{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/senator-blumenthal-week-in-review-7/31/2026-8/7/2026", "Senator Blumenthal: Week in Review 7/31/2026-8/7/2026", "2026-08-07", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "Senate", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", "blumenthal", "https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press", "scraper", "Celebrating Senate Passage of Landmark Russia Sanctions Bill\n\n[WASHINGTON, D.C.] \u2013 Today, U.S. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) celebrated Senate passage of the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 in an overwhelming bipartisan vote. The legislation, led by Blumenthal and U.S. Senator Darline Graham (R-SC), would hold major purchasers of Russian oil and gas accountable for supporting Russia\u2019s war in Ukraine.\n\nBlumenthal spoke on the Senate Floor ahead of the final vote. Video is available here.\n\n\u201cToday, President Zelenskyy is watching from Ukraine. And Putin is watching from Moscow. I would like to think that Lindsey Graham is watching, too. And I know how proud he would be of his sister today, who has taken his place on the Floor and has been such a profoundly strong and effective advocate for this bill. Today, we say to the people Ukraine: you are not alone. And we say to Vladimir Putin: You will not conquer Ukraine; you will not defeat this free, brave people, who are turning the tide against your blood-thirsty aggression,\u201d Blumenthal said.\n\n\u201cI would like to close with some brilliant rhetorical flourish, but I\u2019d rather just recall some of Senator Graham\u2019s last words to me. He said, \u2018This is a big eff-ing deal. We all did good.\u2019\u201d\n\nLast week, Blumenthal and U.S. Senators Katie Britt (R-AL), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Jim Risch (R-ID) hosted a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and supporters of the legislation at the U.S. Capitol. Photos of the meeting are available here.\n\nBlumenthal and U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) first introduced legislation to bring primary and secondary sanctions against Russia and actors supporting Russia\u2019s aggression in Ukraine in April 2025, and spent the last year building support for the effort in Congress and the Administration. Lindsey Graham secured an agreement with the White House on the bill just before his death.\n\nThe Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 would impose primary and secondary sanctions against Russia and actors supporting Russia\u2019s war in Ukraine. The sanctions target Russian officials, oligarchs, their family members, foreign persons, and Russian banks and financial institutions, as well as the Russian Shadow Fleet.\n\nThe legislation allows the President to impose targeted tariffs on imported goods from countries that buy the vast majority of Russian oil or gas, and enable Russian sanctions evasion. The bill limits these tariffs to the five largest importers of Russian crude oil or gas, and top five countries that aid Russia\u2019s energy sanctions evasion.\n\nThe bill also includes a provision to prevent a lapse in sanction authority that restricts funding for Iran\u2019s energy and weapons sectors.\n\nThe text of the bill is available here.\n\nBlumenthal hosted a press conference following Senate passage of the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act.\n\n\u201cIt is a momentous day. President Zelenskyy is watching in Ukraine. Vladimir Putin is watching in Moscow. I like to think Lindsey Graham is watching as well and proud of what we\u2019ve done. Because today we send a message to Vladimir Putin\u2014you will not win this war. Time to come to the table for peace,\u201d said Blumenthal.\n\nDenouncing Todd Blanche as Trump\u2019s Nominee for U.S. Attorney General\n\nBlumenthal a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, voted against Todd Blanche\u2019s nomination to serve as Attorney General of the United States at this week\u2019s Committee markup. At the markup, Blumenthal spoke out against Blanche\u2019s nomination, raising concerns about Blanche\u2019s lack of independence.\n\n\u201c\u2018I\u2019m his lawyer.\u2019 That is what Mr. Blanche told us he was. \u2018I\u2019m his lawyer.\u2019 Namely Donald Trump\u2019s lawyer. Maya Angelou famously said, \u2018When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.\u2019 Todd Blanche is Donald Trump\u2019s lawyer. He will say anything, do anything, conceal anything for his boss,\u201d Blumenthal said at the markup.\n\nPointing to Blanche\u2019s purported rescission of the so-called \u201cAnti-Weaponization Fund\u201d to reward the President\u2019s political allies and violent criminals who attacked Capitol Police officers on January 6, Blumenthal continued, \u201cCommentators have talked about loopholes. There are no loopholes here. This document itself is a sham.\u201d\n\nBlumenthal underscored that Donald Trump remains committed to seeing the slush fund move forward, despite Blanche\u2019s assurances: \u201cThe President of the United States yesterday, in the Oval Office, repeated his commitment to the Anti-Weaponization Fund. We don\u2019t need to say the quiet part out loud. The President is shouting it.\u201d\n\nBlumenthal continued, \u201cThe position of the United States Attorney General is a position of supreme trust. Any of us who have worked in the Department of Justice\u2014I was the United States Attorney for Connecticut\u2014knows that the Attorney General of the United States, like every lawyer who represents the United States, has a trust, in going to court, in making representation\u2026Todd Blanche has betrayed that trust. And his betrayal of that trust is disqualifying for his nomination.\u201d\n\n\u201cMy fear is that Todd Blanche will represent Donald Trump, be his consigliere, and he will put Donald Trump ahead of the American people and the right to vote. I cannot support him. I regret that this committee will in effect betray its trust in the party-line vote that is to follow and approve Todd Blanche as Attorney General of the United States,\u201d Blumenthal concluded.\n\nA video of Blumenthal\u2019s remarks is available here.\n\nBlumenthal joined CNN\u2019s Anderson Cooper to discuss Blanche\u2019s nomination.\n\nBlumenthal also spoke on the Senate Floor denouncing Blanche as Trump\u2019s nominee to be U.S. Attorney General.\n\n\u201c\u2018I\u2019m his lawyer,\u2019 is what Todd Blanche said in the course of his confirmation hearing before the Judiciary Committee of the United States Senate. \u2018I\u2019m his lawyer,\u2019 meaning, \u2018I\u2019m Donald Trump\u2019s lawyer.\u2019 He will be guided by blind loyalty to the President and contempt for the law, enabling the President in continued corrupt crypto schemes as well as condoning and empowering the President to establish a slush fund for January 6 rioters, as well as tax immunity,\u201d said Blumenthal. \u201cThat is not the conduct of an Attorney General of the United States carrying out and respecting the Constitution. That\u2019s Donald Trump's personal lawyer.\u201d\n\nA video of Blumenthal\u2019s full speech on the Floor is available here.\n\nBlumenthal further slammed Blanche as unfit to be U.S. Attorney General on Twitter/X, specifically highlighting his supposed \u201cwalking back\u201d of the anti-weaponization fund and his inability to recognize the January 6 insurrection as an attack on our Capitol.\n\n\u201cBlanche\u2019s walk-back of the anti-weaponization fund is a sham. There is absolutely nothing stopping Trump from going to court tomorrow & establishing this slush fund,\u201d wrote Blumenthal with an accompanying video on Twitter/X.\n\n\u201cTo Todd Blanche Jan 6th was just \u2018events.\u2019 No wonder he is in favor of a slush fund that pays out the insurrectionists who violently attacked law enforcement & the Capitol,\u201d wrote Blumenthal with an accompanying video on Twitter/X.\n\n\u201cAs Attorney General of the United States, Todd Blanche will not be a lawyer for the American people\u2014he will be Donald Trump\u2019s personal lawyer,\u201d wrote Blumenthal with an accompanying video on Twitter/X.\n\nApplauding Commerce Committee Passage of Bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act\n\nBlumenthal and U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) released the following statement on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation\u2019s passage of the bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) by voice vote:\n\n\u201cFor years, heartbroken parents have demanded Congress take action to protect America\u2019s children from Big Tech\u2019s exploitation, and today is a major victory for the courageous families who refused to give up,\u201d said Blumenthal and Blackburn. \u201cThe Senate has repeatedly shown that there is broad, bipartisan support for a version of KOSA that creates a duty of care to protect kids from online predators, addictive algorithms, and harmful product design. We want to thank our large, diverse, and determined coalition for standing with us today, and we look forward to getting this bill to the President\u2019s desk.\u201d\n\nBlumenthal further highlighted the need for the Senate Kids Online Safety Act on Twitter/X, after Meta was ordered to pay $942 million to address harm to kids from social media.\n\n\u201cGroundbreaking loss for Zuckerberg. While Meta has bought off House Republican leadership, it is finally facing justice in the courts\u2014near a billion dollars in penalties & meaningful mandated changes in this historic decision. The strong Senate Kids Online Safety Act is ready to become law\u2014once again receiving a resounding Committee approval this week. The question is whether Speaker Johnson wants his legacy to be protecting Mark Zuckerberg or American families,\u201d wrote Blumenthal on Twitter/X.\n\nSlamming Trump\u2019s Loyalist Judicial Nominees\n\nBlumenthal was joined by three former federal prosecutors to raise alarm over the ongoing refusal of Trump Administration judicial nominees to acknowledge the results of the 2020 election or admit that what happened on January 6, 2021, was an attack on the Capitol.\n\nThe three prosecutors \u2013 Michael Romano, Sean Murphy, and Brendan Ballou \u2013 worked on cases relating to violence at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Prior to the press conference, they joined a group of twelve former federal prosecutors who all worked on cases relating to the violent attack on the Capitol in sending a letter urging members of the Senate to reject judicial nominees who cannot \u201ccannot identify that (1) January 6 as an attack on our democracy, (2) the attack was led by supporters of Donald Trump, and (3) Joe Biden was legitimately elected in the 2020 election.\u201d\n\nVideo of the press conference is available here.\n\nMichael Romano prosecuted rioters who brawled with police officers on Capitol grounds, who attacked officers with wooden and metal poles, and who pepper-sprayed officers defending the Tunnel. As a manager, Romano also oversaw many cases prosecuted by others. Romano also served as a Trial Attorney in the Criminal Division\u2019s Public Integrity Section between 2019 and 2025.\n\n\u201cThe fact of the matter was, the riot was an attack on our democracy. It was an attempt to stop the peaceful transfer of power. It was an attempt to install the loser of the 2020 election back in office against the will of the American people. I know this because the evidence was overwhelming,\u201d Romano said. \u201cNow, these people were convicted before Republicans and Democratic judges, they were sentenced before Republican and Democratic judges, judges appointed by any President of any party recognized the truth of what this day was. And anybody seeking a position on the bench now should be able to do the same. They should be able to tell the truth.\u201d\n\nSean P. Murphy joined the Capitol Siege Section in January 2021 and remained with the team until it was disbanded in January 2025. Among those Murphy investigated, prosecuted, and secured convictions against are an individual who beat an officer with a flagpole with the American flag still attached until the flagpole broke; an off-duty police officer; a man that used wasp spray to attack police officers, and a man that punched a police officer twice in the head before ripping away the officer\u2019s riot shield, leaving him defenseless. Murphy also served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney\u2019s Office for the District of Puerto Rico between 2018 and 2025.\n\n\u201cTo the Senators voting on these nominees today, please stop poisoning our courts by confirming appointees who refuse to admit basic historical truths. This is not a problem of perspective or political persuasion; it is fundamental question of competence. We would no more hire a schoolteacher who refuses to believe in fractions, or a mechanic who won\u2019t admit that gas goes in a gas tank than you should confirm someone to a lifetime seat on the bench who cannot admit that Donald Trump lost, and who refuses to recognize that those who assaulted police officers at the U.S. Capitol were wrong to do so,\u201d Murphy said.\n\nBrendan Ballou was involved in the trial teams that prosecuted a husband-and-wife duo who assaulted officers along the Capitol's western front before they were finally repelled by pepper spray, and prosecuted one of the first rioters who entered the Senate chamber, who triumphantly stood atop the dais within the chamber. Ballou also served as Special Counsel in the Antitrust Division from 2016 to 2017 and from 2020 to 2025.\n\n\u201cSo, we have a president that is trying to subvert a future election, we have an acting Attorney General who is eager to help in that effort, and the danger that we face with these judicial nominees is that future court cases that will determine whether our democracy continues may be people who deny the reality of January 6th,\u201d Ballou said. \u201cThink about how dangerous it is, how scary it is, to have a court case about voting rights, about democracy, about the rule of law, prosecuted by Todd Blanche, and overseen by one of these judges who denies the reality of what happened that day. So, it is important to be talking about this, it is important that these judges not be confirmed if they refuse to acknowledge the reality of January 6th.\u201d\n\nAt a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing this week, Blumenthal questioned Trump Administration judicial nominees and slammed them for their refusal to truthfully answer questions about the 2020 election and the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021.\n\n\u201cThe word \u2018attack\u2019 seems to have been stripped from Trump judicial nominees\u2019 vocabulary. It isn\u2019t a political controversy to speak the truth about what happened on January 6th,\u201d wrote Blumenthal with an accompanying video on Twitter/X.\n\n\u201cAnother panel of political puppets. Trump\u2019s judicial nominees refuse to state the simple fact that Joe Biden won the 2020 election,\u201d wrote Blumenthal with an accompanying video on Twitter/X.\n\n\u201cAfter only 6 months on the District Court, Anna St. John has proven herself such a loyal sycophant that she is up for a promotion to the 5th circuit. She knows what lies the President demands to hear and still won\u2019t say Trump lost the 2020 election,\u201d wrote Blumenthal with an accompanying video on Twitter/X.\n\nBlumenthal Bulletin\n\nBlumenthal posted a Substack article on Trump\u2019s crypto corruption.\n\nBlumenthal introduced a resolution blocking Trump tax amnesty and January 6 slush fund.\n\nBlumenthal released a statement on the U.S. Army\u2019s award of two contracts for Sikorsky.\n\nBlumenthal introduced legislation to address youth vaping use.\n\nBlumenthal called on Yale to reject settlement with Trump Administration.\n\nBlumenthal demanded answers from FDA and Taylor Farms about the cyclosporiasis outbreak.\n\nBlumenthal released a GAO report finding DOGE misled Americans about claimed savings.\n\nBlumenthal introduced legislation to end unprecedented Presidential corruption and to stop \u201cpay-to-play\u201d pardons.\n\nBlumenthal joined sweeping legislation to counter Trump\u2019s authoritarian takeover and to defend our democracy.\n\nBlumenthal will host a passport, TSA Precheck, and Global Entry enrollment and renewal event in Hartford.\n\nBlumenthal announced a grant for East Street in New Britain to improve the safety of a dangerous intersection.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"]], "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"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/senator-blumenthal-week-in-review-7/31/2026-8/7/2026"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 3.4853527322411537, "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"}