Senator Blumenthal Week in Review 08/19/2022—08/26/2022
TAKING ACTION ON STUDENT LOAN DEBT RELIEF
— Blumenthal released the following statement after President Biden announced historic student loan debt relief actions:
“President Biden’s student loan initiative brings real relief to millions of hard-working Americans. I have listened to Connecticut residents who are struggling to make ends meet under the mountain of ever-growing student loan debt. By canceling significant amounts of student debt and extending the pause on federal student loan repayments, President Biden has taken significant steps forward in addressing the immense student debt crisis. These actions will help many middle class and low-income families, especially in minority communities—and bolster the economy. I have long pushed for this relief—and more—to help struggling borrowers, and will continue fighting for even more actions to comprehensively address the student debt crisis.”
Blumenthal has long pushed for comprehensive student loan debt relief, including pushing for the cancellation of up to $50,000 in student loan debt and calling for the extension of the pause on federally-held student loan repayments until at least the end of the year.
— Blumenthal joined U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Patty Murray (D-WA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and U.S. Representatives John Sarbanes (D-MD), Joe Courtney (D-CT), Jahana Hayes (D-CT), and Kathy Manning (D-NC), along with 109 of their colleagues in urging U.S. Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona to extend the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) waiver deadline until at least July 1, 2023, when the Department’s proposed rules to improve and expand federal student debt relief programs, including PSLF, are currently on track to take effect.
Extending the waiver would help ensure more public servants are able to benefit from the historic waiver that has already resulted in over $9 billion in forgiveness for more than 146,000 public servants and more than 1 million borrowers receiving, on average, one additional year of credit toward PSLF. The extension would also help the agency minimize confusion among borrowers while it conducts a one-time account adjustment later this year and finalizes its proposed PSLF rule.
“The PSLF waiver announced by the Department last October was designed to ‘overhaul’ the PSLF program and ‘make it live up to its promise’ by allowing ‘all payments by student borrowers to count toward PSLF, regardless of loan program or payment plan,’” wrote the lawmakers to Secretary Cardona. “To date, the waiver has been overwhelmingly successful in reducing barriers for borrowers to receive PSLF relief—accounting for almost all (89%) of the borrowers who have received forgiveness through the PSLF program through June 30, 2022.”
The full text of the letter can be found HERE.
URGING FTC INVESTIGATION OF TWITTER WHISTLEBLOWER CLAIMS
— Blumenthal, Chair of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security, raised serious concerns over whistleblower claims brought forward by Peiter “Mudge” Zatko regarding Twitter’s data security practices and called on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to immediately investigate Twitter for potential breaches of its 2011 consent decree with the agency or any violations of consumer protection laws.
“According to disclosures and evidence provided by Peiter ‘Mudge’ Zatko, a highly-respected cybersecurity expert who served as Twitter’s Security Lead from 2020 to 2022, Twitter executives allegedly failed to address significant security vulnerabilities, neglected the mishandling of personal data, and ignored known privacy risks to users for more than a decade,” Blumenthal wrote to FTC Chair Lina Khan. “These troubling disclosures paint the picture of a company that has consistently and repeatedly prioritized profits over the safety of its users and its responsibility to the public, as Twitter executives appeared to ignore or hinder efforts to address threats to user security and privacy.”
The full text of the letter can be found here.
ADDRESSING THE OPIOID CRISIS
— Blumenthal joined demandZERO in New Haven to raise awareness of fentanyl dangers and call for federal resources to combat the opioid crisis.
“Thank you to DemandZERO for organizing a powerful event to raise awareness of the deadly scourge of fentanyl. I will continue fighting for more federal resources to address this crisis & prevent more tragic deaths in CT.”
— Blumenthal also visited McCall Renato Outpatient Services to urgently call for more federal resources to address the alarming increase in accidental overdoses in Connecticut.
“Almost everyone in CT has been personally touched by the opioid epidemic. The stories I heard at the McCall Center are why we need to dedicate more resources to this crisis: stopping the spread of Fentanyl; investing in counseling & treatment; providing Narcan to first responders.”
Drug overdose deaths increased by 11 percent between 2020 and 2021 and are now the leading cause of unintentional death for Connecticut residents. In 2021, 93% of overdose deaths in Connecticut involved an opioid with 86% involving Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid causing deaths in record numbers across the nation.
MARKING THE SIX-MONTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE
— Blumenthal and U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) issued the following joint statement on the six-month anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“It has been six months since Putin invaded Ukraine – a sovereign nation and American democratic partner.
We were told by intelligence and military officials that this war would last a matter of days. But where are we six months later?
In our recent visit to Ukraine, we witnessed with our own eyes the brutality of the Russian invaders and the determination of the Ukrainian people and their leaders to fight back against Putin’s unprovoked invasion.
With the support of the American people, our Allies and other partners throughout the world, Ukraine has taken the weapons provided and fought like tigers. This has been a disaster for Putin.
Six months after the invasion, NATO is on the verge of expanding to 32 countries, the Russian economy has been crippled, and the Russian military is breaking.
Thanks to the help of the United States and other western allies, Ukraine is attacking Russian forces throughout their country with weapons and assistance.
Six months later, Ukraine has been bloodied but unbowed and remains a vibrant, sovereign democratic nation. Putin is more isolated than ever, and the International Criminal Court is pressing on all fronts to hold Putin and his cronies accountable for their war crimes.
We remain in awe of the determination of the Ukrainian people and leadership to fight against Putin in Ukraine. On this Ukrainian Independence Day, we recognize and celebrate the freedom which Ukraine is fighting so fervently to defend and we recommit ourselves to military, economic, and humanitarian assistance to ensure Ukraine remains free.
It is now time to deliver a decisive blow to the Putin regime by designating Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism under U.S. law. This would be a decisive blow to Putin’s economy and make it more difficult for others to come to his aid.
The Senate unanimously adopted our resolution to designate Russia a state sponsor of terrorism. We are hopeful that the Biden Administration and Secretary Blinken will act soon. The sooner, the better.”
SUPPORTING SENSIBLE GUN SAFETY REGULATIONS
— Blumenthal applauded the new Biden Administration rule governing untraceable ghost guns going into effect this week, and urged more gun safety measures to protect public safety.
“Going into effect today—the new rule barring untraceable ghost guns—will save lives & help solve crimes. More commonsense gun safety measures are vital, with broad majority support.”
BOLSTERING SHELLFISH RESEARCH & CT’S AQUACULTURE
— U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) visited Milford Laboratory, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service laboratory to highlight important shellfish research and renovated hatchery. The lab works closely with Connecticut shellfish farmers to make sure they have the best science to support the health and success of their product. The lab recently completed renovations on its shellfish hatchery and entered into a new collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture on its Northeast Oyster Breeding Center.
“NOAA’s Milford lab conducts critical shellfish research & supports CT’s shellfish farmers. My visit confirmed my determination to fight for more resources advancing the new hatchery & cutting edge aquaculture,” said Blumenthal.
Connecticut’s shellfish industry generates $30 million in sales each year and produces 450,000 bushels of clams and 200,000 bushels of Oysters each year. More than 70,000 acres of shellfish farms are cultivated in Connecticut’s waters. The Milford Laboratory is a world leader in aquaculture science.
TACKLING SEXUAL HARRASSMENT IN STEM
— Blumenthal hosted a roundtable with Connecticut women who work in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to discuss new legislation to help address sexual harassment in STEM fields and to support early career researchers from historically underrepresented populations.
“Powerfully smart female STEM leaders have great ideas for expanding their ranks—an important goal of the CHIPS & Science Act. We must protect them against harassment & discrimination.”
The CHIPS and Science Act legislation includes Blumenthal-led provisions to improve the understanding of factors contributing to sexual harassment in STEM fields, examine impacts of harassment on individuals, and develop policy guidelines to mitigate this harassment. A 2018 report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine found that sexual harassment is wide-spread in higher education institutions and contributes to loss of talented, highly-trained individuals in STEM.
At Blumenthal’s urging, the CHIPS legislation also includes language to create a new two-year pilot program to support early-career researchers whose employment opportunities have been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, including those at minority-serving institutions and women and minorities underrepresented in STEM fields.
SUPPORTING EQUITY AND ENTREPENURSHIP
— Blumenthal announced a $406,000 federal grant for a new business accelerator program at Quinnipiac University to serve underrepresented entrepreneurs and small business owners in the Greater New Haven area.
“I was proud to announce a $406K federal grant for Quinnipiac University’s new business accelerator program to equip small & minority business owners with the tools they need to thrive. This funding will support entrepreneurship & equity—a winning combination for Greater New Haven and CT,” said Blumenthal.
The Quinnipiac University Community Entrepreneurship Academy and Clinic (CEAC) will serve as the educational partner to the Connecticut Community Outreach Revitalization Program (ConnCORP), an organization which seeks to advance economic development in underserved communities. CEAC will offer wrap-around business accelerator resources for minority, women, and veteran-owned small businesses working with ConnCORP.
PRESERVING CRITICAL HISTORICAL RECORDS
— Blumenthal joined Connecticut’s first female State Librarian, Deborah Schander to announce a $948,800 federal grant to support the CT State Library. The funding awarded through the National Archives and Records Administration will support the library’s transfer of archival public records to a secure digital repository. The CT State Library digital collections feature materials form the Library, the Museum of Connecticut History, and the State Archives.
“CT’s State Library is home to priceless historic artifacts, like the original Fundamental Orders of Connecticut that Librarian Deborah Schander is showing me here. Happy to join her to announce $948K in federal funding to help digitize the library’s incredible archive,” said Blumenthal.
PUSHING FOR NATIONAL MONUMENT DESIGNATION FOR PLUM ISLAND
— Blumenthal joined environmental advocates in Saybrook to urge the Department of Interior to permanently protect and preserve Plum Island as a national monument.
“Plum Island is Long Island Sound’s ecological gem. I joined advocates to call on the federal government to designate this environmental treasure as a national monument—protecting & preserving it for generations to come.”
For more than a decade, federal, state and local officials have worked with a broad coalition of advocates to protect Plum Island from development. In a letter, Blumenthal joined Majority Leader Schumer in urging the Biden administration to support the conservation efforts through any measure that permanently preserves Plum Island, including a national monument designation.
STANDING WITH UNION WORKERS
— Blumenthal joined Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 1298 to call on Frontier Communications to end their disregard for union workers.
“Proud to stand with CWA Local 1298 to stop shoddy, substandard work by Frontier’s outside contractors—the reason for a $5 million recent penalty. Union members do the job right with quality & safety,” said Blumenthal.
After emerging from bankruptcy in April of 2021, Frontier affirmed their strategy to double its overall fiber network across the country. The rollout has been met with an alarming disregard for union workers, as Frontier has chosen mainly to hire contract workers in an attempt to cut labor costs.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed in 2021 includes a $65 billion investment to buildout broadband infrastructure. In a letter to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) in March, Senator Blumenthal called for the rollout of these investments to include protection for labor workers.
STRENGTHENING READING RESOURCES
— Blumenthal announced $250,000 in federal funding to the Stamford Public Education Foundation (SPEF) and Reading Is Fundamental to support book distributions and literacy activities to 19,500 children in the Stamford area.
“Thrilled to announce a $250K federal grant for children’s literacy programs in Stamford. Set to provide free books, create a free digital library, & distribute reading resources to thousands of kids, this funding will help foster a love of learning.”
The funding will be used by SPEF to provide three free books to 12,000 PreK through 5th grade children, create a free digital library with 1,000 titles for 7,500 children and to produce bookmarks, parent tip sheets and other materials to supplement reading engagement.
CELEBRATING WOMEN’S EQUALITY DAY
— Blumenthal marked the observance Women’s Equality Day.
“102 years ago the 19th Amendment finally secured the right to vote for many women—a critical step on the road to equality. Today we continue the fight to protect women’s fundamental freedoms & ensure their voices are heard at the ballot box. #WomensEqualityDay”
AROUND CONNECTICUT
— Blumenthal toured MOVIA Robotics Inc., a collaborative robotics company in Bristol that builds systems and software to help bridge education and therapeutic needs for children on the autism spectrum.
“Programmed to be positive, these robots can open new amazing learning opportunities to kids on the autism spectrum. Thanks MOVIA Robotics for your impressive work.”
— Blumenthal took part in the 40th annual Canton Volunteer Fire Company Lobsterfest.
“Record numbers at the 40th annual Canton Volunteer Fire Company Lobsterfest - a great feast for a great cause. This spectacular tradition shows community at its best, an all volunteer effort bringing everyone together.”
— Blumenthal attended the Greater Hartford Puerto Rican Day Parade.
“Bursting with exuberant energy, enthusiastic crowds, heart pounding music, colorful dress & much more, the Greater Hartford Puerto Rican Day Parade was back in full glory. This year’s events fittingly were dedicated to the Roberto & Vera Clemente family.”
— Blumenthal attended the Hamburg Fair.
“No shortage of fun at the Hamburg Fair—for folks of all ages & tastes. Good to see returning vendors, community leaders, & elected officials like State Senator Norm Needleman.”
— Blumenthal participated in the Bridgewater Fair.
“Bridgewater Fair is true to tradition & promise—some of the best ever rides, roast beef (& other fair food), people, & much more. A spectacular community working together. Fun to walk with 1st Selectman Read & Selectman Brown.”
— Blumenthal attended Oysterfest in Milford.
“Milford Oysterfest—a celebration of shore & sun—with huge crowds enjoying great music, food, & of course incomparable oysters, clams & more. Thanks to all the organizers.”
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