NORWICH, Connecticut, May 13 -- Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) introduced the Zero-Percent Student Loan Refinancing Act. The new legislation would allow Americans with public student loans to refinance their loans to an interest rate of 0% until December 31, 2024. Recently, the Federal Reserve Board and its Chairman Jerome Powell declared that the benchmark interest rate will remain at essentially zero for the balance of 202  more

WASHINGTON, May 13 -- Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release on May 12, 2021: U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, on Wednesday discussed domestic extremist groups' access to untraceable weaponry, including "ghost" guns, and border security with Mexico with Attorney General Merrick Garland and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas during the U.S. Senate Appropriations hea  more

WASHINGTON, May 15 -- Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, on Thursday discussed improving the resilience and reliability of the Northeast Corridor and incentivizing green infrastructure projects with Deputy Secretary of Transportation Polly Trottenberg and the Government Accountability Office's Acting Director of Physical Infrastructure Elizabeth Repko at the U.S. Se  more

WASHINGTON, May 12 -- Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release on May 11, 2021: U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Tuesday asked Dr. Rochelle Walensky, Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Dr. David Kessler, Chief Science Officer of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, at a U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing on efforts to combat COVID-19 about CDC guidance on outdoor t  more

WASHINGTON, May 13 -- Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) on Wednesday applauded the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee for passing their bipartisan BuyAmerican.gov Act, legislation that will establish a centralized online hub to increase transparency and ensure federal agencies prioritize   more

WASHINGTON, May 12 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Department of Labor issued the following information for a virtual hearing entitled: "Mental Health Emergencies: Building a Robust Crisis Response System" at 10 a.m. on May 13, 2021: Witnesses * Steven Casstevens, Immediate Past President, International Association of Chiefs of Police * Charles Dike, Medical Director, Office of the Commissioner, Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services * Robert Gebbia, Chief  more

NORWICH, Connecticut, May 11 -- Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: Rep. Joe Courtney (CT-02) announced the official allocation of more than $121 million in American Rescue Plan funding that will provide continued support to eastern Connecticut schools through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) program. Rep. Courtney is a senior member of the House Education and Labor Committee, and worked with his colleagues to draft and authorize  more

WASHINGTON, May 13 -- Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: Rep. Joe Courtney (CT-02) announced the official allocation of more than $92 million in American Rescue Plan funding that will provide continued support to eastern Connecticut colleges and universities, community colleges, and other institutions of higher education. The funding is provided by the American Rescue Plan Act's (H.R. 1319) Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF III) program, with a new   more

WASHINGTON, May 13 -- Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro, D-Connecticut, issued the following statement: * * * House Appropriations Committee Chair Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) issued the following statement on Ambassador Katherine Tai's announcement that the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) will pursue a case against General Motors (GM) using the Rapid Response Mechanism of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). "I applaud Ambassador Tai's announcement that USTR will be pursuing a rapi  more

WASHINGTON, May 11 -- Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro, D-Connecticut, issued the following statement on May 10, 2021: * * * House Appropriations Committee Chair Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) issued the following statement on the first complaint filed under the Rapid Response Mechanism of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). The AFL-CIO, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch, and the Sindicato Nacional Independiente de Trabajadores de Industrias y de Servicio  more

WASHINGTON, May 12 -- Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro, D-Connecticut, issued the following statement: * * * House Appropriations Committee Chair Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) issued the following statement after the Biden Administration announced guidance on the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, established by Democrats' American Rescue Plan Act: "The U.S. Department of the Treasury took a critical step toward helping Connecticut recover from the pandemic and build back better. By launching th  more

WASHINGTON, May 15 -- Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Connecticut, chair of the House Appropriations Committee, issued the following news release on May 14, 2021: House Appropriations Committee Chair Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) today introduced the Emergency Security Supplemental to Respond to January 6th Appropriations Act. The bill addresses the insurrection with $1.9 billion in funding to respond to the tragic events of that day. Informed by the recommendations of the Task Force 1-6 Capitol Security Review  more

WASHINGTON, May 13 -- Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro, D-Connecticut, issued the following statement: * * * House Appropriations Committee Chair Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) released a statement on rising Israeli-Palestinian tensions: "Rocket attacks directed at civilian populations are not acceptable. Both sides must work to de-escalate the situation and respect civilians. "The escalation of violence in recent days in Gaza, Jerusalem, and throughout Israel has been devastating. Nearly 500 rocket attacks hav  more

WASHINGTON, May 12 -- Rep. Jahana Hayes, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: United States Representatives Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.), Al Lawson (D-Fla.), and Norma Torres (D-Calif.) and United States Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), and Bernard Sanders (I-Vt.) introduced the Student Food Security Act of 2021, bicameral legislation to address food insecurity on college campuses by enabling more low-income college students to access   more

WASHINGTON, May 15 -- Rep. Jahana Hayes, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: The House passed H.R. 1065, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, a bipartisan bill cosponsored by Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (CT-05). This legislation establishes a pregnant worker's right to reasonable workplace accommodations, provided they do not impose an unnecessary burden on their employer. Currently, there is no federal law which explicitly guarantees all pregnant workers the right to basic accommoda  more

BRIDGEPORT, Connecticut, May 13 -- Rep. Jim Himes, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: Representative Jim Himes (CT-04) announced that four Southwest Connecticut Community Health Centers will receive $18,798,875 from the Department of Health and Human Services to expand access to vaccines and other health services in underserved communities. The American Rescue Plan (ARP) appropriated funding for these grants. These grants will be used to expand COVID-19 vaccinations, testing, an  more

HARTFORD, Connecticut, May 11 -- Rep. John B. Larson, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) announced the Biden-Harris Administration's release of $31 million in funding for critical Older Americans Act programs as part of the American Rescue Plan he helped pass. "The pandemic has exacerbated the problems that exist in our long-term care system. This critical funding from the American Rescue Plan addresses the health and economic needs of older Americans  more

HARTFORD, Connecticut, May 15 -- Rep. John B. Larson, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) applauded the announcement that Riverfront Recapture will be receiving a $500,000 grant to clean up several contiguous riverfront land parcels located on Leibert Road in the City of Hartford and Meadow Road in the Town of Windsor. "Our communities should have never been cut off from the riverfront. The environmental injustice caused by the highway planning mistake  more

WASHINGTON, May 14 -- Rep. John B. Larson, D-Connecticut, issued the following joint statement on May 13, 2021 with U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai: * * * During today's House Ways and Means Committee hearing on the Biden Administration's 2021 Trade Policy Agenda with U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) pushed for the United States to take steps to ramp up global vaccine production and to distribute the vaccine to places like India and Bangladesh. Watc  more

WASHINGTON, May 14 -- Rep. John B. Larson, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) urged U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai during a House Ways and Means Committee hearing to fully utilize the environmental enforcement provisions in the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Larson was a member of the House USMCA Task Force and focused on environmental protections. Watch Larson's and Ambassador Tai's exchange here: https://www.youtube.com/watc  more

WASHINGTON, May 13 -- Rep. John B. Larson, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Chris Murphy (D-CT) along with U.S. Representatives John Larson (D-CT), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Jim Himes (D-CT), and Jahana Hayes (D-CT) sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland calling for the Department of Justice to review previous administrations' assertion of the "state secrets privilege" in response to litigation brought by the families of 9/11 vi  more

WASHINGTON, May 14 -- Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Connecticut, chair of the House Appropriations Committee, issued the following news release on May 13, 2021: House Appropriations Committee Chair Rosa L. DeLauro (D-CT-03) and House Appropriations Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Subcommittee Chair Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-GA-02), today sent a letter to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Acting Commissioner Janet Woodcock, M.D., requesting transparency  more

WASHINGTON, May 14 -- Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release on May 13, 2021: U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia and Counterterrorism, on Thursday joined the Middle East Institute's Views from the Hill for a discussion on the latest developments in the Israeli-Palestinian crisis, his recent travels to the Middle East, and the importance of returning to the Iran   more

WASHINGTON, May 11 -- Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia and Counterterrorism, on Monday held a press call to discuss his recent travels to Qatar, Oman and Jordan. Murphy's trip included meetings with foreign leaders and senior officials including Jordan's King Abdullah II, Omani Foreign Minister Al-Busaidi, Qatari Foreign  more

WASHINGTON, May 14 -- Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia and Counterterrorism, on Thursday released the following statement on the recent escalation in Israeli-Palestinian violence: "I am increasingly concerned by the widening conflict in Israel and the Palestinian territories. Just days ago, Hamas and its allies escalat  more

WASHINGTON, May 10 -- Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia and Counterterrorism, on Saturday released the following statement on the recent violence in Jerusalem: "I am deeply concerned by the recent violence in Jerusalem and encourage all parties to exercise restraint. Evictions of Palestinian residents, who have lived in   more

WASHINGTON, May 13 -- Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) along with U.S. Representatives Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), John Larson (D-Conn.), Jim Himes (D-Conn.), and Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.) sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland calling for the Department of Justice to review previous administrations' assertion of the "state secrets privilege" in response to litigation brought by t  more

WASHINGTON, May 12 -- Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, on Tuesday met with Brandon Wales, Acting Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). The two discussed the agency's programs and jurisdiction, and discussed recent cybersecurity incidents including the DarkSide attack on the Colonial Pipeline and the SolarW  more

WASHINGTON, May 14 -- Sen. Robert Casey Jr., D-Pennsylvania, issued the following joint statement on May 13, 2021, with Sens. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut: * * * U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Bob Casey (D-PA) issued the following statement: "We grieve with the innocent Palestinians and Israelis who have lost their loved ones to this recent cycle of violence. Israel should not have to endure more than 1,600 rocket attacks by a   more

WASHINGTON, May 14 -- Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, issued the following joint statement on May 13, 2021, with Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut, and Bob Casey, D-Pennsylvania: * * * U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Bob Casey (D-PA) issued the following statement: "We grieve with the innocent Palestinians and Israelis who have lost their loved ones to this recent cycle of violence. Israel should not have to endure more than 1,600 rocket attacks by a ter  more

WASHINGTON, May 12 -- Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and U.S. Representative David Cicilline (D-R.I.) led a group of forty-five lawmakers in introducing legislation to ban "ghost" guns. "Federal law has not been updated to account for technological advances that allow criminals and other prohibited gun purchasers to easily get their hands on illegal, untraceable firearms. While I a  more

WASHINGTON, May 12 -- Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), and Bernard Sanders (I-Vt.), and U.S. Representatives Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.), Al Lawson (D-Fla.), and Norma Torres (D-Calif.) introduced the Student Food Security Act of 2021, bicameral legislation to address food insecurity on college campuses by enabling more low-income college students to access the Supplem  more