03.28.2022

Senator Blumenthal Week In Review 03/19/2022—03/27/2022

LEGISLATION, LETTERS, & STATEMENTS

— U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, participated in the Supreme Court nomination hearing for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson.

“The appointment of a Black woman to the Court means that your service will make the Court look more like America. Hopefully too it will make the Court think more like America,” Blumenthal said in his opening remarks.

“Representation matters for the legitimacy and credibility of our judicial system. Judges are the face and voice of justice. People walking into your courtroom or any other in this country look to the human being, not just to the robes. Too often, our courts are isolated, seemingly sterile marble halls lacking emotional intelligence for a sensitivity to the impact they have on people, a fact that you clearly and dramatically understand.”

“Importantly, your record as a jurist also reveals impartiality. You are a proven unifier and consensus builder, someone who can build bridges among colleagues, even adversaries. Not surprisingly, you have been confirmed on a bipartisan basis three times by the Senate. You have received glowing endorsements from former judges who are stalwarts of the conservative movement. The court needs a bridge builder now more than ever. It has become more polarized, more politicized, more divided than at any point in our history, and it faces a crisis of legitimacy as a result.”

Blumenthal questioned Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson about the challenges of applying outdated law to evolving technologies. Blumenthal discussed these challenges in the context of the youth mental health crisis exacerbated by social media and emphasized the need to pass the bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act that he is leading with U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) as an important update of the law in light of tech’s harms to kids.

“We are trying to upgrade the law and update it to give parents tools to have greater visibility as to what their children are doing and to give parents and children tools to protect them against some of the bullying, and eating disorder content, even suicidal and substance abuse stuff that they are driven to see,” stressed Blumenthal. “Senator Blackburn and I have introduced a bipartisan measure, the Kids Online Safety Act, that will provide a more modern solution to a modern problem, to update the law to account for the role of social media in our ongoing and aggravating mental health crisis in this country. Do you agree that it helps the Supreme Court, and judges in general, to do their job when Congress updates our statutes to account for technological change.”

Judge Jackson agreed, stating: “The role of the court is to interpret statutes when there are disputes related to the statutes. And, in circumstances in which statutes have not been updated, I don’t think it’s surprising to note that there are disputes about the meaning of the statute, about how it applies, and so, to the extent that Congress undertakes to make amendments and make the changes, I think it helps courts, maybe there will be fewer disputes, or easier disputes to resolve.”

Blumenthal and Judge Jackson also discussed their shared admiration of New Haven native Judge Constance Baker Motley. Judge Motley, a civil rights trailblazer who opened courthouse doors to Black women and men across the country, was the first Black woman to serve as a federal judge and argue before the United States Supreme Court. Throughout her confirmation hearing, Judge Jackson cited Judge Motley as a role model.

“We are very proud that she is the daughter of New Haven and Connecticut. She is one of my heroes as well,” Blumenthal told Jackson. “So why don't you tell us and maybe tell those folks, particularly women and girls who are watching or listening, why you said at the outset of the hearings here that she was one of those whose shoulders you stood upon as you came here today?”

“I so admired the fact that she was the first,” Jackson said. “It is not necessarily easy to be the first but it is an opportunity to show other people what is possible. When you are the first, it means no one has ever done it before like you and there may be hundreds, thousands of people who might have wanted that opportunity and thought, I can’t do that because there is no one there like me.”

“So being a trailblazer, whether it is Judge Motley or Justice Marshall or Justice O’Connor, being a trailblazer is really inspiring I think,” Jackson continued. “And I was always moved by Judge Motley's experience. I think it may even be part of why I moved in this direction.”

“Well it is inspiring and I hope that your very inspiring story will make it possible for a lot of others to think it, not secretly, but say it out loud and aspire to it because it is what this country needs,” Blumenthal responded.

— Following reports that Ginni Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, pressed President Trump’s Chief of Staff to overturn the results of the 2020 election, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) renewed his calls for a Supreme Court code of ethics.

“No question we need a Supreme Court Code of Ethics—now. Why didn’t Justice Thomas recuse himself in the Trump records case in light of Ginni Thomas’ apparent active involvement? The nation deserves an explanation & the Supreme Court needs a Code of Ethics.”

“No question that recusal by Justice Thomas is absolutely essential going forward in any case involving the January 6 committee’s investigation & the 2024 presidential election if Trump runs again.”

Blumenthal also called on Justice Thomas to recuse himself from certain future cases:

“Absolutely necessary: Thomas must recuse himself from future cases involving the Jan 6 Committee, or the 2020/2024 elections. He must justify his refusal to recuse himself from previous decisions involving a clear conflict of interest. The nation deserves it, as a starting step.”

“The Supreme Court faces a legitimacy crisis deepened & widened by shocking revelations about Ginni Thomas’ texts. Congress should impose a Code of Ethics on this court, the only federal court without one. Stop the downward slide & shredding of credibility & trust.”

— U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) praised the announcement by President Joe Biden that the United States will welcome up to 100,000 Ukrainians that have fled their homeland as a result of Putin’s invasion.

“I applaud President Biden’s announcement that the United States will welcome 100,000 Ukrainian refugees. Having recently visited the Poland/Ukraine border with a number of colleagues on a bipartisan trip, I saw women and children fleeing the horror and terror that Putin has caused. I continue to support increased humanitarian aid and provision of lethal arms to end this conflict as quickly as possible.”

“The 3.5 million refugees that have already fled Ukraine and have added to an already burgeoning refugee and humanitarian crisis around the globe. Last year, 26 million refugees were displaced from areas as diverse as Syria, Venezuela, Afghanistan, South Sudan, and Myanmar. I continue to call on the administration to enable more of our at-risk Afghan allies to escape the Taliban. They helped Americans, our troops and diplomats, and they remain under dire threat from the Taliban. We must continue to bring them to safety as quickly as possible.”

“Today’s announcement is a positive step addressing the humanitarian catastrophe stemming from Putin’s war in Ukraine, but there remains more to be done to help refugees across the globe,” said Blumenthal.

— Bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and Rob Portman (R-OH) to protect infant lives by banning the sale of padded crib bumpers—which have been proven to pose an unnecessary, deadly risk to sleeping infants—passed the Senate and is now headed to the U.S. House of Representatives for consideration. The Safe Cribs Act would also make it unlawful nationwide to manufacture and import crib bumpers, which remain widely sold by retailers despite current recommendations advising parents to keep cribs bare to prevent sudden infant death syndrome. The Senators’ legislation would direct the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to enforce a ban nationwide.

“I applaud the Senate for passing this important measure to ensure deadly and dangerous crib bumpers are pulled off store shelves,” said Blumenthal. “New parents can still unwittingly purchase this perilous padding for their children’s cribs despite dozens of babies suffocating. I look forward to continuing working with Senators Duckworth and Portman to ensure it becomes law and to prevent more needless tragedies.”

— U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) joined U.S. Representatives Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Anthony Brown (D-MD), and former U.S. Representative Robert Wexler (D-FL) in submitting an Amicus Brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to consider Adams v. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), a case related to differential pay provision for reservists as outlined in the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009. A provision in the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009 prevents federal employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserves from losing income when they are called to active military duty.

The amicus brief expresses support for Mr. Bryan Adams’ petition to the Court, explaining that Congress’ clear intent in enacting the provision in the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009 was to ensure that reservists are paid the equivalent of their full civilian salary while they have been called to active military duty.

— U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Tim Scott (R-SC) announced the passage of their Senate resolution designating the week of March 20 through March 26, 2022, as “National Poison Prevention Week.” The resolution encourages communities across the United States to raise awareness of the dangers of poisoning and promote poison prevention, and also expresses gratitude for the individuals who operate and support local poison control centers.

“This resolution highlights the heroic work performed by poison control centers in Connecticut and across the country. When children are exposed to harmful household products or loved ones are experiencing a possibly-fatal drug overdose, these dedicated professionals are the first ones to answer the call for help,” said Blumenthal. “We must continue supporting public education and resources for these incredible professionals to save lives.”

— U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) reacted to the death of Madeleine Albright, the first female U.S. Secretary of State.

“We've lost a remarkable, brilliant trailblazer. Madeleine Albright was an accomplished diplomat, a true champion for human rights, & an unwavering defender of democracy. There is no question her legacy will live on & continue to inspire generations to come.”

AROUND CONNECTICUT

— U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) praised passage by the Connecticut General Assembly to temporarily suspend the state’s 25-cent excise tax on gas through June 30, 2022. Blumenthal is supporting federal legislation to suspend the federal gas tax through the end of 2022.

“Connecticut residents and businesses continue to feel the pain at the pump and are struggling to make ends meet as a result of Putin’s brutal invasion of Ukraine. I applaud Governor Lamont and the Connecticut General Assembly for taking swift action to provide relief to families across the state by temporarily suspending Connecticut 25 cent excise tax on gas. Congress should follow Connecticut’s lead and provide additional support to families across the country by taking immediate action to suspend the federal gas tax,” said Blumenthal.

— U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Chris Murphy (D-CT) joined U.S. Representative John Larson (D-CT) and Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin to announce that Mothers United Against Violence has been awarded a $300,000 federal grant for its Victim Impact Project.

“We can’t accept gun violence as a normal part of our lives. Thanks to the efforts of amazing groups like Mothers United Against Violence, communities are working at the local level to stop the cycle of trauma & violence. This $300,000 federal grant will help to move this mission forward.”

— U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) attended vigils and rallies in support of Ukraine in West Haven, Simsbury, Brookfield, and New Britain.

“A solemn, moving candle light vigil & rally for Ukraine in West Haven. Eloquent prayers for peace by diverse faith leaders brought us together in spirit with the brave, resolute Ukrainian people.”