Thursday - March 28, 2024
U.S. Congressional Tipoffs Involving Connecticut Newsletter for Sunday July 28, 2019 ( 26 items )  

After 10 Year Effort, House Votes to Pass Rep. Courtney's Bill to Repeal Cadillac Tax
WASHINGTON, July 17 -- Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: This evening, the House overwhelmingly approved the Middle Class Health Benefits Tax Repeal Act (H.R. 748), bipartisan legislation introduced by Rep. Courtney that would repeal the looming 40% excise tax on certain employer-sponsored health insurance plans known as the "Cadillac Tax." Rep. Courtney has sought to eliminate this damaging tax on health care for American families since 2009, and has introduc  more

Courtney Announces More Than $81,000 in USDA Grant Funding for Thompson and Putnam School Districts
WASHINGTON, July 22 -- Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service has awarded the Thompson School District $81,848 in federal funding to support the implementation of "Farm to School" programming. The grant award will enable the Thompson and Putnam School Districts to collaborate to establish an efficient, controlled-environment aquaponics garden   more

Courtney Announces USDA Grant Funding for Plainfield Infrastructure Project
WASHINGTON, July 16 -- Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Office has awarded the Town of Plainfield $27,300 in federal grant funding to support infrastructure improvements at the Plainfield Police Department. The funds were dispersed through the USDA Rural Development Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Program. The award represents approximately 3  more

Courtney Votes to Pass Bipartisan Budget Agreement for FY 2020 and 2021
WASHINGTON, July 26 -- Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) voted to pass the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019 (H.R. 3877), legislation that improves upon the harmful cuts contained in President Trump's Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 budget proposal, and increases discretionary funding limits for FY 2020 and 2021 while suspending the debt limit for two years, helping to secure a strong future for programs important to eastern Connectic  more

DeLauro, Baldwin Introduce Bill to Hold Workplace Harassers Accountable
WASHINGTON, July 25 -- Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) and Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) today reintroduced legislation to strengthen workplace harassment laws. The Fair Employment Protection Act restores protections for workers harassed on the job by supervisors and those with authority to direct people's day-to-day work. These protections were weakened by the U.S. Supreme Court's June 2013 decision in Vance v. Ball Stat  more

House Passes Courtney-Backed Bipartisan Bill to End Robocalls
WASHINGTON, July 24 -- Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: Today, Representative Joe Courtney (CT-02) voted to pass the bipartisan Stopping Bad Robocalls Act (H.R. 3375), a bill to curb the soaring number of fraudulent and abusive robocalls dialed each day to cell phones and landlines in eastern Connecticut and across the country. Last year, an estimated 47.8 billion robocalls were placed in the U.S., an increase of 17 billion from the previous year. Consumers l  more

Larson's Landmark Social Security 2100 Act Receives Hearing
WASHINGTON, July 25 -- Rep. John B. Larson, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: Today, the Ways and Means Committee held a hearing on landmark legislation, the Social Security 2100 Act, authored by Chairman of the Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee John B. Larson's (CT-01). The legislation would protect and strengthen Social Security and ensures Social Security is sustainably solvent beyond this century. Larson's remarks can be viewed here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?  more

Murphy Calls Out Schools That Cheat College Athletes Out of Education
WASHINGTON, July 25 -- Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, on Thursday hosted a panel with Ramogi Huma, President of the National College Players Association; Gerry Gurney, Professor and expert on academic integrity in college sports; Mary Willingham, whistleblower of University of North Carolina academic fraud scandal and author; and Ellen St  more

Murphy Questions Trump Administration Officials on President's Legal Authority to Go to War With Iran Without Congressional Approval
WASHINGTON, July 24 -- Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), top Democrat on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism, on Wednesday pressed U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale and Acting Legal Adviser in the Office of Legal Advisers at the U.S. Department of State Marik String at a hearing on the President's legal authority to go  more

Murphy Releases Second 'Madness, Inc.' Report
WASHINGTON, July 25 -- Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, on Thursday released the second in a series of reports that consider the range of problems within college athletics. The report, "Madness, Inc.: How Colleges Keep Athletes on the Field and Out of the Classroom," examines the ways in which colleges fail in providing athletes the   more

Murphy to Republicans: Do You Support Texas Vs. U.S.?
WASHINGTON, July 23 -- Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: * * * - If This Lawsuit Prevails, It Will Wipe Out the Entirety of The Affordable Care Act Overnight * * * U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, on Wednesday delivered remarks on the U.S. Senate floor to ask his Republican colleagues whether they support Texas v. United States, a partisan lawsuit to gut the entire Afford  more

Murphy, Baldwin to Trump: Support Strong Buy America Reforms
WASHINGTON, July 26 -- Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) this week called on President Trump to keep his promises and support their efforts to strengthen Buy America requirements in the federal surface transportation reauthorization legislation that is currently moving through Congress. Earlier this month, President Trump announced a new executive order on Buy American that again falls short  more

Murphy, Blumenthal Applaud Permanent Extension of 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund
WASHINGTON, July 23 -- Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) applauded Senate passage of legislation to permanently reauthorize and fund the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF). The fund provides compensation for anyone who suffered physical harm or was killed as a result of the terrorist-related aircraft crashes of September 11, 2001 or the debris removal efforts that took place  more

Murphy, DeLauro Introduce Legislation to Help Families Pay for Child Care
WASHINGTON, July 23 -- Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: * * * - Child Care Flex Spending Act Would Raise Limit for Tax-Free Flex Spending Accounts to Offset Child Care Costs * * * U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, along with U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), Chair of the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Se  more

Murphy, Durbin Readout of Meeting With New Saudi Ambassador to the U.S.
WASHINGTON, July 24 -- Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: * * * - Members Discussed Accountability for Jamal Khashoggi Murder, the Ongoing War in Yemen, Iran, Recent Arms Sales * * * U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn), top Democrat on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on the Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism, and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Vice Chairman of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Defens  more

Murphy, Menendez, Democrats Urge Trump to Work With Both Parties to Sanction Turkey for Purchase of Russian S400 Missile System
WASHINGTON, July 23 -- Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, joined U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member U.S Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and all the other Democrats on the Committee in a letter urging President Trump to impose sanctions on Turkey for its decision to accept delivery of the Russian S400 air defense system, and to engage with Democr  more

Rep. Courtney Statement on Department of Education Failures on Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program
WASHINGTON, July 15 -- Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: * * * - Says that Congress must work protect those who have built their careers around the program * * * Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) took to the House Floor to highlight a new lawsuit aimed at the U.S. Department of Education's (ED) failure to properly administer the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program. Courtney's remarks come following reports of a lawsuit recently filed agains  more

Rep. DeLauro Issues Remarks at Subcommittee Hearing on Oversight of Unaccompanied Children Program
WASHINGTON, July 24 -- Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro, D-Connecticut, chair of the House Appropriations subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education, issued the following statement at a subcommittee hearing entitled "Oversight of the Unaccompanied Children Program: Ensuring the Safety of Children in HHS Care": "Good morning. Welcome to the Labor, HHS, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee. Today's oversight hearing will be discussing the Office of Refugee Resettlement's unaccompanie  more

Rep. DeLauro Issues Statement on Agroson's Refusal to Initiate Recall of Cavi Brand Papayas
WASHINGTON, July 19 -- Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro, D-Connecticut, issued the following statement after the Food and Drug Administration announced that Agroson's has refused to initiate a recall of its Cavi brand papayas: FDA's investigation has indicated that Cavi brand papayas are the likely cause of a multistate Salmonella outbreak that has resulted in 71 illnesses across 8 states, including Connecticut. "The FDA is a regulatory agency whose mission is to safeguard public health and protect consum  more

Rep. DeLauro Issues Statement on Nomination of Scalia to Be Labor Secretary
WASHINGTON, July 19 -- Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro, D-Connecticut, chair of the House Appropriations subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education, issued the following statement after President Trump announced he would nominate Eugene Scalia to be the Labor Secretary: "The Department of Labor is tasked with standing up for American workers through job training programs, combatting wage theft, upholding workplace safety, and ensuring equal pay. "That is more important than ever, as w  more

Rep. DeLauro Issues Statement on Proposed Changes to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
WASHINGTON, July 23 -- Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro, D-Connecticut, issued the following statement after the Department of Agriculture published a proposed rule that would take away the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits from more than 3 million people: "President Trump and Secretary Perdue are waging a war against the most vulnerable people in our country. Their proposed changes to SNAP--which would eliminate states' current ability to set SNAP eligibility requirements for families--wi  more

Rep. Hayes Introduces Legislation to Protect Health of America's School Chilldren
WASHINGTON, July 26 -- Rep. Jahana Hayes, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: Today, Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Senator Kamala Harris (CA), and Congressmembers Julia Brownley (CA-26), Jim Costa (CA-16), Jesus "Chuy" Garcia (IL-04), Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-02), Mike Levin (CA-49), Jim Himes (CT-04), and John Larson (CT-01) introduced H.R. 3973, the Clean School Bus Act. This legislation would provide $1 billion to help school districts across the country replace traditional sc  more

Sen. Murphy Highlights Branford Innovator, Freethink Technologies, as 'Murphy's Innovator of the Month'
WASHINGTON, July 26 -- Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) announced on Friday that FreeThink Technologies, a research and development company in Branford has been named "Innovator of the Month." FreeThink Technologies was founded in 2011 through the UCONN Technology Incubator Program (TIP). The company focuses on developing innovative technologies to accelerate the determination of shelf-life and stability for pharmace  more

Sen. Murphy Highlights Milford Manufacturer, Bead Industries, As This Week's 'Murphy's Monday Manufacturer'
WASHINGTON, July 22 -- Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) announced on Monday that Bead Industries in Milford is this week's "Murphy's Monday Manufacturer." Bead Industries, founded in 1914 and employing 48 people, is a fifth generation family-owned business that specializes in the manufacturing of contact pins for connector, automotive, medical and specialty lighting industries. Bead does work for companies like Amph  more

Sen. Murphy Issues Statement on Proposal to Cut Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
WASHINGTON, July 24 -- Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Connecticut, a member of the Senate Appropriations and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committees, issued the following statement on the Trump administration's proposed rule to cut nutrition assistance, specifically the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: "SNAP is a lifeline for 443,000 people across Connecticut and for millions of Americans. "The latest proposal from this administration is just plain cruel: they are choosing to gi  more

Sen. Murphy: Democrats to Secretary DeVos - Parents Must Know When Seclusion and Restraint Occurs
WASHINGTON, July 23 -- Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: * * * - Murphy, Beyer Lead Effort to Ensure Data Collected at the Education Department on Seclusion and Restraint Practices is Accurate and Comprehensive * * * After the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report urging the U.S. Department of Education to implement recommendations to address inaccuracies in federal restraint and seclusion data, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.),   more