slamming the Trump Administration\u2019s continued efforts to suppress voters and attack the right to vote itself\u2014including rigging election maps, intimidating election officials, and undermining the Voting Rights Act. Blumenthal\u2019s remarks come as voters head to the polls on November 4th.\n\n\u201cWhat has always separated America from other nations around the world is the right to vote. But as we stand here, this cherished right is coming under attack, because in 2026, we can expect a continuation of what is happening in these last nine months\u2014that the Trump Administration is doing everything it can to undermine the confidence in elections and sow distrust in the election process,\u201d said Blumenthal. \u201cIt\u2019s like a spider weaving a web. The Trump Administration has crafted multiple strands when combined together, attack and change the voting landscape in a way that America will not recognize. Trump is attempting to strip power from the states, consolidate it for himself, and subvert the will of the people. It is systematic. It\u2019s strategic. And it is deeply and urgently serious.\u201d\n\nBlumenthal called out the Trump Administration\u2019s use of poll monitors and redistricting efforts, saying, \u201cThese are the actions of desperate politicians. Desperate because they know how deeply unpopular their policies are with voters, policies of stripping people of their health care, cutting taxes for the rich, and sending the military into American streets. Instead of changing those policies to win over voters, the Trump Administration is seeking to disenfranchise the voters, suppress votes, and rig these elections by shamelessly moving voters to new districts. The ones who suffer are the voters. Their voices are ignored and often silenced by frightened partisan politicians.\u201d\n\nBlumenthal called upon his colleagues and the American public to decidedly stand against President Trump\u2019s attack on voters and to promote fair and free elections, saying \u201cNow, each of these individual actions of anti-election assault is serious and significant, but each action needs to be seen together as something deeper and broader. It is the sum and substance of totalitarianism. Not at some distant point in the future, not a vague storm cloud on the horizon, but the destruction of democracy here and now. As we approach our democracy's 250th anniversary, we can't afford the luxury of defeatism or despair or complacency.\u201d\n\nA transcript of Blumenthal\u2019s full remarks can be found below, and a video can be found here.\n\nU.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT): Mr. President, what has always separated America from other nations around the world is the right to vote. It's a right that everybody in this body cherishes, as do the American people. Every person who approaches the ballot box generally has confidence that their votes are going to be counted and their voice will be heard.\n\nBut as we stand here, this cherished right is coming under attack, because in 2026, we can expect a continuation of what is happening in these last nine months, that the Trump Administration is doing everything it can to undermine the confidence in elections and sow distrust in the election process. It's like a spider weaving a web. The Trump Administration has crafted multiple strands when combined together, attack and change the voting landscape in a way that America will not recognize.\n\nTrump is attempting to strip power from the states, consolidate it for himself, and subvert the will of the people. It is systematic. It's strategic. And it is deeply and urgently serious.\n\nToday, I am beginning an extended effort to elevate this issue and sound the alarm, because voters will go to the polls this Tuesday, and my fear is that it could be the last free and fair election, unless we rise up and we act. And this fear is not mine alone. I've heard it all around Connecticut and from my colleagues all around the country, and it is well founded.\n\nPresident Trump's crusade of voter suppression and election subversion started on day one of the Administration when he pardoned the individuals who participated in the violent attack on the Capitol on January 6. That January 6 attack was not a protest, or even just a riot. It was an assault on the very heart of our democracy. In attempting to stop Congress from certifying the results of the 2020 Election, the January 6 insurrectionists sought to nullify the votes and shatter the peaceful transfer of power that has characterized our democracy for nearly 250 years.\n\nPresident Trump provided a blanket pardon to the January 6 attackers, and thereby endorsed and placed the Presidential seal of approval on their actions and their direction and goal of seeking to overturn the will of the people. So, it was no accident that these pardons were one of President Trump's very first acts in office. It was an unmistakable signal that his Administration would be obsessed with suppressing votes and undermining free and fair elections.\n\nAnd since that very first day in office, President Trump and his Administration have been praising and hiring into leadership positions the very people who attempted to subvert our democracy. In fact, just this past month, the White House reportedly hired Kurt Olsen, a lawyer who attempted to overturn the 2020 Election results, and he's working officially as a Special Government Employee tasked with looking into the 2020 Election and current voting machines.\n\nBut rewriting the history of January 6 was only the beginning of a relentless, purposeful campaign to stoke fear among voters and sow seeds of distrust in American elections. They've employed federal agencies to help do some of the dirty work. In fact, President Trump has weaponized several federal agencies against you, the voters. He's using these agencies as instruments to suppress your vote. The Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice have both taken alarming actions in recent months, targeting the vote. At DHS a senior department leader, Heather Honey, an election denier and conspiracy theorist in her own right, reportedly told state and local election officials that the Administration could declare a national emergency based on the claim that the 2020 Election was stolen to obtain, \u201cadditional powers that don't exist right now,\u201d and act without Congress to, \u201cmandate that states\u201d adopt her preferred radical election rules.\n\nIn addition, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, known as CISA, a critical agency within DHS that works with state and local officials to protect the security of our elections, has been gutted. CISA has been instrumental in protecting our elections from cyber-attacks and threats by foreign and domestic actors. These attacks are growing, not diminishing. I don't have to reveal any classified information for the American people to know that attacks by our adversaries on our election system are an increasing threat, but instead of bolstering CISA, President Trump has placed on administrative leave or reassigned nearly all of its election experts. In their place, President Trump has installed inexperienced political activists who sought to overturn the results of the 2020 Election.\n\nMarci McCarthy, named director of public affairs at CISA, was responsible for spreading false claims about faulty voting machines in Georgia. This past July, Sean Plankey, the nominee to head CISA, refused to answer me when I asked him in a hearing if he believed that the 2020 Election was stolen.\n\nPresident Trump has chosen to attack CISA officials. In April, President Trump issued an Executive Order directing the Department of Justice and DHS to investigate Chris Krebs, former head of CISA, calling him a, \u201cbad-faith actor\u201d who, \u201cweaponized and abused his authority.\u201d All because Krebs refused to lie and say Trump's 2020 Election was rigged. And because Krebs said there was no evidence in 2020 that, \u201cany voting system, deleted or lost votes, changed votes, or was in any way compromised.\u201d He was attacked. That executive order asked DHS to target him.\n\nAt the same time, President Trump has dismantled CISA's election security programs, including by terminating initiatives that monitor foreign disinformation and cutting the funding of systems that detect, deter, and alert states and localities about cyber and physical attacks on election infrastructure.\n\nThis dismantling of CISA is fundamental and deeply alarming, but at the Department of Justice, things are no better. President Trump took an axe to the Department of Justice's voting section within the civil rights division. That historic section established and served to protect and uplift the vote. First, he decimated the voting section staff. In January, it was estimated that the section had 30 attorneys on staff to enforce voting rights laws. Today, it's three. Then he decimated its mission, transforming the section from a bulwark against voting suppression into its opposite, a mechanism to suppress voters and stoke fears of voter fraud. So, instead of lifting up the work of voting rights and serving as a staunch defender of voters in the courts, the section has withdrawn its engagement in seven active voting cases. Where it does remain involved in redistricting cases such as Louisiana vs. Callais, it has taken a sudden and staunch anti-voter stance.\n\nThe Department of Justice has decided to make a mockery of poll monitoring as well. The Trump DOJ will now use poll monitoring, which began as an effort to secure minorities' vote, when they were denied it, following passage of the Voting Rights Act, to potentially intimidate and surveil voters and officials alike at polling sites in California and New Jersey. He's doing it at the request of the Republican party officials in those states, ahead of the November 4 election.\n\nThose anti-voter campaigns are coupled with efforts to distort the electoral maps. Since President Trump took office, he has pressured Republican state legislators to ignore the will of their voters and effectively elect representatives through extreme and unabashedly partisan gerrymandering.\n\nThis flagrantly abusive restrictive redistricting occurred in states like Texas, representing a top-down campaign, directed by President Trump to eradicate as many congressional districts as possible that could conceivably elect a Democrat. For example, the new Texas redistricting seeks to gift Republicans 80% of its House seats in a state where Democrats routinely receive between 40% and 50% of the vote in congressional districts. It's plainly a move designed to target minority voters.\n\nThe same playbook follows in Missouri and North Carolina. These are the actions of desperate politicians. Desperate because they know how deeply unpopular their policies are with voters, policies of stripping people of their health care, cutting taxes for the rich, and sending the military into American streets. Instead of changing those policies to win over voters, the Trump Administration is seeking to disenfranchise the voters, suppress votes, and rig these elections by shamelessly moving voters to new districts.\n\nPresident Trump and Republicans have started a tit-for-tat redistricting arms race, where Democrats are forced to fight fire with fire and play catch-up to undo Republicans' damage and restore balanced representation. The ones who suffer are the voters. Their voices are ignored and often silenced by frightened partisan politicians.\n\nBut it isn't just the voters who are undermined. It's our states as well. Under the constitution, it is the states who have the power to oversee the time, place, and manner of their election, subject only to legislation enacted by Congress. The President has given no role, zero, in that process. States are not agents for the federal government, hamstrung to Presidential orders when it comes to elections. In this space of election, they have their own independent, sovereign authority. Yet President Trump believes he can dictate the rules over our elections and seize power from the states for himself, and he sought to do it in a number of important ways that ought to concern this body especially because we represent our states.\n\nForemost among his tactics, he wants to supplant states in determining the means, methods and mechanisms for placing our votes. Those mechanisms vary. For example, some states use more mail-in voting than others, and states don't always have the same approach to early voting. Rather than the states making those calls, he wants to be big brother himself watching how elections must run, dictating how it's done.\n\nThe DOJ has already unsuccessfully sought access to voting machines in Missouri, sending a request to, \u201caccess physically, inspect and perhaps take physical custody of election equipment used in the 2020 November General Election.\u201d In March 2025, President Trump issued another executive order that attempted to mandate that the independent bipartisan Election Assistance Commission rescind all previous certifications of voting equipment and recertify systems under amended guideline. That order is currently being challenged in court. It is plainly unlawful. It's reckless, and it is unfair to the states. And it is a false solution in search of a problem that doesn't exist.\n\nPresident Trump has called voting machines, \u201chighly inaccurate, very expensive, and seriously controversial.\u201d There's zero evidence\u2014zero\u2014to support these claims. It's all just a pretext to insert federal control over states' rights. States do have rights, and President Trump is trying to override them roughshod.\n\nHis tactics are similar with mail-in ballots. In the 2024 Election, nearly one-third of Americans voted by mail. Mail-in voting is instrumental in helping our troops and making sure that every voice is heard even when they are overseas. President Trump has stated that he wants to, \u201clead a movement to get rid of mail-in voting,\u201d and he posted this past week on social media, \u201cno mail-in or early voting.\u201d He's assigned lawyers to craft another executive order to stop it.\n\nThe irony is not lost on anyone that President Trump himself voted by mail in the 2020 Election when he cast his ballot in Florida. In some states, such as Oregon and Washington, mail-in ballots are the primary mechanism used by voters, attempting to illegally strip states of this right will decimate the way our citizens are heard and the foundational principle of states' rights. By law, by tradition, by history and sound public policy, states make this call, not the President. And attempting to strip states of these rights is flagrantly illegal and unconstitutional.\n\nPresident Trump's lackeys have attempted to bully states into handing over personal and sensitive information contained within state voter rolls. DOJ has requested information or meetings about election information from stays and has demanded 40 states provide their full voter registration list. In a private meeting, Michael Gates, a deputy assistant attorney general in the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division disclosed that all 50 states will eventually receive these requests. The eight states that so far have refused to turn over that data are now being sued by the Department of Justice.\n\nTrump is attempting to compile the largest list of voter roll data ever in our history in order to bolster unsubstantiated and false claim of illegal voting by noncitizens, despite the fact that noncitizen voting is essentially nonexistent. This type of national voter roll collection is totally unprecedented in our history. Nothing like it has ever been before, nothing like this invasion of privacy and promises to voters would have been imaginable before January of this year.\n\nThe information he's requesting includes your driver's license, your social security numbers, your names, your addresses, your political party, your voting history. He wants to know who you are and potentially use that information however he pleases. And he wants to use that information against states as well, more broadly to be the judge and jury of whether states are effectively running their own election\u2014dissipate the fact that states, and I apologize for repeating it, states are tasked with administering elections under the constitution.\n\nIn case Trump's DOJ can't dismantle elections using all of these maligned tactics, the Administration is also targeting election officials who seek to run efficient, fair, honest election and to calculate and certify election results in a nonpartisan way. They are at work in every election. Everybody in this body knows what they do and knows how important they are to free and fair election.\n\nPresident Trump's DOJ has a new weaponization working group. With a focus on targeting election officials as a result of supposedly widespread voter fraud. It's the product of fevered imagination. The Department of Justice is also exploring whether they can bring criminal charges against state and local officials if they believe those officials have not adequately safeguarded their computer system from harms, despite gutting CISA, the very agency assisting them in safeguarding their computers and software. To instill fear in election workers, the Administration is doing everything it can to signal it will punish anyone who doesn't bow to them.\n\nSince 2020, Trump has been posting on social media and publicly calling for prosecution against election officials he accuses of working against him. Prosecuting election officials won't make elections any safer or fairer. It's simply about creating fear and anxiety. It will lead to an exodus of individuals, it has already begun, that we need to rely on to run our elections.\n\nThe fearmongering seems to be having its effect. Ever since Trump began espousing false claims of stolen elections in 2020 and putting this kind of pressure on the dedicated men and women who show up for election to help run them, election officials have reported harassment, threats, and abuse locally. Election officials with institutional knowledge of how local systems run and who are imperative to registering voters and maintaining voting processes are leaving their roles at an alarming rate. The turnover was especially pronounced in large jurisdictions where the Trump Campaign focused its misinformation campaign around 2020 Election.\n\nNow, each of these individual actions of anti-election assault is serious and significant, but each action needs to be seen together as something deeper and broader. It is the sum and substance of totalitarianism. Not at some distant point in the future, not a vague storm cloud on the horizon, but the destruction of democracy here and now. As we approach our democracy's 250th anniversary, we can't afford the luxury of defeatism or despair or complacency. We need to join together, sound the alarm across differences of political party, geography, financial interests, personal background, and all the rest.\n\nJoin in this body, come together, because we have a common interest in making sure that elections are free and fair. And more than words, we need action, your action as voters, registering to vote and enabling others to do so, volunteering to work at the polls and supporting election officials and administrators, contributing to organizations that defend voting rights in court. Demanding that public officials unite against the sabotage of our democracy, uniting at rallies, town halls and every other form available to make your voice known.\n\nI'll be reaching out to colleagues on both sides of the aisle coming to the Floor and reaching out to the American people just as we threw off the yoke of monarchy two and a half centuries ago, the American people still have the power to determine their own future. They still have the courage to make good trouble, as John Lewis, the historic voting champion, said. And most of all, the American people have the will and fortitude to stand up to this assault.\n\nThank you, Mr. President, I yield the floor.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:32:54Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-questions-white-house-ballroom-contractors-on-participation-in-construction-project-terms-of-involvement", "Blumenthal Questions White House Ballroom Contractors on Participation in Construction Project, Terms of Involvement", "2025-10-29", "2025", "2025-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, D.C.] \u2013 U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ranking Member of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, wrote a letter to the lead architect, construction firm, and engineering firm working on President Donald Trump\u2019s White House ballroom project\u2014a renovation that has a ballooning cost and has involved the demolition of the historic East Wing of the White House. In his letter, Blumenthal pressed the contractors on how they became involved in the project and the terms of their selection to participate.\n\n\u201cOn July 31, 2025, President Trump announced plans to construct a new ballroom on White House grounds, to be designed by McCrery Architects, engineered by AECOM, and built by Clark Construction. No information was provided to Congress or the public about how and why those firms were selected, the terms of the contracts with those firms, or whether the contracts were competitively bid,\u201d wrote Blumenthal. \u201cThe rapidly changing and secretive terms of President Trump\u2019s plans have raised serious questions about how the most iconic residence in America is about to be transformed, whether the costs will be contained to amounts the President intends to privately fundraise, and whether the American people will be provided any advance notice over the most extensive reconstruction of the White House since the presidency of Harry S. Truman.\u201d\n\n\u201cAccording to your website, your total government project portfolio is over $24 billion, meaning you have much to gain from being in President Trump\u2019s good graces\u2026 Yet while your firm has been described as leading construction of the White House Demolition Project, Congress and the public have still received no information concerning how and why you were selected, your construction plans, the terms of your contract, or what you expect the Project to cost,\u201d wrote Blumenthal in his letter to Clark Construction Group CEO, Robert Moser.\n\nLast week, Blumenthal sent a letter to the donors of President Trump\u2019s White House ballroom project inquiring about the amount of their donations and any potential agreements reached in exchange for their contributions. The list of 30 plus donors includes wealthy individuals, tech companies, and other major corporations\u2014including Apple, Meta, Google, and Amazon.\n\nThe text of Blumenthal\u2019s letter to Moser can be found below and here. Similar letters were sent to McCrery Architects and AECOM.\n\nDear Mr. Moser:\n\nOn July 31, 2025, President Trump announced plans to construct a new ballroom on White House grounds, to be designed by McCrery Architects, engineered by AECOM, and built by Clark Construction.1 No information was provided to Congress or the public about how and why those firms were selected, the terms of the contracts with those firms, or whether the contracts were competitively bid. Moreover, although no detailed plans for demolition or construction were provided at that time, the President promised that the new ballroom \u201cwon\u2019t interfere with the current building. It\u2019ll be near it, but not touching.\u201d2 Yet last week, the President shocked the American public by demolishing the entire East Wing of the White House without warning.3 He additionally announced that the estimated capacity of the ballroom would be \u201ca little bigger\u201d than initially planned, increasing nearly 40 percent from 650 to 900, and that and cost of the project was projected to jump 50 percent to $300 million from a previous projection of $200 million.4\n\nThe rapidly changing and secretive terms of President Trump\u2019s plans have raised serious questions about how the most iconic residence in America is about to be transformed, whether the costs will be contained to amounts the President intends to privately fundraise, and whether the American people will be provided any advance notice over the most extensive reconstruction of the White House since the presidency of Harry S. Truman.5 Accordingly, pursuant to Senate Rule XXV of the Standing Rules of the Senate and Senate Resolution 94 (119th Cong.), Section 12, I write to request information regarding your company\u2019s role in President Trump\u2019s plans to demolish the East Wing of the White House and construct a new ballroom in its place (hereinafter the \u201cWhite House Demolition Project\u201d or \u201cProject\u201d).\n\nClark Construction Group, LLC (\u201cClark Construction\u201d), its subsidiaries, and affiliates, are currently completing work on federal contracts worth approximately $4 billion.6 According to your website, your total government projects portfolio is over $24 billion, meaning you have much to gain from being in President Trump\u2019s good graces.7 Yet while your firm has been described as leading the construction of the White House Demolition Project, Congress and the public have still received no information concerning how and why you were selected, your construction plans, the terms of your contract, or what you expect the Project to cost. The American people are entitled to all the relevant facts about the most substantial demolition and renovation at the White House in recent history.\n\nTo assist the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations in its inquiry, please preserve all documents, records,8 and communications9 related to your firm\u2019s participation in the White Demolition Project, and provide the following information by November 12, 2025:\n\nHow did you become aware of the opportunity to participate in the White House Demolition Project?\n\nPlease include the date you became aware of this Project, the nature of any communication you received, the identity of any person or persons who solicited your participation, and the scope of the Project as it was initially described. Please also provide any solicitation materials you received.\n\nDid you participate in a competitive or otherwise open bidding process prior to being selected to participate in the White House Demolition Project? Please describe the nature of this process.\n\nDid you submit any materials as a part of the bidding process or prior to being selected to participate in the White House Demolition Project? Please provide all materials that you submitted.\n\nWhat are the terms of the agreement(s) you entered into regarding the Project? Please provide a copy of any and all agreements you have entered into with the National Park Service, the White House or any other federal government entity as part of your work on the White House Demolition Project.\n\nHave you prepared cost estimates for your company\u2019s work on the White House Demolition Project? If so, what costs are projected and for which stages of the Project? Please produce all cost estimates prepared to date. To the extent that cost projections change over time, please provide updates on a monthly basis through completion of the Project.\n\nHave you prepared any engineering, construction, or design plans related to the White House Demolition Project?\n\nIf so, please provide a copy of any such plans prepared to date and any updates to plans on a monthly basis through completion of the Project.\n\nHave your plans been submitted to the National Capital Planning Commission or the Commission of Fine Arts? If not, why not and when will they be?\n\nDo your plans reflect any feedback already provided by the White House, National Capital Planning Commission, the Commission of Fine Arts, or any other entity? If so, please describe the source of any feedback and how you incorporated it.\n\nWhen were the initial plans for the addition of the ballroom submitted and approved?\n\nWho authorized, or otherwise approved, the plans for the ballroom?\n\nWhen did you first learn that the construction of the ballroom would require the complete demolition of the East Wing of the White House?\n\nPlease provide a copy of any and all agreements you have entered into with any subcontractors as part of your work on the White House Demolition Project.\n\nSince 2010, have you and/or any of your subsidiaries or affiliates participated in the construction of any properties owned or licensed by The Trump Organization, Inc., or any of their affiliates or subsidiaries, or do you have plans to bid on or otherwise participate in the construction of any Trump-affiliated properties?\n\nIf so, please list each project and include your company\u2019s role, the date or estimated date of completion, and how much your company was or will be compensated in total for its participation.\n\nPlease provide a list of all federal government contracts you have bid for since January 20, 2025, including the date and purpose of each contract and the status of each bid.\n\nHave you or anyone in your organization signed non-disclosure agreements related to your work on the Project, or any other document purporting to limit your ability to communicate about the project? If so, please provide a copy of that document and a list of the individuals who signed it.\n\nWhat vetting process, if any, have you engaged in to ensure that the members of your organization working on the Project have adequate clearance to access planning files for the renovation, the White House construction site, or to otherwise work on the Project?\n\nPlease contact the Subcommittee if you have any questions about responding to these requests. Thank you for your attention to this matter.\n\nSincerely,\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:32:54Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/icymi-video-blumenthal-slams-republicans-for-health-care-premium-price-hikes-during-senate-floor-speech", "ICYMI Video: Blumenthal Slams Republicans for Health Care Premium Price Hikes During Senate Floor Speech", "2025-10-29", "2025", "2025-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, DC] \u2013 In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal delivered a speech on the Senate floor last night calling out Republicans for refusing to join Democrats in protecting affordable health care by extending Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits.\n\nLast week, more than 15,000 residents across Connecticut received letters warning of expected health insurance premium increases for 2026. If Republicans continue to refuse to come to the table and work with Democrats on extending ACA subsidies, millions of people will suffer as premiums rise to incomprehensible levels.\n\nIn his remarks, Blumenthal highlighted the stories of Connecticut residents facing astronomical health insurance premium increases.\n\n\u201cFor example, a couple in their 60s, living in Hartford, Connecticut, our capital, making a hundred thousand dollars a year, will go from paying $260.83 to $2,614.60. That\u2019s for the same plan,\u201d Blumenthal said. \u201cA family of four living in Hartford, making $159,767, roughly $160,000 a year, the average salary for a family of four in our state would be forced to pay $1,159.52 more. They go from $796.65 this year to $1,956.17 next year. I don\u2019t know how they can afford it. And the simple answer is probably they can\u2019t, and that family will be at risk of financial catastrophe without health care insurance coverage.\u201d\n\nVideo of Blumenthal\u2019s speech is available here and a transcript of his remarks is available below:\n\nU.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT): Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. President, as everyone in this chamber knows, and everyone in our great nation knows, we\u2019re in the midst of a health care crisis. Now, the word crisis is probably the most overused term in political lexicon. But the American people know that this crisis is real and urgent, because they know if you don\u2019t have your health, you don\u2019t have anything. That old saying epitomizes the importance of health care when it affects our children, who can\u2019t get health care for themselves, our seniors, who also depend on others, and everyday Americans across the country, who are at their kitchen tables tonight, or workplaces, with their families, wondering when will it happen?\n\nWhen will I get sick? Not just a virus or common cold. When will there be a health care crisis for me? And it happens to everybody. Nobody is invincible. Everybody needs health care, and it should be regarded as a human right. And we face an imminent and real and present crisis right now for millions of Americans who will no longer be able to afford health care insurance, beginning in days or weeks, because premiums are skyrocketing.\n\nThey will rise by double or triple what they are now. Insurance companies are already raising premium rates. Americans are beginning the period of open enrollment. In Connecticut it begins on November 1. When they\u2019ll have to make choices, literally, in effect, writing checks to insurance companies and saying, I am going to afford this plan. But many Americans will find no plan affordable if we fail to provide for them an extension of the health care tax credits that have enabled them to afford health insurance, up to now, under a measure that we passed, and the President signed.\n\nMy Republican colleagues continue to ignore the needs and interests of the American people by blocking our efforts to fix this imminent, immediate crisis. The Republican-controlled House of Representatives is out of town. The President is out of touch, in Asia. And we are left with a clock ticking. Time is not on our side.\n\nAnd let\u2019s be very clear, Republicans control the House of Representatives, which hasn\u2019t shown up to work in over a month, but they continue to be paid. Republicans control the senate. And maybe most importantly, Republicans control the White House. This government shutdown is happening on President Trump\u2019s watch. It is on him. The skyrocketing health care costs are happening on his watch too. And instead of fighting for the American people, President Trump and Republicans have spent the past year seeking to strip millions of Americans of health care, food assistance, student loan support, and much more that is vital to their quality of life, and for many of them their very survival.\n\nDemocrats have been sounding the alarm over the ongoing threats to health care and the impact it will have on every American, but Republicans seemingly \u2013 I say seemingly \u2013 refuse to listen. I think they are listening but are in denial. Because, instead of working with Democrats to prevent Americans from being crushed by impending medical debt, Republicans have wasted valuable time blocking every single Democratic effort to lower costs for families.\n\nTo be clear, if Republicans refuse to join Democrats in protecting the American people from massive increases in their health care costs, millions of people will suffer, health care premiums will rise to incomprehensible levels.\n\nJust this week, Connecticut launched a window-shopping tool that allows residents to preview their health care options for next year. It allows consumers to see how costs compare to next year\u2019s costs. Very frankly, the options are preposterous. For example, a couple in their 60s, living in Hartford, Connecticut, our capital, making a hundred thousand dollars a year, will go from paying $260.83 to $2,614.60. That\u2019s for the same plan. It\u2019s an Anthem plan. They\u2019re going from the cost this year of $260.83 to next year, $2,614.60.\n\nBy the way, they\u2019re getting nothing more. It\u2019s the same plan, no additional coverage, and they\u2019re paying over $2,500 more for each month. It is, in effect, a Republican health care tax. A Republican health care tax on a family in their 60s making a hundred thousand dollars a year. That\u2019s a middle-class family. In Hartford, Connecticut. Let me give you another example.\n\nA family of four living in Hartford, making $159,767, roughly $160,000 a year, the average salary for a family of four in our state would be forced to pay $1,159.52 more. They go from $796.65 this year to $1,956.17 next year.\n\nI don\u2019t know how they can afford it. And the simple answer is probably they can\u2019t, and that family will be at risk of financial catastrophe without health care insurance coverage. Already\u2014let me just emphasize\u2014already health care debt is the major cause of bankruptcy in this country. It hurts our whole economy. So even if you don\u2019t care about a family of four living in Hartford or a couple in their 60s, even if the humanitarian impacts are impervious to you, think about the economic consequences, think about your pocketbook, not theirs.\n\nBankruptcy will increase along with the suffering. These Trump price hikes, the taxes on health care are absolutely absurd and abhorrent, it's comprehensible to expect that any American enrolled in any one of these plans to have the disposable income necessary to keep their coverage.\n\nThis added cost is money that could be used to cover a week\u2019s worth of groceries, heat, rental or mortgage. This added cost is money that many individuals and families simply don\u2019t have, they won\u2019t pay these prices because they simply cannot. Instead, many will be forced to go without health insurance, which raises the costs for everyone. And, very bluntly, these rates will not just impact people enrolled in the ACA marketplace. If Republicans have their way, the entire health care system will feel the effects and every individual trying to receive care, regardless of what kind of insurance they have will be impacted. The ripple effect is coming to you, even if you don\u2019t have an ACA plan, even if you are paying some part of your employer\u2019s insurance cost. This rising tide will truly lift everybody\u2019s boat in terms of costs.\n\nRepublicans are making Connecticut families and Americans across the country choose between affordable health care or putting food on the table or heating their homes this winter or buying clothes for their kid. It\u2019s cruel, it\u2019s unnecessary, it will undoubtedly cost people their health and their lives.\n\nOpen enrollment is less than five days away now in Connecticut. Time is not on our side. We have no time to waste. If you don\u2019t feel this sense of urgency, listen to your constituents. I choose to stand with them, with small business owners, with working families, with everyday Americans who will be crushed by these costs, and their futures will be crippled at least financially.\n\nParamount, in my mind, is Republican colleagues listen to those constituents, to those small business owners, to those families and millions of Americans and health care professionals who have been speaking truth to power. This government shutdown can end tonight if we choose the path forward to guarantee an extension of the health care tax credits and add it to the government funding measure that is now before this body. The House of Representatives needs to come back to do its job. President Trump will come back from Asia, and the American people deserve a real solution that preserves American health care. Thank you, Mr. President.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:32:54Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/video-blumenthal-and-veterans-service-organizations-slam-dangerous-narrative-that-vas-disability-compensation-process-is-too-generous-at-hearing", "Video: Blumenthal & Veterans Service Organizations Slam Dangerous Narrative that VA's Disability Compensation Process is 'Too Generous' at Hearing", "2025-10-29", "2025", "2025-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[WASHINGTON, D.C.] \u2013 At a Senate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee hearing today focused on examining the veterans\u2019 disability compensation process at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal joined advocates from Veterans Service Organizations in pushing back on recent reporting that claim VA\u2019s disability compensation is \u201ctoo generous.\u201d\n\nAddressing the witnesses, Blumenthal said: \u201cI also want to hear your response to those who believe that VA disability compensation is too generous\u2014not my view. That\u2019s how the system has been portrayed by some opponents of the system in past years. These articles fail to understand or capture the purpose of the benefit. Instead, they cherry pick anecdotes to wrongly claim that disability benefits is fraught with widespread fraud. There is, in fact, some wrongdoing and fraud. We need to root it out, investigate, and prosecute it, but not abandon a system of compensation that is deserved and needed by veterans, our heroes who serve and sacrifice for our country.\u201d\n\nThis hearing comes on the heels of recent reporting from The Washington Post that conflated inflammatory anecdotes of fraud committed by veterans with an expansion of long-overdue benefits under the PACT Act, and the Post\u2019s belief that some disabilities are not \u201cmilitary enough\u201d to merit disability compensation \u2014despite veterans being legally entitled to receive benefits for having these disabilities.\n\nBlumenthal later stressed his concerns with how this reporting gives water to dangerous proposals from OMB Director Russell Vought to begin means-testing veterans\u2019 benefits: \u201cAnd I'm struck by statements from the Administration, including the top levels of the Office of Management and Budget, [Director] Russell Vought, that means testing is maybe a reform that should be adopted. He suggested that the Administration should, quote, target significant cost savings from revising disability rating awards. I haven't heard the Secretary criticize or refute that potential course of action.\u201d\n\nAdvocates from the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), Disabled American Veterans (DAV), and the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) agreed with Blumenthal, underscoring the dangerous rhetoric of this reporting blaming veterans for fraud in VA\u2019s systems and condemning Vought\u2019s proposal to means-test veterans\u2019 benefits. The veterans\u2019 advocates testified the real perpetrators of fraud in the disability compensation process are bad actors\u2014including unaccredited representatives who illegally charge veterans for filing for VA benefits known as \u201cclaims sharks\u201d and predatory Disability Benefits Questionnaire mills who lure veterans into paying hundreds or thousands of dollars for inadequate medical examination. In addition, VA\u2019s Inspector General Cheryl Mason rebuked the article\u2019s claims saying, \u201cThere is no mass fraud going on [in VA\u2019s disability compensation system]. I take issue with that.\u201d\n\n\u201c\u2026[W]e have witnessed an appalling resurgence of old, poisonous rhetoric. Recently, The Washington Post has smeared America\u2019s veterans as freeloaders, insinuating that their hard-earned benefits are too generous and are part of a system plagued by fraud. They talk about the cost of veterans\u2019 health care as if it were some line item to be trimmed, rather than the moral obligation of a nation that has been at war for a quarter of century\u2026What truly drives bad behavior is not veterans, it\u2019s bad policy\u2026If you want to crack down on exploitation, start with the real predators\u2014the claim sharks who charge illegal fees, falsify paperwork, and profit from veterans\u2019 confusion and pain,\u201d said VFW Executive Director Ryan Galluci.\n\nDuring the hearing\u2014the first Senate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee hearing to take place during the government shutdown\u2014Blumenthal also called out Secretary Collins and the Trump Administration for weaponizing the shutdown for political purposes: \u201cI want to say finally that the current VA leadership has repeatedly violated the Hatch Act by blurring the lines between governance and political campaigning. That is unacceptable. And there used to be bipartisan pushback to such behavior, I hope there will be again. Veterans deserve a VA that works for them, whether they are Democrats or Republicans, and avoids pushing partisan messages.\u201d\n\nThe Committee also heard from DAV and VFW that their Veterans Service Officers who work in VA Regional Offices have been barred from the space they work in for the first time ever during a government shutdown. This limits their ability to assist veterans who need assistance accessing their earned benefits. Gallucci added: \u201cThese disruptions not only create uncertainty but also compound the challenges veterans face in accessing benefits and health care should a critical date be missed.\u201d\n\nThe full text of Blumenthal\u2019s opening is copied below and a video link is available here.\n\nSen Richard Blumenthal (D-CT): Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to all of our witnesses. We have more than the usual number, and we welcome you here. We appreciate your public service as veterans and afterwards as advocates of our veterans.\n\nAnd today's hearing is really focused on our nation's obligation to the men and women in uniform, and the system we use to compensate any of them who become ill or injured due to their service. We all know that the system inherited by Secretary Collins was not perfect, but it was providing historic levels of benefits to toxic-exposed veterans, thanks to the bipartisan PACT Act\u2014which all of us on this Committee, I think, supported in a very bipartisan way. That same system is being dismantled through a series of really reckless policies, in my view, that have pushed hard working civil servants who process disability claims to the brink of what they can do. In fact, the Administration's draconian deferred-resignation program, return-to-office policy, hiring freeze, arbitrary contract cancellation, and other morale-crushing initiatives have driven out more than 1800 mission-critical VBA employees. The result has been a demoralized VBA workforce who is consistently pushed to sacrifice quality for the sake of quantity.\n\nThere simply are not enough people doing these jobs for the work to be performed capably at a level that our veterans deserve. It\u2019s created more work for claims processors, and today we\u2019re going to hear from our VSO witnesses on how this abdication in the name of modernization is impacting the veterans you represent. I also want to hear your response to those who believe that VA disability compensation is too generous\u2013not my view. That\u2019s how the system has been portrayed by some opponents of the system in past years.\n\nThe articles fail to understand or capture the purpose of the benefit. Instead, they cherry pick anecdotes to wrongly claim that disability benefits is fraught with widespread fraud. There is, in fact, some wrongdoing and fraud. We need to root it out, investigate, and prosecute it, but not abandon a system of compensation that is deserved and needed by veterans, our heroes who serve and sacrifice for our country.\n\nI want to say finally that the current VA leadership has repeatedly violated the Hatch Act by blurring the lines between governance and political campaigning. That is unacceptable. And there used to be bipartisan pushback to such behavior, I hope there will be again. Veterans deserve a VA that works for them, whether they are Democrats or Republicans, and avoids pushing partisan messages. I will continue to fight for improvement and expansion of earned VA benefits, and I appreciate all of you here who are advocating for that cause. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:32:54Z"], ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-trump-is-allowing-children-to-go-hungry-to-protect-billionaires-tax-cuts", "Murphy: Trump Is Allowing Children To Go Hungry To Protect Billionaires' Tax Cuts", "2025-10-29", "2025", "2025-10", "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.) today joined Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) in a press conference to hammer the Trump administration\u2019s refusal to use a $5 billion emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) fund to prevent 42 million Americans, including 1 in 10 Connecticut residents, from going hungry.\n\nDuring the press conference, Murphy left no doubt as to why Donald Trump is allowing this crisis to unfold, despite having a mandate to stop it: \u201cDonald Trump and Republicans have one priority, and one priority only \u2013 that is the enrichment of their billionaire and corporate friends at the expense of everyone else. Their \u2018beautiful bill\u2019 is a simple enterprise: the most massive transfer of wealth for the poor and the middle class to the rich and affluent in the history of the country. Included in that big beautiful bill, is a massive cut to nutrition benefits.\u201d\n\nHe continued: \u201cIt is extraordinary to put families in this country through the horrific, mind-altering pain of knowing that your children are going to go to bed hungry at night, but it's in service of protecting tax cuts for the wealthy.\u201d\n\nMurphy emphasized that Trump is inflicting unprecedented suffering on American families for one reason: \u201cNo president in the history of this country has, during a period of shutdown, refused to spend the contingency funds because no president prior to this one was so myopic about helping only one small segment of people in this country: the very rich and powerful\u2026\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:32:54Z"], ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-and-murphy-cosponsor-bipartisan-bill-protecting-children-from-ai-chatbots", "Blumenthal & Murphy Cosponsor Bipartisan Bill Protecting Children from AI Chatbots", "2025-10-28", "2025", "2025-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "[Hartford, CT] \u2013 Today, U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy joined colleagues to introduce the GUARD Act, bipartisan legislation to protect children from AI chatbots. This legislation would ban AI companions for minors, mandate AI chatbots disclose its non-human status, and create new crimes for companies who make AI for minors that solicits or produces sexual content.\n\n\u201cIn their race to the bottom, AI companies are pushing treacherous chatbots at kids and looking away when their products cause sexual abuse, or coerce them into self-harm or suicide. Our legislation imposes strict safeguards against exploitative or manipulative AI, backed by tough enforcement with criminal and civil penalties. Big Tech has betrayed any claim that we should trust companies to do the right thing on their own when they consistently put profit first ahead of child safety,\u201d said Blumenthal.\n\nMurphy said, \u201cYou can\u2019t overstate the harm these AI companion chatbots pose to our kids. Nearly 70 percent of teenagers are turning to chatbots as a substitute for friendship, making them more isolated and disconnected, but what\u2019s even scarier are the stories of chatbots encouraging young people to hurt themselves or others. Big Tech companies are fighting regulation because they want to maximize their profits by addicting our kids to their technology, no matter the cost. Our bill forces these greedy AI companies to take responsibility and implement common sense protections to keep kids from accessing these dangerous chatbots and holds those companies criminally accountable when their product pushes minors to self-harm.\u201d\n\n\u201cAI chatbots pose a serious threat to our kids. More than seventy percent of American children are now using these AI products. Chatbots develop relationships with kids using fake empathy and are encouraging suicide. We in Congress have a moral duty to enact bright-line rules to prevent further harm from this new technology,\u201d Hawley said. \u201cI\u2019m proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation with tremendous support from parents and survivors that will ensure our kids are protected online.\u201d\n\n\u201cIn recent months, we have seen multiple alarming incidents involving chatbots\u2014from encouraging suicide to engaging in sensual conversations with minors\u2014that should give every American pause. It is our job in Congress to do everything we can to protect our children as we navigate the new reality of living in a world where AI is increasingly integrated into our lives. This legislation is a critical first step toward doing just that,\u201d said Britt.\n\nVP of Public Policy at Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), Stefan Turkheimer shared, \"Right now, children are allowed, and even encouraged, by tech companies to engage with AI chatbots that are mimicking affection, manipulating them, and making them vulnerable to predators on and offline. The GUARD Act will finally ensure tech companies prioritize kids' safety instead of profits.\u201d\n\nThe GUARD Act would:\n\nBan AI companies from providing AI companions to minors.\n\nMandate that AI companions disclose their non-human status and lack of professional credentials for all users\n\nCreate new crimes for companies which knowingly make available to minors AI companions that solicit or produce sexual content.\n\nThe legislation is led by Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), and co-sponsored by Senators Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Mark Warner (D-Vir.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.). Read the GUARD Act here.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:32:54Z"]], "truncated": false, "filtered_table_rows_count": 778, "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": "2025"}}, "facet_results": {"party": {"name": "party", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=CT&year=2025", "results": [{"value": "Democrat", "label": "Democrat", "count": 778, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=CT&year=2025&party=Democrat", "selected": false}], "truncated": false}, "chamber": {"name": "chamber", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=CT&year=2025", "results": [{"value": "Senate", "label": "Senate", "count": 778, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=CT&year=2025", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "state": {"name": "state", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=CT&year=2025", "results": [{"value": "CT", "label": "CT", "count": 778, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&year=2025", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "year": {"name": "year", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=CT&year=2025", "results": [{"value": "2025", "label": "2025", "count": 778, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=CT", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}}, "suggested_facets": [], "next": "2025-10-28,https~3A~2F~2Fwww~2Eblumenthal~2Esenate~2Egov~2Fnewsroom~2Fpress~2Frelease~2Fblumenthal-and-murphy-cosponsor-bipartisan-bill-protecting-children-from-ai-chatbots", "next_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=CT&year=2025&_next=2025-10-28%2Chttps~3A~2F~2Fwww~2Eblumenthal~2Esenate~2Egov~2Fnewsroom~2Fpress~2Frelease~2Fblumenthal-and-murphy-cosponsor-bipartisan-bill-protecting-children-from-ai-chatbots&_sort_desc=date", "private": false, "allow_execute_sql": true, "query_ms": 257.2384160012007, "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"}