Senator Blumenthal: Week in Review 3/14/25-3/21/25

Urging Full Federal Response from Trump Administration to Rising Cases of Avian Flu

U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) joined public health experts and doctors to urge the Trump Administration to take strong action against the ongoing bird flu outbreak, which the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization has called an “unprecedented” spread in need of coordinated global action.

“Think about the human consequences of allowing avian flu to mutate and spread among human beings—the tremendous cost to society in monetary resources and human suffering,” said Blumenthal.

As authorities confirm cases of rarer and deadlier strains of avian flu, Blumenthal wrote a letter to President Donald Trump criticizing his administration’s detrimental actions that jeopardize the nation’s ability to properly address and control public health crises and the spread of deadly diseases. Such actions include withdrawing from the World Health Organization, implementing hiring freezes at critical agencies within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) tasked with addressing public health issues, and cutting funding for key agencies.

Slamming the Trump Administration’s cuts, freezes, and firings at crucial agencies dedicated to addressing public health crises, Blumenthal wrote, “Instead of bolstering these key agencies and giving them the resources they need to protect the American people, you have spent the first weeks of your term demonizing and haphazardly firing federal workers and career experts who are instrumental to containing the threat of avian flu.”

“The American people cannot afford another deadly, costly pandemic on your watch. Yet you have made it harder to address this threat while top officials in your Administration push unproven and dangerous solutions. I look forward to your response rejecting these unscientific proposals, protecting disease experts and biomedical research from funding cuts or layoffs, and outlining your overall strategy to combat the avian flu,” Blumenthal wrote.

On Twitter/X, Blumenthal further called out the Trump Administration’s actions crippling the nation’s ability to respond to public health crises, including HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s unempirical and absurd proposals on how to handle the bird flu outbreak.

“Trump officials are pushing unproven, dangerous solutions to deal with the serious threat of avian flu. I’m demanding Trump rejects these unscientific proposals, protects disease experts and biomedical research from funding cuts/layoffs and outlines a strategy to combat this outbreak. These unchecked & unscientific proposals by the Trump Administration endanger farmers, exacerbate the outbreak, raise food costs, & ultimately threaten human health. The American people cannot afford another deadly, costly pandemic on Trump’s watch,” wrote Blumenthal.

Slamming the Trump Administration’s Dangerous Health Care Cuts

Blumenthal joined his fellow Connecticut lawmakers outside the state Capitol in Hartford for a national day of action to rally against the Trump Administration’s recent and future cuts to Medicaid.

On Twitter/X, Blumenthal called out Trump’s cuts to Medicaid to fund his tax cuts for billionaires.

“Proud to join the Medicaid Day of Action. People in CT are standing strong & speaking out against Elon Musk & Donald Trump’s attempts to hold American’s health care hostage to fund their billionaire tax cuts,” wrote Blumenthal.

Blumenthal joined the Yale School of Medicine, advocates, and medical researchers to call for a stop to the Trump Administration’s illegal cuts to the National Institute of Health (NIH). NIH funding is a critical driver of scientific discovery and innovation and an important segment of Connecticut’s economy. These funds have led to breakthroughs in cancer treatment, rare diseases, personalized medicine, Alzheimer’s research, autism interventions, infectious disease prevention, and more.

“The attack on science today in the United States is just so alarming. The Secretary of Health and Human Services is advocating for attacking science in effect. We need to work hard with your voices and faces to make America more aware of how important science is,” said Blumenthal.

Advocating for Families and Farmers Facing Food Aid Cuts

Blumenthal joined U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Jason Jakubowski, president of Foodshare, a nonprofit that delivers food around Connecticut, to speak out against federal funding cuts that impact local farms and consumers seeking affordable food. These cuts being made by the Trump Administration as part of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are impacting the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program (LFPA) and Local Food for Schools Programs (LFS), which help schools, food pantries, and childcare centers buy food from local farmers.

“They could find lots of ways to save money if that were really their goal. They're not trying to eliminate waste; they’re laying waste to government programs that directly benefit working families,” said Blumenthal.

On Twitter/X, Blumenthal called out Trump and Musk for their harmful cuts threatening affordable food for Connecticut families and children.

“Kids will go hungry so billionaires can get a tax break. Elon Musk & Donald Trump aren’t eliminating waste, they’re laying waste to government programs that support farmers, children, & working families,” wrote Blumenthal.

On the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee

Blumenthal, Ranking Member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, joined veterans and advocates to announce the introduction of his Putting Veterans First Act – comprehensive legislation to protect veterans, military spouses, and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employees indiscriminately targeted in the DOGE cuts at VA and across the federal government.

Blumenthal introduced the Major Richard Star Act, bipartisan legislation to provide combat-injured veteran retirees their full VA disability benefits and Department of Defense (DOD) retirement payments, with U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-ID), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Rick Scott (R-FL).

“This measure corrects one of the deepest injustices in our present veterans’ disability system,” said Blumenthal. “It is unacceptable that tens of thousands of combat-injured veterans are denied the full military benefits they earned. Our bipartisan bill will right this longstanding injustice and finally provide these military retirees who have already sacrificed so much their full VA disability and Defense Department retirement payments.”

Blumenthal also released a statement on the Trump Administration’s VA rolling back the availability of gender-affirming care, as well as a directive to provide for the respectful delivery of health care to transgender veterans.

“Rescinding gender-affirming care is another cruel cut by Doug Collins for veterans. VA must serve all veterans—including the more than 130,000 veterans who identify as transgender,” said Blumenthal. “The service and sacrifice that these veterans, servicemembers, and their families make is no less than any other member who served. Secretary Collins’ policies and relentless political rampage at VA continues to be reckless and dangerous, especially for our transgender veterans who are at greater risk for veteran suicide and benefited from the gender-affirming care they received.”

On Twitter/X, Blumenthal slammed Trump and Musk for erasing great American Military heroes from DOD websites and demanded they restore the webpages immediately.

“Deleting webpages dedicated to American war heroes is the latest betrayal from an Administration that is already screwing over veterans. Instead of focusing on improving military readiness, the Trump Admin is focused on erasing our military history & disrespecting our warriors who made sacrifices for our nation & dedicated their lives to service,” wrote Blumenthal.

In a letter to Trump and Defense Secretary Hegseth, Blumenthal joined fellow Democratic veteran Senators to demand DOD to restore the webpages immediately, underscoring how these actions will further hinder recruitment efforts and make our military weaker.

Blumenthal Bulletin

Blumenthal released a statement on Trump’s Executive Order dismantling the Department of Education.

Blumenthal joined the Senate Democratic caucus in filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court to protect access to reproductive health care.

Blumenthal joined AFL-CIO to stand together against cuts endangering worker rights and workplace safety.

Blumenthal slammed Trump’s firing of two Democratic members of the Federal Trade Commission.

Blumenthal called out the removal of a webpage detailing the history of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team from the U.S. Army’s official website as part of Trump’s efforts to eliminate DEI initiatives.

Blumenthal blasted the removal of a Department of Defense webpage detailing MG Calvin Rogers, a Black Medal of Honor recipient.

Blumenthal called out Musk receiving a classified briefing on the U.S. Military’s top-secret plans for any potential war with China—a briefing many Members of Congress haven’t received.

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

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

Blumenthal attended the New Haven St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

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