Senator Blumenthal: Week in Review 2/28-3/7

HIGHLIGHTING ADMINISTRATION ATTACKS ON VETERANS AHEAD OF PRESIDENT TRUMP’S JOINT ADDRESS

Senator Blumenthal brought Michael Missal, former Inspector General (IG) for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as his guest at President Donald Trump’s Joint Address to Congress on Tuesday night.

“I am honored to have the VA’s former top internal watchdog, Bristol’s own Mike Missal, join me on Tuesday night. Mike served honorably under three different presidents – of both parties – rooting out waste and wrongdoing on behalf of our nation’s veterans. The work of independent and nonpartisan Inspectors General like Mike is invaluable. In the months before Mike was unlawfully terminated, he released critical investigative reports uncovering delays in care, incorrectly processed claims for PACT Act benefits, and fraudulent use of taxpayer dollars – all problems that could be fixed for veterans because he and his team uncovered them. Here in Connecticut, the VA Inspector General’s office conducted several reviews of the infrastructure, operations and care delivery at the West Haven facility that assisted me in efforts to secure funding for upgrades to the campus. Missal was uncovering waste, fraud, and abuse at VA – now Elon Musk is corrupting the Department and burning taxpayer dollars with no check. I am grateful to host Mike on Tuesday and to continue to speak out about the important work of all independent government watchdogs,” Blumenthal said.

On Twitter/X, Blumenthal called out President Trump and Elon Musk for the firing of more than a dozen independent, nonpartisan IGs, including Missal.

“If Trump and Musk were serious about going after waste, fraud, and abuse, they wouldn’t be firing IGs. Mike Missal knows how to fight for veterans—and it isn’t with slash-and-trash cuts. Proud to have Mr. Missal drive home this point with my colleagues tonight at the President’s Joint Address,” wrote Blumenthal on Twitter/X.

Blumenthal and Missal joined host Brianna Keilar on CNN to discuss President Trump’s firing of top government watchdogs charged with protecting Americans from waste, fraud, and abuse. Video of the interview can be found here.

Ahead of the Joint Address, Blumenthal also attended a press conference in Connecticut to rally against the Trump Administration’s attacks on VA workforce and harmful policies for veterans and their families. Video of Blumenthal’s remarks at the press conference can be found here.

Blumenthal released the following statement in response to President Trump’s Joint Address, and he also reacted with a video on Twitter/X.

“Touting false feats, fanning fears, and taunting Democrats, President Trump tonight gave a decidedly unpresidential harangue. Republicans in the audience treated the speech as a campaign rally—embarrassing in that historic chamber. President Trump spun a fictional world, pandering to prejudice and grievance, untethered to reality. He brought out the worst in my Congressional colleagues and the country,” said Blumenthal.

SUPPORTING UKRAINE

Blumenthal spoke on the Senate Floor urging his colleagues to vote in favor of a Resolution showing support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia.

“We are saying to Ukraine, we have your back. We're going to be your backstop. That is the purpose of these resolutions. And we all know that Ukraine's fight is our fight, that our national security is at stake because Putin will keep going if he swallows Ukraine, if he has dinner in Kyiv, he will want to have dinner in Finland and Sweden and Poland. They are NATO allies. We will be obligated to put troops on the ground. The soldiers of Ukraine are saving our soldiers from a fight where they will be in harm's way. And they are bleeding and dying for our national security. The Ukrainian people want peace. The Ukrainian people want peace more than any of us. They certainly want peace more than Vladimir Putin, who has no respect for the lives of his people or the Ukrainians. But they have fought for three years to stay free, to stay independent, to stay sovereign. They have fought for years before that. And the history of their people is one of fighting for their independence. They will continue fighting as long as peace threatens their sovereign and free status. We should support them in their goals, in their quest for peace with freedom and sovereignty for their people,” said Blumenthal.

Blumenthal joined host Erin Burnett on CNN to discuss the Oval Office ambush of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy by President Trump and Vice President Vance. Video of the interview can be found here.

Blumenthal also joined host Chris Hayes on MSNBC to discuss his bipartisan meeting with Zelenskyy. Video of the interview can be found here.

On Twitter/X, Blumenthal reacted to news of President Trump temporarily suspending the delivery of U.S. military aid to Ukraine.

“Trump is inviting a military catastrophe & humanitarian nightmare—suspending aid for air defense against Russia’s bloody slaughter of civilians as well as arms necessary for battle worn soldiers to hold the line against brutal attacks. His withholding this aid is illegal & immoral,” said Blumenthal on Twitter/X.

COMBATTING ANTISEMISTISM IN AMERICA

Blumenthal spoke at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled Never To Be Silent: Stemming the Tide of Antisemitism in America. During the hearing, Blumenthal criticized plans to dismantle the Office of Civil Rights in the Department of Education, a view that was shared by Kevin Rachlin, Washington Director of The Nexus Project.

“I think all of us on this panel were horrified to see what happened on our campuses and what happened in many other public spaces in the wake of October 7…And I think someone understanding that view can also understand why the violence, the threats of violence, the taunts and other stuff that occurred on campuses and throughout the world after October 7 raise such fears among the people who were targets of it,” said Blumenthal.

“I am very deeply troubled by the plan to dismantle the Office of Civil Rights in the Department of Education, which the new Secretary has said she will do. She is going to dismantle the whole Department of Education. But the Office of Civil Rights definitely, she has said, should no longer exist. If anyone here is in favor of dismantling the Office of Civil Rights, I would like to hear you tell me why you should,” said Blumenthal.

Rachlin responded, “The Office for Civil Rights at the Department of Education is, as Ms. Cojab has said as well, one of the avenues for students to actually bring discrimination cases to a head. I think that this office is absolutely critical in being able to do real investigations on what is happening on campus and actually working with school administrators to come to an equitable outcome for that. If there is criminal intent, if there is discrimination involved, then I would say it jumps into discrimination law rather than Department of Education. So I would say like, in this space, OCR is absolutely vital to the kids that are Jewish, non-Jews, all across the country to help address those issues.”

On Twitter/X, Blumenthal highlighted the importance of the Office of Civil Rights in protecting students from discrimination.

“Secretary McMahon has made her distain for the Office of Civil Rights known. We must fight back against plans to taking away key tools students use to stop discrimination,” said Blumenthal on Twitter/X.

A video of Blumenthal’s full remarks from the hearing can be found here.

ON THE SENATE VETERANS’ AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

In light of President Trump’s egregious attempts to slash VA care and services, Blumenthal, Ranking Member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, and a group of his Democratic colleagues took to the Senate Floor to ask for unanimous consent to pass a resolution condemning the mass termination of employees serving veterans and their families at VA and calling for those jobs to be reinstated. The resolution’s package was blocked by Senate Republicans.

“Musk and Trump have already upended the lives of so many—the thousands of veterans, casually discarded, illegally fired without notice or justification, all for cheap headlines. The impacts in real life are undeniable, and stories from newspapers, from broadcast media, from all kinds of outlets, tell the story of those real-life impacts,” said Blumenthal. “But I know my colleagues are hearing from their constituents about the mental health services that are delayed, about the surgeries that can't be provided, about the Veterans Crisis Line, serving veterans who may be taking their own lives, all reduced. These real-life impacts are undeniable, and we're talking about the people who make sure that veterans have transportation to those appointments, who assist with benefits claims, who ensure that the VA hospitals are maintained, and that they are safe, who clean operating rooms and sterilize instruments in between procedures. It may not be the surgeon who's fired, but the surgeon walking into the operating room needs a staff and a team to assist him, needs the housekeeping staff to make sure that it's clean. These people have dedicated their careers to serving veterans and their nation, and all have been indiscriminately and illegally terminated.”

A video of Blumenthal’s full remarks can be found here.

Blumenthal also released a statement ringing the alarm following reporting on an internal leaked memo from senior Trump Administration officials at the VA Department detailing their plans to cut more than 80,000 VA employees this year. This would include at least 20,000 veterans, who make up 25% of VA’s workforce.

“Congress worked in a bipartisan manner to pass the PACT Act and equip VA with the tools and resources needed to serve more veterans than ever. Since January 20, this Administration has launched an all-out assault undermining that progress and attacking the VA workforce and the veterans it serves. This memo makes their goal crystal clear: they want to roll back the PACT Act by cutting 80,00 jobs—including 20,000 veterans—while starving VA’s ability to meet increased demand in order to justify privatizing VA. Their plan prioritizes private sector profits over veterans’ care, balancing the budget on the backs of those who served. It’s a shameful betrayal, and veterans will pay the price for their unforgivable corruption, incompetence, and immorality,” said Blumenthal

In response to this damning memo and disastrous plans to slash a significant amount of VA’s workforce, Blumenthal and every Democratic Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee member teamed up with House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Mark Takano (D-CA) and numerous House Democratic Committee members to write to VA Secretary Doug Collins demanding immediate answers regarding the disastrous impact of the Trump Administration’s plans to cut these more 80,000 VA employees this year.

“This planned [Reduction in Force] and [Reorganization Plan], coupled with the ongoing hiring freeze and illegal terminations of probationary employees, will be catastrophic for the agency; its workforce; and for the veterans, caregivers, and survivors it serves… You have promised on several occasions that any reductions in the VA workforce will not impact delivery of care and benefits to veterans. It defies logic and reason that the agency could cut an additional 83,000 employees, beyond the 2,400 or more you have already terminated, without healthcare and benefits being interrupted.”

The Committee members emphasized the harm in reducing VA’s workforce back to pre-PACT Act levels: “Congress passed the Honoring Our PACT Act in 2022, which authorized the largest expansion of veterans’ benefits in decades. Millions of veterans either became newly eligible for VA benefits or saw their benefits increase due to authorities in the PACT Act. To meet the growth in demand and to deliver the care and benefits veterans earned, Congress included provisions in the legislation that allowed VA to grow its workforce across the system…These new hires made the Department more efficient and productive, and the reduction in claims processing turnaround can be directly attributed to the growth in the workforce. Returning to pre-PACT levels explicitly goes against Congressional intent.”

The full text of the Committee Democrats’ letter is available here.

At a joint Senate and House Veterans’ Affairs Committees hearing, Blumenthal called out the Trump Administration’s shameless cuts to VA and mass terminations of VA employees, and advocated for veterans’ care and benefits. Blumenthal addressed VWF Commander-in-Chief Al Lipphardt, who was in attendance of the hearing.

“It is tough to focus on efforts and legislative priorities when so many of our previous efforts are being rolled back without consulting us. In other words, how do we go forward with new legislation when the priorities can simply be ignored, and the legislation violated?” said Blumenthal. “I have a particular honor and pleasure to welcome you today, Chief Lipphardt, because the VFW has been a key partner in helping pass important legislation for veterans and their families—keeping our promises to our nation's heroes. And I want to thank you very, very deeply for the very forthright and powerful statement that you made in reaction to the firing and the funding freezes, in effect saying, and I think I'm quoting directly, ‘Stop the bleeding.’”

Video of Blumenthal’s full remarks can be found here.

BLUMENTHAL BULLETIN

Blumenthal pressed the State Department for answers about the intended purchase of Tesla Cybertrucks.

Blumenthal joined colleagues in demanding answers on the abrupt firings of Judge Advocate Generals.

Blumenthal released a statement on the closing of the IRIS office in New Haven.

Blumenthal joined 31 Senators in demanding the Trump Administration ensure legal representation for vulnerable children in the immigration system.

Blumenthal raised consumer protection concerns over X Money venture after Musk’s efforts to decimate the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

Blumenthal led 17 Senators in introducing legislation to prevent dangerous individuals from accessing firearms.

Blumenthal demanded answers as Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy fails to address the ongoing measles outbreak and undercuts future flu response.

Blumenthal joined his colleagues, led by U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Ron Wyden (D-OR), in seeking an IRS watchdog investigation into the Trump Administration’s decision to gut IRS. 

Blumenthal called for interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Ed Martin to prioritize public safety over baseless and “one-sided” investigations into Democratic lawmakers.

Blumenthal joined U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) in raising alarm about reports of X officials leveraging Musk’s government position to drive ad revenue.

Blumenthal spoke on the Senate Floor slamming the Trump Administration’s attack on the CFPB and urged colleagues to vote against a Resolution limiting the agency’s ability to protect consumers.

Blumenthal spoke on the Senate Floor supporting a Senate Resolution affirming the rule of law and the legitimacy of judicial review.

Blumenthal attended the Stamford St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

Blumenthal joined a send off ceremony for two National Guard units going to Africa and the Middle East.

Blumenthal attended a candlelight concert in support of Doctors United for Ukraine.

Blumenthal attended the Mozaic Senior Life Centenarian Brunch in Bridgeport.

Blumenthal attended the Norwich St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival.

Blumenthal met with the Lebanon American Club in Danbury and presented a Certificate of Recognition to Past President Ghassan Najm.

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