WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 -- Rep. John B. Larson, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: Mary Cannon-James, president of AFSCME Iowa Retiree Chapter 61, spoke Thursday at a Capitol Hill event hosted by Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.), warning of the risks to older Americans like her if the Fiscal Commission Act (H.R. 5779) becomes law. The bill is a solution in search of a problem. It would convene a group of experts - individuals who surely don't or won't depend on monthly Social Security che  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 12 -- Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: [Hartford, CT] -- Today, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) joined U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and Bob Casey (D-PA) to introduce the Pay Our Correctional Officers Fairly Act to ensure fair pay for Bureau of Prisons (BOP) employees in rural areas. The bill will help to address staffing shortages at Federal Correctional Institution Danbury (FCI Danbury) by allowing for competitive pa  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 -- Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: [Hartford, CT] - U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal today joined colleagues to call on the U.S. Department of Education to urgently address the operational issues with the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form that impacts millions of students across the country. The letter was led by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and P  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 -- Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) led a bipartisan group of Senators including U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) in introducing legislation to protect survivors of sexual assault and sexual harassment at the United States Coast Guard Academy (CGA) and throughout the entire Coast Guard. The "We are sounding a call to action. Coast Guard survivors of sexual assault and harassment need and deserv  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 -- Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, will join a bipartisan senate delegation led by U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Dan Sullivan (R-AK) to attend the Munich Security Conference (MSC). The MSC, largely considered to be the Atlantic's leading forum for international security policy, operates as a setting for diplomatic initiatives to c  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 -- Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, issued the following news release on Feb. 16, 2024: U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch (both R-Idaho) have co-sponsored the bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act. The Kids Online Safety Act would provide kids and parents with better tools to protect themselves online, hold Big Tech accountable for harms to kids and provide transparency into black box algorithms. The bill is led by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) and Marsha Blackburn (  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 -- Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release on Feb. 13, 2024: Today, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) led 87 House Democrats, including 13 Ranking Members, in a letter to President Joe Biden praising U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai's worker-centered digital trade policy. "I am proud to lead so many of my colleagues in voicing our support for Ambassador Katherine Tai for holding firm in ensuring our trade policies - especially as it re  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 -- Rep. John B. Larson, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: A proposed fiscal commission to fast-track deficit reduction measures, already under attack from the right, also faces a stepped-up assault from the left. Rep. John B. Larson, D-Conn., led labor union leaders at a news conference Thursday to protest legislation that would create a bipartisan, bicameral commission that would devise a plan to curb red ink and require Congress to take an up-or-down vote   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 -- Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: On the heels of the Senate's hearing with Big Tech CEOs, U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), lead sponsors of the bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act, announced growing U.S. Senate support for the bill, with a total of 62 senators now cosponsoring the legislation. Following conversations with stakeholders and colleagues, Blumenthal and Blackburn also announced new bil  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 -- Rep. Jahana Hayes, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (CT-05) introduced legislation to support the essential workers administering the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The SNAP Administrator Retention Act aims to improve access to needed benefits, promote competitive wages for administrators, provide adequate training, and support workers to prevent backlogs. SNAP is the leading anti-hunger program in the nation  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 -- Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI) Chairman Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Ranking Member Ron Johnson (R-WI) wrote to Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Linda Fagan seeking additional information regarding the Coast Guard Academy's mishandling of sexual assault investigations after the Subcommittee obtained new documents from the Coast Guard related to Operation Fouled Anchor. "  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 -- Rep. John B. Larson, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: A coalition of U.S. labor leaders spoke out forcefully on Thursday against the Republican-led push for a "fiscal commission," denouncing the proposal as an attack on Social Security, Medicare, and other programs that tens of millions of current and retired workers depend on to meet basic needs. Liz Shuler, president of the AFL-CIO, said in a statement that a fiscal commission is a "terrible idea that   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 -- Rep. John B. Larson, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) was joined by labor leaders at the U.S. Capitol to oppose the Fiscal Commission Act, Republican legislation recently advanced out of the House Budget Committee that would create a commission with the power to fast-track cuts to Medicare, Social Security, and the federal workforce behind closed doors.  You can view the press conference here. "I am glad to be joined by our   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 -- Rep. John B. Larson, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: Today, in the House Ways and Means Committee, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) questioned IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel on the impact of new funding Democrats secured in the Inflation Reduction Act to improve customer service and hold wealthy tax cheats accountable, and how Republican plans to gut IRS funding would hinder the agency's operations. You can view Rep. Larson's remarks here. "We were very much  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 -- Rep. John B. Larson, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: Lawmakers and union leaders are calling on Congress for fiscal changes during the year. Along with conversations about the budget and fair pay, some lawmakers want more attention to Social Security. The 2023 Social Security Trustee report showed trust-fund reserves could be depleted in 2034, meaning only 80% of benefits would get paid. It will fall to Congress and the White House to resolve it, but so  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 -- Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism, on Wednesday joined 24 of his Senate colleagues in a letter to President Biden supporting ongoing U.S. diplomatic efforts to secure the release of Israeli hostages in tandem with the restoration of a mutual ceasefire agreement in Gaza. "Since  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 -- Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: HARTFORD-U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, on Tuesday launched the "Connecticut Fund Finder" - an interactive online map detailing the federal dollars that Murphy has helped secure for Connecticut since 2020. The map features the major federal investments in Connecticut as a result of the American Rescue Plan, the Bipartisan Safer Communities  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 -- Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism, on Tuesday released the following statement on the recent elections in Pakistan: "The people of Pakistan made their voices heard in long-awaited elections last week, and it is critical the election results reflect the will of the voters. I am   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 -- Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Tuesday released the following statement on Senate passage of the national security supplemental: "As Ukraine runs out of bullets and Putin grows increasingly emboldened by Donald Trump's reckless rhetoric, this national security supplemental comes at a dire time. I'm glad some of my Republican colleagues came to their senses and helped pass this bill today,   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 -- Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release on Feb. 16, 2024: WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Friday joined a bipartisan congressional delegation led by U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Dan Sullivan (R-AK). to participate in this weekend's Munich Security Conference (MSC). MSC is the world's leading forum for debating international security policy and a v  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 -- Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) on Thursday joined a bipartisan group of Senators in introducing legislation to protect survivors of sexual assault and sexual harassment at the United States Coast Guard Academy (CGA) and throughout the entire Coast Guard. The Coast Guard Academy Safe-to-Report Act requires the Coast Guard to implement a safe-to-repor  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 -- Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, and U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) on Thursday released the following statement about the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) announcement clarifying that critically and chronically ill Medicare Advantage (MA) beneficiaries are entitled to the same access to Long-Term Ca  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 12 -- Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, and U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) sent a letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure urging public clarification that critically and chronically ill Medicare Advantage (MA) beneficiaries will have the same access to Long-Term Ca  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 -- Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Sunday joined CBS News' Face the Nation to discuss Republicans blocking a bipartisan deal to help fix the asylum system and deliver aid to Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and Gaza, and prospects for passing a national security supplemental this week. Murphy also discussed the Biden Administration's efforts to reduce civilian casualties in Gaza and pushed back on Spec  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 -- Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release on Feb. 15, 2024: On the heels of the Senate's hearing with Big Tech CEOs, U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), lead sponsors of the bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act, announced growing U.S. Senate support for the bill, with 62 senators now cosponsoring the legislation. Following conversations with stakeholders and colleagues, Blumenthal and Blackburn also announced n  more