WASHINGTON, June 19 -- Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: During today's consideration of a five-bill appropriations minibus for Fiscal Year (FY) 2020, Congressman Joe Courtney's (CT-02) amendment on pyrrhotite research passed unanimously. The amendment provides $4 million for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to conduct research on the effects of the mineral pyrrhotite on concrete aggregate. NIST is the leading federal expert in cement   more

WASHINGTON, June 20 -- Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: Today, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) held a Congressional Food Safety Caucus briefing with the Center for Science in the Public Interest and the Consumer Federation of America on the current state of food safety in America and the urgency of creating a single food safety agency. "Protecting our nation's food supply from unsafe and contaminated food is an important, extensive, and at times compli  more

WASHINGTON, June 19 -- The Government Accountability Office has issued a report on the number of districts that reported all zeros or that left fields blank pertaining to restraint and seclusion. The report (GAO-19-551R) is titled "K-12 Education: Education Should Take Immediate Action to Address Inaccuracies in Federal Restraint and Seclusion Data". The report was sent to Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Missouri, chairman, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington, ranking member of the Senate Appropriations subcommi  more

WASHINGTON, June 21 -- Rep. Jim Himes, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: * * * - Green Bank would ease financing for green energy, infrastructure projects * * * Today, Representative Jim Himes (CT-04) along with 13 colleagues introduced the National Green Bank Act. A National Green Bank would capitalize eligible green banks set up by states, counties, and municipalities. These local green banks would be able to make financing in the form of direct financing support or credit   more

WASHINGTON, June 19 -- Rep. John B. Larson, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: Today, Chairman John B. Larson (CT-01) of the Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee applauded the House passage of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Defense, State, Foreign Operations, and Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, 2020, which included a $300 million increase for the Social Security Administration to strengthen front-line service delivery for the American pub  more

WASHINGTON, June 20 -- Rep. John B. Larson, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: Today, during a Ways and Means Committee Markup on disaster tax relief, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) entered into a colloquy with Chairman Richard Neal (MA-01) on the casualty loss deduction and how it can be used by those with crumbling foundations. Tens of thousands of homeowners in Connecticut and Massachusetts are experiencing crumbling home foundations due to a naturally occurring mineral called py  more

WASHINGTON, June 19 -- Rep. John B. Larson, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) applauded the passage of the FY2020 Defense Appropriations bill that was included in a larger appropriations package. It includes funding for 90 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters (12 more than the President's Budget request), secures funding to ramp up production of Virginia class submarines, and continues to support our helicopter programs. "As co-chair of the Joint Strike  more

WASHINGTON, June 19 -- Rep. John B. Larson, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) voted for Congress to take back their constitutional authority to declare war. Included in the FY2020 Defense Appropriations bill was language to repeal the 2001 Authorization of Use of Military Force. Larson is a cosponsor of Rep. Barbara Lee's bill to repeal the 2001 AUMF and Rep. Eshoo's legislation to prohibit the use of any funds for military operations in or aga  more

WASHINGTON, June 21 -- Rep. John B. Larson, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: Yesterday, the Ways and Means Committee marked up four bills that will provide tax relief for working-class Americans. Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) voted to report these bills favorably out of committee. "Yesterday's vote was about values. These tax credits squarely benefit working-class Americans and families, unlike the 2017 GOP Tax Law that benefited the wealthy and corporations. 336,000 adults and   more

WASHINGTON, June 17 -- Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) announced on Monday that Carey Manufacturing, Inc. in Cromwell is this week's "Murphy's Monday Manufacturer." Carey Manufacturing specializes in the manufacturing of latches, catches, and handles for military, aerospace, computer, electronics, telecom, automotive, and consumer applications. They make products for companies like General Dynamics, McMaster-Carr, Bi  more

WASHINGTON, June 19 -- Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: * * * - Approx. 11,000 People Have Been Killed by Gun Violence Since H.R. 8 Passed the House * * * U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Wednesday, joined by his colleagues U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), delivered remarks on the U.S. Senate floor calling on Senate Majority Leader Mitch Mc  more

WASHINGTON, June 20 -- Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) joined U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Bob Casey (D-Pa.), and 18 Senate Democrats to introduce the Expand Navigators' Resources for Outreach, Learning, and Longevity (ENROLL) Act. This bill would restore funding for the federal Navigator program that helps American families get the information and support they need to fi  more

WASHINGTON, June 19 -- Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) this week introduced the Start Advancing Firearms Enhancements and Technology (SAFETY) Act, legislation that would provide tax incentives to small businesses and firearm manufacturers for the development of smart gun technologies. The bill also encourages consumers to buy firearms that utilize new breakthroughs in safety to reduce gun violence. U.S. Senator Richa  more

WASHINGTON, June 18 -- 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 Jahana Hayes (CT-5), along with U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and U.S. Representative Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), announced today the introduction of the Handgun Purchaser Licensing Act. The legislation would create a federal grant program to incentivize state and local governments to enact laws requiring  more

WASHINGTON, June 21 -- Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), filled an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to protect the environmental integrity of Plum Island. The amendment, which is identical to the Plum Island Conservation Act that Murphy, Blumenthal, Schumer and Gillibrand introduced in Febru  more

WASHINGTON, June 20 -- Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) joined a group of 14 senators led by U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) in asking the College Board to change its approach to its annual reports to better reflect the costs of attaining higher education. The College Board is a non-profit organization that promotes higher education preparation and administers standardized tests,  more

WASHINGTON, June 21 -- Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), all members of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, recently led a letter, signed by 15 of their colleagues, to President Trump to cease efforts to slash, sabotage and undermine the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid if he is serious about addressing the price of prescription drugs  more

WASHINGTON, June 20 -- Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), joined by U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (CA-12), U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), and U.S. Representatives Mike Thompson (CA-05), Ted Deutch (FL-22), and Lucy McBath (GA-06), on Thursday at a press event in front of the U.S. Capitol called on Senate Majority Leader Mitch Mc  more

WASHINGTON, June 14 -- Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: During National Gun Violence Awareness Month, U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) on Friday authored an op-ed in Time Magazine outlining the need for Congressional action to end the epidemic of gun violence in this country. Since their time in the Senate, Murphy and Feinstein have been vocal critics of our nation's gun laws and have proposed commonsense gun violence  more

WASHINGTON, June 20 -- Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: Congressman Courtney, Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces, was joined by Representatives Don Young (R-AK), Susan Davis (D-CA), Jim Langevin (D-RI), Rick Larsen (D-WA), John Garamendi (D-CA), and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), and Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) in reintroducing a resolution calling upon the Senate to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea   more

WASHINGTON, June 20 -- Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro, D-Connecticut, issued the following statement after the House Ways and Means Committee passed a legislation that included an expansion of the child tax credit and an extension of the biodiesel tax credit: "I am proud to have helped secure the creation of a young child tax credit for children under 4 years old--something I have been working on for many years. Our youngsters deserve the best possible future we can provide them, and today's changes will  more

WASHINGTON, June 13 -- Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro, D-Connecticut, issued the following statement on the reopening of the Sleeping Giant State Park: "Sleeping Giant is one of the natural treasures of Connecticut's Third District, and I am glad it will reopen tomorrow for all to enjoy. "When natural disasters strike, the federal government has a key role to play in making communities and families whole. "That is why I was proud to work with my colleagues in Congress and state officials to ensure FEMA  more

WASHINGTON, June 13 -- Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro, D-Connecticut, issued the following statement after the Trump administration announced the final site selection for the Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service and National Institute of Food and Agriculture: "Today's announcement of the final site selection for ERS and NIFA is a setback for sound science within food and agriculture communities. As I have said from the beginning, the proposed moved threatens the integrity and impartialit  more

WASHINGTON, June 20 -- Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro, D-Connecticut, issued the following statement after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit allowed the Trump administration's gag rule to go into effect: "Today, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit failed millions people who rely on Title X for family planning services--including abortion and contraception--by allowing the Trump-Pence administration's gag rule to go into effect. "This ideological assault reflects the ad  more

WASHINGTON, June 19 -- Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: * * * - $982.8 billion package invests For the People, with robust funding for priorities like health care, infrastructure, clean energy, and education * * * The House today passed, on a 226 to 203 vote, a package of fiscal year 2020 appropriations bills. The package consists of four bills that fund federal departments including Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Defense, State, and Energ  more

WASHINGTON, June 20 -- Rep. John B. Larson, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: During yesterday's Ways and Means Committee Hearing on the 2019 Trade Agenda with United States Trade Ambassador Robert Lighthizer, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) pushed for assurances that the renegotiated NAFTA agreement, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), contains strong and enforceable environmental provisions - including on climate. Larson was appointed to the House Democrats' Trade T  more

WASHINGTON, June 21 -- Rep. John B. Larson, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: * * * - Larson is drafting a resolution to prevent escalation * * * Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01), commended the stance of Rep. Max Rose (NY-11), an Army Veteran who served in Afghanistan, who has echoed Larson's call to not go to war in Iran. "We cannot let John Bolton lead us into another useless war. Bolton and the Administration have no authority to start another senseless war with no stra  more

WASHINGTON, June 14 -- Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) and Congressman John Larson (CT-01) introduced the Casualty Loss Restoration Act, legislation that would restore the personal casualty loss tax deduction to all victims of theft and disaster--not just those who have been fortunate enough to have received a Presidential disaster declaration. Because of the GOP tax law, which went into effect at the end of 2017, the criter  more

WASHINGTON, June 18 -- Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro, D-Connecticut, chairman of the House Appropriations subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education, issued the following statements regarding a report from the Government Accountability Office on federal data on restraint and seclusion collected by the Department of Education as part of its Civil Rights data Col  more