Senator Blumenthal Week In Review 05/20/2022—05/27/2022

DEMANDING ACTION ON AMERICA’S GUN VIOLENCE EPIDEMIC

— U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) released the following statement after nineteen children and two teachers were killed at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas:

“My heart breaks as I re-live the shock and grief of Sandy Hook ten years ago, knowing the infinite pain that will hit these families in Texas. No words can capture my wrenching sadness for them and for our great nation that continues to be torn apart by horrendous gun violence – taking so many beautiful lives and spreading anguish and horror.”

“This senseless violence will stop only when Congress matches thoughts and prayers with action.”

Hours after the shooting, Blumenthal took to the Senate Floor to demand his colleagues act to save Americans from the nation’s gun violence epidemic.

“There are no words in a place filled with words during today and every day in this place when we're in session, there are no words today to capture the heartbreak, the gut-wrenching grief and pain that those families will feel, and I remember feeling almost ten years ago when we stood in the space just outside the firehouse in Sandy Hook as parents learned that their twenty children would not be coming home that night. The same bottomless grief is hitting the families in Texas, in Uvalde, where they have lost children,” said Blumenthal.

“And there are no words also to capture the deep, abiding pain that will last forever, that pain will be with them. The hole in their hearts, a place at their tables, a room in their houses that never will be filled again. And hugs that they will never feel, cheeks that will never be kissed.”

“It is no longer surprising or stunning. It is no longer unfathomable or unforeseeable. It is incomprehensible that this great nation is blocked by members of this body from taking action that can forestall and prevent it,” Blumenthal continued. “This body has been complicit by its inaction. In fact, it isn't this body. It is members of this body, principally on the other side of the aisle. Let's be blunt.”

Blumenthal called on his colleagues to support a range of measures meant to prevent gun violence, including expanded background checks, red flag statutes, safe storage requirements, community violence intervention programs, bans on assault weapons and ghost guns, and measures to protect survivors of domestic violence.

“We are not without agency…There are commonsense actions we can take to separate dangerous killers from firearms that are absolutely consistent with the Second Amendment, as judged by the Supreme Court, and absolutely consistent with gun ownership by law-abiding people. We know these actions won't save everyone, but there can be no doubt that each of them will save some lives.”

“We need to do them right now because every day that passes without action means more of the same. Not surprising, not stunning, more of the same,” said Blumenthal. “We must match our thoughts and prayers with real action.”

Blumenthal also urged his colleagues to swiftly confirm Steve Dettelbach, President Biden’s nominee to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on his nomination. As Director, Dettelbach would lead the ATF in their mission to protect the public from crimes involving firearms, explosives, arson, and the diversion of alcohol and tobacco products. The agency also works in the regulation of lawful commerce in firearms and explosives, and supporting law enforcement, public safety, and industry partners.

“The best laws on the books are dead letter if they are not enforced effectively, and it will be your job to make sure that the premier federal agency responsible for gun violence has the mandate and the independence to pursue it diligently, fearlessly, and ferociously,” Blumenthal said to Dettelbach. “You come here at a moment of extraordinary anguish, anxiety, and anger in this country. And I believe that we must move forward with gun violence prevention reforms that will make our laws more effective and give you more tools that you need in saving communities and individual lives.”

“When it comes to tackling these kinds of problems, we need an agency that is not only independent, but will be perceived as independent beyond the influence and grip of the gun lobby which all too often has been perceived as having undue impact on the ATF. And that perception itself can undermine an agency’s effectiveness,” said Blumenthal. “So as much as I feel that you will bring new leadership, I think it is important that we move forward to give you that opportunity as quickly as possible, particularly seizing this moment of extraordinary challenge to make sure you have a mandate from the United States Congress to do your job.”

Blumenthal also joined a rally with advocates from Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action.

“What we see here is America rising up and saying enough is enough,” said Blumenthal. “We know what we have to do…we know what can save lives.”

“I wrote a red flag statute with my colleague, Senator Graham, right after Parkland, more than three years ago. There’s no mystery about taking away a firearm, a weapon from someone who shows they are dangerous to themselves or others. Someone who says I’m going to kill people or I’m going to kill myself. A red flag statute is an imperative,” Blumenthal continued. “I want to see a vote on the floor of the United States Senate on background checks and a red flag statute…I want to see where my colleagues stand.”

Standing with a number of his colleagues, Blumenthal and the advocates had a clear message for the gun lobby:

“Your days are numbered. You are on the wrong side of history and you will see your power broken simply because you have overreached,” said Blumenthal. “You no longer represent gun owners. You no longer represent even your members. You no longer represent the public interest. You are a danger to society and to America if you continue to oppose these common sense measures.” 

ADDRESSING AMERICA’S BABY FORMULA SHORTAGE

— U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), alongside State Sen. Saud Anwar, Dr. Molly Markowitz and Eric Harrison, CEO and President of United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut, called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture to allow WIC participants to purchase baby formula online, eliminating a significant barrier for Connecticut families struggling to find formula in stores.

During a May 17 hearing of the Committee on Children and Public Health in the Connecticut state legislature, Blumenthal heard constituents speak about the grave need for WIC participants to be able to purchase formula online. Unlike other caregivers, who may be able to purchase formula online from retailers like Target or Walgreens, WIC participants are unable to use their benefits to purchase formula online. This deficiency further limits families’ options for finding formula during the shortage and in some cases leaves WIC participants going store to store trying to find the right formula for their infant, a luxury many families cannot afford.

Blumenthal’s letter to USDA is a response to Connecticut residents’ concerns during the May 17 hearing and urges the department to take swift and immediate action to ease this burden on Connecticut families.

“Parents are right to be fearful & frustrated. Many steps must be taken to counteract the infant formula crisis: increased imports, quick utilization of the Defense Production Act, & enhancements to WIC to make online purchases accessible. Babies & their caregivers need action,” said Blumenthal.

Blumenthal also joined U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and other senators representing New England states in sending a letter to Abbott Laboratories CEO Robert Ford urging him to provide relief to state WIC programs and the mothers they serve.

Connecticut, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island, and Vermont jointly contract with Abbott to provide WIC recipients with access to formula – mothers across the region are being hurt by the recent recall and ongoing shortages. Since February, Abbott has provided very short-term relief to our states in need of formula. In response, the senators are pushing for a long-term extension of rebates across all infant formulas through the rest of the year without unnecessary directives.

“Mothers in our states have been left to scrounge to find formula for their infants, traveling longer and longer distances only to find empty shelves. According to the most recent data, more than 40% of stores in our states are currently out of stock of infant formula. This situation is especially untenable for low-income mothers, who do not have the time or resources to enable them to access this depleted supply. Given that WIC is expressly intended to support low-income families and that this supply crisis is a direct result of contamination at an Abbott facility, Abbott must ensure states have sufficiently flexible WIC contract obligations during this time,” the senators wrote. “In total, nearly 40,000 infants in our states’ WIC programs are either partially or fully formula-fed, and our states are restricted to Abbott-only formulas due to these contract obligations.”

HONORING OUR VETERANS

— U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, joined Connecticut veterans to announce that the Senate has reached an agreement to move forward with The Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022, which will provide veterans exposed to toxic chemicals and burn pits their earned health care and benefits under the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The package includes legislation championed by Blumenthal to expand benefits and health care to a veteran population currently not able to access services — veterans who served at the 1960s cleanup of the Palomares, Spain nuclear accident. In addition, the bill grants health care and benefits to another population Blumenthal has advocated fiercely for — veterans who served at Karshi-Khanabad Air Base (K2) in Uzbekistan who were exposed to multiple cancer-causing toxic chemicals and radiological hazards. The agreement also includes provisions affording veterans who were exposed to contaminated drinking water at Camp LeJeune, a Marine Corps base in North Carolina, the ability to seek compensation in federal court after years of delays and declined claims by the Navy and VA.

Blumenthal also joined U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) in introducing the Informing Veterans on Education for Transitioning Servicemembers (VETS) Act to better inform veterans with disabilities about the education benefits available to them. The bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to directly contact and inform qualified service-disabled veterans about the Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) Program via letter, and requires the VA to publish a side-by-side comparison of the VR&E program and GI Bill online.

“This legislation directs the VA to proactively engage with disabled veterans so they know what important educational opportunities they might be eligible for,” said Blumenthal. “After bravely serving our country, these heroes deserve these tools and resources to advance their personal and professional lives. I’m proud to join Senator Cassidy in this bipartisan effort to ensure our veterans are fully informed about their hard-earned and essential educational benefits.” 

LEGISLATION & STATEMENTS

— U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Jerry Moran (R-KS), authors of the Empowering Olympic, Paralympic, and Amateur Athlete Act, released the following statement after the Department of Justice again declined to prosecute Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents who failed to act on reports they received about Larry Nassar’s abuse of athletes and later lied to investigators. This misconduct was outlined in a report released by the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Justice (OIG DOJ). The DOJ IG made criminal referrals for these actions, which the Department of Justice has decided not to act on for a second time.

“This decision is infuriating. FBI agents who knew of Larry Nassar’s abuse, did nothing, and then lied about it will face no legal consequences for their actions. Dozens of athletes would have been spared unimaginable abuse if these agents had just done their jobs. Their actions demand accountability.”

“Our frustrations are compounded by the fact that the Department has provided no public explanation for this decision. As we have noted before, the Justice Manual authorizes a case-closing letter explaining the Department’s decision-making in similar situations, especially where law enforcement officers are accused of misconduct or criminal behavior. This case certainly qualifies for such treatment.”

“Weeks ago, we asked the Department of Justice to conduct a comprehensive review of all information in its possession relating to the Nassar investigation, including criminal referrals made by our subcommittee. We have not received a response.”

— U.S. Senator Blumenthal (D-CT) posted the following Tweet in response to the Russian Foreign Ministry’s announcement that he is one of 963 Americans barred from entering Russia:

“Putin has banned me from Russia—a badge of honor from a barbaric butcher. My message back: America must expand military aid, humanitarian help, & crippling economic measures to assure brave, fierce Ukrainian fighters defeat you.”

— U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Chris Murphy (D-CT) introduced Sarah Merriam, President Biden’s nominee to fill a vacancy on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, before her confirmation hearing in the Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Consisting of thirteen judges, the Second Circuit is one of thirteen appeals courts across the country and exercises appellate jurisdiction within Connecticut, New York, and Vermont. 

— U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Bob Casey (D-PA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced the Locked Out Workers’ Healthcare Protection Act to protect the health insurance workers earned and negotiated in their contracts, by penalizing an employer for terminating the coverage of an employee’s health insurance during a lock-out. The bill would create a separate unfair labor practice category, punishable by fines, for when employers cut off or alter workers’ health insurance while workers are locked out.

“Standing up for your workplace rights should not come at the expense of health care coverage for you and your family. By holding accountable employers who threaten to strip health benefits from employees during a lockout, this measure will support the right of workers to organize and speak up,” said Blumenthal. “I’m proud to join my colleagues in this effort to protect American workers and their access to essential, quality health care.” 

— U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Jack Reed (D-RI), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) introduced legislation to close a tax loophole that allows corporations to write off the punishment they receive for egregious wrongdoing as an “ordinary” business expense.

“Corporations should be held accountable for misconduct and wrongdoing, not rewarded with write-offs and tax loopholes,” said Blumenthal. “While Americans are left to deal with the consequences of corporate negligence, profit-hungry giants pad their margins and deduct penalties as a business expense. By closing the punitive damages loophole, this legislation will ramp-up enforcement, increase federal revenues, and prevent corporations from walking away from their misdeeds with a slap on the wrist.”

— U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) reacted to reports that electricity rates are expected to increase this summer.

“The looming significant increase in electricity prices is coming at the worst moment for consumers. Eversource should do their part to ease the impact by reducing their profits from electricity sales in CT.”

“Raising rates by almost 5%, Eversource hits consumers by passing on their higher costs. No doubt Putin’s barbaric assault on Ukraine has increased costs of gas & oil used to make electricity, but ratepayers shouldn’t bear the whole burden.”

— U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) praised the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for awarding $3.6 million to 18 groups and organizations through the Inclusive Energy Innovation Prize—a first-of-its-kind competition designed to support entrepreneurship and innovation in communities historically underserved in federal climate and energy technology funding. The New Haven Eco-Entrepreneurship Creative Lab was one of the phase one winners.

“This groundbreaking DOE grant is an investment in our clean energy future, providing young leaders the tools and resources to develop forward-thinking climate technology,” said Blumenthal. “Addressing climate change requires all hands on deck. These funds will provide opportunities for students from communities on the front lines of the climate crisis – yet underrepresented in this field. Countless jobs, businesses, and communities will benefit from this much-needed program.”

EVENTS AROUND CONNECTICUT

— U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, joined Governor Ned Lamont, executives and staff of Lockheed Martin, and lawmakers for a bill signing to celebrate the agreement that will keep Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation’s headquarters in Connecticut for the next 20 years, maintain more than 7,000 jobs, and potentially bring more helicopter lines to the company’s Stratford location.

“Bill signing by Governor Ned Lamont today—marking a milestone agreement with Sikorsky—means more than 7,000 jobs in CT making the next generation of helicopters. We have the world’s best helicopter workforce—now we need the work. I’ll be fighting for Sikorsky to win DOD contracts,” said Blumenthal.

— U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) joined Governor Ned Lamont, state Department of Transportation Commissioner Joseph Giulietti, U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Amtrak Vice President Tom Moritz, Metro-North President Catherine Rinaldi, and local leaders to celebrate the inaugural ride of the M8 electric trains on the Shore Line East railroad.

Starting this week, Shore Line East’s diesel trains will be replaced with electric trains. In addition to reducing pollution, the new electric trains are faster and will cut down travel times for commuters.

“Exciting ride on Shore Line East’s M8 electric train—smooth, quiet, comfortable, with cleaner power. Thanks to Kelvin driving today & all the fantastic rail workers (maintenance, conductor, engineers & more) for your great service,” said Blumenthal.

— U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) marched in The Mary Wade Home “Fair Haven Community Parade” to celebrate Memorial Day and the Fair Haven community.

— U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) attended Windsor’s Shad Derby Parade.

“Only in CT, the Shad Derby Parade in Windsor is a gem—drawing huge turnout, especially after a 2 year hiatus. Tremendous thanks to the town, CT Jaycees, fellow marchers, & of course the shad—fished in Windsor since its founding in 1633.”

— U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) attended the National Alliance on Mental Illness Walk Your Way at Bushnell Park in Hartford.

“Such moving, powerful stories about mental health needs from participants in NAMIWalks Your Way 2022 in Hartford. Hundreds walked & talked, giving face & voice to advocacy for behavioral health investment.”

— U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) attended the celebration of Bishop’s Orchards 151th anniversary.

“Celebrating 150+1 at Bishop’s Orchards—a tribute to 6 family generations (soon 7). Their dedication to serving customers & the community is inspiring. Moving remarks & reminisces from family members, filled with warmth & humor—showing why they have such deep respect & affection.”

— U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) attended Hartford Stage’s Spring Gala.

“Hartford Stage’s Spring Gala had plenty of stars last night—its stupendous staff, board, volunteers & supporters who enable its artistic excellence & educational outreach. Federal funds through the SVOG Act—which I was proud to lead—aided their dedicated work during the pandemic.”

— U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) attended the commencement for Albertus Magnus College in New Haven.

“Commencement at Albertus Magnus yesterday celebrated this wonderful school’s spectacular seniors & tradition of Veritas & Vision—study, faith, community, & service. Thanks to President Marc Camille & his extraordinary team of faculty, staff, & trustees.”

— U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) attended the Stamford Concerned Clergy Coalition Prayer vigil.

“Vigil Against Violence in Stamford brought together faith leaders, law enforcement & public officials committed to stopping the cancer of hatred spreading in our society, spawning tragedies like Buffalo. We must pass the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act & implement the NO HATE Act.”

— U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, visited Cambridge Specialty Co., a Connecticut military and aerospace manufacturer in Berlin that produces precision crafted products for Sikorsky and Pratt & Whitney, to hear more about the challenges facing defense manufacturers in Connecticut.

— U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) attended the Connecticut Foodshare Walk to End Hunger.

“Proud to be among hundreds who gathered in Hartford to support CT Foodshare—walking to raise funds & send a message. Food insecurity is a persistent, pressing problem here & around our great nation.”

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