url,title,date,year,month,party,chamber,state,member_name,bioguide_id,domain,scraper,source,date_source,text,has_text,collected_at,updated_at https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-bipartisan-group-of-colleagues-call-for-help-committee-hearings-on-impact-of-hurricanes-on-puerto-rico-and-us-virgin-islands,"MURPHY, BIPARTISAN GROUP OF COLLEAGUES CALL FOR HELP COMMITTEE HEARINGS ON IMPACT OF HURRICANES ON PUERTO RICO U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS",2017-12-28,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Christopher Murphy,M001169,www.murphy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"MURPHY, BIPARTISAN GROUP OF COLLEAGUES CALL FOR HELP COMMITTEE HEARINGS ON IMPACT OF HURRICANES ON PUERTO RICO & U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS Senators ask Chairman Alexander to hold hearings on health and education challenges facing islands following Hurricanes Irma, Maria Thursday, December 28, 2017 HARTFORD U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, joined U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.), and 6 of their colleagues on the HELP Committee in sending a letter to HELP Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) to request that the Committee hold hearings to assess the challenges facing the health and educational systems of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands in the wake of Hurricanes Irma and Maria.Noting the extensive damage caused by the hurricanes to the islands' education and public health infrastructures, the senators urged Chairman Alexander to hold hearings to address these issues and to evaluate the relief provided by the Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Education, both of which fall under the HELP Committee's jurisdiction. ""Given the extent of the damage inflicted upon both territories, as well as the important roles of the departments under this committee's jurisdiction in ongoing hurricane relief efforts, we believe such hearings would be an important part of the Committee's oversight related to hurricane recovery,""the senators wrote. ""Hearings could help ensure that the Senate has a detailed understanding of the health and education challenges facing Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as an understanding of how Departments under the Committee's purview have provided relief, and how they can improve relief efforts."" The HELP Committee has not yet held any hearings on how the two territories have been affected by the storms. The full text of the letter is available here. Murphy, Warren, and Cassidy were joined by U.S. Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) in sending the letter. Immediately following Hurricanes Maria and Irma, Murphy called on Senate leaders to work with Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosell to formulate and pass an emergency bill to rebuild Puerto Rico and restore stability to the island. Murphy has held several meetings with the Puerto Rican community in Connecticut to receive feedback on federal relief efforts. He also joined other senators in demanding that the Trump administration take eight specific actions to assist Puerto Rico and in urging FEMA to immediately greenlight the federal funds Puerto Rico needs to rebuild. Murphy has also called out Congress and the Trump administration for systematically denying Puerto Rico a voice and adequate support in the wake of devastation left by Hurricane Maria, and demanded that Congress give Puerto Rico and its residents the equal political and economic status they deserve.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://delauro.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/delauro-urges-fda-improve-food-recall-procedures,DeLauro Urges FDA to Improve Food-Recall Procedures,2017-12-27,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Rosa DeLauro,D000216,delauro.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC (December 27, 2017) Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) today released the following statement in response to a new Office of the Inspector General (OIG) report, which found that the Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) food-recall process did not consistently ensure the safety of our nations food supply. The latest OIG report confirms what we have known for years: the FDAs response to food recalls is both slow and inadequate. Recalls of potentially harmful food must meet the highest standards, as the health of all Americans is on the line. Yet too often months go by before retailers take contaminated food off the marketall the while more and more people fall ill."" The FDA should immediately implement the OIGs recommendations, as well as reverse its policy of withholding the names and locations of retailers and distributors where recalled food is sold. The primary mission of the FDA is to ensure the food our families eat is safe, not to protect the trade secrets of food corporations. While I believe that the FDA already has the authority to release this information, I am committed to introducing legislation if Commissioner Gottliebs review finds otherwise. DeLauro is a senior member on the Appropriations subcommittee responsible for funding the FDA. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-releases-2017-end-of-year-report,MURPHY RELEASES 2017 END OF YEAR REPORT,2017-12-27,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Christopher Murphy,M001169,www.murphy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"MURPHY RELEASES 2017 END OF YEAR REPORT Wednesday, December 27, 2017 WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) released an end-of-year report on Wednesday to outline the work hes done for Connecticut residents throughout 2017. Murphys accomplishments span a wide range of issues, including protecting access to health care, securing new resources to stem the opioid epidemic, bringing federal funding back to spur job growth, and advocating for local Connecticut priorities. Every day, Im grateful for the honor of serving Connecticut's residents in the U.S. Senate. Your feedback helps make me a better Senator. 2017 was a tough year, but Im proud of everything we fought for and everything we accomplished together. I'm going to keep fighting for you, said Murphy. Click here to download Senator Murphy's 2017 Year in Review or read the full report below.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-blumenthal-fight-for-transparency-in-corporate-political-spending,"MURPHY, BLUMENTHAL FIGHT FOR TRANSPARENCY IN CORPORATE POLITICAL SPENDING",2017-12-26,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Christopher Murphy,M001169,www.murphy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"MURPHY, BLUMENTHAL FIGHT FOR TRANSPARENCY IN CORPORATE POLITICAL SPENDING Tuesday, December 26, 2017 WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) who have supported transparency in campaign finance since Citizens United opened the floodgates for unlimited, unchecked corporate spending in elections joined U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and a group of 38 other Senate Democrats in urging Senate leadership to reject any language in the 2018 Appropriations bill that would prohibit the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) from requiring public companies to disclose political spending to shareholders. In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), the senators also emphasized that the capability of foreign entities to pour money into Americas elections poses a risk to the free and fair democratic elections that the United States values. We believe the SEC should require companies to disclose to their shareholders how they use corporate resources for political activities. This disclosure would not only bring much needed accountability to shareholders and transparency to corporate political spending, but it is both clearly consistent with the SECs requirement for public companies to disclose meaningful financial information to the public and squarely within the SECs primary mission of investor protection, the senators letter stated. Given that we know the Russian Internet Research Agency purchased digital ads meant to sway American voters and sow chaos, it is critical that we use every tool in our toolbox to shine light on any money being funneled by Russia or any other foreign entity in an attempt to undermine or dismantle our democracy, the senators continued. Joining Murphy, Blumenthal, and Menendez on the letter are U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Kristen Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Angus King (I-Maine), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Thomas Carper (D-Del.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Christopher Coons (D-Del.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Mich.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.). A copy of the letter can be found below and here. The Honorable Mitch McConnell Senate Majority Leader Room S-230, U.S. Capitol Washington, D.C. 20510 The Honorable Charles Schumer Senate Minority Leader Room, S-221, U.S. Capitol Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Leaders McConnell and Schumer, As Congress works to finalize the Fiscal Year 2018 Appropriations bill, we respectfully request that you reject any language that would limit the Securities and Exchange Commissions (SEC) ability to develop, propose, issue, finalize, or implement a rule requiring public companies to disclose political spending to shareholders. We write to highlight the importance of excluding any such language because the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017 regrettably included language doing just that. We believe the SEC should require companies to disclose to their shareholders how they use corporate resources for political activities. This disclosure would not only bring much needed accountability to shareholders and transparency to corporate political spending, but it is both clearly consistent with the SECs requirement for public companies to disclose meaningful financial information to the public and squarely within the SECs primary mission of investor protection. Moreover, disclosure of corporate political spending has obvious value for our democracyit adds transparency to campaign finance, and it keeps the elections process free and fair of super-funded influences here in the U.S. or from elsewhere. The threat to our democracy from undisclosed money flowing into our elections is not confined to our countrys biggest corporations tipping the balance of power heavily in their favor. We also run the risk of allowing foreign influence to seep into our election process through undisclosed political spending. Given that we know the Russian Internet Research Agency purchased digital ads meant to sway American voters and sow chaos,[1] it is critical that we use every tool in our toolbox to shine light on any money being funneled by Russia or any other foreign entity in an attempt to undermine or dismantle our democracy. Although it is technically illegal for a campaign to receive a contribution from a foreign national, the current campaign finance disclosure and enforcement regime makes it all too possible for contributions from foreign nationals to go undetected. Increased transparency around political spending and robust enforcement are necessary to reveal the true source of election spending in this country. The Supreme Courts 2010 decision in Citizens United v. FEC fundamentally changed our nations campaign finance laws by allowing unlimited and unchecked corporate spending on campaign ads and various other political communicationsa decision with which we fervently disagree. However, notwithstanding our disagreement with the Courts holding, the decision clearly recognized shareholder and public interest in the disclosure of political spending. In fact, Justice Kennedy wrote: [P]rompt disclosure of expenditures can provide shareholders and citizens with the information needed to hold corporations and elected officials accountable for their positions and supporters. [D]isclosure permits citizens and shareholders to react to the speech of corporate entities in a proper way. This transparency enables the electorate to make informed decisions and give proper weight to different speakers and messages.[2] The lack of proper disclosure undermines the very campaign finance system envisioned by the Court. For seven long years, companies have had free rein to solidify their influence in politics and maximize their impact on elections. As the magnitude of the problem and the potential for abuse has skyrocketed, investor demand for this information has greatly intensified. In addition to the obvious benefits to democracy, the case for disclosure is clear purely as a matter of corporate governance and investor protection. Without disclosure, investors have no way of knowing whether corporate executives are spending their money on political causes that may be directly adverse to shareholder interests. Moreover, shareholders have shown time and again that they want this type of disclosure. To date, more than 1.2 million securities experts, institutional and individual investors, and members of the public have pressed the SEC to promulgate a rule to require public companies to disclose their political spending. Notably, the 1.2 million members of the public are joined in their support of the rulemaking by former SEC Chairs Arthur Levitt (D) and William Donaldson (R) and former Commissioner Bevis Longstreth (D), who emphasized in a May 2015 letter to former SEC Chair Mary Jo White that the Supreme Courts expectation of disclosure would only be met by compelling companies to inform shareholders of their political activities. We believe any appropriations language intended to block this critical disclosure will serve only to impede the SECs ability to perform its primary mission of investor protection. Considering this and the threat that secret political spending poses to shareholders and our democracy writ large, we urge you to reject any language that would prohibit the SEC from taking any action to require public companies to disclose their political spending to shareholders. We thank you for your leadership to restore transparency, accountability, and critical investor protections, and we thank you for your consideration of this important request. Sincerely, ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://esty.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/esty-votes-no-supplemental-funding,Esty Votes No On Supplemental Funding,2017-12-22,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Elizabeth Esty,E000293,esty.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty (CT-5) issued the following statement in response to the Houses vote on a supplemental government funding measure. Esty voted no on the legislation, which passed the House 251169. My district is home to 75,000 Americans with ties to Puerto Rico. Community and religious groups in Meriden, New Britain, Waterbury, Roxbury, and across central and northwestern Connecticut have been collecting water and clothing to send to Puerto Rico to help those whose homes and lives were devastated by Hurricanes Irma and Maria. And hundreds of families have left the island to come to Connecticut, many enrolling their children in our schools. Ninety-two days after Hurricanes Irma and Maria pummeled Puerto Rico, power has been restored to only 60 percent of the island, leaving hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans still without electricity months after this devastating storm, Esty said. This bill woefully fails to provide an adequate amount of relief to an island that is already facing fiscal insolvency, failing to provide the much needed cost sharing waivers or resolve Puerto Ricos Medicaid crisis. Across our district here in Connecticut, folks have shared with me their frustrations at being left helpless and unable to reach their loved ones, much less help them. When Congress returns to session in January, I am calling on my colleagues to come together to find a bipartisan approach that assists all Americans to keep our country moving forward. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-nadler-statement-on-crew-v-trump,Blumenthal-Nadler Statement on CREW v. Trump,2017-12-22,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Richard Blumenthal,B001277,www.blumenthal.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Blumenthal-Nadler Statement on CREW v. Trump Print Tweet Friday, December 22, 2017 [WASHINGTON, DC] U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, and U.S. Representative Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, released the following statement after Judge George Daniels ruling in CREW v. Trump in the Southern District of New York: We look forward to proceeding with our lawsuit, which has an entirely distinct and different claim on standing. In fact, Judge Daniels opinion confirms what we have always said that the Foreign Emoluments Clause gives Congress a crucial right and responsibility to protect the American people from foreign corruption. But Congress cannot fulfill that responsibility so long as the President fails to come to Congress and disclose the benefits he wishes to accept from foreign governments. We filed suit to ensure that the President stops accepting benefits from foreign governments without first obtaining the consent of Congress as the Constitution requires and we expect to prevail.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-schumer-udall-and-tonko-announce-draft-of-bicameral-bill-to-block-cyber-grinches-stealing-christmas,"Blumenthal, Schumer, Udall and Tonko Announce Draft of Bicameral Bill to Block Cyber Grinches Stealing Christmas",2017-12-22,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Richard Blumenthal,B001277,www.blumenthal.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Blumenthal, Schumer, Udall and Tonko Announce Draft of Bicameral Bill to Block Cyber Grinches Stealing Christmas Print Tweet Cyber bots are cutting holiday shopping lines to purchase popular toys & driving toy prices to exorbitant highs Friday, December 22, 2017 [WASHINGTON, DC] U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Tom Udall (D-NM), and U.S. Representative Paul Tonko (D-NY) released draft legislation to crack down on cyber grinches using bot technology to snatch up large batches of hot holiday toys in order to resell to parents at unfair, inflated prices. Third-party sellers are deploying cyber bot technology to game online sales systems in order to buy out inventory of hot toys. Some toys like Fingerlings and Barbie Hello Dreamhouse have become nearly impossible to purchase online or in stores at retail price, in part because third-party sellers have snatched up inventory to resell online at exorbitant prices. The joy of the holiday season is too often tarnished by the unscrupulous actions of cyber grinches who cheat the system to scam consumers of their hard-earned money. Cyber bots clear the shelves, then drive up exorbitant online prices, shutting out countless parents seeking the perfect gift for their children. Our legislation would stamp out these bots and put consumers back in charge, said Blumenthal. Grinch bots cannot be allowed to steal Christmas, or dollars, from the wallets of New Yorkers, said Schumer. Middle class folks save upa little here, a little thereworking to afford the hottest gifts of the season for their kids but ever-changing technology and its challenges are making that very difficult. Its time we help restore an even playing field by blocking the bots. When it comes to purchasing products online, major retailers should put forth policies that will help prevent future Grinch bots from stealing the seasons hottest toys. Parents in New Mexico and across the country save up so they can surprise their kids with gifts at the holidays -- we cant let these Grinch Bots steal Christmas, Udall said. Regular people cant compete with the speed of automated bots. Our legislation builds on the BOTS Act for concert tickets and events so scalpers cant game the system and bypass purchasing limits on websites. People work hard and save money all year so they can afford to purchase toys and gifts for their loved ones and products for their homes and everyday lives, said Tonko. They should be able to spend the holidays with their families, not stuck hovering over their online devices hunting breathlessly for one affordable toy that will make them a hero to their kids. Allowing these manipulative buyer bots to continue to rig the retail market and squeeze consumers isnt just a problem during the holidays. It hurts the small business owners, entrepreneurs, innovative product creators and all retailers throughout the year that respect and appreciate their customers. This legislation backs consumers in this new and growing fight against the abusive use of retail bots. The lawmakers' efforts have received support from national retail organizations, including the National Retail Federation and the Retail Industry Leaders Association. Blumenthal, Schumer, Udall, and Tonko will continue efforts to build support for and finalize the legislation. No date or deadline for introduction has been set. Bots are software programs thatcanautomaticallyspot and snap up inventory offered for sale online. In a matter of seconds, third-party vendors can purchase hundreds of items, squeezing out parents and children. Last year, the Senate passed Blumenthaland Schumers Better Online Ticket Sales Act (BOTS Act) to ban ticket bots that intentionally bypass security measures on online ticketing websites to unfairly outprice individual fans. The draft legislation announced by Blumenthal, Schumer, Udall, and Tonko would apply the structure of the BOTs Act to e-commerce sites, to ban bots bypassing security measures on online retail sites. ""NRF and the retail industry share the members concerns, and we look forward to working with them and all interested parties to strengthen enforcement against bad actors and take away the tools being used against innocent consumers, particularly during the holiday season, said David French, Senior Vice President for Government Relations, National Retail Federation. Nick Ahrens, Vice President of Privacy and Cybersecurity at the Retail Industry Leaders Association said, RILA appreciates Senators Schumer, Blumenthal, and Udall, and Representative Tonkos focus on this issue. With the holiday shopping season in full swing, Americas retailers are doing everything they can to make sure American consumers have a great shopping experience and access to the seasons hottest items. Retailers also want to ensure that items purchased from their stores and online are purchased legitimately. The industry will continue taking precautions to protect consumers and mitigate fraud and theft. We look forward to working with the bills sponsors to perfect this legislation in the next year.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-helps-hartford-resident-and-wwii-veteran-living-in-decrepit-conditions-relocate-to-newly-renovated-apartment,MURPHY HELPS HARTFORD RESIDENT WWII VETERAN LIVING IN DECREPIT CONDITIONS RELOCATE TO NEWLY RENOVATED APARTMENT,2017-12-22,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Christopher Murphy,M001169,www.murphy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"MURPHY HELPS HARTFORD RESIDENT & WWII VETERAN LIVING IN DECREPIT CONDITIONS RELOCATE TO NEWLY RENOVATED APARTMENT Friday, December 22, 2017 HARTFORD After hearing that 94-year-old World War II veteran Robert Johnson had been living in decrepit conditions in his government-subsidized Hartford apartment, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Friday said that his office was able to help relocate Mr. Johnson to a newly renovated apartment on New Britain Avenue in Hartford. Mr. Johnson and his son contacted Murphys office for assistance moving after an array of housing code violations, rodents, bedbug infestations, broken elevators, sewage problems, and other hazardous problems which were reported on by the Hartford Courant went unrepaired in Johnsons apartment. After contacting various community resources, local agencies, and the HonorBound Foundation on behalf of Mr. Johnson, Murphys office was able to secure a newly renovated apartment for Mr. Johnson to move into. Mr. Johnson just received the keys to his new apartment and plans to move into his new home before the Christmas holiday. This is what I love most about my jobworking on behalf of Connecticut residents, said Murphy. I thank Mr. Johnson for his service to our country. He deserves nothing less than to live in a safe and comfortable home, and Im glad that my office was able to help make that a reality. Mr. Robert Johnson, Hartford resident and World War II veteran, said, I am very excited and grateful to Senator Murphy for his assistance in helping me to move into a new place before Christmas. Murphys office has a dedicated team of caseworkers who are committed to helping people in Connecticut resolve problems with Social Security, Medicare, immigration, military service, veteran's benefits, federal worker compensation claims, tax matters and the IRS, passport assistance, grants, small business concerns, and many other important federal issues. Connecticut residents who need assistance navigating the agencies and offices of the federal government are encouraged to contact Murphys office by phone at 860-549-8463 or online.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://delauro.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/delauro-votes-against-continuing-resolution-0,DeLauro Votes Against Continuing Resolution,2017-12-21,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Rosa DeLauro,D000216,delauro.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC (December 21, 2017) Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03)today spoke from the House Floor in opposition to the Republican majoritys Continuing Resolution before voting against it. Here are DeLauros remarks, as prepared for delivery: I rise to strongly oppose this Continuing Resolution. Yet again, we are punting one of our core obligations as a Congress: funding government programs. The Republican Majority has failed to respond to the needs of the American people. They put services and investments critical to families and our communities at risk, from apprenticeships to education for students with disabilities, child care, afterschool programs that help working families make ends meet, and financial aid for students attending college. We should be negotiating spending levels for 2018for both nondefense and defense spending. We should have spent the last two months fulfilling our responsibility as legislators by writing bipartisan bills to fund programs that help the middle class and the vulnerable, support evidence-based scientific research, and help working people get the skills they need to find good jobs with good wages. Instead, the Republican majority squandered the last two months moving their tax scam, rewarding big corporations, millionaires, and billionaires who wrote the rules to make government work for them. Republicans were their comrades in arms in rigging the game against the middle class. I am horrified by the majoritys decision to put the future of the Childrens Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, in jeopardykids checkups, their shots, prescriptions, dental and vision care, hospital care, the list goes on. States are beginning to cut children off because of the Majoritys delay. The hard-working families who depend on CHIP deserve to know that it will be there for their children for the long-term. How can our Majority go on vacation while millions of children worry about losing their health insurance? This is a disgrace. This bill also cuts $750 million from the Prevention and Public Health fund, which supports programs such as heart disease and stroke prevention, diabetes prevention, and immunization and vaccination programs. Yesterday, Republicans voted to spend $1.5 trillion of taxpayer moneyyour moneyon tax cuts for millionaireswhile today, they are cutting nearly a billion dollars from public health programs that protect everyone. I urge my colleagues to reject this Continuing Resolution, because it fails to meet our obligations to the American people. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://delauro.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/delauro-votes-no-insufficient-disaster-relief-package,DeLauro Votes No on Insufficient Disaster Relief Package,2017-12-21,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Rosa DeLauro,D000216,delauro.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. (December 22, 2017) Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) released the following statement after voting against the House Republicans insufficient supplemental disaster relief proposal. Once again, the majority in Congress has proposed a disaster relief package that does not adequately meet the needs of millions of people who are suffering without power, water, shelter, or access to medicine. In particular, this bill does nothing to address Puerto Ricos Medicaid crisis. It also fails to give Puerto Rico the same child tax credit benefits we give to other states. That is simply unacceptable. Beyond its inadequacy on disaster relief, this bill continues the Republican assault on our social safety net. The majoritys proposal cuts the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programour nations frontline hunger prevention program. In addition, it fails to include funding to rebuild Women, Infants, and Children program clinics, which ensure low-income families do not go hungry. Many clinics were damaged by hurricanes that hit Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and we should not turn a blind eye to the families who are in dire need of the lifeline the WIC program provides. All Americans affected by natural disasters deserve to be made whole. We cannot continue letting them down, and I will continue fighting until they receive every penny they are due from the federal government. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://larson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/larson-more-must-be-done-help-puerto-rico-and-us-virgin-islands,Larson: More Must be Done To Help Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands,2017-12-21,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,John Larson,L000557,larson.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01), released the following statement after voting against the Disaster Supplemental Spending that passed the House today. Yesterday marked the third month since Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico, causing widespread destruction. In the aftermath, the lagging response to restore access to basic needs contributed to a troubling spike in post-hurricane deaths, and nearly 35 percent of the island still lacks access to power. Just weeks earlier, Governor Ricardo Rossello requested $94 billion to rebuild the critical infrastructure, housing, schools and hospitals devastated by the storm. This effort will take serval years and Puerto Rico is unable to do it on its own. In addition, considering the recovery efforts in the US Virgin Islands, Florida, Texas and the wildfires that are still raging in California, it is clear that significantly more help is needed than what was brought up today. After already undercutting Puerto Ricos economy in the GOP tax reform, this bill sends a wrong message to our fellow Americans in need. Congress needs to step-up to the plate and meet Puerto Rico at the point of its need. I will continue to press the congressional leaders to address the supplemental funding in more adequate means, said Larson.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://larson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/larson-stop-kicking-can-down-road,Larson: Stop Kicking the Can Down the Road,2017-12-21,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,John Larson,L000557,larson.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. Today the House passed a Continuing Resolution to fund the government until January 19th in a partisan vote. The Republican package kicked the can down the road on critical priorities for the American people by failing to address the caps on domestic and defense spending, neglecting a needed long-term extension for the Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and funding for community health centers, leaving out a bipartisan package to stabilize the individual health insurance market, providing no funding for the opioid crisis, and ignoring the Dreamers before adjourning for the year. Rep. Larson voted against the Continuing Resolution. In the last month, my Republican colleagues have found the time to give the wealthy and corporations tax cuts by blowing a 1.5 trillion dollar hole in the deficit. How do they plan on paying for those tax cuts? By gutting essential programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, said Larson. Meanwhile, in Connecticut, notices have already gone out notifying families of the potential termination of their childs health care coverage under the Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP). My constituents are also facing the impending closure of the community health centers where they receive affordable medical treatment. In addition, the DREAMers in my district are left with unnecessary anxiety as the Republicans have left their status in limbo. The Republicans are also continuing to make a mess of Americans health care system, by not funding CSR payments and not bringing up bipartisan legislation to stabilize our health care system. When Congress reconvenes in January, I implore my Republican colleagues to reach out across the aisle and work with Democrats on ways to help the American people rather than just kicking the can down the road. I will continue to fight for constructive solutions such as advancing legislation to bolster Social Security, invest in the nations infrastructure, and expand access to affordable healthcare, said Larson.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-and-senate-democrats-demand-dot-hold-railroads-accountable-for-implementation-of-ptc-after-fatal-derailments-and-safety-shortfalls,Blumenthal and Senate Democrats Demand DOT Hold Railroads Accountable for Implementation of PTC After Fatal Derailments and Safety Shortfalls,2017-12-21,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Richard Blumenthal,B001277,www.blumenthal.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Blumenthal and Senate Democrats Demand DOT Hold Railroads Accountable for Implementation of PTC After Fatal Derailments and Safety Shortfalls Print Tweet Thursday, December 21, 2017 [WASHINGTON, DC] U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) led a group of fifteen Senators calling on Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao to hold railroads accountable for failing to implement sufficient safety measures. The Senators demanded a status report on railroads implementation of positive train control (PTC), a lifesaving technology required by Congressional mandate to be fully implemented by 2018. The Senators letter comes four days after an Amtrak train derailed in DuPont, Washington, killing three and injuring dozens more. The Washington tragedy is the latest in a troubling trend of fatal train derailments and collisions. Blumenthal was joined by U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Bob Casey (D-PA), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Patty Murray (D-WA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) in the letter to Chao. Since NTSB first recommended PTC, more than 300 people have died, thousands have been injured, and millions of dollars in property damages have been incurred, wrote the Senators. The PTC deadline is now almost one year away December 31, 2018. It is imperative that railroads complete implementation before the deadline. They must clearly understand that the consequences of failure will be stringent and prompt. The full text of the Senators letter to Chao is available for download here, and copied below. Dear Secretary Chao: On Monday, an Amtrak train derailed onto a busy interstate highway in DuPont, Washington. This tragedy reminds us of the urgent need to improve rail safety, including the nationwide implementation of positive train control (PTC) technology, as mandated by Congress. We write requesting an update on the status of railroads compliance with the pending deadline for implementation and your efforts to carry out other rail safety measures. The NTSB has been urging the adoption of PTC technology since 1970, soon after a collision in Darien, Connecticut killed four people. Following the 2008 Chatsworth, California crash that killed 25 people, Congress mandated that railroads implement the technology, which prevents trains from colliding and speeding. For years, however, the implementation of the technology has been delayed. Since NTSB first recommended PTC, more than 300 people have died, thousands have been injured, and millions of dollars in property damages have been incurred. The PTC deadline is now almost one year away December 31, 2018. It is imperative that railroads complete implementation before the deadline. They must clearly understand that the consequences of failure will be stringent and prompt. Please provide information on the following questions: 1. Based on the reports and information provided to you by railroads, and your knowledge of efforts necessary to complete PTC implementation, what railroads do you anticipate will have fully implemented PTC by the end of 2018? 2. What railroads do you anticipate will fail to implement PTC by 2018? 3. What is your plan to impose fines and penalties for railroads that fail to comply with the law? 4. Can you confirm that you will be vigorous in enforcing the deadline, imposing strong fines and penalties, where necessary, on railroads that fail to meet the deadline? 5. How are you communicating your enforcement plans to the industry? 6. What steps are you taking to implement other provisions of law and safety requirements, such as requirements from the 2015 surface transportation bill, known as the FAST Act, that passenger and commuter railroads complete a speed-limit action plan (section 11406) to prevent over-speed accidents into curves and commuter railroads improve inspection practices (section 11409)? 7. What level of funding will be included in the Presidents yet-to-be-released infrastructure proposal to expedite PTC implementation and advance other rail safety efforts? 8. What steps is DOT taking to approve and expedite the use of federal funds and grants by recipients for the implementation of PTC? We appreciate your attention to this matter and urgent efforts to ensure railroads implement lifesaving PTC technology.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-statement-on-the-continuing-resolution,Blumenthal Statement on the Continuing Resolution,2017-12-21,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Richard Blumenthal,B001277,www.blumenthal.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Blumenthal Statement on the Continuing Resolution Print Tweet Thursday, December 21, 2017 [WASHINGTON, DC] U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) released the following statement after voting against another Continuing Resolution: There is no excuse for Congress abject failure to meet our most basic obligations. Congress in effect is AWOL by delaying decision-making on our governments budget, woefully underfunding CHIP, patching together meager spending for community health centers, and gutting the Prevention Fund. Lurching from crisis to near catastrophe is no way to govern and certainly no way to lead, Blumenthal said. Most critically, I could not in good conscience support another short-term funding extension that does not include protections for Dreamers. I condemn Congressional Republicans for sentencing hundreds of thousands of young people to another holiday spent wondering if it will be the last one they are able to celebrate in the country they call home. Senator McConnell told Fox News earlier this week that we have plenty of time to address the crisis President Trump manufactured when he terminated the DACA program. I dare Senator McConnell to look into the eyes of a Dreamer who goes to sleep every night filled with anxiety about their future and deliver that cruel message.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-blumenthal-and-senate-democrats-demand-dot-hold-railroads-accountable-for-implementation-of-ptc-after-fatal-derailments-and-safety-shortfalls,"MURPHY, BLUMENTHAL SENATE DEMOCRATS DEMAND DOT HOLD RAILROADS ACCOUNTABLE FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF PTC AFTER FATAL DERAILMENTS AND SAFETY SHORTFALLS",2017-12-21,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Christopher Murphy,M001169,www.murphy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"MURPHY, BLUMENTHAL & SENATE DEMOCRATS DEMAND DOT HOLD RAILROADS ACCOUNTABLE FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF PTC AFTER FATAL DERAILMENTS AND SAFETY SHORTFALLS Thursday, December 21, 2017 WASHINGTON, DC U.S. Senators Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) led a group of fifteen Senators calling on Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao to hold railroads accountable for failing to implement sufficient safety measures. The Senators demanded a status report on railroads implementation of positive train control (PTC), a lifesaving technology required by Congressional mandate to be fully implemented by 2018. The Senators letter comes four days after an Amtrak train derailed in DuPont, Washington, killing three and injuring dozens more. The Washington tragedy is the latest in a troubling trend of fatal train derailments and collisions. Blumenthal and Murphy were joined by U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Bob Casey (D-PA), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Patty Murray (D-WA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) in the letter to Chao. Since NTSB first recommended PTC, more than 300 people have died, thousands have been injured, and millions of dollars in property damages have been incurred, wrote the Senators. The PTC deadline is now almost one year away December 31, 2018. It is imperative that railroads complete implementation before the deadline. They must clearly understand that the consequences of failure will be stringent and prompt. The full text of the Senators letter to Chao is available for download here, and copied below. Dear Secretary Chao: On Monday, an Amtrak train derailed onto a busy interstate highway in DuPont, Washington. This tragedy reminds us of the urgent need to improve rail safety, including the nationwide implementation of positive train control (PTC) technology, as mandated by Congress. We write requesting an update on the status of railroads compliance with the pending deadline for implementation and your efforts to carry out other rail safety measures. The NTSB has been urging the adoption of PTC technology since 1970, soon after a collision in Darien, Connecticut killed four people. Following the 2008 Chatsworth, California crash that killed 25 people, Congress mandated that railroads implement the technology, which prevents trains from colliding and speeding. For years, however, the implementation of the technology has been delayed. Since NTSB first recommended PTC, more than 300 people have died, thousands have been injured, and millions of dollars in property damages have been incurred. The PTC deadline is now almost one year away December 31, 2018. It is imperative that railroads complete implementation before the deadline. They must clearly understand that the consequences of failure will be stringent and prompt. Please provide information on the following questions: 1. Based on the reports and information provided to you by railroads, and your knowledge of efforts necessary to complete PTC implementation, what railroads do you anticipate will have fully implemented PTC by the end of 2018? 2. What railroads do you anticipate will fail to implement PTC by 2018? 3. What is your plan to impose fines and penalties for railroads that fail to comply with the law? 4. Can you confirm that you will be vigorous in enforcing the deadline, imposing strong fines and penalties, where necessary, on railroads that fail to meet the deadline? 5. How are you communicating your enforcement plans to the industry? 6. What steps are you taking to implement other provisions of law and safety requirements, such as requirements from the 2015 surface transportation bill, known as the FAST Act, that passenger and commuter railroads complete a speed-limit action plan (section 11406) to prevent over-speed accidents into curves and commuter railroads improve inspection practices (section 11409)? 7. What level of funding will be included in the Presidents yet-to-be-released infrastructure proposal to expedite PTC implementation and advance other rail safety efforts? 8. What steps is DOT taking to approve and expedite the use of federal funds and grants by recipients for the implementation of PTC? We appreciate your attention to this matter and urgent efforts to ensure railroads implement lifesaving PTC technology. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-blumenthal-kari-dooley-nominated-to-serve-as-district-judge-for-the-district-of-connecticut,"MURPHY, BLUMENTHAL: KARI DOOLEY NOMINATED TO SERVE AS DISTRICT JUDGE FOR THE DISTRICT OF CONNECTICUT",2017-12-21,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Christopher Murphy,M001169,www.murphy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"MURPHY, BLUMENTHAL: KARI DOOLEY NOMINATED TO SERVE AS DISTRICT JUDGE FOR THE DISTRICT OF CONNECTICUT Thursday, December 21, 2017 WASHINGTON, DC U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Chris Murphy (D-CT) issued the following statement following news that Kari Dooley has been nominated to serve as District Judge for the District of Connecticut. Blumenthal and Murphy recommended Dooleys nomination to the White House. We are pleased the White House has agreed with our recommendation to nominate Kari Dooley as a United States District Court Judge for the District of Connecticut. Judge Dooley has extensive experience in civil and criminal matters having appeared in federal court as an assistant U.S. Attorney and presiding in state court as a superior court judge. She has a well-deserved reputation for her tireless work ethic, a high standard of integrity, and an admirable judicial temperament. Most importantly, she has earned the deep respect of her colleagues and peers, said Blumenthal and Murphy. Dooley has served as a Connecticut Superior Court Judge since 2004, where she has presided over approximately 70 criminal and civil trials. Prior to her current position, she served as a federal criminal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Connecticut for twelve years, where she prosecuted a variety of criminal and federal offenses involving multiple cases involving sexual assault of minors, and multiple white collar fraud cases. Dooley served in the private practice of Whitman and Ransom in Greenwich, Connecticut, from 1988 to 1992. Dooley graduated from Cornell University and the University of Connecticut School of Law. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-votes-against-stopgap-bill-demands-long-term-deal-that-funds-connecticut-priorities-protects-dreamers,"MURPHY VOTES AGAINST STOPGAP BILL, DEMANDS LONG-TERM DEAL THAT FUNDS CONNECTICUT PRIORITIES, PROTECTS DREAMERS",2017-12-21,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Christopher Murphy,M001169,www.murphy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"MURPHY VOTES AGAINST STOPGAP BILL, DEMANDS LONG-TERM DEAL THAT FUNDS CONNECTICUT PRIORITIES, PROTECTS DREAMERS Murphy: People in Connecticut want us to start acting like adults and stop just keeping the lights on two weeks at a time. Thursday, December 21, 2017 WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, released a statement on Thursday after voting against a short-term spending bill that will only keep the government open through January 19, 2018. The bill does not include a permanent fix to protect Dreamers, nor does it include long-term extensions of the Childrens Health Insurance Program which provides health coverage to nine million low and moderate-income children, including more than 17,000 in Connecticut or community health center funding. Republicans in Congress have known about this December funding deadline for months, but they were too busy passing their disastrous tax bill to be bothered with the basics of governing like funding the government. This tradition of regular, predictable shutdown panics is embarrassing. I voted against this bill because people in Connecticut want us to start acting like adults and stop just keeping the lights on two weeks at a time. I'm also furious that this continuing resolution does not protect the thousands of young people in Connecticut who President Trump is planning to deport next spring, nor does it provide permanent funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program that provides health care to 17,000 kids in our state.I have heard from thousands of Connecticut families who have so much at stake in these fights, which is why I will not vote for any long-term deal that betrays Connecticuts values and ignores our priorities. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://esty.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/esty-introduces-bill-create-faa-women-aviation-advisory-board,Esty Introduces Bill to Create FAA Women in Aviation Advisory Board,2017-12-20,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Elizabeth Esty,E000293,esty.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty (CT-5) introduced bipartisan legislation to allow the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to establish a new Women in Aviation Advisory Board. The board would promote organizations and programs providing education, training, mentorship, outreach, and recruitment of women into the aviation industry. Estys legislation was cosponsored by Rep. Jackie Walorski (IN-2), Rep. Cheri Bustos (IL-17), and Rep. Mimi Walters (CA-45). While women make up over half of the American workforce, they are significantly underrepresented in the aviation industry. Less than ten percent of airline mechanics, flight engineers, repair personnel, and airline pilots are women, and women comprise just over a quarter of air traffic controllers. Aviation industry groups and business leaders are concerned that this shortfall could lead to trouble filling spots as more workers retire. This bill continues the important work of encouraging more people and especially women to consider careers in the high-skill field of aerospace, Esty said. At a time when nearly a fifth of our aerospace engineers are able to consider retiring, we need to elevate the initiatives happening in the private sector to encourage women to join this important sector of the workforce. Women bring new perspectives, skills, backgrounds, and problem solving skills to the table traits we know are necessary to compete for the high-wage jobs of the future. Im pleased that, at a time when Congress is more divided than ever on many issues, were able to recognize the importance of encouraging the next generation of workers on a bipartisan basis. National Business Aviation Association President and CEO Ed Bolen praised Rep. Esty for introducing the legislation. I commend Congresswoman Esty for recognizing the need for women to have greater representation in aviation, and taking this step to address the challenge, with her bipartisan proposal to create the Women in Aviation Advisory Board under the auspices of the Federal Aviation Administration. The board would fill an important need, by helping groups and programs that are working to narrow this gap by recruiting more women into aviation jobs. Everyone in the aviation industry would benefit from the resulting increase in workforce diversity. The Air Line Pilots Association, Intl, is committed to exploring all avenues to attract the best and brightest to the piloting profession while maintaining the safety standards that protect airline passengers and cargo shippers and make North American air transportation the safest in the world, said Capt. Tim Canoll, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, Intl (ALPA). ALPA pilots commend Rep. Esty, Rep. Walorski, Rep. Bustos, and Rep. Walters for their leadership in encouraging more women to consider a career in aviation. The measure introduced today to create an FAA Women in Aviation Advisory Board is extremely promising action to do more to ensure the United States has an adequate supply of fully qualified airline pilots in the future. Women play an essential role in our nations economy but are still underrepresented in many different industries, including aviation, Walorski said. We need to make sure women have every opportunity to succeed in this country. This bipartisan bill would empower the next generation of women in American aviation by strengthening outreach and mentorship and improving access to STEM education and workforce training. When women have a seat at the table, its good for business and the aviation industry is no exception, Bustos said. In Northern Illinois, we have a strong and growing aerospace industry and I have no doubt that encouraging more women to enter this high-paying, high-skill field will help us ensure a brighter economic future in our community. Women are vital to the growth and prosperity of the American economy, Walters said. Expanding access to STEM education programs will help the next generation of women better compete for jobs in the aviation sector. I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their help advancing this important legislation. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-applauds-senate-passage-of-resolution-to-recognize-lost-crew-of-san-antonio-rose,Blumenthal Applauds Senate Passage of Resolution to Recognize Lost Crew of San Antonio Rose,2017-12-20,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Richard Blumenthal,B001277,www.blumenthal.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Blumenthal Applauds Senate Passage of Resolution to Recognize Lost Crew of San Antonio Rose Print Tweet Blumenthal calls on DoD to reinvigorate search and recovery mission to locate the San Antonio Rose Wednesday, December 20, 2017 [WASHINGTON, D.C.] U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) applauded unanimous Senate approval of a bipartisan resolution he authored to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the tragic loss of the San Antonio Rose on January 5, 1943. The resolution honors the memory of the lost crew by pledging to continue the search to finally bring them home. I am honored to play a part in the commemoration of the heroes of the San Antonio Rose, who made the ultimate sacrifice in defending our nation. With the passage of this bipartisan resolution, the Senate has reaffirmed our nations duty to fulfill the promise made to these brave Americans and their families by continuing the search to bring them home. Now, DoD must recommit to a devoted search and recovery mission to locate and return the remains of the crew of the San Antonio Rose, Blumenthal said. In addition to the resolution honoring the crew of the San Antonio Rose, Blumenthal led a bipartisan letter, joined by Senators Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Steve Daines (R-MT), calling on Kelly McKeague, the Director of the Defense POW/ MIA Accounting Agency to establish a devoted search and recovery mission to locate and return the remains of the crew. Blumenthals full letter to McKeague is available for download here. The San Antonio Rose, a B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber, was last sighted under heavy attack from Japanese fighters near what is now Papua New Guinea during World War II. All eleven crew members were declared missing in action, and subsequently declared killed in action. Brigadier General Kenneth N. Walker, a Medal of Honor recipient and highest ranking officer missing in action during World War II was among those lost on the San Antonio Rose. His son Doug Walker now lives in New Canaan, Connecticut and has been leading efforts to encourage the search for remains of the plane and its crew. On behalf of the families of the crew of the San Antonio Rose and my father, I am very grateful for the tremendous help Sen. Blumenthal and his staff have provided to keep this plane and its history a subject that continues in importance through the today. Though the events of 5 Jan 43 occurred almost 75 years ago, their support has meant that this planes role in American history has been kept alive, said Walker. The resolution approved by the Senate today was co-sponsored by U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Ted Cruz (R-TX), John Cornyn (R-TX), Steve Daines (R-MT), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Tom Udall (D-NM), Jon Tester (D-MT), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). Full text of the resolution follows. Whereas, in 1943, the ongoing fighting against the Japanese in the Pacific during World War II was treacherous, a decisive outcome hung in the balance, and every victory against the Japanese contributed to the ultimate success in the region; Whereas, on January 5, 1943, six B17s of the 43rd Bombardment Group and six B24s of the 90th Bombardment Group left from Port Moresby, New Guinea, to bomb shipping at Rabaul, New Britain, to break up a major Japanese reinforcement convoy; Whereas, with the San Antonio Rose, B17F (No. 4124458), in the lead, the twelve bombers of the anti-shipping strike proceeded to Rabaul splitting the formation to target shipping in Blanche Bay, Simpson Harbor, Keravia Bay, and Vunapope; Whereas the American attack surprised the Japanese, and they did not fire anti-aircraft artillery until after the American bombs had been successfully dropped on their targets; Whereas, when bombers rejoined formation, the San Antonio Rose was no longer in the lead and did not rejoin the formation; Whereas the San Antonio Rose was last reported to have smoke trailing from the aircraft while being pursued by Japanese fighters into the clouds heading south just east of Vunakanau, New Britain Island, in what is now Papua New Guinea; Whereas the San Antonio Rose was never sighted again; Whereas the crew onboard the San Antonio Rose were declared missing in action on January 5, 1943 and subsequently declared killed in action on December 12, 1945; Whereas the members of the crew of the San Antonio Rose included Pilot, Major Allen Lindberg, New York, New York Co-Pilot, Captain Benton H. Daniel, Hollis, Oklahoma Bombardier, 2nd Lieutenant Robert L. Hand, Fields Store, Texas Navigator, 1st Lieutenant John W. Hanson, Missoula, Montana Engineer, Technical Sergeant Dennis T. Craig, New York, New York Radio, Staff Sergeant Quentin W. Blakely, Washington, District of Columbia Gunner, Sergeant Leslie A. Stewart, East Chicago, Illinois Gunner, Private First Class Leland W. Stone, Oakland, California Gunner, Private First Class William G. Fraser, Jr., San Antonio, Texas Observer, Lieutenant Colonel Jack W. Bleasdale, San Fernando, California Observer, Brigadier General Kenneth N. Walker, Cerillos, New Mexico; and Whereas the crew of the San Antonio Rose, including Brigadier General Kenneth N. Walker, Medal of Honor recipient and highest ranking officer missing in action from World War II, have never been recovered and brought home to rest: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate (1) recognizes that the heroic actions and selflessness of the crew of the San Antonio Rose, B17F (No. 4124458), led to lessons learned that directly impacted the success of subsequent missions, including the Battle of the Bismarck Sea; (2) commemorates the 75th anniversary of the loss of the San Antonio Rose and its crew; (3) expresses gratitude to the Airmen who served aboard the San Antonio Rose for their faithful service; and (4) honors the memory of the crew of the San Antonio Rose with a pledge to never forget their sacrifice by encouraging the continued search and recovery of their remains, and to fulfill the promise to finally bring them home.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-schatz-markey-booker-and-warren-demand-answers-on-banned-words-at-cdc,"Blumenthal, Schatz, Markey, Booker and Warren Demand Answers on Banned Words at CDC",2017-12-20,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Richard Blumenthal,B001277,www.blumenthal.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Blumenthal, Schatz, Markey, Booker and Warren Demand Answers on Banned Words at CDC Print Tweet Wednesday, December 20, 2017 WASHINGTON Following reports that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and potentially other agencies were directed to avoid using certain words or phrases in official budget documents, U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Ed Markey (D-MA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) are demanding answers from the CDC, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). We write regarding concerning reports that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and potentially the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), are discouraging the use of specific words or phrases in official FY19 budget documents, the Senators wrote. Such an agenda, especially if motivated by political factors, threatens to undermine the tremendous scientific progress at the CDC and the publics faith in government, more broadly. If true, this guidance is not just a mere change to vocabulary, it is a fundamental shift of direction and a reflection of flawed ideology. While Director Fitzgerald has recently denied the existence of such a ban, we request clarity on your policies via specific answers to the questions below. According to reports, words to avoid in official budget documents at the CDC include vulnerable, entitlement, diversity, transgender, fetus, evidence-based and science-based. In their letter to the CDC, HHS, and OMB, the Senators ask about the development and dissemination of any discouraged words, the legality and enforcement of such a policy, and the policies in place to ensure the scientific integrity of the health agencies. We must ensure that the actions of our federal agenciesparticularly those so important for maintaining the health and safety of our citizensadhere to the highest standards of research and scientific integrity, the Senators wrote. Given that the Trump administration has already shown a propensity to defund, silence, and eliminate agencies and programs that serve medically vulnerable communities and promote research rooted in science, we are particularly alarmed by even the possibility that the administration would direct a federal scientific agency to avoid the use of medically accurate language. For a copy of the Senators letter, click here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-statement-on-senate-passage-of-gop-tax-scam,Blumenthal Statement on Senate Passage of GOP Tax Scam,2017-12-20,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Richard Blumenthal,B001277,www.blumenthal.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Blumenthal Statement on Senate Passage of GOP Tax Scam Print Tweet Wednesday, December 20, 2017 [WASHINGTON, DC] U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) released the statement below after voting against the Republican tax plan, which was approved by the Senate after midnight on a strictly party-line vote: A tax bill is a moral statement. This one betrays basic American values. It funds burgeoning tax breaks for the wealthiest one percent who receive 83 percent of the bills benefits by burdening our children with trillions in debt. Instead of helping families buy their first home, this bill gives breaks to millionaires purchasing their third mansion. Instead of helping American wage-earning workers, this bill benefits real estate tycoons and foreign shareholders. Instead of encouraging college student aid, this bill taxes higher education endowments used for scholarship funds and rewards the heirs of the wealthiest with no estate tax. Instead of enabling local governments to balance their books, this bill punishes their taxpayers for investing in their communities, Blumenthal said. This tax bill is an abomination. Tonight, Congressional Republicans revealed their true selves: partisan zealots who care more about political promises to their wealthy donors than the lives of the people they are elected to represent. Shame on my Republican colleagues for their apparent disregard and disdain for the basic norms of governance.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-help-committee-democrats-ask-health-secretary-nominee-to-put-science-over-ideology-following-reports-health-officials-are-prohibiting-words,"MURPHY, HELP COMMITTEE DEMOCRATS ASK HEALTH SECRETARY NOMINEE TO PUT SCIENCE OVER IDEOLOGY FOLLOWING REPORTS HEALTH OFFICIALS ARE PROHIBITING WORDS",2017-12-20,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Christopher Murphy,M001169,www.murphy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"MURPHY, HELP COMMITTEE DEMOCRATS ASK HEALTH SECRETARY NOMINEE TO PUT SCIENCE OVER IDEOLOGY FOLLOWING REPORTS HEALTH OFFICIALS ARE PROHIBITING WORDS Trump administration reportedly restricting use of a number of words and phrases in budget documents, including diversity, science-based, fetus, and transgender Wednesday, December 20, 2017 WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, joined HELP Committee Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-Wash.), and the Democratic members of the Committee in sending a letter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary nominee Alex Azar on the troubling reports that the Trump administration is once again putting ideology before science by restricting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other agencies within HHS from using certain words or phrases in preparing documents for the fiscal year 2019 budget. Given Mr. Azars prior commitment to follow science and evidence at his confirmation hearing, the senators requested an explanation as to how Mr. Azar would approach this issue in his position at HHS. We are incredibly concerned by this report; if true, it represents an unconscionable restriction on agency communications that prevents the department from accurately conveying the nature of its work, potentially posing a danger to critical health and scientific efforts, wrote the senators. We also strongly oppose any communications, whether written or verbal, that suggest to Department and agency employees that they should avoid using particular words or phrases even if such guidance is not referred to as a ban. Given your pending nomination as Secretary of Health and Human Services, we seek your reaction to this reported new Administration policy, as well as additional information about how you would plan to address these communications restrictions if confirmed. On December 15, 2017, news outlets reported the Trump administration had prohibited policy analysts from using a number of words and phrases in budget documents, including diversity, science-based, fetus, and transgender. CDCs work necessarily uses many, if not all, of the banned words. They are essential to the CDCs work,including addressing the health trends of LGBTQ communities and researching the Zika virus and its impact on fetuses. The letter was signed by all of the Democratic members of the Senate HELP Committee: Senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Robert P. Casey Jr. (D-Pa.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Michael F. Bennet (D-Colo.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Christopher S. Murphy (D-Conn.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.). Full text of the letter below and PDF can be found HERE. Alex M. Azar II c/o The Department of Health and Human Services 200 Independence Avenue, S.W. Washington, D.C. 20201 Dear Mr. Azar: On December 15, 2017, the Washington Post reported that the Trump Administration has prohibited officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other parts of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from using a number of words or phrases in documents prepared for the fiscal year 2019 (FY19) budget. We are incredibly concerned by this report; if true, it represents an unconscionable restriction on agency communications that prevents the Department from accurately conveying the nature of its work, potentially posing a danger to critical health and scientific efforts. We also strongly oppose any communications, whether written or verbal, that suggest to Department and agency employees that they should avoid using particular words or phrases even if such guidance is not referred to as a ban. Given your pending nomination as Secretary of Health and Human Services, we seek your reaction to this reported new Administration policy, as well as additional information about how you would plan to address these communications restrictions if confirmed. According to news reports, CDC officials received a list of seven prohibited words or phrases during a meeting last week with senior agency budget officials.[1] The forbidden words are vulnerable, entitlement, diversity, transgender, fetus, evidence-based and science-based. The prohibition applies to the budget and supporting materials being prepared for the FY19 budget proposal, which is expected to be released in early February. Meeting attendees were reportedly not provided a reason why these words are banned, but the words vulnerable, entitlement, and diversity have already been flagged for correction in draft documents. Subsequent reports indicate the prohibition is not exclusive to CDC.[2] There also continues to be confusion about whether the prohibition applies beyond budget documents.[3] CDCs work necessarily uses many, if not all, of the banned words. For example, the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention addresses the health trends of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals.[4] Through this office, the CDC offers resources and information for transgender individuals, including information on HIV in transgender communities.[5] In fact, CDCs own data makes clear that transgender individuals are at increased risk for HIV, in part because of exactly the kind of stigma this dangerous prohibition stands to perpetuate.[6] The CDCs work on the Zika virus involves study of the passage of the virus from a pregnant woman to her fetus and the potential for birth defects in the fetus.[7] CDCs Office of Minority Health includes a division dedicated to diversity and inclusion management. It is hard to understand how CDC might prepare budget documents and more broadly conduct its work while omitting these key words and phrases. Within HHS more broadly, these prohibited words and phrases are used frequently. For example, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) operates a national registry of evidence-based programs and practices to inform the public of mental health and substance use interventions.[8] In FY2018, SAMHSA requested $2.8 million for the registry.[9] Part of the Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) mission is to help[] the public get the accurate, science-based information they need to use medical products and foods to maintain and improve their health.[10] The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) within HHS has published thousands of documents studying vulnerable populations.[11] There are many more examples of the use of these words and phrases across the Department. The reports of explicit prohibition on the use of certain words or phrases unnecessarily inserts ideology into the work of the CDC, whose mission is to conduct[] critical science and provide[] health information that protects our nation against expensive and dangerous health threats, and throughout the Department.[12] The censorship has the potential to freeze scientific advancement at the agency and across the Department, and it sends a clear message that the Trump Administration is yet again prioritizing ideology over science. If confirmed, you will be in a position to dictate departmental policy and budget. You have previously expressed a commitment to following science and evidence at the Department. During your nomination hearing before the HELP Committee last month, you stated, if I am Secretary, I am the Secretary for all Americans. we have programs that this Congress has created and that HHS is there to implement, and I would faithfully implement those programs. We may differ in different elements of how those get implemented, but I firmly believe in following evidence and science where it go[es] -- where it will take us in running these programs.[13] When asked about womens access to free contraception, you said, I will follow the law there. If the law requires the coverage, and if the evidence and the science and the facts support that ... then well follow the law there. It seems difficult to reconcile your stated beliefs about following science and evidence with reports of the Administrations ideological censorship that undermines much of CDCs work and the broader health mission of the Department. To help us understand how you would approach the policy if confirmed, please respond to the following questions by no later than January 2, 2017: Are you aware of whether the reports of the Trump Administration banning key words and phrases from HHS documents are accurate? If the reports are accurate, do you agree with the Trump Administrations reported decision to prohibit the use of the seven words and phrases from HHS budget documents?If so, please describe for each word or phrase how the Department and patients and families stand to benefit from its prohibition. If confirmed, would you plan to continue the prohibition? If not, why not? If confirmed, would you propose to include any additional prohibited words or phrases, or would you propose to eliminate any of the current words or phrases? How do you believe censorship of certain words or phrases affects the work of the CDC or HHS at large? Do you believe the restriction has an impact on the science- and evidence-based work conducted by the agency? Thank you in advance for your attention to this critical matter. If you have any questions, or would like to further discuss compliance with this request, please contact Andi Fristedt or Elizabeth Letter with Senator Murrays HELP Committee Staff at 202-224-6403. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-on-tax-bill-this-is-a-giveaway-to-the-rich-and-powerful,MURPHY ON TAX BILL: THIS IS A GIVEAWAY TO THE RICH AND POWERFUL.,2017-12-20,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Christopher Murphy,M001169,www.murphy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"MURPHY ON TAX BILL: THIS IS A GIVEAWAY TO THE RICH AND POWERFUL. Murphy: Ill fight like hell to make sure Washington doesnt use this awful tax bill as an excuse to gut the Medicare and Social Security benefits that Connecticut residents rely on. Wednesday, December 20, 2017 WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) released a statement after Senate Republicans passed a major tax overhaul early Wednesday morning without any input from Democrats. The Republican plan will give massive tax breaks to large corporations and the rich, raise taxes on many working families, and repeal major components of the Affordable Care Act. This isnt tax reform. This is a giveaway to the rich and powerful. It gives mind blowing, massive tax cuts to the wealthy, and throws crumbs at working people while quietly doubling everybodys health insurance premiums over the next seven years, said Murphy. And Republicans have already started using the trillion-dollar deficit this bill creates as an excuse to start slashing funding for the things Americans need schools, roads, Social Security and Medicare. I truly believe our tax code should be simplified and restructured in a way that gets rid of unfair loopholes and levels the playing field for workers and small businesses. I will keep working toward that goal. But until then, Ill fight like hell to make sure Washington doesnt use this awful tax bill as an excuse to gut the Medicare and Social Security benefits that Connecticut residents rely on,""Murphy added.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://courtney.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/courtney-condemns-gop-tax-bill-historic-mistake,COURTNEY CONDEMNS GOP TAX BILL AS HISTORIC MISTAKE,2017-12-19,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Joe Courtney,C001069,courtney.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) made the following statement after voting against the final version of the Republican tax overhaul that was passed in the House of Representatives by a vote 227-203: This afternoon, Congress made a historic mistake in passing a seriously lopsided tax overhaul the will almost entirely benefit wealthy Americans and corporations at the expense of middle-class and working families, said Courtney. This bill will exacerbate our national deficit and sets up the rationale that Republicans will use to launch their long-anticipated attacks against Social Security and Medicare, which Speaker Paul Ryan has already brazenly promised to do. It is also a sneak-attack on the Affordable Care Act that will result in 13 million Americans losing insurance, and will cause health care costs to rise for millions more through the repeal of the individual mandate. This bill was the quintessential backroom deal. It was rushed through Congress in record time without a single public hearing and with no testimony from outside experts about how it will affect our economy and our future. I believe that the more Americans come to learn about what was contained in this bill, the more they will come to understand the extent of the harm it will do to our nation. The original tax legislation was introduced in Congress only 48 days ago and has gone through extensive re-drafting behind closed doors during that time. The current version of the bill that was passed today was only released to members of Congress and the public on Friday evening, less than five days ago. The vast majority of the provisions in the bill that provide some limited benefit to the middle-class families will expire in 2025, while tax cuts for corporations will be made permanent. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://delauro.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/delauro-remarks-gop-tax-scam,DeLauro Remarks on GOP Tax Scam,2017-12-19,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Rosa DeLauro,D000216,delauro.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC (December 19, 2017) Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03)today spoke from the House Floor in opposition to the Republican tax scam bill, which cuts taxes for millionaires, billionaires, and corporations at the expense of middle class families. Here are DeLauros remarks, as prepared for delivery: I rise in strong opposition to this Republican tax scam. The biggest economic challenge of our time is that too many people are in jobs that do not pay enough to live on. Wages are not keeping up with rising costs, and too many families struggle to make ends meet. Meanwhile, big corporations, millionaires, and billionaires write the rules to make government work for themand Republicans are their comrades in arms in rigging the game against the middle class. Senator Orrin Hatch said, and I quote: I have a rough time wanting to spend billion and billions and trillions of dollars to help people who wont help themselves, wont lift a finger, and expect the federal government to do everything. This is the ugly truth of the Republican tax bill. This is what the vote was about. These are their values on display. This final tax bill is even worse than we fearedit lowers the tax rate for the wealthiest people even more than either of the original billswhile repealing a key element of the Affordable Care Act, which will result in premium increases and 13 million people losing their insurance. Where are our values? It also leaves behind vulnerable families with their shameful proposal for the Child Tax Creditshutting out military families, rural families, large families, minimum wage earners, and those with the youngest children. And Republicans have raised the income limit on the credit to an amount that will make Members of Congress eligiblewhile low income families are excluded. We should be reforming our tax system so that it encourages the creation of jobs here at home. This tax bill fails in every respect, and I strongly urge my colleagues to oppose it. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://esty.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/esty-votes-no-partisan-tax-bill,Esty Votes No on Partisan Tax Bill,2017-12-19,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Elizabeth Esty,E000293,esty.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty (CT-5) released the following statement after the Houses passage of a partisan tax giveaway to big corporations and the wealthy paid for by adding to the debt for future generations of Americans: As we approach the final passage and signing of this so-called tax reform, its worth reflecting on how just how many promises were made to middle-class families by the president and Congressional leaders on the campaign trail a year ago, and how badly this 400-plus-page monstrosity of a tax bill fails to live up to them,""Esty said. We were promised that working Americans would keep more of their hard-earned dollars. Instead, a majority of the American people and especially families in Connecticut will see their taxes ultimately increase under this plan. In fact, Connecticut is the state most likely to be hurt by this bill. This bill was promised to help create jobs and raise wages. Instead, the final bill is a giveaway to corporations and the wealthiest Americans paid for by saddling our children and grandchildren with an extra $1.5 trillion of debt. We were promised that families would be able to fill out their taxes on a postcard. Instead, the tax code will be even more complex, with even more giveaways to special interests. We were promised a health care plan that would cover everyone at a lower cost. Instead, this bill would gut a key protection for Americans health care one that would potentially lead to 13 million more uninsured people in this country. In just about every way imaginable, this bill fails to live up to the commitments made to the American people during the campaign last year. It is the rushed, partisan product of politicians more concerned with optics and scoring wins than helping actual people. I have been very clear. I believe we should work together in a bipartisan way to enact tax reform that helps middle-class families and small businesses. This bill is a gift to wealthy donors and a lump of coal for the American people. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://esty.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/house-passes-esty-s-bipartisan-women-aerospace-aviation-act,House Passes Estys Bipartisan Women in Aerospace Aviation Act,2017-12-19,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Elizabeth Esty,E000293,esty.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty (CT-05)s bipartisan legislation to strengthen the American aerospace industry by enhancing K-12 education initiatives to encourage women and girls participation in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields passed the House today by a vote of 409-17. Bringing women to the table is not only the right thing to do, it is the smart and the necessary thing to do, Esty said. With an aging workforce, we must do everything in our power to broaden and deepen our pool of available workers. Its a fact that girls who have women science teachers are more likely to consider a career in science. And teachers who are exposed to real-life science are better able to kindle interest in science among their students. My bill will help to ensure that more STEM teachers will enter classrooms with firsthand knowledge of how aerospace technologies are strengthening Americas future. Im committed to helping young women across the country who would thrive from mentorship from female STEM teachers. To view a video of Rep. Estys remarks from the House floor, click the image above or this link. The Women in Aerospace Education Act is designed to engage girls at a young age to enter fields that have historically been male-dominated. Under existing law, Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship grants are used by universities to cover the cost of STEM-degree students who go on to teach in rural or lower-income school districts. Estys bill would encourage universities applying for Noyce grants to incorporate aerospace engineering working and learning experiences at the National Laboratories and NASA Centers into their teacher training experience. These teachers, once certified, will then enter classrooms with first-hand knowledge of the impact aerospace projects have on our lives and share that inspiration with their students. Gail Baker, President of the ISR & Space Systems business of UTC Aerospace Systems in Windsor Locks underscored the need to bring more women into aerospace careers: Having started my career as an engineer, I applaud this effort to support women in the aerospace industry. At UTC Aerospace Systems we value the transformative impact of having a diverse workforce, and I thank Congresswoman Esty and her co-sponsors for serving as a catalyst to enable more women to pursue careers in this field. Through focused diversity and inclusion efforts, together we can continue to move the aerospace industry forward. This bill rolls out a welcome mat to women in aerospace, said Kelley T. Johnson, Founder & President of Doors to Explore Inc. in Newtown. Its important that young women have early access to research opportunities early in their career to build the skills and confidence toward positions of greater responsibility. Cultural stereotypes and gender bias often discourage women from considering all the career options available to them. This bill raises the visibility of aerospace as a viable option through research experience. Overall, we are strong champions of women and support diversity in the industry, currently employing over 31% women in our company and offering advancement opportunities above and beyond those generally seen in equivalent companies, said Meryl Mallery, Vice-President of Engineering, Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense Company. We strive to support further the advancement of women and minorities, and therefore applaud Rep. Estys efforts to further the cause. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://larson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/larson-tax-plan-cruel-and-bad-connecticut,Larson: This Tax Plan is Cruel and Bad for Connecticut,2017-12-19,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,John Larson,L000557,larson.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. Today, the House passed the conference report of the GOP Tax plan in a partisan vote. It is expected to pass the Senate, also by a partisan vote, before going to the Presidents desk. The entire process for this legislation has been partisan, rushed, and behind closed doors. Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01), released the following statement: Larsons floor remarks prior to the vote can be foundhere As we approach Christmas, this is the present the Republicans are giving to the wealthy and the corporations, leaving the elderly and the American people who need our help behind. This is a giveaway to the wealthiest among us and it will be paid for on the backs of the middle class in Connecticut, our seniors, and our states more most vulnerable.As an example, beginning next year, corporations will still be able to deduct State and Local Taxes, while individuals and families are capped at $10,000. Considering that 41 percent of Connecticut residents itemize and take this deduction our state will be unfairly penalized. Additionally, the massive corporate tax cuts are made permanent, while the modest provisions intended to help individuals expire in 2025. As a result, more than half of the middle class will see a tax increase by 2026 while the very wealthy and large corporations will continue to reap the benefits of a lower tax rate. And it gets worse, because this plan will add $1.5 trillion to the deficit, which will trigger an automatic cut of $25 billion to Medicare next year. The Republicans ultimate end game is to further decimate essential safety net programs, like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. Medicare and Social Security are insurance programs that Americans have paid into their whole working careers and now they are on the chopping block thanks to this disastrous tax bill. At the end of the day, this bill was about giving my Republican colleagues a political win after a series of failed attempts at repealing and replacing Obamacare. This was never about helping the American people. This tax cut makes the Grinch and Mr. Potter from Its a Wonderful Life look humane. The gutting of the Medicare program to pay for tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires is both cruel and deceitful, said Larson.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-to-congress-its-our-job-to-pass-critical-measures-before-the-holidays,MURPHY TO CONGRESS: ITS OUR JOB TO PASS CRITICAL MEASURES BEFORE THE HOLIDAYS,2017-12-19,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Christopher Murphy,M001169,www.murphy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"MURPHY TO CONGRESS: ITS OUR JOB TO PASS CRITICAL MEASURES BEFORE THE HOLIDAYS Tuesday, December 19, 2017 WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) spoke on the Senate floor on Tuesday to emphasize that Congress must do its job and pass important measures before recessing for the holidays. Clickhereto viewvideoof Murphys remarks. We need to think about the crisis that many families are in today and will be in over the holiday season if we don't choose to do some basic things here attached to our responsibility as United States Senators, said Murphy. If we really do believe that our role as United States Senators is to try to lift people up around us, then we need to understand that the debates around health center funding, or the Children's Health Insurance Program, or the status of children who were brought here by their parents at a very young age from another country isn't about politics. And so by the end of this week, we have to protect these Dreamers. We have to provide a permanent extension for health center funding. We have to provide a permanent extension for children's health care insurance funding because it's our job. The holidays are about our commitment to one another and we can re-up on that commitment this week by doing the right thing. The full text of Murphys remarks is below: Thank you very much, Mr. President. When you are the father of a 9-year-old and a 6-year-old during the holiday season, you spend an awful lot of time reading holiday stories. You spend an awful lot of time watching Christmas specials and Christmas movies on TV, and it's wonderful. I love it. Getting to relive my childhood through the eyes of my kids. And if you remember all of these stories and specials, there's a familiar theme that runs through them. And it's a really nice theme for kids to hear. The basic idea in many of these stories is that Christmas, Hanukkah, the holidays that we celebrate today, aren't about pageantry and they aren't about pomp and circumstance or the presents or material things. That it's really about celebrating each other. It's about sort of understanding what's important to us and who's important to us, and using this little break that we get at the end of the year to spend time with each other. And my youngests favorite of all of these stories and specials is the iconic Dr. Seuss poem about the Grinch. It ends like this. He says: He hadn't stopped Christmas from coming. It came. Somehow or other it came just the same. And the Grinch, with his Grinch feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling. How could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. He puzzled three hours till his puzzler was store. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more. It's maybe the most famous of all of the passages from Christmas stories explaining that premise, that this time of the year is a time in which we think about each other. And I hope that we do that in the Senate and in the House over the coming days before we wrap up for the year. Because as we approach the Christmas season and as creatures of good fortune, those of us who get to serve in the United States Senate, as we begin to prepare to go home and share time with our family and our loved ones, we need to think about the crisis that many families are in today and will be in over the holiday season if we don't choose to do some basic things here attached to our responsibility as United States Senators. We need to think about the position that we are going to put people in because of our inability to act and to pass legislation that prior to this holiday season seemed relatively noncontroversial. Christmas is about celebrating our love for one another. And if we really do believe in brotherhood, if we really do believe that our role as United States Senators is to try to lift people up around us, then we need to understand that the debates around health center funding, or the Children's Health Insurance Program, or the status of children who were brought here by their parents at a very young age from another country, isn't about politics. It's not about scoring political points. It's about people and what we will do to people as we head into the holiday season. Adrianna Bigard is a single mom from Hamden, Connecticut. And for her, the CHIP program has been a life saver. She's doing everything that we would ask a young woman to do. She received her master's degree in public relations from Quinnipiac University. She is now working as a public relations specialist. But she has a young son, a 6-year-old, Carter. And she's a single mom. And she gets a paycheck every week, but it goes out as quickly as it comes in. She is one of the millions of Americans who is working, who is playing by the rules, but is living paycheck to paycheck. And she gets insurance through her employer, but when she was told how much it would cost to add her son to her coverage, she simply could not afford it. She literally did not have the money in her monthly paycheck to be able to pay for gas and for groceries, for rent and for coverage for her son. And so the CHIP program is a life saver for her. Her son now is enrolled in what we call HUSKY B in Connecticut. That's the name we use for our CHIP program. And without it, she says, things would dramatically change. If HUSKY B goes away, if CHIP goes away, once all benefits, taxes, et cetera, are paid, I will not have enough money left in my paycheck to pay my rent. And that's what is consuming her this holiday season because she just got a notice from the state of Connecticut telling her that on January 31, her son, Carter, will lose health care insurance. Meaning on January 31, Adrianna will not have enough money to pay her rent or she will have to leave her son uninsured. That will be her choice come Jan 31. That's a pretty terrible, awful way for her to spend her holiday season. In northeastern Connecticut, I heard from a woman who works in homelessness services, and she was telling the inspiring story of a gentleman who had been living the last three months in a tent and suffering deeply from severe joint pain, fevers, weakness with no access to health care until he was connected with the local community health center. That local community health center was able to get him in for care, to stabilize him and potentially save his life. That community health center its called Generations, serves thousands of people in northeastern Connecticut will lose 70% of its funding next year. Many health centers in Connecticut on January 1 will lose more than half of their funding and they will shut their doors to thousands and thousands of people like this man who couldn't receive health care but for community health centers. In rural America, the slashing of community health center funding will be absolutely devastating because sometimes these community health centers are the only way for some people to get care, particularly mental health care and addiction care. So community health center patients are spending the holiday season trying to digest the news that they may be shut out from their psychiatrist. They may no longer able to see their child's primary care doctor come January 1. A 70% cut is not something you can manage with efficiencies. It means an elimination of services. Or think about Faye from Norwalk, Connecticut. She came to this country when she was 11. She now has DACA status. And she, like so many other Dreamers, have done everything that we asked. Faye went out and went to school. She got an advanced degree, she's now holding down two jobs, one of them as a radiology scheduler, working in our health care system. She's working two jobs because she wants to have access to the American dream of homeownership and she is saving and saving and saving so she can buy a house. Now she is facing possible deportation to a country that she doesn't recognize. She's been in the United States for 19 years and lived in Connecticut for 16 years, and she's spending her holiday season, as are the other 800,000 DACA recipients, fearing that their life as they know it will end at the beginning of next year. Christmas and the holiday season is not about presents, it's not about those Christmas specials. It's about people. It's about recommitting ourselves to the uniquely American notion that we are all in this together and that we are weaker as a whole if individuals who live amongst us are in a crisis, especially individuals who have done everything that we have asked, who have played by the rules. That's Adrianna, that's Faye, people who are going to have something taken away from them and their loved ones and will be put into crisis because we won't do our job. And so by the end of this week we have to protect these Dreamers. We have to provide a permanent extension for health center funding. We have to provide a permanent extension for children's health care insurance funding because it's our job, but also because it is just cruel to send all of these millions of families into the holidays with that kind of anxiety while we all sit around our holiday tables safe and sound. My kids remind me over and over again about what they learned from the Christmas specials. Christmas isnt about the presents, it's not about the trees, it's not about the decorations. The holidays are about our commitment to one another and we can re-up on that commitment this week by doing the right thing. I yield the floor. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.murphy.senate.gov/view/senator-murphy-speaks-on-the-senate-floor-about-end-of-year-funding-priorities,Senator Murphy Speaks on the Senate Floor about End of Year Funding Priorities,2017-12-19,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Christopher Murphy,M001169,www.murphy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"hartford Colt Gateway 120 Huyshope Avenue Suite 401 Hartford, CT 06106 P: (860) 549-8463 F: (860) 524-5091 Get Directions",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://courtney.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/hartford-courant-courtney-college-students-fear-gop-plan-overhaul-student,"Hartford Courant: Courtney, College Students Fear GOP Plan To Overhaul Student Loan Programs",2017-12-18,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Joe Courtney,C001069,courtney.house.gov,,,legacy,"GOP-sponsored bill torevise federal student loan programswould shatter the hopes thousands of Connecticut college students, U.S. Rep.Joe Courtney, D-2, and a group of students warned Friday. Courtneysaid the ultimate fate of the bill that passed the U.S. House Education & Workforce Committee on a party-line vote this week remains uncertain. He said the legislation is unlikely to come up for a House vote until early 2018 and that the Senate is likely to have a different version of the measure. But the students present for a Friday morning news conference said the Republican bill would prevent many young people from ever attending college by ending a subsidized loan program, eliminating college loan forgiveness provisions, and failing to tackle the issue of high-interest education loans. This puts the American dream farther out of reach for half the population, said Joshua Quintana, a senior at Central Connecticut State University who also works a full-time job while going to school. He called the GOP legislation a full-on assault on American youth. [...] Click here to read the full story at Courant.com",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://delauro.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/delauro-statement-censorship-cdc,DeLauro Statement on Censorship at the CDC,2017-12-18,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Rosa DeLauro,D000216,delauro.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC (December 18, 2017) Congresswomen Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) released the following statement in response to reports that officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggested employees not use certain wordsincluding vulnerable, entitlement, diversity, transgender, fetus, evidence-based and science-basedin budget requests. The recent reports of censorship at our nations health agencies are extremely troubling. It is essential that researchers and scientists have the freedom to follow evidence and facts wherever they lead and express their findings in whatever manner they find most accurate. Suggesting that certain words not be used for political purposes undermines public trust in our institutions and is completely improper. That is why I am calling on the Department of Health and Human Services to clarify any recent directives to the CDC, as well as other federal health agencies. Political appointees should not be censoring or interfering with the work that our scientists and public health experts do every day. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-statement-on-trumps-national-security-strategy,MURPHY STATEMENT ON TRUMPS NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY,2017-12-18,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Christopher Murphy,M001169,www.murphy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"MURPHY STATEMENT ON TRUMPS NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY Murphy: The implosion of American support for efforts to advance human rights, democracy or health will directly lead to a more dangerous world.Murphy: The implosion of American support for efforts to advance human rights, democracy or health will directly lead to a more dangerous world. Monday, December 18, 2017 WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations and U.S. Senate Appropriations Committees, released a statement on Monday after President Trump unveiled a National Security Strategy that calls for an aggressive and confrontational military and economic approach, while virtually ignoring foreign assistance, diplomacy, and development programs. President Trump fundamentally misunderstands how to use the tools at his disposal to advance Americas national security. He says retreating from the world puts America first, but the implosion of American support for efforts to advance human rights, democracy or health will directly lead to a more dangerous world. What the president doesnt understand is that State Department and USAID programs dont owe their existence to our charitable benevolence, but to our self-interest and national security. Instability, corruption, poverty, disease and chaos in far reaches of the world often give rise to the despotic rulers and terrorist organizations that directly threaten the United States. Using every tool at our disposal both military and diplomatic is the only smart way to forge a world that is safe for Americans. Our global adversaries understand this, and we used to but Im very worried that the Trump administrations National Security Strategy deliberately ignores it, and to our peril. Earlier this year, Murphy blasted the Trump administrations proposal to cut State Department funding. He also criticized President Trumps proposal to gut assistance for developing countries and to fold the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) into the Department of State. Murphy is author of Rethinking the Battlefield, a comprehensive proposal containing specific recommendations to dramatically increase the United States non-military footprint abroad by nearly doubling the U.S. foreign affairs budget including the State Department and USAID with an emphasis on funding for international development, additional foreign service officers, anti-corruption efforts, countering propaganda, crisis response, and humanitarian relief. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://esty.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/esty-partisan-tax-bill-still-middle-class-rip,Esty: Partisan Tax Bill Still a Middle-Class Rip-Off,2017-12-16,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Elizabeth Esty,E000293,esty.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. Following reports of an agreement between House and Senate Republicans on a deal to advance a massive tax bill early next week, Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty (CT-5) released the following statement: The changes made to the tax bill havent changed my view of it one bit: its still a rip-off of Connecticuts middle-class families, Esty said. This bill still raises taxes on millions of working people to pay for benefits that will accrue solely to multinational corporations, the wealthiest people in America, and the heirs to their large estates. This bill still blows a trillion-dollar-plus hole in the federal budget at a time when nonpartisan experts are warning us of the long-term consequences of our growing national debt. And this bill still considerably limits Connecticut families ability to deduct their state and local taxes. This scheme would lead to an enormous transfer of wealth from our state to states like Texas and Florida states that havent made the same investments in their success that we have. In fact, Connecticut will be punished worse than almost any other state in the nation under this proposal. Most of the middle-class families I represent will see little, if any, benefit, while the wealthiest Americans and multinational corporations will see huge windfalls. I want tax reform. Middle-class families need tax reform. Small businesses need tax reform. This bill isnt tax reform at all. If and when it fails, Republicans and Democrats should do what we shouldve been doing all along working together to craft a bill that will help families and give businesses the ability to create jobs here in America. According to a summary of the tax bill released from the conference committee convened to reconcile differences between the House and Senate versions of the legislation, the tentative agreement: Eliminates the individual mandate under the Affordable Care Act. Lowers the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%. Lowers the income tax rate for the wealthiest to 37%. Reduces the top effective marginal tax rate for S corporations to a top rate of 29.6%. Eliminates the corporate Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT); increases the exemption amount from the AMT for ultra-wealthy individuals. Caps the deductibility of state and local taxes at $10,000. Filers will be forced to choose from among sales, income, and property taxes for the deduction. Limits the home mortgage interest deduction. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://courtney.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/courtney-joins-students-and-local-professionals-condemn-gop-effort-make,COURTNEY JOINS STUDENTS AND LOCAL PROFESSIONALS TO CONDEMN THE GOP EFFORT TO MAKE COLLEGE MORE EXPENSIVE,2017-12-15,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Joe Courtney,C001069,courtney.house.gov,,,legacy,"As the cost of higher education soars, a bill passed by the Republican-led education committee this week will make college more expensive for middle-class families across the country NORWICH, CT Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) a senior member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, joined college students and other community stakeholders for a press conference in Hartford to castigate House Republicans for undermining federal programs designed to reduce costs associated with a college degree. Specifically, the Republican PROSPER Act passed by the education committee earlier this week, ends the subsidized Stafford Loan program, slashes critical grants for students such as the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, eliminates the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, and fails to address high-interest legacy loans by not allowing graduates to refinance existing debt. Click here to view the full press conference from Hartford this morning If this effort by the House Republican majority is successful, millions of American families across the country who are preparing to send their children off to college will face higher costs and fewer options for federal aid, said Courtney. What the PROSPER Act would do is actually close avenues of affordability for millions of Americans and radically change programs that have been a part of the fabric of our society going back to the 1960s. The Republicans intended to quietly push this bill through a markup this week, but I joined my colleagues on the committee in sounding the alarm and attempting to undo some of the worst aspects of the bill. Unfortunately, even my bipartisan amendment to restore the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which supports firefighters, police officers, teachers, and other public workers, was defeated. With the level of student debt in the U.S. soaring alongside the cost of a college degree, it is very hard to understand why Republicans are moving to further pull the rug out from beneath Americans feet. Keeping higher education affordable for families must be a top priority in Washington. I am urging my colleague to reconsider this attack on middle-class families and instead act to relieve some of the burdens on families. I was proud to be joined by Dr. Shannon Rayman, a veteran with $240,000 in medical debt who explained how she would not have been able to pursue a career in family medicine without the PSLF, and Lindsay Aroheim, a school psychologist who would not be able to serve children coping with mental health issues without the program. Democratic members were only provided the text of the bill, which is 590 pages long, six days prior to the markup in committee. No legislative hearings were ever scheduled before the bill and its amendments were voted on. The bill makes a number of sweeping changes to provide more support for for-profit institutions, dramatically rework the federal student aid program, and cease teacher preparation programs, among others. Courtney was joined at the media event by: Dr. Shannon Rayman, Eastern CT Healthcare Network Lindsay Aroheim, school psychologist and member of the Connecticut Education Association Susan Mitchell, National Young Farmers Coalition Thomas OSullivan, Senior at Southern CT State University Walter Dodson, UConn sophomore and representative from ConnPIRG Josh Quintana, Senior at Central CT State University Tony Patelunas, UConn Graduate Student Click here to view Courtneys opening remarks from the committee markup on Tuesday The GOP PROSPER Act: Ends subsidized loan programs A cornerstone of the Higher Education Act (including the most recently passed College Cost Reduction Act of 2007) is Title IV federal financial assistance programs. The current financial aid structure directs federal dollars only to institutions that meet quality controls set forth by the Department of Education and provides a wide array of loan structures and repayment options to meet varying financial needs. The PROSPER Act would create the Federal ONE Loan to replace current unsubsidized and subsidized Stafford Loans and Parent and Graduate PLUS Loans. The Federal ONE Loan does not offer a subsidized loan option, which mirrors a budget proposal from the Trump White House to increase the cost of college by $3.9 billion annually. Further, the ONE Loan program will cap graduate loans at $150,000 rather than the current cap, which is the cost of attendance. Caps on graduate loans will force students obtaining advanced degrees, such as in medicine or engineering, to seek private loans that generally carry higher interest rates and have more stringent repayment requirements. Slashes critical grants for students As part of the major changes to the financial assistance structure, the PROSPER Act would eliminate the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)a need-based grant to students that do not need to be paid back. FSEOG dollars are provided to universities to distribute to Pell-eligible students who may need extra support. For every three dollars of federal FSEOG support, a university matches one dollar. Eliminating this program means eliminating the last line of support for the neediest students. In addition to this program, the bill eliminates the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program. This program provides up to $4,000 per year for students who agree to teach for four years upon graduation. As a whole, the elimination of these two grant programs, in addition to subsidized loan programs, will negatively affect 8.5 million students annually. Eliminates Public Service Loan Forgiveness The Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program was signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2007 as part of the College Cost Reduction Act. PSLF provides debt forgiveness to qualifying applicants who have completed 120 on-time, qualifying payments during full-time public service employment. This debt relief enables students to pursue careers that are integral to the health and well-being of our communities, including teachers, nurses, and first responders. The PROSPER Act ends PSLF. Without this program, the combination of student debt and low wages could create a barrier to entry into public service professions; therefore, PSLF is critical to workforce recruitment and retention in these fields. Congressman Courtney offered an amendment to the PROSPER Act that would save the PSLF program and expand it to include farmers and employees of veterans service organizations. The bipartisan amendment was supported by nearly 200 organizations including the National Fraternal Order of Police, the National Young Farmers Coalition, and the American Legion. Even with the support of multiple Republicans on committee, the amendment failed by a vote of 19-20. Fails to address high-interest legacy loans Student loans account for $1.3 trillion of all consumer debtthe highest amount of consumer debt outside of a mortgageand the average borrower carries nearly $30,000 in education debt. This is a drag not just on a student, graduate, or their family; its a drag on our entire economy that impacts when or if a borrower can buy a home, start a family, start a business, or change careers. Old loans are locked into high interest rates by Congress, and a recent GAO report concludes that the federal government is projected to make $66 billion on student loans that were issued from 2007-2012. Congressman Courtney offered an amendment to the PROSPER Act that would simply provide college graduate with the ability to refinance their high-interest student loan debt at lower rates. This proposal, which mirrors the standalone Bank on Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act, would allow student loan debt to be refinanced in the same way as mortgages, car loans, and credit card debt. Unfortunately, this amendment was also defeated by a vote of 18-21. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://courtney.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/courtney-statement-final-gop-tax-overhaul,COURTNEY STATEMENT ON THE FINAL GOP TAX OVERHAUL,2017-12-15,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Joe Courtney,C001069,courtney.house.gov,,,legacy,"NORWICH, CT Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) released the following statement after the GOP released the final draft of a tax overhaul that was negotiated between Republican leadership in the House of Representatives and Senate: Its no surprise that the Republicans are introducing their massive tax overhaul late on a Friday because this entire process has been one secret, backroom deal after another, said Courtney. They want to get this bill passed before the holiday break because they need to get it done before the American people know what hit them. This bill is one gigantic gift for corporations and the wealthiest Americans in exchange for next to nothing for average middle-class and working families. Passage of this bill will create a new structural deficit that is a prelude to an assault on Social Security and Medicare, which Speaker Ryan has brazenly promised. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://delauro.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/delauro-statement-republican-tax-scam-bill,DeLauro Statement on the Republican Tax Scam Bill,2017-12-15,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Rosa DeLauro,D000216,delauro.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC (December 15, 2017) Congresswomen Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) released the following statement in response to the release of the conference report for Republican tax scam bill, which will cut taxes for millionaires, billionaires, and corporations while raising taxes on middle class families. The Republican tax scam bill has now emerged from behind closed doors, and the majority has managed to make a bad bill worse. Republicans are rigging the tax code for the wealthiest Americans at the expense of the middle class. Corporations will receive hundreds of billions of dollars in tax cuts, and their continued outsourcing of good-paying American jobs will continue to be encouraged by this tax scam bill. On top of that, millionaires and billionaires will get billions in tax cuts from a reduction in the top tax rate, from 39.6 percent to 37 percent. Meanwhile, the tax scam bill will repeal a crucial portion of the Affordable Care Act, which will cause an estimated 13 million individuals to lose their health insurance and drive up health premiums. At the same time, other changes in the tax cut bill that affect families do not go nearly far enough. The Child Tax Credit will leave behind the most vulnerable familiesrural families, military families, minimum-wage earners, and those with the youngest children. In fact, a Member of Congress with two kids will get a larger benefit from the Child Tax Credit than some military families with two kids. That is completely outrageous. If this bill passes, Speaker Ryan will use the ballooning deficit from this tax scam bill to justify drastic cuts in social safety net programs like Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), education programs, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)formerly known as food stamps. This goes against fundamental American values and represents a level of cruelty I have not seen during my time in Congress. The majority should immediately reverse course and focus on real tax reform that puts the middle class and our most vulnerable citizens first, not last. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://larson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/larson-statement-gop-tax-plan-conference-report,Larson Statement on GOP Tax Plan Conference Report,2017-12-15,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,John Larson,L000557,larson.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. - Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) released the following statement after the conference report of GOP Tax Plan was released. The text was completed on a Friday night in order to rush this bill to the floor for votes in both the House and Senate early next week: ""Despitechangesto the GOP tax plan, theheart of thisbill remains cruel. It is still a bad deal for hard-working families in my home state of Connecticut.It targets states like ours that consistently pay more in federal taxes than it receives in services and asks every day Americans to pay more, in order togive tax cuts to the wealthy and corporations. The Republican plan still overwhelminglyprovides permanent benefits for the wealthiest interests while phasing out any benefit that helps middle class families, said Larson. This is a bad bill, born of a bad process.Thisdeeply unpopular billis being rammed through both chambers, becausethe GOP needs a political win and to get to the next step of their plan: drastic cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. Experts all over the country, including Connecticut CPAs and the CT Department of Revenue Services,havebeenwarning Congress of the harm this bill will afflictsince the very beginning.The Congressional Budget Office has confirmed that this bill will add trillions to the deficit, triggering automatic cuts to a variety of programs, including a $25 billion cut to Medicare next year.I will continue to oppose and fight this plan."" Larson's previous statements can be foundhere. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-announces-senate-passage-of-first-ever-federal-anti-animal-cruelty-statute,Blumenthal Announces Senate Passage of First Ever Federal Anti-Animal Cruelty Statute,2017-12-15,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Richard Blumenthal,B001277,www.blumenthal.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Blumenthal Announces Senate Passage of First Ever Federal Anti-Animal Cruelty Statute Print Tweet Friday, December 15, 2017 (Washington, D.C.) U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) announced today the United States Senate has unanimously passed his bipartisan Prevent Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act. If signed into law, the measure would be the first-ever general federal anti-animal cruelty statute. Blumenthal introduced the bill with Senator Pat Toomey (R-Pa.). It would outlaw a heinous form of animal abuse known as ""crushing,"" where deranged individuals maim and torture animals. Despite taking steps in 2010 to ban the sale of videos depicting animal crushing, Congress failed to make the underlying act of crushing a federal crime. This means that--even when there is overwhelming evidence that torture is taking place--federal law enforcement is unable to protect animals from abuse or even arrest known abusers. The PACT Act would ensure that individuals found guilty of torturing animals face felony charges, fines, and up to seven years in prison. This bipartisan measure finally prohibits a heinous, inhumane practice--stating emphatically once and for all that there is no place in a civilized society for the maiming and torturing of animals, said Sen. Blumenthal. Thanks to the long overdue action of the Senate, the barbaric individuals who commit these crimes will no longer walk free. I call on the House to pass this important legislation immediately. ""Animal crushing is absolutely disgusting and there is no place for this behavior in our society, said Sen. Toomey. It is long past time this abhorrent practice came to an end and I am glad the Senate once again took the next step towards advancing that goal. I am hopeful that this bipartisan bill will pass the House and finally get enacted into law."" Our nation should have a zero tolerance policy for malicious cruelty to animals or sexual exploitation of defenseless creatures, said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States.We are immensely grateful to Senators Toomey and Blumenthal for leading this fight and securing this enormous win for animal welfare. The PACT Act is endorsed by the Humane Society of the United States, National Sheriffs' Association, Fraternal Order of Police, and the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys. A House companion bill has 262 cosponsors.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-kaine-mceachin-and-colleagues-ask-devos-for-answers-on-disciplinary-protections-for-minority-students,"MURPHY, KAINE, MCEACHIN COLLEAGUES ASK DEVOS FOR ANSWERS ON DISCIPLINARY PROTECTIONS FOR MINORITY STUDENTS",2017-12-15,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Christopher Murphy,M001169,www.murphy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"MURPHY, KAINE, MCEACHIN & COLLEAGUES ASK DEVOS FOR ANSWERS ON DISCIPLINARY PROTECTIONS FOR MINORITY STUDENTS Bicameral legislators ask Devos to confirm or deny reports of Department walking back school discipline guidelines Friday, December 15, 2017 WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Chris Murphy (D-CT), both members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Congressman A. Donald McEachin (D-VA) joined 15 Senators and 36 Members of the U.S. House of Representatives in sending a letter to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos asking her not to revoke or modify school discipline guidelines, following press reports that suggest she is considering a repeal of the protections. In January 2014, the Department of Education under President Obama released school discipline guidelines to assist states, districts, and schools to develop and implement practices that address the tendencies of school discipline policies to disproportionately negatively impact African American students and students with disabilities. These guidelines are not mandatory and only provide guidance to schools. Recent press reports have suggested that the Department of Education under Secretary DeVos is considering revoking these guidelines. We write to express our support for efforts to improve school climate and address the persistent, disproportionate impact of exclusionary and aversive discipline practices on groups of historically marginalized students, such as students of color. We strongly urge you to maintain guidance on discipline and compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin, the legislators said. The senators and representatives raised that statistics indicate that minority students across the country are suspended and disciplined at much higher rates than their white peers. In the 2013-14 school year, approximately 2.8 million students received one or more out of school suspensions from public schools according to the biennial Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC). The CRDC also showed that African-American students were almost four times as likely to be suspended and nearly twice as likely to be expelled compared to white students, and students with disabilities were more than twice as likely to be subjected to exclusionary discipline measures than students without disabilities, the legislators said. They also reference a 2017 Legal Aid Justice Center study which notes that while African American students make up only 23 percent of public school enrollment, they account for 60 percent of suspensions nearly four times the rate of white students in Virginia. The legislators concluded by asking DeVos to confirm that she will not revoke or modify the guidelines, whose only purpose is to protect students from discrimination, While we hope recent reporting that the Department is considering revoking or modifying this critical guidance on school discipline is inaccurate, by January 5, 2018, we request that you confirm your Department will not be revoking or modifying this critical guidance for upholding the civil rights of students under Title VI. The letter is supported by the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. Full text of the letter is below. A copy of the letter is available here. Dear Secretary DeVos, We write to express our support for efforts to improve school climate and address the persistent, disproportionate impact of exclusionary and aversive discipline practices on groups of historically marginalized students, such as students of color. We strongly urge you to maintain guidance on discipline and compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin. This guidance is crucial to ensuring that all students receive a safe, equitable, and high-quality education as well as helping schools and other recipients of federal financial assistance understand their obligations to develop and administer discipline policies in a nondiscriminatory manner. In January 2014, the Department of Education and the Department of Justice jointly released a school discipline guidance package to assist states, districts, and schools to develop and implement practices and strategies to enhance school climates and that ensure discipline policies and practices comply with federal civil rights law. These documents equip educators with a set of tools to support student success in an environment free from discrimination. The Departments issued this guidance package in response to well-documented excessive and disproportionate use of suspension and expulsion. In the 2013-14 school year, approximately 2.8 million students received one or more out of school suspensions from public schools according to the biennial Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC). The CRDC also showed that African-American students were almost four times as likely to be suspended and nearly twice as likely to be expelled compared to white students, and students with disabilities were more than twice as likely to be subjected to exclusionary discipline measures compared to students without disabilities. A statewide study by the Council of State Governments and Public Policy Research Institute, Breaking Schools Rules, further demonstrates the pervasiveness of exclusionary discipline practices for all students, while underscoring the particularly acute impact for vulnerable subgroups of students. According to the study, in Texas, which enrolls more than 10-percent of the nations public school students, more than half of all students were suspended or expelled at least once between 7th and 12th grade, while only 3 percent of disciplinary actions were for conduct for which state law mandates suspensions and expulsions. The study found significant racial disparities within discretionary disciplinary actions: African-American students had a 31 percent higher likelihood of a school discretionary action, compared to otherwise identical white and Hispanic students. Meanwhile, nearly three-quarters of the students who qualified for special education services [] were suspended or expelled at least once. These disparate discipline practices can have severe academic consequences. According to the report nearly a third of students who were suspended or expelled repeated a grade at least once, while 10 percent dropped out. A 2017 study by the Legal Aid Justice Center found similar results in Virginia. While African-American students make up only 23 percent of public school enrollment in the Commonwealth, they account for nearly 60 percent of short-term suspensions -- with a suspension rate of nearly four times their white peers. These numbers are even starker when examining African-American male students with disabilities, who were nearly twenty times more likely to be suspended than white female students without disabilities. The 2014 school discipline guidance package recognized these staggering disparities and provided educators with more effective alternatives that keep children in school and ensure a safe learning environment for everyone. The 2014 school discipline guidance supports states in meeting their obligations under the Every Student Succeeds Act. State educational agencies are now statutorily required to describe in their state plan how they will support local education agencies (LEAs) to improve school conditions for student learning including through reducing (i) incidences of bullying and harassment; (ii) the overuse of discipline practices that remove students from the classroom; and (iii) the use of aversive behavioral interventions that compromise student health and safety (Sec. 1111(g)(1)(C)). ESSA also encourages schools implementing a Title I schoolwide program to include implementation of a schoolwide tiered model to prevent and address problem behavior as a strategy to meet the needs of all students in their required plans (Sec. 1114(b)(7)(A)(iii)(III)). While we hope recent reporting that the Department of Education is considering revoking or modifying this critical guidance on school discipline is inaccurate, we request that by January 5, 2018 you confirm your Department will not be revoking or modifying this critical guidance for upholding the civil rights of students under Title VI. Part of the stated mission of the Department of Education is fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access. It is our opinion that the discipline guidance is fundamental to meeting this mission. We hope you will not undermine this mission by revoking or modifying the discipline guidance released in January 2014. Thank you for your attention to this critical issue. We look forward to your response. Sincerely, ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://courtney.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/courtney-statement-repeal-net-neutrality-1,COURTNEY STATEMENT ON THE REPEAL OF NET NEUTRALITY,2017-12-14,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Joe Courtney,C001069,courtney.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC—Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) made the following statement after the Republican-led Federal Communications Commission (FCC) repealed a 2015 rule that established net neutrality preventing telecommunications companies from slowing down or blocking access to individual websites: “The reckless and outrageous decision by the FCC today overturns a 2015 rule that painstakingly balanced open access to the internet and low costs for consumers with the goal of supporting investment and economic growth,” said Courtney. “There is absolutely no evidence that the rule was not working, and the only conceivable justification for the decision was fulfilling a political promise that this administration made to special interests. I look forward to working with my colleagues to reinstate the Obama-era policy of net neutrality that was working for the American people and small businesses who are the real drivers of the internet economy.”   ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://courtney.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/ranking-member-courtney-s-statement-navy-s-strategic-review-navy,RANKING MEMBER COURTNEYS STATEMENT ON THE NAVYS STRATEGIC REVIEW OF NAVY READINESS ISSUES,2017-12-14,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Joe Courtney,C001069,courtney.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC—Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02), ranking member of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces, issued the following statement on the Secretary of the Navy’s Strategic Readiness Review, which follows the Chief of Naval Operations’ Comprehensive Review of recent mishaps in the Pacific that led to the deaths of 17 sailors. Courtney was briefed on the findings of the review by Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer yesterday. “I want to thank Secretary Spencer for conducting this Strategic Review to complement the work of Admiral Richardson’s Comprehensive Review of Recent Surface Force Incidents that was released last month,” said Courtney. “The Secretary’s review is critical to examining the high-level, structural issues that have contributed to a degradation of our surface force readiness, and the tragedies that have occurred in the Pacific over the past 18 months. “The Strategic Review makes serious recommendations on how the Navy should train, man, equip, organize, and command the surface force around the world. Some reforms have already been implemented by the Navy using its existing authorities. Other changes will require action on the part of Congress. The Review rightfully points out that Congress has contributed to readiness shortfalls through years of uncertain budgets and restrictive language shaping the Navy’s command structure. Some of the changes will no doubt face resistance within the Navy and in Congress, but I remain convinced that now is the time to take the bold action we know is needed. Commanding officers must have the ability to declare their ships unready, our operational tempo must slow down if the surface force cannot safely keep pace, and responsibilities for force generation and operational control must be clear and unambiguous. “The completion of these reviews marks the beginning of a process for both the Navy and Congress to implement and oversee reforms needed to address the shortfalls exposed by the collisions. We owe it to the families of our lost sailors and to the families who entrust us to give their sailors the training and resources they need to do their job safely and effectively. As ranking member of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, I am committed to being an active partner in this process.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://esty.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/esty-honors-families-sandy-hook-victims-calls-action-house-floor,"Esty Honors Families of Sandy Hook Victims, Calls for Action on House Floor",2017-12-14,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Elizabeth Esty,E000293,esty.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty (CT-5), a vice-chair of the House’s Gun Violence Prevention Task Force representing Newtown, Connecticut, held a discussion on the House floor on Wednesday night to honor the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012 and call for Congress to take action.  “Twenty schoolchildren and six educators – twenty six and seven year olds – were ripped from the community of Newtown,” Esty said. “I remember that day. I was a newly-elected Member of Congress, learning about what it means to serve in this august body, when I started to receive e-mails and text messages telling me that something terrible happened at home. And by noon, I learned the worst: that children had been killed.  “I threw my things in the car and drove from Boston. I called my mother, I called my minister, and I prayed for wisdom, guidance, and the courage to face the families. I arrived to find families being notified that the children they had put on the bus that morning – children who were thinking of Hanukkah, of the start of Christmas, and of the newly-fallen snow on the ground – those children would never come home.  “It’s sad. It’s sad and it’s inexcusable that as I stand here five years later, the people’s House still has not taken action.” View Rep. Esty’s opening floor remarks from last night’s Special Order Hour by clicking the image above or this link. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://larson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/larson-republican-tax-bill-mere-prologue-cutting-americans-social,Larson: The Republican Tax Bill Is Mere Prologue To Cutting Americans Social Programs,2017-12-14,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,John Larson,L000557,larson.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington D.C. – Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) released the following statement after concluding yesterday’s Democratic Ways and Means hearing on the current state of the Republican tax bill. “Yesterday my colleagues and I heard from expert witnesses on the Republican tax bill. This was the first and only hearing on the text of H.R. 1, the House GOP tax plan, and the public debate that we and the American public were denied before the House Republicans jammed their bill through committee and ultimately through both chambers of Congress. Not only were we provided expert testimony on the repercussions the bill will have on the American worker and the obscene tax cuts that corporations and the wealthy will receive from this tax bill, we also heard from every day Americans who described to us how they would be harmed by the tax plan. We heard from a graduate student on how H.R. 1 would make higher education an impossibility for middle class Americans, and a decorated combat veteran, who has devoted his life to helping his fellow vets get hired,” said Larson. “What is most galling about this bill - is that in order to cover the costs of the $1.5 trillion hole they will blow in the deficit, they will institute an immediate $25 billion cut in Medicare next year. I spoke on this heartless tactic they are using against our seniors and loved ones in order to provide tax cuts to corporations and our country’s wealthiest citizens. It is unconscionable.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://larson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/larson-statement-5th-anniversary-tragedy-sandy-hook-elementary-school,Larson Statement on the 5th Anniversary of the Tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School,2017-12-14,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,John Larson,L000557,larson.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) released the following statement on the five year anniversary of the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT. “On this day five years ago, 26 lives were senselessly cut short at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Our hearts still ache. My heart goes out to the friends and families of all the victims,” said Larson. “I’m also frustrated that nothing has been done. Since this tragic day, the House has still yet to hold a vote on common sense gun violence prevention legislation, like universal background checks. The King-Thompson Public Safety and Second Amendment Rights Protection Act is a bipartisan bill that upholds the Second Amendment, while strengthening background checks and fortifying state and federal record keeping in order to keep guns out of the hands of convicted criminals. Unfortunately, it doesn’t stand a chance to see the light of day until the Republicans stand up to the gun lobby and take a vote. In five years all Congress has done is offered its thoughts and prayers to the victims of gun violence. Inaction is no longer an option. The American people overwhelmingly support common sense gun safety legislation. The time for Congress to act is now.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://larson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/larson-statement-fcc-vote-net-neutrality-roll-backs,Larson Statement on the FCC Vote on Net Neutrality Roll Backs,2017-12-14,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,John Larson,L000557,larson.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington D.C. – Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01)  released the following statement on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) vote to roll back the 2015 Open Internet Order and prevent states from implementing their own regulations that could surpass the federal protections for broadband consumers. “In a time when access to broadband has become an essential part of our everyday lives, we should be looking for ways to improve access to an open internet for all instead of walking backwards”, said Larson. “I am deeply disappointed with the FCC’s decision to disregard the concerns of 83 percent of American people by proceeding with a vote to roll back these important rules.  Not only is this action a step backwards for consumer protections, but it will not help spur an environment for innovation and growth. Congress should act quickly to ensure that net neutrality is preserved in order to provide fair and equal access to the Internet for all.” Yesterday, Congressman Larson, along with 117 colleagues,  sent a letter urging the FCC Chairman Ajit Pai to delay the vote on the Restoring Internet Freedom Order. Read here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://larson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/larsons-social-security-bill-gets-boost-former-obama-economist-jason,"LARSON'S SOCIAL SECURITY BILL GETS A BOOST FROM FORMER OBAMA ECONOMIST, JASON FURMAN",2017-12-14,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,John Larson,L000557,larson.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington D.C. - Congressman John B. Larson (CT-01) During a Democratic Ways & Means hearing on the Republican tax plan yesterday, former Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors under President Obama, Jason Furman, praised the Social Security 2100 Act (H.R. 1902). The Social Security 2100 Act, authored by Ways & Means Social Security Subcommittee Ranking Member John B. Larson, was introduced earlier this year and currently has 163 cosponsors. Due to the 2010 Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) law, the nearly $1.5 trillion addition to the deficit from the GOP tax plan will lead to automatic cuts to certain government programs - including cuts to Medicare as soon as next year. GOP Leadership has stated that their next priority, after passing deficit-raising tax reform, will be 'entitlement reform', including huge cuts to social insurance programs like Medicare and Social Security, that working Americans have paid for with every paycheck. A summary of their exchange is below and linked here: Larson: So, when we find that in this provision that because of PAYGO rules that there will be an automatic cut, without a vote ever having to take place, in Medicare of $25 billion a year, I would ask our experts how would you try to rectify that and what is your sense whether this is a very specific goal of going after entitlements - and not passing infrastructure or other legislation that will put people back to work? Furman: I'd like to thank you for your Social Security legislation, which I think is one of the most thoughtful proposals on Social Security and our retirement security. The simplest thing is not to pass this bill or to have revenue increases that would turn off that automatic sequester to Medicare.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-esty-release-letters-to-ice-board-of-immigration-appeals-seeking-stay-in-deportation-of-new-britain-father,"Blumenthal, Esty Release Letters to ICE, Board of Immigration Appeals Seeking Stay in Deportation of New Britain Father",2017-12-14,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Richard Blumenthal,B001277,www.blumenthal.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Blumenthal, Esty Release Letters to ICE, Board of Immigration Appeals Seeking Stay in Deportation of New Britain Father Print Tweet Thursday, December 14, 2017 (HARTFORD, CT) – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty (CT-5) released two letters today to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Board of Immigration Appeals seeking a last minute stay in the deportation of New Britain father Mariano Cardoso scheduled for this Friday. Mr. Cardoso is scheduled to be deported to his native Mexico after living here for 27 years with no criminal record. He has applied for permanent residency through his U.S. citizen son and Senator Blumenthal and Congresswoman Esty have urged ICE not to take this unnecessarily cruel action while he pursues his pathway to legal status. Cardoso has two U.S. citizen children and a son who is a DACA recipient.  Both letters identify several significant factors in his case that should merit a stay of removal, including the fact that Mr. Cardoso’s father is about to undergo surgery and will require his care.   December 14, 2017 Mr. Thomas Homan Acting Director Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement 500 12th Street, Southwest Washington, D.C. 20536   RE: Cardoso, Mariano; A: 073-676- 847; DOB: January 8, 1967   Dear Acting Director Homan, We are writing to you again on behalf of Mr. Mariano Cardoso of New Britain, Connecticut and his family regarding the Stay of Deportation filed today. We believe an immediate review of Mr. Cardoso’s case and a reconsideration of his request for a Stay of Removal is warranted, given his strong connection with his community and his role as caretaker for his parents. Mr. Cardoso’s attorney, Holli Wargo, has submitted the Stay of Removal based on many significant factors in his case -- Mr. Cardoso has been in the U.S. since 1990, gainfully employed as a business owner which provides employment to several others, and has an approved I-130 through his United States citizen son. He is also the primary caregiver for both his mother and father. Additionally, we were informed that Mr. Cardoso’s father will undergo surgery which will place further responsibility on Mr. Cardoso to provide the needed care for his father. Furthermore, Mr. Cardoso has two U.S. citizen children and a son who is a DACA recipient. He provides financial and other support for his family members. We understand and respect the difficult and important task ICE faces, but cannot understand how deporting Mr. Cardoso would be the best use of ICE’s resources as he does not pose a threat to the United States or his community. We urge you to consider the positive aspects of this case and respectfully ask you grant his request for prosecutorial discretion. For the reasons listed above, we ask that ICE give Mr. Cardoso’s request for a Stay of Removal full and fair consideration. He should be granted every consideration possible to remain in the United States and allowed to continue to pursue his pathway to legal status. December 14, 2017   Board of Immigration Appeals United States Department of Justice 5107 Leesburg Pike, Suite 2000 Falls Church, VA 22041   RE: Cardoso, Mariano; A73 676 847; DOB: January 8, 1967   To whom it may concern, We are writing on behalf of Mariano Cardoso, of New Britain, Connecticut, regarding a Motion to Reopen submitted to your office by his attorney, Holli Wargo, on December 14, 2017.  We believe an immediate review of Mr. Cardoso’s case is warranted, given his clean record, strong U.S connections, his role as caretaker for his father, who will soon be undergoing surgery and his approved I-130 petition which is pending the assignment of a visa number.   Attorney Wargo has submitted the request for reconsideration based on the many significant factors in his case.  Mr. Cardoso has been in the U.S. since 1990, runs a local business which provides employment to several others, and has an approved I-130 through his United States citizen son. He is also the primary caregiver for both his mother and father. Additionally, we were informed that Mr. Cardoso’s father will undergo surgery which will place further responsibility on Mr. Cardoso to provide the needed care for his father. Furthermore, Mr. Cardoso has two U.S. citizen children and a son who is a DACA recipient. He provides financial and other support for his family members, and plays an important role in his family as well as community. We urge you to consider the positive aspects of this case and respectfully ask you grant his request for a Motion to Reopen.  If you have any questions regarding this request, or would like to discuss the matter further, please contact Rebecca Crosswaith in Senator Blumenthal’s office at (860) 258-6940, or Kayla Briere in Congresswoman Esty’s office at (860) 223-8412.  Thank you for your time and attention to our request.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-slams-fcc-repeal-of-net-neutrality-rules,Blumenthal Slams FCC Repeal of Net Neutrality Rules,2017-12-14,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Richard Blumenthal,B001277,www.blumenthal.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Blumenthal Slams FCC Repeal of Net Neutrality Rules Print Tweet Thursday, December 14, 2017 [WASHINGTON, DC] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) issued the following statement after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to repeal rules ensuring the neutrality and openness of the internet, known as “net neutrality.” The measure passed the five-person commission by a vote of 3-2, along party lines. Blumenthal spoke on the Senate Floor yesterday in opposition to the proposal, joining several colleagues from the Senate Democratic Caucus in a colloquy. Video of his speech is available here. “The FCC has recklessly and needlessly repealed rules that have kept the playing field level, and defined the success of our current internet economy. This action has made a mockery of consumer protection at the expense of our economy. It will disastrously disadvantage small businesses. It threatens the internet’s incredible success and persistent innovation. And it will harm consumers with higher prices and lower speeds. In the face of overwhelming opposition, Chairman Pai and the Republican majority of the FCC have damaged the open internet as we know it, and with it the uniquely American accessibility and spirit that has allowed it to thrive,” Blumenthal said. “Without these protections, antitrust agencies and other regulators must play a much more aggressive role – including more vigorous and frequent investigations of anticompetitive behavior – but even that will not be sufficient to neutralize the harm caused by the FCC’s rash and destructive action.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-statement-on-fifth-anniversary-of-sandy-hook-shooting,Blumenthal Statement on Fifth Anniversary of Sandy Hook Shooting,2017-12-14,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Richard Blumenthal,B001277,www.blumenthal.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Blumenthal Statement on Fifth Anniversary of Sandy Hook Shooting Print Tweet Thursday, December 14, 2017 (Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) issued the following statement on the fifth anniversary of the Sandy Hook shooting: “Today marks the fifth anniversary of one of the darkest moments in our nation’s history. I stand in awe of the families who, through unimaginable grief and pain, have shown unparalleled courage and resilience. We must never forget the innocent lives lost that day, and we must never abandon their cause. Shame on Congress for allowing yet another year to pass without action. Shame on Congress for allowing this tragic anniversary to be followed by so many more—in Sutherland Springs, in Las Vegas, in Orlando, in Charleston, and in our communities each and every day. Each day that passes marked by inaction, Congress turns its back on the will of the American public--complicit as 90 more lives are lost to the scourge of gun violence. Today and every day, we must honor with action. I will not give up this fight.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-statement-on-navy-strategic-readiness-review,Blumenthal Statement on Navy Strategic Readiness Review,2017-12-14,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Richard Blumenthal,B001277,www.blumenthal.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Blumenthal Statement on Navy Strategic Readiness Review Print Tweet Thursday, December 14, 2017 [WASHINGTON, DC] U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement after Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer released the results of the months-long Strategic Readiness Review. The Review examined systemic conditions impacting the Navy over the last 30 years. It found the Navy has repeatedly failed to meet readiness requirements while balancing growing operational demands. The report made over 20 recommendations to address readiness shortfalls. Its four broad, strategic recommendations include: re-establishing readiness as a priority; matching supply and demand; establishing clear command and control relationships; and becoming a true learning organization. This review documents and demonstrates severe readiness problems across the fleet, said Blumenthal. They contributed significantly to deadly collisions that took the lives of seventeen brave sailors, including two from Connecticut. Such preventable tragedies must never happen again. The Navy must move expeditiously and effectively to implement the essential recommendations made by this review. As a member of the Armed Services Committee, I will do everything possible to make sure the Navy has the resources and leadership to protect our sailors and the worlds greatest Navy.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-speech-marking-fifth-anniversary-of-sandy-hook-shooting,MURPHY SPEECH MARKING FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF SANDY HOOK SHOOTING,2017-12-14,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Christopher Murphy,M001169,www.murphy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"MURPHY SPEECH MARKING FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF SANDY HOOK SHOOTING Thursday, December 14, 2017 WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) spoke on the floor of the U.S. Senate on Thursday to mark the fifth anniversary of the tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School where a gunman murdered 20 first graders and six educators. Murphy highlighted that, despite the pain and suffering that has stemmed from that tragic day, the legacy of the victims lives on in many ways. Click here to view video of Murphy’s remarks. “I want to spend my brief time here today not focusing on the sadness of today - it's there, it's inescapable – not focusing on what we haven't done, but focusing on so many miracles, big ones and small ones that have occurred in and around the lives of those that were affected in Newtown, Connecticut, over the last five years,” said Murphy. “While these families will never be the same, they have found ways to rebound. They have found ways to still capture joy in their lives. Some have added to their numbers by welcoming new children into their family since then. They have rediscovered passions. So many of the families joined together with their friends and started up small charitable organizations in the wake of the Sandy Hook shooting to try to find a way to take the beauty of these kids and transfer it to others. And then there are miracles that have happened in the context of public policy.” “Keep going,” Murphy continued. “It's what Newtown has done over the last five years. It's what those families have found the courage to do over the last half a decade. For those of us who believe that the laws of this country must change in order to protect kids like those who lost their lives in Sandy Hook, it's what we do. And so as we mark five years since the violence at Sandy Hook Elementary School, we keep going. The full text of Murphy’s remarks is below: Thank you very much, Mr. President. Mr. President, I'm on the floor this afternoon to mark five years since the unthinkable – since 20 six and seven-year-olds and six of their educators were killed in an elementary school in Sandy Hook, Connecticut. It changed the town of Newtown. It changed this country and the way that we think about gun violence. And it certainly changed me. So I want to just offer a few thoughts today as we once again memorialize those beautiful children whose lives were cut far, far too short. And it's easy to spend today, especially those of us who come from Connecticut, who are very intimately connected to the tragedy and to those families, to drown in sadness. There is really no way to conceive of what it's like as a parent to lose a child that young in that manner, in five short minutes in a hail of bullets emanating from a tactical assault weapon. 20 kids who just walked into their classroom bright and cheery were gone. It's easy to hang your head, thinking of all of the things that haven't happened. I have been down to this floor over 50 times, often at my wit's end, raising my voice at my colleagues in frustration at our quiet and unintentional endorsement of the slaughter that happens in this country because we haven't passed a single piece of legislation trying to make sense of our nation's gun laws. In fact, to the extent we have done changes in gun laws, it's compounded the problem, not remedied it. But I want to spend my brief time here today not focusing on the sadness of today - it's there, it's inescapable – not focusing on what we haven't done, but focusing on so many miracles, big ones and small ones that have occurred in and around the lives of those that were affected in Newtown, Connecticut, over the last five years.  First, there are just these individual miracles that have happened within these families. Again, no one, very few people understand the kind of crippling pain that comes with this loss. And while these families will never be the same, they have found ways to rebound. They have found ways to still capture joy in their lives. Some have added to their numbers by welcoming new children into their family since then. They have rediscovered passions. They have made sure that the surviving children, the siblings, have been able to live lives of optimism rather than live lives of perpetual fear. I have gotten to know so many of these families. The parents and the kids are now close personal friends of mine, and watching the rebirth of these families, it just instills a sense of faith in the human spirit that is hard to explain. Those are small miracles, but they are important ones to remember on this five-year anniversary.  The miracles also come in the ways that lives have been changed and saved through the efforts that have sprung forth out of this tragedy. So many of the families joined together with their friends and started up small charitable organizations in the wake of the Sandy Hook shooting to try to find a way to take the beauty of these kids and transfer it to others. They are almost too numerable to mention, but the Ana Grace Project gives out a scholarship every year at Western Connecticut State University for incoming freshmen who are interested in studying music because Ana Grace her whole life was surrounded by music. The Vicki Soto Memorial Fund. It donates five books every year to every K-6 classroom in her hometown of Stratford. She was one of the teachers, one of the heroes of that day. And kids have the opportunity to read and to learn to love reading, which is what she taught to these kindergarten kids, because of her foundation. The Charlotte Helen Bacon Foundation pays for therapy dogs for kids and families in need, reflecting Charlotte's love of dogs. The Catherine Hubbard Foundation opened an animal sanctuary, 32 acres in Newtown to help animals that have been rescued from abusive or negligent environments because of Catherine's love of animals. And the list just goes on and on. These are small, beautiful miracles that are happening all across Connecticut and all across the country, trying to honor the memory of these kids and their educators. And then there are miracles that have happened in the context of public policy. I sat at the White House a year ago this week with a few of the Sandy Hook parents quietly in the back of an auditorium as President Obama signed into law the 2016 Mental Health Reform Act that would not have become law without the input and activism of the Sandy Hook parents and many other survivors of gun violence. Our gun violence problem is not a mental health problem, per se. There is no inherent connection between mental illness and gun violence, but there is no mistaking that the shooter in Newtown, as has been the case in so many others of these mass slaughters, had deep mental health problems that went untreated. There have been public policy victories. And so today on the five-year anniversary, I hope that my friends here will celebrate these small but meaningful miracles that have happened over the last five years, and I hope that you will be reminded that we cannot take one day or one moment for granted. Those moms and dads who sent their kids to school that morning, they never imagined that that would be the last time that they would be able to interact with their child. And so none of us should think that we will have another chance to say what we want to say to somebody that we care about. None of us should think that we can put off saying ‘I love you’ for another moment. Those small, small things that we do for each other, they matter desperately.  And I think about one story that I'll leave you with from that morning. Daniel Barden is one of the young boys killed in that elementary school. His older brother went to school at a different time than he did. He would get up earlier and he would go to the bus stop earlier than Daniel would. And so they normally wouldn't see each other in the morning. And for some reason, the morning of the shooting at Sandy Hook, Daniel got up earlier than he normally did. He saw that his brother was at the end of the driveway waiting for the bus, and he ran out of the house, down the driveway to say goodbye to his brother, goodbye for the day. It was just a small, tiny act of kindness that Daniel thought probably would be forgotten by his brother by the end of that day, but it has meant the world to that family – the idea that Daniel got the chance to walk down the driveway and say goodbye to his brother before he went to school that day and never came back. Don't ever think that you will have another chance to say what you want to say to a loved one, to someone that means something in your life.  A few months ago, one of the Sandy Hook parents arrived unexpectedly in my office, and I got word from the front desk that she was there, and she just wanted to stop in for a few minutes. I said of course, send her back. It was a mom who lost her child who I have come to know very well. And she burst into my office and she flung her arms around me, and she whispered into my ear, ‘Keep going.’ She unclasped her arms and looked at me and said, ‘That's all I wanted to come and tell you.’ After a few pleasantries, she walked out the door. Keep going. It's what Newtown has done over the last five years. It's what those families have found the courage to do over the last half a decade. For those of us who believe that the laws of this country must change in order to protect kids like those who lost their lives in Sandy Hook, it's what we do. And so as we mark five years since the violence at Sandy Hook Elementary School, we keep going.  I yield the floor. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-statement-on-fcc-decision-to-repeal-net-neutrality-rules,MURPHY STATEMENT ON FCC DECISION TO REPEAL NET NEUTRALITY RULES,2017-12-14,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Christopher Murphy,M001169,www.murphy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"MURPHY STATEMENT ON FCC DECISION TO REPEAL NET NEUTRALITY RULES Murphy: “We need to bring back net neutrality and keep the internet free and open.” Thursday, December 14, 2017 WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) released a statement on Thursday after the Republican-majority Federal Communications Commission announced the repeal of Obama-era net neutrality rules that currently ban telecom companies from blocking, prioritizing, or slowing down certain websites and applications. The rules sought to protect the internet as an open and level playing field. “Imagine if the power company could decide which of your appliances got steady, reliable electricity while all other products suffered from low power and blackouts. Or if the water company could throttle back your water supply if they thought your shower was too long. The reason we regulate utilities is exactly so they can’t play those games—we don’t allow them to play favorites with consumers or providers. But that’s exactly what President Trump’s FCC just did with the internet – broadband providers and big businesses will make a bunch of money, but consumers, small businesses, and startups could be hit hard,” said Murphy. “The internet is at its best when it’s open and accessible to anyone or any business. The success of your business, website or ideas shouldn’t be based on whether you have enough cash to pay off your cable company. We need to bring back net neutrality and keep the internet free and open,” Murphy added. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.murphy.senate.gov/view/murphy-speaks-on-senate-floor-to-mark-fifth-anniversary-of-sandy-hook-shooting,Murphy Speaks On Senate Floor To Mark Fifth Anniversary Of Sandy Hook Shooting,2017-12-14,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Christopher Murphy,M001169,www.murphy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"hartford Colt Gateway 120 Huyshope Avenue Suite 401 Hartford, CT 06106 P: (860) 549-8463 F: (860) 524-5091 Get Directions",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://courtney.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/courtney-champions-college-affordability-measures-education-committee,COURTNEY CHAMPIONS COLLEGE AFFORDABILITY MEASURES AS THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE PASSES A PARTISAN RE-WRITE OF HEA,2017-12-13,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Joe Courtney,C001069,courtney.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC—Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02), a senior member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee made the following statement after an extensive re-write of the Higher Education Act was rushed through committee last night. Courtney offered two critical amendments to save the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, and to allow graduates saddled with high-interest student loans to refinance the debt at lower rates: neither was adopted by the majority. Click here to view Courtney’s opening remarks from the committee markup on Tuesday “This is another hyper-partisan effort led by the Republican majority that will incredibly make college more expensive and close pathways for young Americans to pursue critical careers that will support our economy,” said Courtney. “If this bill were ever signed into law, it would dismantle programs designed to make college more affordable for middle-class families. One prime example of this is a provision in the bill to close-down the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program that has supported students entering critical professions since its inception 10 years ago.  The program allows public service workers such as teachers, police officers, rural doctors, and others to have their student loan debt forgiven after 10 years of work in their occupation. I offered a bipartisan amendment during the committee proceedings to save the PSLF program and expand it to include farmers and veteran service organizations. That effort was backed by nearly 200 organizations such as the National Fraternal Order of Police, National Young Farmers Collation, and the American Legion. Unfortunately, even with the votes of several Republican members of the committee, the amendment ultimately failed by a vote of 19-20. “I offered a second amendment that would have simply provided college graduates with the ability to refinance high-interest student loan debt at lower rates. This proposal, which I first introduced as a standalone bill along with Senator Elizabeth Warren, would allow student loan debt to be refinanced in the same way as mortgages, car loans, and credit card debt. Unfortunately, this amendment was also defeated by a vote of 18-21.” Democratic members were only provided the text of the bill, which is 590 pages long, six days prior to the markup in committee. No legislative hearings were ever scheduled before the bill and its amendments were voted on. The bill makes a number of sweeping changes to provide more support for for-profit institutions, dramatically rework the federal student aid program, and cease teacher preparation programs, among others. Changes to Financial Assistance Structure Title IV of HEA provides students and families with several options to finance higher education. Currently, federal dollars are only directed to institutions that meet quality controls set forth by the Department of Education and provides a wide array of loan structures and repayment options to meet varying financial needs. This bill creates a “one grant, one loan, one work-study” program and eliminates the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)—a need-based grant to students that do not need to be paid back. FSEOG dollars are provided to universities to distribute to Pell-eligible students who may need extra support. For every three dollars of federal FSEOG support, a university matches one dollar. Eliminating this program means eliminating the last line of support for the neediest students. In addition to this program, the bill eliminates the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program. This program provides up to $4,000 per year for students who agree to teach for four years upon graduation. The bill also eliminates subsidized loan programs. Together, these three eliminated programs would negatively affect 8.5 million students annually. In addition to eliminating the aforementioned programs, this bill creates the “Federal ONE Loan” to replace current unsubsidized and subsidized Stafford Loans, Parent PLUS Loans, and Graduate PLUS Loans. Since this bill will eliminate subsidized Stafford Loans which means that for the first time students will face interest accrual while they are in school. Currently, federal student loans can be repaid in a variety of ways, but the ONE Loan program creates one income-based repayment plan that increases a borrower’s monthly payment from the current 10% to 15%. Additionally, the new repayment program, with very limited exception, requires borrowers to make a minimum $25 payment every month, which threatens the lowest-income borrowers to default. The bill also removes many options for loan forgiveness (including Public Service Loan Forgiveness)—rather than the current policy of basing forgiveness on the length of time of repayment, it bases forgiveness (called “cancellation” in the bill) on the amount repaid, having a disproportionate impact on the lowest-income borrowers. Under this calculation, a low-income borrower who owes $30,000 in student loan debt could take 138 years of repayment to reach forgiveness status. For Pell Grants, the bill does not increase the maximum grant amount, fails to adjust for inflation, and uses mandatory program funds to create a “Pell bonus.” The bonus would pay out $300 more a semester for students who complete 15 credit hours—universities generally encourage students not to overload their schedule because it generally leads to poorer grades and an increased likelihood of failure. Rolls Back Regulations on For-Profit Institutions Perhaps most concerning, the bill redefines an “institute of higher education” without differentiating non-profit and for-profit higher education institutions—opening the door for for-profit, sometimes predatory, institutions to access federal financial aid programs that were not afforded to these schools under prior legislation. Eliminates Teacher Preparation Supports The bill eliminates Title II of HEA that provided all federal funding for teacher preparation programs. Title II programs effectively created a pipeline to prepare teachers across the nation through the support of Teacher Quality Partnership Grants and other grants authorized to enhance teacher education. Given that there is currently, a shortage of teachers in public education, eliminating Title II could not come at a worse time. Creates a Low-Quality Workforce Training “Apprenticeship Program” The bill replaces the Title II teacher preparation support system with a new grant program for institutions of higher education (which, based on the new definition, includes for-profits) to partner with corporations to receive federal funding. The program lacks important quality controls and regulations to make sure students are receiving fully credentialed training. Further, the grant program does not prioritize low-income or underserved students. The apprenticeship program as defined in the bill actually fails to meet minimum apprenticeship standards as defined by the Department of Labor and works more as a subsidized internship or “earn-and-learn” program than a qualified apprenticeship program. Cuts Funding to International Education Programs The bill cuts two authorized programs under Title VI of HEA—the Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language Program and the American Overseas Research Centers. These programs help undergraduate students’ master foreign languages and areas of study. Universities also use this funding to promote their postgraduate research and exchange/research programs abroad. As a whole, Title VI is cut by more than $3.5 million. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-calls-for-renewed-investigation-of-comcast-nbcu-acquisition-ahead-of-expiring-merger-conditions,Blumenthal Calls for Renewed Investigation of Comcast-NBCU Acquisition Ahead of Expiring Merger Conditions,2017-12-13,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Richard Blumenthal,B001277,www.blumenthal.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Blumenthal Calls for Renewed Investigation of Comcast-NBCU Acquisition Ahead of Expiring Merger Conditions Print Tweet Wednesday, December 13, 2017 [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Ahead of a hearing today before the Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition, and Consumer Rights, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) wrote Makan Delrahim, Assistant Attorney General of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division, seeking an investigation into the anticompetitive threat consumers will face if Comcast’s acquisition of NBC Universal is allowed to remain in place after its merger conditions expire in September 2018. In the six years since the merger was first approved, there have been numerous complaints that the consolidation of these two companies has undermined free and fair competition, causing harm to consumers. Pending further investigation, Blumenthal also urged Delrahim to extend the original conditions set on the Comcast–NBCU acquisition beyond September 2018, when they are currently set to expire. “If your investigation determines that the Comcast–NBCU acquisition will produce anticompetitive effects, even if the merger conditions are retained, you may need to consider separating Comcast and NBCU in order to fully restore competition. As a member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights, I have previously raised concerns regarding whether the conditions imposed on Comcast and NBCU have achieved their intended effects of promoting competition and protecting consumers and, more broadly, whether these types of conditions can actually work,” Blumenthal wrote. “The Justice Department’s recent decision to block the acquisition of Time Warner by AT&T suggests that the Department has come to recognize the advantage of structural remedies over behavioral remedies. In fact, the very same principles that the Department invoked to justify its suit to prevent the AT&T–Time Warner acquisition suggest that the Comcast–NBCU acquisition must be investigated further.” The full text of today’s letter is available here and copied below.   December 13, 2017   The Honorable Makan Delrahim Assistant Attorney General, Antitrust Division The United States Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20530   Dear Assistant Attorney General Delrahim, As you know, the Antitrust Division of the Justice Department brought an enforcement action against Comcast’s acquisition of NBC Universal (NBCU) in 2011, and the conditions that govern this acquisition are set to expire in September 2018.  I write to you out of serious concern that, particularly in the absence of the conditions set forth in the consent decree, this acquisition poses a serious threat to fair competition. Over the past six years, the Comcast–NBCU acquisition has been roundly criticized by experts who argue that it has caused anticompetitive harm despite the conditions that were imposed on it.  This has been evidenced in part by the numerous complaints that have been filed based on violations of these conditions.  In light of the continued anticompetitive threat posed by this acquisition, I urge you to open an investigation into these complaints with the goal of determining whether the acquisition can be allowed to stand without the conditions that currently govern it. Moreover, while you are in the process of conducting such an investigation, I urge you to petition the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to leave the original conditions on the Comcast–NBCU acquisition in place. As you know, the District Court has the power to extend or modify these conditions.  Given your responsibilities as head of the Antitrust Division to enforce our nation’s antitrust laws, it is incumbent on you to continue to ensure that Comcast’s acquisition of NBCU does not undermine free and fair competition. It is particularly important to preserve the anti-retaliation provisions of these conditions, which require that Comcast and NBCU “shall not discriminate against, retaliate against, or punish” certain types of competitors. The continued enforcement of these conditions is critically important while complaints are still pending against Comcast, since your office will not be able to elicit full cooperation with any investigation into the anticompetitive consequences of the acquisition unless Comcast and NBCU’s competitors are assured that they will be protected from retaliation for assisting your investigation. Additionally, you should ask the District Court to expand these conditions to cover competitors who would have been protected from retaliation under conditions overseen by the Federal Communications Commission, given that those conditions are currently scheduled to sunset on January 20, 2018. If your investigation determines that the Comcast–NBCU acquisition will produce anticompetitive effects, even if the merger conditions are retained, you may need to consider separating Comcast and NBCU in order to fully restore competition. As a member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights, I have previously raised concerns regarding whether the conditions imposed on Comcast and NBCU have achieved their intended effects of promoting competition and protecting consumers and, more broadly, whether these types of conditions can actually work.  A growing body of evidence suggests that such conditions are insufficient to avoid anticompetitive effects and that structural remedies—either the dissolution of past mergers or forced divestitures of particular assets—are needed. The Justice Department’s recent decision to block the acquisition of Time Warner by AT&T suggests that the Department has come to recognize the advantage of structural remedies over behavioral remedies. In fact, the very same principles that the Department invoked to justify its suit to prevent the AT&T–Time Warner acquisition suggest that the Comcast–NBCU acquisition must be investigated further. Moreover, given that the FCC is on the brink of reversing its Open Internet Order, it is all the more imperative for the Justice Department to ensure fair competition in this space. Without rules to protect consumers and govern how internet providers treat their competitors, Comcast–NBCU will be free to discriminate against online video distributors, which is exactly what DOJ is trying to avoid and is precisely what the merger conditions are meant to address. In summary, I call on you to open an investigation into the anticompetitive threat consumers will face if Comcast–NBCU is allowed to continue as a merged entity after its merger conditions expire and, in the meantime, to request the District Court to extend the Comcast–NBCU merger conditions to ensure that our antitrust laws are uniformly applied and the interests of American consumers are protected. Thank you for your attention on this matter.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-udall-schumer-to-ftc-dont-let-grinch-bots-steal-christmas,"Blumenthal, Udall, Schumer to FTC: Don't Let Grinch Bots Steal Christmas",2017-12-13,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Richard Blumenthal,B001277,www.blumenthal.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Blumenthal, Udall, Schumer to FTC: Don't Let Grinch Bots Steal Christmas Print Tweet Senators Urge Trade Cops to Protect Consumers and Kids From Online Scammers This Holiday Season Wednesday, December 13, 2017 WASHINGTON —U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) urged the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to take action to protect kids and not let “Grinch Bots” steal Christmas toys. So-called Grinch Bots are algorithms and software deployed by online scammers to buy up popular toys and merchandise at lightning speed, and then re-sell those items at wildly inflated prices on websites like Ebay. After The New York Times reported that Grinch Bots have caused a shortage of Fingerlings, the Barbie Hello Dreamhouse and the Vampirina Scare B&B, among other toys, Blumenthal, Udall, and Schumer called on the FTC to convene a workshop to assess and address the damage these scammers have caused to kids and families this holiday season.  The senators also wrote that they plan to introduce legislation to combat Grinch Bots in the coming week. “Millions of Americans are turning to online retailers in search of hard-to-find gifts for their family and friends this holiday season. Unfortunately, unscrupulous scammers are also taking note of the limited availability of popular items online, and are succeeding at gaming the system by aggressively deploying cyber bots that automatically spot and snap up the most popular products,” the senators wrote. “These bots are able to scoop up the season’s hottest toys before the typical consumer can even log on. They will then turn around and sell these limited availability items at large markups in the remaining shopping days of the holiday season. The profiteers behind these programs are becoming the Grinch bots of the 2017 holiday season."" “We respectfully request that the Federal Trade Commission convene a workshop on the use of bots that usurp technology and purchase large quantities of a particular product, including in-demand toys, with the intent to resell them. We request that you and your staff work with retailers, both online and traditional, to determine ways to protect consumers from high-speed purchases made by bots designed to game the system and take advantage and deprive consumers of online discounts,” the senators continued. ""The commission should also collaborate with the nation’s 51 attorneys general to share information and best practices about how to protect consumers from these unfair practices. Such a workshop can help bring much needed attention to this issue, and help retailers and consumers assess the full extent of damage caused by these bad actors.""   The full text of Blumenthal, Udall and Schumer’s letter can be found below and here.    Dear Acting Chairman Ohlhausen and Commissioner McSweeny:   Millions of Americans are turning to online retailers in search of hard-to-find gifts for their family and friends this holiday season. Unfortunately, unscrupulous scammers are also taking note of the limited availability of popular items online, and are succeeding at gaming the system by aggressively deploying cyber bots that automatically spot and snap up the most popular products.  As reported by the New York Times, these bots are able to scoop up the season’s hottest toys before the typical consumer can even log on. They will then turn around and sell these limited availability items at large markups in the remaining shopping days of the holiday season. The profiteers behind these programs are becoming the Grinch bots of the 2017 holiday season – making it more difficult than ever for parents hoping to surprise their children with the ultimate gift at a reasonable price. We respectfully request that the Federal Trade Commission convene a workshop on the use of bots that usurp technology and purchase large quantities of a particular product, including in-demand toys, with the intent to resell them. We request that you and your staff work with retailers, both online and traditional, to determine ways to protect consumers from high-speed purchases made by bots designed to game the system and take advantage and deprive consumers of online discounts. The Commission should also collaborate with the nation’s 51 Attorneys General to share information and best practices about how to protect consumers from these unfair practices. Such a workshop can help bring much needed attention to this issue, and help retailers and consumers assess the full extent of damage caused by these bad actors. Additionally, we will be introducing legislation in the coming week and hope that we can gain your support for it.    We urge you to act quickly to prevent cyber Grinches from ruining the holiday season this year, and take the necessary steps to prevent these kinds of scams from occurring in the future.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-calls-on-congress-to-fully-fund-bipartisan-mental-health-reforms-ahead-of-sandy-hook-anniversary,MURPHY CALLS ON CONGRESS TO FULLY FUND BIPARTISAN MENTAL HEALTH REFORMS AHEAD OF SANDY HOOK ANNIVERSARY,2017-12-13,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Christopher Murphy,M001169,www.murphy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"MURPHY CALLS ON CONGRESS TO FULLY FUND BIPARTISAN MENTAL HEALTH REFORMS AHEAD OF SANDY HOOK ANNIVERSARY Murphy: “In the aftermath of that tragedy, Republicans and Democrats were able to come together to pass the Mental Health Reform Act…If properly funded, it will save lives.” Wednesday, December 13, 2017 Click here to view video of Murphy’s opening remarks. Click here to view video of Murphy’s first exchange with Dr. McCance-Katz. Click here to view video of Murphy’s second exchange with Dr. McCance-Katz. WASHINGTON – Ahead of the fifth anniversary of the tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School where a deranged gunman shot and killed 20 first graders and six educators, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) – co-author of the bipartisan Mental Health Reform Act – highlighted the challenges that remain in our country’s mental health system during a U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing. He also called on Congress to fully fund the improvements passed as part of the Mental Health Reform Act, which President Obama signed into law one year ago today. Murphy delivered opening remarks during the HELP hearing and received feedback from Dr. Elinore McCance-Katz – the first-ever Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, a position created by the Mental Health Reform Act – on the best ways to achieve mental health parity, broaden our mental health workforce, and make other improvements to the nation’s mental health care system. “It is also almost five years to the day since the terrible tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School, when a young man with serious mental illness killed 20 first-graders and six adults,” said Murphy. “Now, let’s be clear there is no inherent connection between mental illness and violence. But we also know that when people fall through the cracks of our fractured mental health system, it can have a devastating impact.”  “So in the aftermath of that tragedy, Republicans and Democrats were able to come together to pass the Mental Health Reform Act. It represents the first comprehensive overhaul and reauthorization of our nation’s mental health laws in a generation…but we have to remember that none of the programs that we authorized in this bill matter if we don’t fund them,” Murphy continued. “Congress has an awful habit of talking a really good game on mental health and addiction, but then never being willing to actually meet our rhetoric with resources. The legislation that we passed…is still groundbreaking. If properly funded, it will save lives.”  Full text of Murphy’s opening remarks is below: Thank you very much, Chairman Alexander. Thank you to both you and Ranking Member Murray for holding this important hearing, thank you to Senator Murray for allowing me to sit in her place, and to Senator Cassidy for years of our partnership on this issue. It is indeed fitting that we are holding this hearing on the one-year anniversary of President Obama signing the legislation that established this new position at the Department of Health and Human Services. Dr. McCance-Katz is the first ever Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use – a position that is long overdue.  It is also almost five years to the day since the terrible tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School, when a young man with serious mental illness killed 20 first-graders and six adults. Now, let’s be clear there is no inherent connection between mental illness and violence. America has no more mental illness than any other country, and yet we have a gun violence rate that is 20 times higher than comparable nations. But we also know that when people fall through the cracks of our fractured mental health system, it can have a devastating impact.  So in the aftermath of that tragedy, Republicans and Democrats were able to come together to pass the Mental Health Reform Act, which was part of the 21st Century CURES Act. It represents the first comprehensive overhaul and reauthorization of our nation’s mental health laws in a generation. It was supported by the mental health community, it garnered equal support from both parties, and it couldn’t have happened without the bipartisanship of this committee, which is of course a testament to Chairman Alexander and Ranking Member Murray. I think the legislation’s most important provision is the part that built upon the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act by strengthening enforcement of that law and making it more transparent for Americans. Still, there are two recent reports that illustrate how far we still need to go to fully achieve that vision of parity. A couple of weeks ago, NAMI released its third nationwide parity report, which found that more than 1 out of 3 respondents with private insurance had difficulty finding a mental health therapist, compared with only 13% reporting difficulty finding a medical specialist. Similarly, Milliman released a study that found that insurers pay primary care providers 20 percent more for the same types of care that they pay addiction and mental health specialists, including psychiatrists. In many states, the disparities in payment rates were two to three times greater – rates higher for medical doctors for people practicing medicine below the neck than those who are practicing medicine above the neck. Fortunately, the 21st Century Cures law provided additional authority to the Trump administration on parity, and I hope that we’ll begin to see these provisions implemented soon.  The law also created the position of the Assistant Secretary, as I mentioned. This was an important step to make sure that there was one person at the top of the leadership of the department who’s solely focused on these issues. We also codified the role of the Chief Medical Officer within SAMSHA to work closely with you.  Other provisions include several grant programs to improve coordination of mental health treatment, the creation of first-ever infant and early childhood mental health grants. There’s a section of the bill that promotes workforce development, and after hearing from consumers and providers about how there was confusion around HIPAA and when it was allowable to share personal health information, we included a new authorization for HHS to develop educational materials to help patients and clinicians and family members better understand when these disclosures can take place. There are other elements of the bill that will likely come up today but we have to remember that none of the programs that we authorized in this bill matter if we don’t fund them. Congress has an awful habit of talking a really good game on mental health and addiction, but then never being willing to actually meet our rhetoric with resources. The current Labor-HHS appropriations bill doesn’t yet include funding for the new programs in the bill we passed last year. And even worse, the health repeal bill that Republicans tried to push through the Senate earlier this year would have cut Medicaid funding over time by $800 billion. Medicaid, of course, is the nation’s primary payer for mental health treatment. But the legislation that we passed as part of the 21st Century CURES Act – it is still groundbreaking. If properly funded, it will save lives. And so I’m deeply thankful, again, to the committee for their work in making this bill possible and for calling this hearing.  Lastly, I’d just like to ask unanimous consent that Ranking Member Murray’s opening statement be placed in the record. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.murphy.senate.gov/view/murphy-calls-on-congress-to-fully-fund-mental-health-reforms-ahead-of-sandy-hook-anniversary,Murphy Calls On Congress To Fully Fund Mental Health Reforms Ahead Of Sandy Hook Anniversary,2017-12-13,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Christopher Murphy,M001169,www.murphy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"hartford Colt Gateway 120 Huyshope Avenue Suite 401 Hartford, CT 06106 P: (860) 549-8463 F: (860) 524-5091 Get Directions",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.murphy.senate.gov/view/murphy-questions-asst-secretary-mccance-katz-about-ways-to-achieve-mental-health-parity,Murphy Questions Asst Secretary McCance-Katz About Ways to Achieve Mental Health Parity,2017-12-13,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Christopher Murphy,M001169,www.murphy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"hartford Colt Gateway 120 Huyshope Avenue Suite 401 Hartford, CT 06106 P: (860) 549-8463 F: (860) 524-5091 Get Directions",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.murphy.senate.gov/view/murphy-questions-asst-secretary-mccance-katz-about-ways-to-broaden-the-mental-health-workforce,Murphy Questions Asst Secretary McCance-Katz About Ways to Broaden the Mental Health Workforce,2017-12-13,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Christopher Murphy,M001169,www.murphy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"hartford Colt Gateway 120 Huyshope Avenue Suite 401 Hartford, CT 06106 P: (860) 549-8463 F: (860) 524-5091 Get Directions",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://esty.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/esty-statement-president-s-comments-regarding-senator-kirsten-gillibrand,Esty Statement on President’s Comments Regarding Senator Kirsten Gillibrand,2017-12-12,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Elizabeth Esty,E000293,esty.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty (CT-5) issued the following statement in response to President Trump’s tweet regarding Senator Kirsten Gillibrand: “This morning’s comments are beneath the dignity of the highest office in America,” Esty said. “The president should remove his tweets and apologize to Senator Gillibrand immediately. Our number one priority should be to do the work the American people elected us to do – to put politics aside and work together to grow our economy and create jobs. This sexist attack on Senator Gillibrand is a failure of leadership and demeaning and disrespectful to the American people – particularly American women. I earnestly hope it is never repeated.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-statement-on-new-britain-father-mariano-cardoso,Blumenthal Statement on New Britain Father Mariano Cardoso,2017-12-12,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Richard Blumenthal,B001277,www.blumenthal.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Blumenthal Statement on New Britain Father Mariano Cardoso Print Tweet Tuesday, December 12, 2017 (Hartford, CT) – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) issued the following statement in support of Mariano Cardoso Sr., a New Britain father facing deportation on December 15. “Mariano Cardoso has lived in this country for 27 years—raising his children, working, paying taxes and contributing to his community. Mariano has already applied for permanent residency through his U.S. citizen son and there is absolutely no reason to break apart this family while he pursues his pathway to citizenship. I have written to ICE urging that they reconsider this unnecessarily cruel action and that they grant Mariano the time he deserves to see his petition through. ICE has rejected my request, but time remains for them to do the right thing. No family should have to suffer such ongoing fear and uncertainty.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-introduces-21st-century-buy-american-act,MURPHY INTRODUCES 21st CENTURY BUY AMERICAN ACT,2017-12-11,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Christopher Murphy,M001169,www.murphy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"MURPHY INTRODUCES 21st CENTURY BUY AMERICAN ACT Independent analysis estimates Murphy’s bill would create up to 100,000 jobs Monday, December 11, 2017 WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, on Monday introduced the 21st Century Buy American Act. The legislation will strengthen existing Buy American standards to ensure that the U.S. government prioritizes the purchase of American-made goods. The non-partisan Economic Policy Institute said Murphy’s 21st Century Buy American Act would create up to 100,000 jobs. “It’s pretty simple. Americans want their taxpayer money spent here and in support of U.S. manufacturers, not their foreign competitors. Our Buy American laws are outdated and full of loopholes. Manufacturers across Connecticut have told me that fixing these broken laws will help bring local jobs back, and my 21st Century Buy American Act will help do just that,” said Murphy. “Donald Trump campaigned on ‘Made in America.’ If we want to put our money where our mouth is, let’s pass this bill.” Specifically, the 21st Century Buy American Act will: Close loopholes that allow federal agencies to waive Buy American requirements. By closing these loopholes, agencies would rarely be able to use a “public interest waiver” without considering long- and short-term effects on U.S. employment. Current loopholes in Buy American laws allow agencies to exploit this waiver, leaving U.S. manufacturers behind. Provide resources for U.S. manufacturers of items in short supply to help them compete against foreign manufacturers for U.S. government contracts. By claiming an item is “non-available” domestically, or almost non-available, federal agencies can avoid certain Buy American requirements. This legislation invests in new and existing manufacturers of non-available items or manufacturers who are the only domestic manufacturer of a specific item, ensuring that these companies – that are crucial to our long-term industrial base – receive the assistance they need to continue making items that are scarce in America. This is vital for America’s economy and national security.  ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://courtney.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/courtney-urges-chip-reauthorization,COURTNEY URGES CHIP REAUTHORIZATION,2017-12-08,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Joe Courtney,C001069,courtney.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC—Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) sent a letter to Congressional leadership along with 98 other members of the House urging them to work together to extend funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Delivered to House Speaker Paul Ryan (WI-01), House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (CA-12), Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.), the letter advocates for immediately reauthorizing CHIP while simultaneously protecting the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, Medicaid and other health programs that Americans rely on to stay healthy, see a doctor and get the care they deserve. Courtney is also a cosponsor of HR 4541 to reauthorize the CHIP program for five years. “Millions of working-class families across our country rely on CHIP to provide quality health insurance for their children that they would otherwise not be able to afford,” said Courtney. “Since the CHIP program was first created it has been regularly reauthorized with strong bipartisan support from across the political spectrum. Today, I am joining nearly 100 of my colleagues in pleading with our leadership in the House and Senate to make this a priority this coverage lapses and parents are left with nowhere to turn.” Nine million children across the country rely on CHIP, which has played a fundamental role in lowering the uninsured rate among children from 25 percent in 1997 to less than five percent today. CHIP provides comprehensive, low-cost health coverage for services including routine check-ups, immunizations, doctor visits, prescriptions, dental and vision care, and emergency services. Roughly, 1,700 children across Connecticut receive health insurance through CHIP. Federal funding for CHIP expired over two months ago, and as a result, many states across the country are preparing to terminate children’s health coverage. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://esty.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/esty-introduces-bipartisan-legislation-help-adolescents-struggling,Esty Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Help Adolescents Struggling with Addiction,2017-12-08,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Elizabeth Esty,E000293,esty.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty (CT-5), a member of the bipartisan Opioid Task Force in the House, introduced bipartisan legislation with Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-NJ) to allow student loan borrowers enrolled in a state-approved substance abuse treatment program to defer payment on public student loans while actively receiving treatment without interest accruing during the deferment period. “Families shouldn’t have to choose between seeking treatment for their loved ones struggling with opioid addiction and paying the bills,” Esty said. “The pain of helping a family member seek treatment and recover is difficult enough; no one should have to tell their son or daughter that the family can’t afford to treat their child. By allowing Americans to defer student loan payments while receiving state-approved treatment, this bill will be a small step forward in our efforts to combat the opioid crisis and repair families. Like Congressman MacArthur, I’m committed to working across party lines to ensure that we heal everyone we can.” “The opioid epidemic continues to destroy communities across the United States, and in many cases, young Americans transitioning to adulthood are the most heavily impacted by this crisis,” said Congressman MacArthur. “This bipartisan bill will allow young adults to focus on treatment and overcoming addiction without having to worry about the financial burden of student loans. Young Americans, who are on the road to recovery, should have financial peace of mind while receiving life-saving treatment for addiction.”  “One in ten.  The percentage of people suffering with a substance use disorder who get the treatment they so desperately need is nothing short of tragic.  The legislation proposed by Representatives Esty and MacArthur removes a substantial barrier to that treatment.  Fully committing to an effective recovery program optimizes the chance that a young person can change the trajectory of their life -  the lasting outcomes to that investment are enormous,” said Maria Coutant Skinner from the McCall Center for Behavioral Health in Torrington, CT. “Congressman MacArthur should be commended for his wanting to help persons in recovery in a very meaningful & measurable way,” said James P. Curtin, President  & Chief Executive Officer of Daytop New Jersey. “All too often financial pressure can act as a relapse trigger. This relief, while someone is actively engaged in treatment, will go a long way in supporting someone’s path to recovery.” Esty is a member of the bipartisan Opioid Task Force in the House, and was a leader on the bipartisan Opioid Conference Committee for the House and Senate versions of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) last year. The legislation authorized $77.9 million per year from fiscal years 2016 through 2020 and devoted funds for treatment and recovery services, alternatives to prison for nonviolent offenders, law enforcement initiatives, and programs to prevent overdose deaths and improper prescriptions. Two Esty-sponsored provisions on consumer and provider education about the risk of prescription opioid addiction were included in the final legislation.  Connecticut’s Chief Medical Examiner estimates that the state’s fatal drug overdoses could exceed 1,000 for the first time in history this year, largely due to the surge in deaths from powerful opioids like heroin and fentanyl.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://esty.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/esty-introduces-bipartisan-legislation-help-adolescents-struggling-0,Esty Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Help Adolescents Struggling with Addiction,2017-12-08,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Elizabeth Esty,E000293,esty.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty (CT-5), a member of the bipartisan Opioid Task Force in the House, introduced bipartisan legislation with Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-NJ) to allow student loan borrowers enrolled in a state-approved substance abuse treatment program to defer payment on public student loans while actively receiving treatment without interest accruing during the deferment period.  “Families shouldn’t have to choose between seeking treatment for their loved ones struggling with opioid addiction and paying the bills,” Esty said. “The pain of helping a family member seek treatment and recover is difficult enough; no one should have to tell their son or daughter that the family can’t afford to treat their child. By allowing Americans to defer student loan payments while receiving state-approved treatment, this bill will be a small step forward in our efforts to combat the opioid crisis and repair families. Like Congressman MacArthur, I’m committed to working across party lines to ensure that we heal everyone we can.” “The opioid epidemic continues to destroy communities across the United States, and in many cases, young Americans transitioning to adulthood are the most heavily impacted by this crisis,” said Congressman MacArthur. “This bipartisan bill will allow young adults to focus on treatment and overcoming addiction without having to worry about the financial burden of student loans. Young Americans, who are on the road to recovery, should have financial peace of mind while receiving life-saving treatment for addiction.”   “One in ten.  The percentage of people suffering with a substance use disorder who get the treatment they so desperately need is nothing short of tragic.  The legislation proposed by Representatives Esty and MacArthur removes a substantial barrier to that treatment.  Fully committing to an effective recovery program optimizes the chance that a young person can change the trajectory of their life -  the lasting outcomes to that investment are enormous,” said Maria Coutant Skinner from the McCall Center for Behavioral Health in Torrington, CT. “Congressman MacArthur should be commended for his wanting to help persons in recovery in a very meaningful & measurable way,” said James P. Curtin, President  & Chief Executive Officer of Daytop New Jersey. “All too often financial pressure can act as a relapse trigger. This relief, while someone is actively engaged in treatment, will go a long way in supporting someone’s path to recovery.” Esty is a member of the bipartisan Opioid Task Force in the House, and was a leader on the bipartisan Opioid Conference Committee for the House and Senate versions of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) last year. The legislation authorized $77.9 million per year from fiscal years 2016 through 2020 and devoted funds for treatment and recovery services, alternatives to prison for nonviolent offenders, law enforcement initiatives, and programs to prevent overdose deaths and improper prescriptions. Two Esty-sponsored provisions on consumer and provider education about the risk of prescription opioid addiction were included in the final legislation.  Connecticut’s Chief Medical Examiner estimates that the state’s fatal drug overdoses could exceed 1,000 for the first time in history this year, largely due to the surge in deaths from powerful opioids like heroin and fentanyl.  ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-statement-on-senate-passage-of-two-week-government-funding-bill,Blumenthal Statement on Senate Passage of Two-Week Government Funding Bill,2017-12-08,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Richard Blumenthal,B001277,www.blumenthal.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Blumenthal Statement on Senate Passage of Two-Week Government Funding Bill Print Tweet Friday, December 8, 2017 [WASHINGTON, DC] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) released the following statement after the Senate voted 81-14 to approve a two-week spending bill, one day before government funding is set to expire. “I reluctantly voted to approve a short-term Continuing Resolution today only to avert the unnecessary, self-inflicted crisis of a government shutdown. Republicans’ failure to put forward a long-term funding measure is a masterclass in failed leadership. Now as they delay decision-making on funding our government, states across the country are preparing letters to CHIP families saying there is no money for their child’s health care. As they craft backroom deals in an attempt to pass their tax scam, hundreds of thousands of Dreamers are anxiously awaiting their fate. Failing to address these critical priorities is no way to run a country.""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://delauro.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/delauro-introduces-legislation-limit-arsenic-rice,DeLauro Introduces Legislation to Limit Arsenic in Rice,2017-12-07,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Rosa DeLauro,D000216,delauro.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC (December 7, 2017) — This week, Congresswomen Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) introduced legislation to limit the amount of inorganic arsenic that is permitted in rice and rice-based products.  The Reducing food-based Inorganic Compounds Exposure (RICE) Act would require the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to set a maximum permissible level of inorganic arsenic for rice and food containing rice. This bill takes an important step to ensure the safety of rice and rice products for both adults and children. “The federal government has long-known about the dangers of arsenic in our food supply. Yet high levels of inorganic arsenic—a known carcinogen—are still present in rice, rice-based cereal, and other foods many adults, children, and infants eat every day,” said Congresswoman DeLauro. “The FDA has a responsibility to ensure our food supply is safe, especially for infants and children, but there are currently no limits on the amount of arsenic allowed in our food. That is why Congress must take up the RICE Act to protect all Americans health and well-being.” ""This bill would be an important step forward for public health,"" said Jean Halloran, Director of Food Policy Initiatives for Consumers Union, the policy and mobilization division of Consumer Reports. ""Our research since 2011 has highlighted arsenic's prevalence in common rice-based foods, and identified its potential risks—especially to vulnerable populations, such as young children. We support the RICE Act and urge all members of Congress to support it as well."" In addition to establishing a maximum permissible level of inorganic arsenic in rice and rice products, the RICE Act would direct the FDA to set a separate standard for rice milk and other rice-based foods frequently consumed by infants and children. A study released this week by Healthy Babies Bright Futures found, “six times more arsenic in infant rice cereal than other types of infant cereals.” Eighty percent of children in the United States eat rice in their first year of life, putting infants at a high risk of exposure to dangerous levels of arsenic that is linked to IQ loss and other long-term neurological harm. The RICE Act is endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Consumers Union.   ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://delauro.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/delauro-statement-continuing-resolution,DeLauro Statement on the Continuing Resolution,2017-12-07,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Rosa DeLauro,D000216,delauro.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC (December 7, 2017) - Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) today spoke from the House Floor to urge her colleagues to vote against the majority’s Continuing Resolution. Here are DeLauro’s remarks, as delivered: I rise to comment on this Continuing Resolution, and on the past year of this Congress. The biggest economic challenge of our time is that people are in jobs that do not pay them enough to live on. Wages are not keeping up with rising costs—for healthcare, childcare, and housing—and too many families struggle to make ends meet, let alone put money in a college fund or go on vacation. That is what we should be focused on—we ought to be creating jobs and raising wages. Yet for the first nine months of this year, this Congress attempted again and again to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which would have raised premiums and deductibles, thrown millions off insurance, and made care unaffordable. Then, we spent our entire fall on the Republican tax scam. Big corporations, millionaires, and billionaires write the rules to make this government work for them—and Republicans are their comrades in arms in rigging the game against the middle class. Just a few days ago Senator Orrin Hatch said, and I quote: “I have a rough time wanting to spend billions and billions and trillions of dollars to help people who won’t help themselves, won’t lift a finger, and expect the federal government to do everything.” Get out the Senate chamber. Understand what people’s lives are about today. Walk in their shoes and understand their struggle. This is the ugly truth of the Republican tax bill. This is what the vote was about. These are their values on display. This tax scam is going to raise the deficit—and the Republicans will use it as an excuse to cut vital social safety net programs like Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, LIHEAP, TANF, education programs, and SNAP—or Food Stamps. Right now, funding is insufficient to provide child care assistance to all who are eligible—yet if we pass this tax bill, we will be under intense pressure to cut this assistance. That is what they want to do. This is wrong. Now, we are punting one of our core obligations as a Congress: funding our government programs. This is unacceptable—it’s a disturbing pattern and it’s unsustainable. We should be negotiating spending levels for 2018. The majority can never again speak about regular order—this year has been one partisan attempt after another to harm working class and middle class Americans so that they can fulfill their campaign promises. We have no budget agreement. We have no resolve on the Children’s Health Insurance Program. We have no resolve on a myriad of programs that people rely on to live their lives every day. There’s no resolve on the DREAMers. Why would we need another two weeks when they’ve had all this time to work on these issues. The American people deserve better. I say shame on this Congress, and vote no on this Continuing Resolution. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://esty.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/esty-statement-house-continuing-resolution-vote,Esty Statement on House Continuing Resolution Vote,2017-12-07,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Elizabeth Esty,E000293,esty.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty (CT-5) issued the following statement in response to the House’s vote on a two-week stopgap government funding measure. Esty voted “no” on the legislation, which passed the House 235-193.  “There’s no doubt in my mind that we need to keep the government open, but the House majority is failing too many Americans to accept a two-week extension right now,” Esty said. “At a time when Connecticut families fear tax increases, the country is attempting to combat an epidemic of opioid addiction, children’s health care is in limbo, and countless other issues must be resolved by the end of the year, we should do better than just keeping the lights on in the building. But that takes a genuine commitment to bipartisanship on both sides. “I know bipartisanship is possible, even in this Congress, as I have successfully authored, passed, and gotten numerous bills enacted into law this year. Democrats were, regrettably, not invited to participate in the budget discussions in any meaningful way. The American people deserve leadership that puts country over party. I’m ready to work on practical solutions, and I hope my Republican and Democratic colleagues will be too.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://larson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/larson-calls-immediate-reauthorization-chip-community-health-center,Larson Calls for Immediate Reauthorization of CHIP & Community Health Center Funding,2017-12-07,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,John Larson,L000557,larson.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. – Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) called again for a reauthorization of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), community health center funding, and other crucial public health priorities after voting NO on H.J. Res. 123, a short term continuing resolution. In addition to CHIP, the two-week stop-gap bill fails to address some of the nation’s most critical needs such as additional disaster funding for Puerto Rico & the US Virgin Islands, defense and domestic spending levels for Fiscal Year 2018, relief for DACA recipients, bipartisan legislation to stabilize health insurance markets, and funding to address the opioid epidemic. These issues all need be addressed immediately, but Congressional Republicans are yet again kicking the can down the road. “Instead of working to help families, and reauthorize CHIP in a timely, nonpartisan manner, Republicans have instead focused on giving tax cuts to the wealthy and corporations. 17,000 children in Connecticut alone depend on this and because of the Republican’s decision not to offer a long-term solution for CHIP, Connecticut will be forced to send out notifications to families warning them that this funding might not be available after the end of January,” said Larson. “This bill also fails to provide funding for community health centers that serve our most vulnerable constituents. I am proud to support a bill that would not only reauthorize CHIP and community health center funding, but also provide needed assistance to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands’ health care systems to help our fellow U.S. citizens still recovering from natural disasters. I will continue to demand that we fund these programs now, and work with my colleagues to find a solution.” For the past 20 years, CHIP has been funded on a bipartisan basis, this year the Republican majority missed the September 30th deadline to keep it funded.    **** Larson is a cosponsor of H.R. 4541, a bill to: Reauthorize CHIP for five years. Reauthorize Community Health Centers and other important public health programs for two years (such as the National Health Service Corps, the Special Diabetes Program, and the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Program). Cancel the Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) cuts for five years without setting up deeper cuts later on. Take important steps to address the critical needs of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The bill provides for an $8 billion increase in Puerto Rico’s Medicaid spending cap over five years and an additional $275 million increase in the U.S. Virgin Islands’ cap over the same period. It also provides a 100 percent federal match for Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands for two years, streamlines and removes burden of enrollment for residents and evacuees, and reimburses state Medicaid programs for the cost of evacuees at 100 percent match for two years. Larson has also previously called to reauthorize CHIP, those statements can be found here and here.   ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-statement-on-the-resignation-of-senator-al-franken,Blumenthal Statement on the Resignation of Senator Al Franken,2017-12-07,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Richard Blumenthal,B001277,www.blumenthal.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Blumenthal Statement on the Resignation of Senator Al Franken Print Tweet Thursday, December 7, 2017 [WASHINGTON, DC] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) released the following statement today after U.S. Senator Al Franken (D-MN) announced his resignation: “Senator Franken made the right decision. The conversation about sexual harassment and assault must continue vigorously, and so should meaningful action against it. We must continue to listen to the incredibly courageous women and men across the nation who have come forward. Sexual harassment and assault needs to be stopped wherever and whenever it occurs – it continues to be far too prevalent in every sphere of American life.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-trump-jr-testimony-leaves-no-question-he-must-be-subpoenaed,Blumenthal: Trump Jr. Testimony Leaves No Question He Must Be Subpoenaed,2017-12-07,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Richard Blumenthal,B001277,www.blumenthal.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Blumenthal: Trump Jr. Testimony Leaves No Question He Must Be Subpoenaed Print Tweet Earlier this week, Blumenthal called on Chairman Grassley to immediately subpoena Trump, Jr. for documents and public testimony Thursday, December 7, 2017   [WASHINGTON, DC] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) released the statement below today following reports that in testimony before the House Intelligence Committee, Donald Trump, Jr. claimed attorney-client privilege when withholding details of a conversations with his father, President Trump, regarding a meeting with Russian agents during the summer of 2016. “This completely disingenuous, bogus claim of lawyer-client privilege leaves no question that Donald Trump, Jr. must be subpoenaed to testify in public, under oath,” Blumenthal said. “Spurious claims of privilege can never be a “get out of jail free” card. His defiance of Congress is an insult to elected officials on both sides of the aisle. No one is above the law, and he must be held accountable.” On Tuesday, Blumenthal wrote Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley today asking that he immediately issue a subpoena for public testimony and documents from Donald Trump, Jr. Trump, Jr. has thus far failed to fully comply with the Senate Judiciary Committee’s documents request, and initially withheld secret messages he exchanged with WikiLeaks during the 2016 presidential campaign. This follows a disturbing a pattern of Trump, Jr. giving incomplete or misleading statements about his involvement in communications with Russian agents. Despite Trump, Jr.’s refusal to cooperate with the Senate Judiciary Committee’s investigation, Chairman Grassley has taken no action to compel his testimony or ensure that he has turned over all documents that fall within the Committee’s jurisdiction. The full text of Blumenthal’s letter is available here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-condemns-trump-administration-for-gutting-support-for-homeless-vets,MURPHY CONDEMNS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FOR GUTTING SUPPORT FOR HOMELESS VETS,2017-12-07,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Christopher Murphy,M001169,www.murphy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"MURPHY CONDEMNS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FOR GUTTING SUPPORT FOR HOMELESS VETS Thursday, December 7, 2017 WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, condemned the Trump administration for ending a program that helps homeless veterans just days after Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin touted the Trump administration’s commitment to house all homeless vets. The HUD-VASH program has helped 138,000 veterans since 2010 and helped cut the number of homeless veterans by 46 percent. “This about-face by the Trump administration is infuriating. One day they’re telling homeless veterans they will help find housing, and then just two days later, they turn around and eliminate the very program that has helped over a hundred thousand homeless veterans get back on their feet,” said Murphy. “I know how much homeless veterans in Connecticut rely on the HUD-VASH program. When I was in the House of Representatives, I helped double the number of housing vouchers for our state. Now is not the time to abandon our veterans. I’ll be fighting on the Appropriations Committee to reverse this gut punch of a decision.” Last month, Murphy and all other members – both Republican and Democrat – of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military, Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies urged Secretary Shulkin to stop their plans to end this program. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-statement-after-congress-passes-two-week-spending-bill,MURPHY STATEMENT AFTER CONGRESS PASSES TWO-WEEK SPENDING BILL,2017-12-07,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Christopher Murphy,M001169,www.murphy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"MURPHY STATEMENT AFTER CONGRESS PASSES TWO-WEEK SPENDING BILL Thursday, December 7, 2017 WASHINGTON – One day before government funding is set to expire, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, supported a two-week spending bill to keep the government open until December 22nd.  ""Republicans have spent so much time forcing through their deficit busting tax cut for the rich that they have neglected doing the basic work of governing – making sure our government is funded. I supported this two week funding bill so that negotiators can keep working on a broader agreement, but this is no way to run a country,” said Murphy.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.murphy.senate.gov/view/senator-murphy-questions-nih-director-and-fda-commissioner-about-medical-innovation-in-connecticut,Senator Murphy Questions NIH Director FDA Commissioner About Medical Innovation in Connecticut,2017-12-07,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Christopher Murphy,M001169,www.murphy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"hartford Colt Gateway 120 Huyshope Avenue Suite 401 Hartford, CT 06106 P: (860) 549-8463 F: (860) 524-5091 Get Directions",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://courtney.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/courtney-announces-winners-2017-congressional-app-challenge,COURTNEY ANNOUNCES THE WINNERS OF THE 2017 CONGRESSIONAL APP CHALLENGE,2017-12-06,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Joe Courtney,C001069,courtney.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC —Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) announced that a team of students who reside in Suffield have won the 2017 Congressional App Challenge for the Second Congressional District of Connecticut. The students are seniors Marissa Guzzo and Alexandra Smith, and sophomore Gianna Guzzo from the Academy of Aerospace and Engineering High School in Windsor. Their app titled Feel Good is designed to help people struggling with mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and stress find some relief through music, games, and other means. The National Congressional App Challenge is designed to inspire high school students to learn how to code by creating their own applications. The competition is also intended to demonstrate the value of computer science and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education and encourage students to enter these career fields. This week (December 4-8) has been designated as Computer Science Education Week.   The winners of the 2017 Congressional App Challenge from left to right: Alexandra Smith, Gianna Guzzo, and Marissa Guzzo (High-resolution version)   “I am pleased to announce that the winners of the 2017 Congressional App Challenge for Connecticut’s Second Congressional District are Gianna Guzzo, Marissa Guzzo, and Alexandra Smith from Suffield,” said Courtney. “We had a number of exceptional submissions to the Second Congressional District App Challenge this year, but our team hailing from Suffield stood out. Our panel of judges from the University of Connecticut were convinced that the winning app showed both an advanced understanding of computer programming and a determination to improve the lives of people suffering with various mental health conditions. I applaud all three of the winning students, and all of the students who participated in the competition this year for their time and dedication in creating these incredible programs. “The National Congressional App Challenge is designed to engage high school students in computer science and teach them how to code by creating their own applications. We need to demonstrate the value of computer science and STEM education generally in order to encourage more young people to enter these fields.” The 2017 Congressional App Challenge was open to all U.S. high school students in participating congressional districts and one winner was selected per district. Challenge participants were invited, either as individuals or as teams of up to four students, to create and submit their own software application, or ‘app’ for mobile, tablet, or other computing devices on a platform of their choice. In the Second Congressional District, the submissions were judged by faculty members from the University of Connecticut.   ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://delauro.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/delauro-condemns-governor-walker-usda-s-coordinated-assault-anti-hunger,"DeLauro Condemns Governor Walker, USDAs Coordinated Assault on Anti-Hunger Program",2017-12-06,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Rosa DeLauro,D000216,delauro.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC (December 6, 2017) — Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) today released the following statement regarding Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s plan to impose drug testing on some recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Unfortunately, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it will allow states to impose additional requirements on SNAP, so Governor Walker will be free to impose his plan. “Governor Walker and the USDA’s assault on SNAP—our nation’s front-line hunger prevention program—is both cruel and completely misguided. Imposing additional requirements will place an undue burden on millions of Americans who depend on this program each year. Their goal of increasing work rates among SNAP recipients flies in the face of the USDA’s most recent data showing that work rates have been increasing year after year. More than that, USDA reviews of the program have shown that SNAP has one of the lowest fraud rates of any federal program.” “SNAP has a rich history of bipartisan support because of the American belief that we have a moral obligation to help lift people out of poverty, not push them deeper into it. SNAP is a means-tested program, meaning that it is specifically targeted to help those who are in extreme poverty. Imposing additional requirements and further stigmatizing recipients as ‘takers’ is a heartless attack on those who truly need a helping hand. Governor Walker and USDA’s proposals beg the question of why they have not suggested imposing the same drug testing requirements on those who receive government subsidies for crop insurance or commodity support programs like Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC).” “I urge my Republican colleagues to recommit to the bipartisan spirit that underlies SNAP and has served our nation well for decades.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://delauro.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/delauro-statement-trump-announcement-move-us-embassy-jerusalem,DeLauro Statement on Trump Announcement to Move U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem,2017-12-06,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Rosa DeLauro,D000216,delauro.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC (December 6, 2017) — Congresswomen Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) released the following statement in response to President Trump’s recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and announcing the United States will move our embassy there. “The President’s irresponsible decision to move our nation’s embassy to Jerusalem goes against decades of bipartisan American foreign policy and will likely increase tensions between Israelis and Palestinians, instead of moving us toward a lasting peace agreement. This action may lead to more needless violence and undermines America’s ability to lead the region toward peace, stability, and security.” “The strength of the United States’ relationship with Israel cannot be understated. They are amongst our most valuable allies, and our bond is unshakable. Peace is only attainable if the United States fully engages diplomatically as an honest broker between the Israelis and Palestinians with the goal of creating a comprehensive and durable two-state solution.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://esty.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/icymi-esty-calls-house-concealed-carry-bill-outrage-and-insult-families,"ICYMI: Esty Calls House Concealed-Carry Bill “Outrage and an Insult” to Families in Newtown, Connecticut",2017-12-06,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Elizabeth Esty,E000293,esty.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. – Speaking on the House floor in advance of a vote on the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, legislation to give domestic abusers, stalkers, and violent criminals the ability to cross state lines with fully-loaded, hidden weapons, Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty (CT-5) called the bill an “outrage and an insult to families in Newtown, Connecticut.”    View Esty’s remarks by clicking the image above or here. “It is outrageous that today, of all days, one week before the five-year anniversary of the horrific murder of twenty schoolchildren in my district, and just two months after the slaughter of over fifty Americans in Las Vegas, that we are acting on a bill to put more guns in more the hands of more dangerous people,” Esty said. “Rather than helping raise the standards nationally for gun safety, this bill would lower them, making it easier for domestic abusers, stalkers, and violent criminals to carry loaded, hidden weapons across state lines.”    Esty, who represents Newtown, is a Vice-Chair of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://larson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/larson-condemns-concealed-carry-vote,Larson Condemns Concealed Carry Vote,2017-12-06,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,John Larson,L000557,larson.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. – Today, the House voted on HR 38, the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017, a bill that infringes upon the rights of states like Connecticut, by requiring them to honor other states’ concealed-permits  – including the 12 states that do not require a permit to carry a concealed firearm. Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) condemned the vote and released the following statement: “It is despicable that despite opposition by national law enforcement organizations, the House GOP is bringing up a bill that would undermine the common sense gun violence prevention laws enacted by states like Connecticut while refusing to bring universal background check legislation for a vote.  This is a dangerous bill that would override states’ gun laws. What happened to the sanctity of states’ rights that my Republican colleagues adamantly profess? “We are only days away from the five year commemoration of the tragic massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary, and within the last few months we have witnessed two of the nation’s worst mass shootings ever recorded. 92 percent of gun owners, those who are proud NRA members, support the bipartisan King-Thompson legislation on universal background checks.  By refusing to bring this bill up for a vote, Congress remains complicit in these tragedies. It's time for Congress to act on common sense legislation.” Currently, 12 states do not require a permit to carry a concealed firearm. This legislation would impede on the remaining 38 states’ rights and allow individuals with out-of-state residency to carry a concealed firearm within their boundaries. These individuals may have never passed a background check nor received training to legally carry a concealed firearm. For instance, although domestic abusers are unable to purchase a firearm in Connecticut, this bill would allow an out-of-state individual with the same conviction to legally carry a concealed weapon in our state. This puts local law enforcement in unnecessary danger, leaving them to guess who the bad guy with a gun is, to who the good guy with a gun is. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-johnson-call-for-commitment-to-anti-corruption-efforts-in-ukraine,"Murphy, Johnson Call For Commitment to Anti-Corruption Efforts in Ukraine",2017-12-06,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Christopher Murphy,M001169,www.murphy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Murphy, Johnson Call For Commitment to Anti-Corruption Efforts in Ukraine Wednesday, December 6, 2017 WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation, released the following joint statement regarding the disruption of a high-level corruption investigation in Ukraine, calling on the government to ensure that combating corruption continues to be a high priority:  “We are deeply concerned over recent reports of the Ukrainian prosecutor general’s interference with a high-level corruption investigation by Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau, including the arrest of its detectives and the seizure of sensitive files.  We urge the Ukrainian government to support the efforts of Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies and to refrain from further interference with ongoing investigations.  The elimination of corruption at all levels of public life is critical to Ukraine’s security, stability and prosperity.”  ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-statement-after-president-trump-calls-on-saudi-arabia-to-allow-humanitarian-aid-to-flow-into-yemen,MURPHY STATEMENT AFTER PRESIDENT TRUMP CALLS ON SAUDI ARABIA TO ALLOW HUMANITARIAN AID TO FLOW INTO YEMEN,2017-12-06,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Christopher Murphy,M001169,www.murphy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"MURPHY STATEMENT AFTER PRESIDENT TRUMP CALLS ON SAUDI ARABIA TO ALLOW HUMANITARIAN AID TO FLOW INTO YEMEN Wednesday, December 6, 2017 WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee and vocal critic of U.S. support for military campaigns in Yemen that have led to devastating humanitarian consequences, released a statement on Wednesday after President Trump called on Saudi Arabia to lift a blockade in Yemen that has prevented aid from flowing into the country and threatened to starve millions of Yemenis. Murphy has repeatedly urged the White House to halt some military sales to Saudi Arabia and called for further action by the United States to end military support for a war marked by humanitarian abuse. ""Though long overdue, I’m glad President Trump is calling on Saudi Arabia to immediately allow humanitarian aid and vital commercial goods like food, fuel and medicine to flow into Yemen. His statement is important, and I expect Saudi Arabia to heed our calls,” said Murphy. “The Trump administration must continue to make clear to Saudi Arabia that the U.S. will not support a campaign that intentionally starves civilians into submission.” Last month, Murphy demanded that Saudi Arabia immediately lift the blockade. Murphy introduced bipartisan legislation to limit U.S. support for Saudi Arabia’s military campaign in Yemen and called on the Saudi government to take action to address the humanitarian crisis in Yemen. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-statement-on-house-passage-of-national-concealed-weapons-bill,MURPHY STATEMENT ON HOUSE PASSAGE OF NATIONAL CONCEALED WEAPONS BILL,2017-12-06,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Christopher Murphy,M001169,www.murphy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"MURPHY STATEMENT ON HOUSE PASSAGE OF NATIONAL CONCEALED WEAPONS BILL Wednesday, December 6, 2017 WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), co-author of the bipartisan Fix NICS Act, released a statement on Wednesday after the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass a deeply misguided bill that combines the Fix NICS Act – a widely supported bill to strengthen enforcement of our federal background check system – with the partisan Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act. The Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act would allow any individual permitted to carry a concealed handgun in their own state – including individuals with criminal records and those who have not passed background checks – to carry the weapon in any other state. Although many states currently require concealed carry applicants to pass a background check or undergo extensive gun-safety training, 12 states allow residents to carry concealed handguns without a background check, a permit or any training.   “A national concealed weapons law is a terrible, dangerous idea. This bill passed today in the House would allow a criminal who bought a gun without a background check in Florida to carry that gun, concealed under his clothing, into Times Square. That's why law enforcement officials all over the country hate this bill. By combining the national concealed weapons bill with the Fix NICS Act, the House is jeopardizing the chances of actually passing bipartisan, comprehensive reform of our broken background checks system. Senator Cornyn and I disagree on almost everything about guns, but we came together to write the Fix NICS Act because ensuring our background checks work is just common sense. I urge leaders in Congress to dump the national concealed weapons bill and work together to keep deadly weapons away from people we all already agree shouldn’t have them.”  ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-statement-on-senator-franken,MURPHY STATEMENT ON SENATOR FRANKEN,2017-12-06,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Christopher Murphy,M001169,www.murphy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"MURPHY STATEMENT ON SENATOR FRANKEN Wednesday, December 6, 2017 WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) released the following statement on Wednesday urging Senator Al Franken to step down: ""The increasing number of women coming forward suggests a pattern of repeated harassment and unacceptable behavior that is impossible to ignore. Senator Franken has denied some of these allegations and has the right to continue to seek a process through the Ethics Committee, but I believe the best course of action for him right now is to step down, as I expect he will do tomorrow."" ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-statement-on-trump-plans-to-relocate-american-embassy-in-israel-to-jerusalem,MURPHY STATEMENT ON TRUMP PLANS TO RELOCATE AMERICAN EMBASSY IN ISRAEL TO JERUSALEM,2017-12-06,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Christopher Murphy,M001169,www.murphy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"MURPHY STATEMENT ON TRUMP PLANS TO RELOCATE AMERICAN EMBASSY IN ISRAEL TO JERUSALEM Wednesday, December 6, 2017 WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released a statement on Wednesday after President Trump announced that his administration will begin plans to relocate the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The move could spark a wave of violence, jeopardize peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, and undermine American foreign policy interests. Trump is the first American president to announce plans to relocate the Embassy. “Israel is our most important ally in the Middle East,” said Murphy. “Jerusalem is and always will be the capital of the state of Israel. I continue to believe that we should recognize it as such and move our embassy there when the time is right as part of a comprehensive peace agreement. But former Republican and Democratic presidents alike have understood the monumental security and foreign policy challenges inherent in moving our embassy, and have decided to delay the move in order to focus on making peace. I am concerned that President Trump’s decision was made without fully considering the political and security implications, and will further set back any hope of a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians. If we mess this up, it could lead to violence in Israel and across the Middle East, put American diplomats in harm’s way and jeopardize the fragile regional partnerships we have in our fight against ISIS. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://larson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/larson-and-johnson-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-strengthen-social,Larson and Johnson Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Strengthen Social Securitys Representative Payee Program,2017-12-05,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,John Larson,L000557,larson.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee Ranking Member John Larson (D-CT) and Chairman Sam Johnson (R-TX) introduced the Strengthening Protections for Social Security Beneficiaries Act of 2017 (H.R. 4547), bipartisan legislation to improve and strengthen the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) representative payee program. The SSA’s representative payee program helps approximately 8 million Social Security beneficiaries manage their benefits, if they are unable to do so themselves because they are children or have a condition that prevents them from handling their own benefits. In light of reports from nonpartisan government watchdogs and stakeholders raising serious concerns about how the SSA administers the program, the Committee held a two-part hearing series to examine the challenges facing the agency and identify solutions to help ensure representative payees are serving the best interests of Social Security beneficiaries.   CLICK HERE to watch the hearing entitled “Part I: Examining the Social Security Administration’s Representative Payee Program: Who Needs Help,” and CLICK HERE to watch the hearing entitled “Part II: Examining the Social Security Administration’s Representative Payee Program: Who Provides Help.” Upon introducing the legislation, Ranking Member Larson said: “It was once said that the moral test of any government is how it treats its most vulnerable citizens – children, seniors, and those with severe disabilities. This bill is a statement from the Chairman and the Ranking Member of the Social Security Subcommittee that Congress is committed to protecting those beneficiaries, such as seniors, children, and disabled adults, who have representative payees. Under the leadership of Chairman Johnson, we have held a series of hearings on the representative payee program this year, bringing in experts to gain better insight over how the program works and where changes are needed. Today, we are proud to introduce this bill that will better safeguard those most in need of protection, including nearly 4 million children, by strengthening the selection and monitoring of payees, while reducing administrative burdens on families caring for loved ones.”  Chairman Johnson said: “The Social Security Administration has a big responsibility to make sure Americans who need help managing their benefits get it. But the program doesn’t always work the way it should. Too often, we hear stories about representative payees who take advantage of those they are supposed to help. Ranking Member Larson and I worked together on this legislation in order to strengthen the representative payee program so that it better protects beneficiaries and reduces burdensome government paperwork that rarely provides any real value for families. Too many Americans are counting on the Social Security Administration to get this right.” Background: The Strengthening Protections for Social Security Beneficiaries Act of 2017: Strengthens oversight by increasing the number of performance reviews of payees, requiring additional types of reviews, and improving the effectiveness of the reviews by the requiring the Protection and Advocacy system of each state to conduct the reviews, on behalf of the Social Security Administration (SSA). Reduces the burden on families by eliminating the requirement to file an annual payee accounting form for parents who live with their children and for spouses. Enhances personal control by allowing beneficiaries to designate their preferred payee in advance of actually needing one; and ensures improved selection of payees by requiring the SSA to assess the appropriateness of the preference list used to select payees. Improves beneficiary protections by increasing information sharing between the SSA and child welfare agencies, and by directing the SSA to study how better to coordinate with Adult Protective Services agencies and with state guardianship courts. Limits overpayment liability for children in the child welfare system. Ensures that no beneficiary has a barred payee by codifying the ban on individuals with certain criminal convictions from serving as payees and prohibiting individuals who have payees from serving as payees for others.  CLICK HERE for a fact sheet on the bill. CLICK HERE to read about the Committee’s hearing on how the Social Security Administration determines who needs help. CLICK HERE to read about the Committee’s hearing on how the Social Security Administration determines who provides help. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://larson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/larson-applauds-stanley-black-decker-announcement-open-advanced,Larson Applauds Stanley Black & Decker for Announcement To Open Advanced Manufacturing Center of Excellence in Hartford,2017-12-05,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,John Larson,L000557,larson.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. – Stanley Black & Decker announced today that they are planning on opening an Advanced Manufacturing Center of Excellence in Hartford. This Center of Excellence will be used to accelerate their global Industry 4.0 “smart factory” initiative and will be named Manufactory 4.0. It will eventually host 50 Industry 4.0 employees. Additionally, they will be launching an entrepreneurial incubator program, where 10 start-ups will participate in a 2 year program. Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01), released the following statement after this announcement: “This is great news for the City of Hartford.  Stanley Black and Decker’s decision to locate their Advanced Manufacturing Center of Excellence in Hartford speaks volumes to their commitment to Connecticut, and to the strength of our Capitol City as a place to do business.  Manufacturing is a part Connecticut’s DNA, and since its founding in 1843, Stanley Black and Decker has been at the forefront of state’s our manufacturing ecosystem. This continues that tradition as Connecticut remains at the cutting edge of the next generation of advance manufacturing. Stanley Black and Decker’s entrepreneurial incubator, that will give start-ups a hand up, will continue to fuel Connecticut’s role as a manufacturing hub. I applaud Stanley Black and Decker on their decision, and welcome them to the City of Hartford,” said Larson.   ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://larson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/larson-statement-news-mark-bertolini-will-step-down-aetna-ceo,Larson Statement on News that Mark Bertolini will Step Down as Aetna CEO,2017-12-05,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,John Larson,L000557,larson.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. – Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01), released the following statement after Aetna CEO, Mark Bertolini said that he will step down and join the CVS Board of Directors, after Aetna merges with CVS in an interview with CNBC. “Mark Bertolini has been an innovator in his work at Aetna by demonstrating that patient-centered health care can produce better outcomes. His efforts to increase access, lower health care costs, and improve the quality of health care have been unparalleled in the industry. Since joining Aetna in 2003, he has been a true leader and a visionary. Mark has always sought to shift the paradigm of what experts believed possible about health and wellness. He is a national resource, and is one of the top thought-leaders on health care in the world,” said Larson.   ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-statement-on-reported-trump-recognition-of-jerusalem-as-israels-capital,Blumenthal Statement on Reported Trump Recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's Capital,2017-12-05,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Richard Blumenthal,B001277,www.blumenthal.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Blumenthal Statement on Reported Trump Recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's Capital Print Tweet Tuesday, December 5, 2017 [WASHINGTON, DC] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) released the following statement in response to reports that President Trump will officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel later this week. “Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, and I’ve strongly supported acknowledging that simple fact,” said Blumenthal. “My hope is that the President’s announcement of his recognition of Jerusalem will be followed by meaningful steps to advance the peace process, including secure borders for Israel and a two-state solution.” During the previous Congress, Blumenthal authored a bipartisan Senate resolution that directly acknowledged Jerusalem as the “undivided capital of Israel.” The resolution also expressed solidarity with Israel and condemned Palestinian terrorist attacks. It passed the Senate by unanimous consent in November 2015 with 68 cosponsors.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-statement-on-shocking-ig-report-of-rampany-lapses-in-dod-reporting-to-federal-background-check-system,Blumenthal Statement on Shocking IG Report of Rampany Lapses in DoD Reporting to Federal Background Check System,2017-12-05,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Richard Blumenthal,B001277,www.blumenthal.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Blumenthal Statement on Shocking IG Report of Rampany Lapses in DoD Reporting to Federal Background Check System Print Tweet Tuesday, December 5, 2017 [WASHINGTON, DC] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement today in response to a report published by the Department of Defense (DoD) Inspector General detailing vast underreporting to the federal background check system across military branches that may have contributed to convicted former servicemembers accessing firearms. The review revealed chronic lapses in required reporting of servicemembers convicted by a court martial of certain offenses: thirty-one percent of court-martials that should have barred individuals from owning a firearm went unreported to the FBI by the military in 2015 and 2016.  “The outrageous number of rampant security lapses in the DoD Inspector General’s report reveal unacceptable shortfalls in security within every military branch – potentially leading to violent or even fatal incidents perpetrated by dangerous criminals that should be prevented,” said Blumenthal. “This is a sobering reminder that even in the greatest military in the world, lapses in duty and diligence have consequences. There is no doubt that this report requires a pledge by the military to make concerted improvements – including holding those responsible directly accountable for these persistent failures, as well as swift implementation of the recommendations made by this report. As a Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I will continue to work with DoD and my Senate colleagues to ensure this issue is rapidly resolved and subject to strict oversight.” Blumenthal wrote a letter to Defense Secretary James Mattis in November demanding DoD explain the lapse in Air Force reporting process that allowed Sutherland Springs, Texas shooter Devin Patrick Kelley to obtain firearms. He also introduced the bipartisan Fix NICS Act, which would ensure federal and state authorities comply with existing law and accurately report relevant criminal history records to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), preventing the sale of firearms to people who are a danger to themselves or others.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-statement-on-special-counsels-subpoena-of-deutsche-bank-records,Blumenthal Statement on Special Counsel's Subpoena of Deutsche Bank Records,2017-12-05,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Richard Blumenthal,B001277,www.blumenthal.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Blumenthal Statement on Special Counsel's Subpoena of Deutsche Bank Records Print Tweet Tuesday, December 5, 2017 [WASHINGTON, DC] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) released the statement below following reports that Special Counsel Mueller has issued subpoenas to Deutsche Bank in relation to President Trump’s financial records. “President Trump’s foreign financial dealings are clearly within the purview of the Special Counsel’s inquiry. The first rule of an investigation like Special Counsel Mueller’s is: follow the money. Deutsche Bank isn’t just one of the Trump Organization’s largest lenders – for years, it was the lender of last resort after repeated defaults and bankruptcies. President Trump stills owes Deutsche Bank, which itself remains under criminal investigation for a multi-billion dollar Russian oligarch money-laundering scheme,” Blumenthal said. “As Special Counsel Mueller presses forward, and comes closer to the President’s own conduct in this case, it is increasingly urgent that the Senate Judiciary Committee move forward with legislation to protect his investigation from the threat of political interference.” Blumenthal first raised concerns about President Trump’s relationship with Deutsche Bank more than a year ago following widespread reports – including an investigation by ABC News – into how President Trump’s financial interests in the Trump Organization would expose our government to unprecedented conflicts of interest. In November 2016, Blumenthal called on then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch to appoint a Special Counsel to oversee the Department of Justice’s investigation into Deutsche Bank’s role in the 2008 financial crisis and potential wrongdoing in a multi-billion-dollar offshore trading and money laundering scheme. The full text of Blumenthal’s letter is available here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-to-grassley-subpoena-trump-jr-now,"Blumenthal to Grassley: Subpoena Trump, Jr. Now",2017-12-05,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Richard Blumenthal,B001277,www.blumenthal.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Blumenthal to Grassley: Subpoena Trump, Jr. Now Print Tweet Even after Donald Trump, Jr. initially withheld WikiLeaks correspondence, the Senate Judiciary Committee has taken no further action to compel full disclosure about contacts with the Russians Tuesday, December 5, 2017 [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) wrote Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley today asking that he immediately issue a subpoena for public testimony and documents from Donald Trump, Jr. Trump, Jr. has thus far failed to fully comply with the Senate Judiciary Committee’s documents request, and initially withheld secret messages he exchanged with WikiLeaks during the 2016 presidential campaign. This follows a disturbing a pattern of Trump, Jr. giving incomplete or misleading statements about his involvement in communications with Russian agents. Despite Trump, Jr.’s refusal to cooperate with the Senate Judiciary Committee’s investigation, Chairman Grassley has taken no action to compel his testimony or ensure that he has turned over all documents that fall within the Committee’s jurisdiction. The full text of Blumenthal’s letter is available here and copied below.   December 5, 2017   The Honorable Charles E. Grassley Chairman Committee on the Judiciary United States Senate 224 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510   Dear Chairman Grassley: I am writing to request that the Senate Judiciary Committee immediately issue a subpoena for public testimony and documents from Donald Trump, Jr. Recent revelations have shown beyond question that the American people can only feel certain that Mr. Trump, Jr. has been fully forthcoming if he is subject to a subpoena. Over the past few weeks, there have been a number of cascading disclosures that suggest collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian officials. Among the most stunning disclosures was an exposé in The Atlantic on November 13 detailing Mr. Trump, Jr.’s secret messages with WikiLeaks during the 2016 presidential campaign. Beginning in September 2016, WikiLeaks and Mr. Trump, Jr. exchanged dozens of messages regarding stolen emails and other forms of assistance for the campaign. These messages were taken seriously: after the first publicly known message, Mr. Trump, Jr. notified other high-ranking campaign officials that WikiLeaks had made contact. On one occasion, then-candidate Trump referred his supporters to information published by WikiLeaks just fifteen minutes after it sent a message to his son.  As you know, President Trump’s CIA director has called WikiLeaks a “hostile intelligence service often abetted by state actors like Russia.” It is extremely troubling to me that Mr. Trump, Jr. would correspond and collaborate with an entity like that. Equally troubling is the way these communications came to light. Though he claimed to be fully cooperating with the Judiciary Committee investigation, Mr. Trump, Jr. did not initially turn over these communications, even though they are well within the scope of the Committee’s document request. Only after he was questioned under oath did he reveal the existence of these communications. He therefore provided them to the Committee too late for us to question him about them. Because Mr. Trump, Jr. has never been compelled to testify before the Committee, we have had no opportunity to discuss these explosive communications with him. Unfortunately, Mr. Trump, Jr.’s failure to be forthcoming is part of a pattern. He and his attorney issued three incomplete and misleading statements regarding his June 9 meeting with Russian agents. Mr. Trump, Jr. released his correspondence regarding the meeting – which contradicted his prior accounts – only after learning the New York Times was about to publish it. Mr. Trump, Jr. is scheduled to testify in front of the House Intelligence Committee this week, but he has not agreed to come before the Senate Judiciary Committee in a public setting. Mr. Trump, Jr.’s refusal to testify before the Committee means that key questions have been left unanswered. First, why did WikiLeaks feel confident that it could inform Mr. Trump, Jr. that it had hacked the website of a Trump critic? Hacking is a crime, and it beggars belief that WikiLeaks would confess a crime to the son of a presidential candidate without some reason to believe that its confession would be kept secret. Second, how did Mr. Trump, Jr. know of WikiLeaks’ plans to leak Mr. Podesta’s emails before they were released? The WikiLeaks communications include a message in which Mr. Trump, Jr. indicates that he knows WikiLeaks is planning a document dump and asks for more information, but none of the communications made public thus far explain how Mr. Trump, Jr. first acquired this knowledge. Third, did Mr. Trump, Jr. and WikiLeaks exchange additional messages, inside or outside of Twitter? The informal and conversational tone of the WikiLeaks messages strongly indicates that these messages were part of a broader course of communications. Furthermore, on October 21, 2016, WikiLeaks suggested corresponding via email or “lawyer to lawyer,” raising the possibility that the conversation was continued through other channels. Fourth — and perhaps most crucially — why would Mr. Trump, Jr. see an invitation from WikiLeaks to coordinate efforts as anything other than an inappropriate, unethical, and potentially illegal act? Why did he seek the campaign’s assistance in collaborating with WikiLeaks instead of reporting these communications to law enforcement? The questions mentioned above – and many other questions related to Russia and the Trump campaign – can only be answered if Mr. Trump, Jr. is compelled to fully cooperate with the Committee’s investigation. I respectfully request that the Senate Judiciary Committee issue a subpoena to compel him to fully account for his actions in front of the American people and to provide this Committee with the documents we need to fulfill our important oversight responsibilities.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-demands-trump-administration-use-existing-authority-to-strengthen-mental-health-parity-and-protect-those-with-mental-illness,MURPHY DEMANDS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION USE EXISTING AUTHORITY TO STRENGTHEN MENTAL HEALTH PARITY PROTECT THOSE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS,2017-12-05,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Christopher Murphy,M001169,www.murphy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"MURPHY DEMANDS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION USE EXISTING AUTHORITY TO STRENGTHEN MENTAL HEALTH PARITY & PROTECT THOSE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS Murphy: “Use the authority you have to make sure that people suffering from addiction and mental illness are treated the same as people who have cancer diagnoses and orthopedic diagnoses.” Tuesday, December 5, 2017 WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee and co-author of the bipartisan Mental Health Reform Act, lambasted insurance companies on Tuesday for violating mental health parity laws and failing to provide equal coverage of treatment for mental illness, including addiction, and physical illness. During a U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on “Addressing the Opioid Crisis in America: Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery” with Former Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy, a member of the President’s Commission on Combatting Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis, and Dr. Elinore McCance-Katz, Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, Murphy called on the Trump administration to use their authority to enforce parity laws and hold insurance companies accountable.  Click here to view a video of Murphy’s remarks. “Behavioral care and addiction care is four to six times more likely to be provided out-of-network than for other medical or surgical care. You’ve got 24 states where the reimbursement disparity between addiction and mental health care is 30-70% higher than for medical and surgical care,” said Murphy. “These are giant, gaping violations of the parity law and there’s no way to explain these differences in reimbursement rates, these differences in network quality, other than the discriminatory treatment of these patients. Murphy continued, “HHS and Labor have not…issued a report on investigations, and they have not conducted any audits on insurance companies. I would beg you – and I would beg the Department of Labor – use the authority you have to make sure that people suffering from addiction and mental illness are treated the same as people who have cancer diagnoses and orthopedic diagnoses. You can do it, and you have the authority under existing law.”  Among other things, Murphy’s Mental Health Reform Act strengthened enforcement of mental health parity laws, promoted integrated mental health and physical health, and established new programs to assist those with, or at risk for, mental illness. A fact sheet on his bill is available here.  According to Connecticut Chief Medical Examiner Dr. James Gill, there have been 538 accidental drug overdose deaths in Connecticut over the first half of the year. The figures include 323 deaths involving fentanyl. If this rate continues, Connecticut will see a projected 1,076 overdose deaths in 2017, up from the 917 deaths last year and nearly triple the 357 deaths five years ago. The full text of Murphy’s exchanges with Kennedy and Dr. McCance-Katz is below: MURPHY: Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Congressman Kennedy, this is a scathing indictment of insurance practices across this country. You’ve got data here that says that behavioral care and addiction care is four to six times more likely to be provided out-of-network than for other medical or surgical care. You’ve got 24 states where the reimbursement disparity between addiction and mental health care is 30-70% higher than for medical and surgical care. Is there any way to explain this other than companies being in gross violation of the parity law? Parity is not just about the statement of benefits, right? Parity is also about how you are administering the benefits. KENNEDY: And I’m happy to say, senator, it’s really encouraging to know that Secretary Acosta – whose Department of Labor oversees ERISA plans, who could do so much to help change this current disregard by insurance plans of their obligations under the federal parity law; he’s looking for more resources to do it. I was just with him last week in his office, and he asked for those resources. He said, ‘I cannot do these letters’ – which is basically his staff being able to flag these insurers for where they’re disregarding the parity law – ‘the way I can and others because I do not have the resources to do it.’ In addition to that, he asked for actually enforcement authority, if you can imagine, for the Secretary of Labor to sue insurance companies. I’m not kidding you. This is coming out of a Republican administration. It was part of our strong recommendations in the President’s report that he get those authorities because frankly, if you don’t enforce parity, the taxpayer ends up picking up the pieces in the criminal justice system, as I said, and in the Medicaid system.  MURPHY: These are not small violations. These are giant, gaping violations of the parity law and there’s no way to explain these differences in reimbursement rates, these differences in network quality, other than the discriminatory treatment of these patients.  So let me talk to you, Dr. McCance-Katz, about the powers that you have been granted. So, in the 21st Century CURES Act, on a bipartisan basis, we gave the Department of Labor and the Department of Health and Human Services new authority on the issue of non-quantitative treatment limitations. These are ways in which insurance companies use reimbursement rates, use network registration, use prior authorizations to shut down addiction and mental health care. So Dr. McCance-Katz, you were given the ability to issue guidance to insurance companies to give them more clarity on when they are violating parity and not violating parity on this issue of non-quantitative treatment limitations. You were given the authority to issue a report listing all the results of closed investigations and the results with respect to parity violations, and you were given new audit authority to go and audit insurance companies where there were five or more reported complaints of parity violations.  Have you used any of those three authorities: have you issued the guidance; have you issued the report on investigations; have you conducted any audits? MCCANCE-KATZ: What I can tell you that I know is that we have put in place a portal where people can make complaints, where the Department of Labor does investigate, as does CMS depending on what type of company was the potential violator. And we also – SAMSHA has done Parity Policy Academies times two with the states, and we are working on guidance to individuals about their rights as well as making a toolkit available to insurance regulators within states so that they can enforce parity goals. MURPHY: You and I have talked about this a number of times, I've talked to the Secretary of Labor, I've talked to our new nominee to HHS. Everyone tells me that they are serious about taking on this issue of mental health and addiction parity, everybody tells me they want to use the new authorities that Republicans and Democrats agreed were necessary in the 21st Century Cures Act.  For the record, HHS and Labor have not issued that guidance. They have not issued a report on investigations, and they have not conducted any audits on insurance companies. Insurance companies are clearly in violation of the parity laws – that’s what this report says. I'm glad you've opened up this portal, because I’m sure you will get more than five complaints on an individual insurance company, but I would beg you – and I would beg the Department of Labor – use the authority you have to make sure that people suffering from addiction and mental illness are treated the same as people who have cancer diagnoses and orthopedic diagnoses. You can do it, and you have the authority under existing law.  Thank you, Mr. Chairman.  ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-highlights-branford-innovator-thetis-pharmaceuticals-as-murphys-innovator-of-the-month,"MURPHY HIGHLIGHTS BRANFORD INNOVATOR, THETIS PHARMACEUTICALS, AS MURPHYS INNOVATOR OF THE MONTH",2017-12-05,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Christopher Murphy,M001169,www.murphy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"MURPHY HIGHLIGHTS BRANFORD INNOVATOR, THETIS PHARMACEUTICALS, AS “MURPHY’S INNOVATOR OF THE MONTH” Tuesday, December 5, 2017 WASHINGTON – In recognition of Crohn’s and Colitis Awareness Week, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) announced on Tuesday that Branford’s Thetis Pharmaceuticals – a biopharmaceutical company developing new oral therapies to treat inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis – is this month’s “Murphy’s Innovator of the Month.” Thetis has a proprietary HEALER™ technology platform for developing new medicines that deliver naturally occurring lipids. These medicines have prospects to treat IBD by resolving inflammation and promoting tissue regeneration without compromising the body’s ability to fight infection. Thetis was co-founded in 2011 by Connecticut residents Gary Mathias, a lifelong ulcerative colitis patient and healthcare industry entrepreneur, and Dr. Frank Sciavolino, a former scientist at Pfizer who led the discovery, development and in-licensing of several of its best-selling pharmaceuticals, Zithromax® and Celebrex®.  Connecticut Innovations, the state-funded venture capital fund, is Thetis’ principal investor. Thetis is a member of the Technology Incubation Program at UConn Health, and is currently partnering with the lab of Dr. Daniel Rosenberg, Professor of Medicine at UConn Health, to conduct preclinical research. Last month, Thetis received a Fast-Track Small Business Innovation Research Grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) worth up to $2.3 million.  “Thetis is a great example of how private industry and the government can work together to advance medical research and reduce illness,” said Murphy. “Thetis is on the brink of developing new therapies that can help improve the health of tens of millions of Americans, and I’m going to keep fighting on the Appropriations Committee to get them the federal resources they need.” “Over 1.5 million Americans suffer from IBD and there remains a high unmet medical need for safe and effective new therapies,” said Mr. Mathias, Thetis’ CEO. “The state of Connecticut has been instrumental in supporting Thetis’ research to develop innovative drugs for patients suffering from this disease.” Murphy believes entrepreneurship and innovation are building blocks for a strong economy. In the U.S. Senate, he has introduced two bipartisan pieces of legislation to incentivize angel investors to put more money into startup companies – the Angel Tax Credit Act and the Helping Angels Lead Our Startups (HALOS) Act. Last month, Murphy’s HALOS Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives. Startup companies create an average of 2 million jobs each year. Murphy is also focused on securing federal NIH funding for Connecticut research institutions. Murphy recently helped secure over $4.8 billion for NIH over 10 years for new investments in cancer treatment and medical research, and celebrated a $2 billion increase in NIH federal investments for research institutions, such as those in Connecticut, that are working to develop new medical therapies, diagnostics, and preventative measures. Murphy also called on NIH to commit more resources to Connecticut’s leading research institutions, like Yale University. In 2015, Connecticut institutions received over $457.3 million in federal NIH grant funding for 1,100 projects.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senators-demand-review-of-federal-and-state-laws-that-discriminate-against-those-with-hiv/aids-,SENATORS DEMAND REVIEW OF FEDERAL STATE LAWS THAT DISCRIMINATE AGAINST THOSE WITH HIV/AIDS,2017-12-05,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Christopher Murphy,M001169,www.murphy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"SENATORS DEMAND REVIEW OF FEDERAL & STATE LAWS THAT DISCRIMINATE AGAINST THOSE WITH HIV/AIDS Tuesday, December 5, 2017 WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Bob Casey (D-Penn.), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) introduced legislation aimed at helping end stigma, discrimination, and stereotypes that negatively impact Americans living with HIV/AIDS. The Repeal Existing Policies that Encourage and Allow Legal (“REPEAL”) HIV Discrimination Act of 2017 would require an interagency review of federal and state laws that criminalize certain actions by people living with HIV. “Too many state and federal laws target people living with HIV/AIDS and unfairly criminalize their actions. These laws have no basis in science and no place in our country,” said Murphy. “This bill will force our nation to take a hard look at the stigmas and barriers we impose on people living with HIV/AIDS.” “It’s simply not fair that someone with a treatable medical condition should automatically be subjected to a different set of criminal laws,” said  Coons. “A disturbing number of state and local criminal laws pertaining to individuals with HIV/AIDS are rooted not in science, but in outdated fear. They run counter to effective public health strategies, discourage HIV testing, and perpetuate unfair stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS – people who are our friends, family members, and neighbors. Rather than recognizing that HIV/AIDS is a treatable medical condition, these laws perpetuate the idea that HIV is a deadly weapon and people with HIV/AIDS are dangerous criminals. Our laws need to catch up to our science and our morals, and this bill would take an important step in that direction.”  “We should not have policies or laws on the books that discriminate, perpetuate stereotypes, or aren’t based in sound science,” said Markey. “The REPEAL Act will help ensure that individuals with HIV/AIDS are not criminalized for having a treatable medical condition, and that all Americans are subject to the same set of laws.” “Unfortunately, too many individuals living with HIV and AIDS still face stigma and discrimination despite great advances in prevention, treatment and awareness,” said Baldwin. “That is why I am proud to join Senators Coons and Markey in advancing this critical measure to ensure that federal and state criminal laws are grounded in sound medical science and do not place an undue burden on individuals with HIV and AIDS. To truly break down barriers and improve access to testing, support and treatment, we must continue to fight the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS.”   “There are more than 45,000 individuals with HIV/AIDS in Pennsylvania, and I believe that we must make every effort to ensure that they are treated fairly,” said Casey. “This means that laws and regulations must reflect the most up-to-date knowledge available. The REPEAL HIV Discrimination Act is a commonsense measure that will help states and communities throughout the Nation enact modern policies, that align with current knowledge. I am pleased to cosponsor this measure, and I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate to see it advance. ”   “Discriminating against Americans because of their HIV/AIDS status is simply wrong,” said Merkley. “Our laws should never treat someone differently based on their private medical history. This bill is an important step to stop perpetuating damaging misperceptions about HIV/AIDS and to create a fairer, more just nation.” Today, 33 states and 2 U.S. territories have criminal statutes based on outdated information about perceived exposure to HIV, rather than actual transmission.  These laws often do not take into account the medical advances and scientific discoveries in the fight against HIV/AIDS.  In the last decade, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have affirmed that condom use, antiretroviral drug regimens, and other prevention strategies can drastically reduce the rate of HIV transmission.  However, most of these laws do not treat condom or antiretroviral use as a mitigating factor.  These laws breed fear, discrimination, and distrust, and undermine our ability to fight the disease and provide care for those living with HIV.  Laws that single out people with HIV for severe punishment in the absence of intentional wrong-doing and treat a positive HIV test as evidence of a crime discriminate on the basis of outdated fear and misunderstanding. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.murphy.senate.gov/view/murphy-demands-trump-administration-use-existing-authority-to-strengthen-mental-health-parity,Murphy Demands Trump Administration Use Existing Authority To Strengthen Mental Health Parity,2017-12-05,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Christopher Murphy,M001169,www.murphy.senate.gov,,,legacy,"hartford Colt Gateway 120 Huyshope Avenue Suite 401 Hartford, CT 06106 P: (860) 549-8463 F: (860) 524-5091 Get Directions",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://courtney.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/day-courtney-says-more-military-personnel-may-seek-treatment-sexual-trauma,The Day: Courtney says more military personnel may seek treatment for sexual trauma,2017-12-04,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Joe Courtney,C001069,courtney.house.gov,,,legacy,"Norwich — At a meeting of his Veterans Advisory Board on Monday, U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, told the head of the VA Connecticut healthcare system that there might be an uptick in people accessing VA services. Courtney authored language included in a massive defense policy bill passed recently by Congress to expand sexual trauma counseling and treatment to members of the National Guard and Reserves. The bill still has to be signed by President Donald Trump, and Congress must still find a way to pay for the $700 billion measure. A technicality in an existing law prevented most members of the guard and reserves from using the military sexual trauma program at the VA. Under a 2014 law, active duty members were authorized to access services and counseling through the VA's MST program without a referral from the Department of Defense. The thinking was that service members would feel more comfortable seeking care outside of their chain of command or military treatment facilities. ... Click here to read the full story at TheDay.com",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://delauro.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/delauro-statement-supreme-court-decision-favor-trump-s-travel-ban,DeLauro Statement on Supreme Court Decision In Favor of Trumps Travel Ban,2017-12-04,2017,2017-12,Democrat,House,CT,Rosa DeLauro,D000216,delauro.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC (December 4, 2017)— Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) today released the following statement regarding the Supreme Court’s decision allowing President Trump’s executive order banning refugees and immigrants of eight countries—including five Muslim-majority countries—to go into effect. “I am disappointed that the Supreme Court has allowed President Trump’s travel ban to go into effect. President Trump has made it clear on many occasions that this ban is rooted in religious discrimination, not national security. People in Connecticut and across the country have stood up to say that President Trump’s anti-Muslim rhetoric and policies have no place in our society, and we must not let this order change that belief. Instead, we must recommit as a nation to the American values of openness and diversity over hatred and fear.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z