Richard Blumenthal

Electoral integrity

Criminal justice

Fiscal policy

Healthcare

Education

Economy and labor

Environment and energy

Immigration

National security and foreign policy

Civil rights and liberties

Social policy

Technology and data

Civil liberties and government power

Government accountability and transparency

Infrastructure and public investment

Blumenthal moved to proceed to S.J. Res. 150, a joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection's withdrawal of the digital marketing rule, and stated that President Trump's elimination of the rule means Big Tech companies are not subject to the same consumer protection laws as traditional advertisers, citing Meta's projected earnings from ads linked to scams and fraud.

Blumenthal co-sponsored S. 4487, a bill to increase compensation rates for veterans with service-connected disabilities and their survivors, effective December 1, 2026.

Blumenthal co-sponsored Senate Resolution 724 recognizing the roles and contributions of teachers in the United States.

Blumenthal introduced the Direct File Act with colleagues to reinstate the Direct File Program and prohibit the IRS from entering into agreements that restrict its ability to provide free tax filing services.

Blumenthal moved to proceed to Calendar No. 338, S.J. Res. 103, a joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval of the Department of Veterans Affairs rule relating to reproductive health services, and requested the yeas and nays on the motion.

Blumenthal spoke on the Senate floor to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the death of Sergeant Stubby, Connecticut's military working dog from World War I.

Blumenthal spoke on the fourth anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, stating that Ukraine can win if provided weapons and economic sanctions, and that Putin is bombing American businesses in addition to Ukrainian civilians.

Blumenthal co-submitted Senate Resolution 605, which denounces statements by President Donald J. Trump regarding nationalizing elections and asserts that such actions would be unconstitutional.

Blumenthal was a co-sponsor of S. 3803, a bill to amend title 28, United States Code, to permit actions to be instituted upon claims against the United States for money damages for personal injuries and death caused by Federal law enforcement officers without first being presented to the appropriate Federal agencies.

Blumenthal co-sponsored S. 3793, the Predatory Lending Elimination Act, which would extend the 36 percent annual percentage rate cap on consumer credit from active-duty servicemembers and their dependents to all consumers.

Blumenthal spoke about five Americans who testified regarding brutality and violence they suffered at the hands of ICE and CBP agents, including Luke and Brett Ganger who lost their sister Renee Good, and Marimar Martinez who was shot while on her way to church to donate clothing.

Blumenthal asked for the yeas and nays on the Peterson nomination.

Paul Amdt. No. 4272

Motion to Table Lee Amdt. No. 4236

Motion to Table Lee Amdt. No. 4234

Motion to Table Lee Amdt. No. 4286

Sanders Amdt. No. 4290

Motion to Waive All Applicable Budgetary Discipline Re: Merkley Amdt. No. 4287

H.R. 7148, as Amended

Blumenthal requested that Senator Slotkin from Michigan be added as a cosponsor of S. 726, a bill to amend chapter 44 of title 18, United States Code, to require the safe storage of firearms.

Motion to Invoke Cloture: Motion to Proceed to H.R. 7148

Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Motion to Proceed to S. 3627

Motion to Invoke Cloture: H.R. 6938

H.R. 6938

Is the Point of Order Well Taken Re: To the Privilege Status of S.J. Res. 98

Motion to Proceed to S.J. Res. 84

Motion to Invoke Cloture: Motion to Proceed to H.R. 6938

Motion to Discharge S.J.Res. 98

Confirmation: Alexander C. Van Hook, of Louisiana, to be U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Louisiana

Motion to Proceed to S.J.Res. 86

Confirmation: Joshua Simmons, of Virginia, to be General Counsel of the Central Intelligence Agency

Confirmation: Sara Bailey, of Texas, to be Director of National Drug Control Policy

Confirmation: Keith Bass, of Texas, to be an Assistant Secretary of Defense

Blumenthal introduced S. 3477, a bill to exempt humanitarian care packages sent to members of the Armed Forces stationed overseas from certain postal reporting requirements.

Blumenthal co-sponsored S. 3470, the Accountability for Federal Law Enforcement Act, which would amend federal law to hold Federal law enforcement agencies liable in civil actions for deprivation of constitutional or civil rights.

Blumenthal joined as a cosponsor of S. 3470, legislation to amend the Revised Statutes to hold certain public employers liable in civil actions for deprivation of rights.

Blumenthal stated that millions of Americans face an imminent healthcare crisis due to skyrocketing insurance premiums and the expiration of healthcare tax credits, and called on Republicans to extend the tax credit to make health insurance affordable.

Blumenthal co-sponsored S. 3062, a bill to require artificial intelligence chatbots to implement age verification measures and make certain disclosures.

Blumenthal stated that President Trump has said he will invoke the Insurrection Act if court challenges to military deployments and National Guard operations prevail, and argued that using the military for domestic policing violates the Constitution and the purpose of the Insurrection Act.

Blumenthal spoke in the Senate about the Major Richard Star Act, legislation that would allow combat-injured veterans who were forced to retire to receive both their full military pension and VA disability benefits without dollar-for-dollar reductions.

Blumenthal co-sponsored Senate Resolution 443 expressing concern about the growing problem of book banning and proliferation of threats to freedom of expression in the United States.

Blumenthal marked the 2-year anniversary of the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by speaking about the attack, the ongoing hostage situation, his visits to Israel and the region, and his support for a peace plan that would secure Israeli hostages, provide humanitarian aid to Gaza, and end Hamas's threat to Israel.

Blumenthal co-sponsored Senate Resolution 427 to designate October 8, 2025, as "National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day."

Blumenthal introduced S. 2942, a bill for the relief of Valent Kolami, which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Blumenthal co-sponsored Senate Resolution 421 urging the Executive Branch and G7 leaders to seize Russian sovereign assets and disburse them to Ukraine in monthly tranches of not less than $10 billion.

Blumenthal rose to commemorate the centennial celebration of Albertus Magnus College and honor the hard work and dedication of its faculty and staff.

Blumenthal delivered remarks recognizing the 100th annual Bethlehem Fair and the Bethlehem Fair Society's stewardship.

Blumenthal stated that Jeanine Pirro is unqualified and unfit to serve as U.S. attorney for the District of Washington, DC, and that her nomination represents President Trump's influence over the justice system.

Blumenthal requested unanimous consent to call for disclosure of Department of Justice files related to the Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell investigation, arguing the American people deserved transparency about the investigation's completeness.

Blumenthal urged a "no" vote on Cheryl Mason's nomination for inspector general of the Veterans' Administration, stating that she is one of the most partisan and least independent nominees for inspector general positions in recent years.

Blumenthal stated that the Republican budget decimates Medicaid benefits, threatens rural and pediatric hospitals, increases health insurance premiums for Americans, and represents the biggest Medicaid cut in history, affecting over 900,000 people in Connecticut.

Blumenthal co-submitted an amendment to S. 2296 that would prohibit the Department of Defense from using fiscal year 2026 appropriations to procure, modify, restore, or maintain foreign government-owned aircraft for presidential airlift purposes.

Blumenthal opposed the nomination of Richard Topping as VA Financial Officer, stating that Topping lacks essential qualifications including experience as a chief financial officer or CEO of a public company, blamed others rather than taking accountability during his nomination hearing regarding audit errors at Cardinal, and urged colleagues to vote against the nomination.

Blumenthal submitted a vote explanation stating he was unable to vote on five executive calendar nominations on July 10, 2025, due to his participation at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome, Italy, and indicating his positions on each nomination had he been present.

Blumenthal spoke on the Senate floor to alert colleagues to what he characterized as a crisis at the Veterans Health Administration, citing the VA's projected loss of 30,000 employees at the end of the year despite serving more veterans than ever before and already having 40,000 vacancies in veterans' healthcare.

Blumenthal asked for the yeas and nays on the Griffith nomination and voted nay on the confirmation.

Blumenthal co-sponsored S. Res. 306, a resolution expressing support for the designation of June 26 as "LGBTQI+ Equality Day."

Blumenthal co-sponsored Senate Resolution 306 expressing support for the designation of June 26 as "LGBTQI+ Equality Day."

Blumenthal co-sponsored S. 2158, the Stopping the Fraudulent Sale of Firearms Act, which would make fraudulent dealings in firearms and ammunition unlawful.

Blumenthal was a co-sponsor of S. 2158, the Stopping the Fraudulent Sale of Firearms Act, which would make fraudulent dealings in firearms and ammunition unlawful.

Blumenthal delivered a statement celebrating the 100th anniversary of Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana and honoring the legacy of the Pepe family.

Blumenthal spoke in favor of DACA, highlighting its benefits to recipients in Connecticut, including statistics on labor force participation, education levels, and family status, and sharing stories of two Connecticut DACA recipients.

Blumenthal co-sponsored Senate Resolution 260 expressing support for the designation of June 6, 2025, as "National Gun Violence Awareness Day" and June 2025 as "National Gun Violence Awareness Month."

Blumenthal co-sponsored Amendment 2246 to S. 1582, which would establish crypto ATM fraud prevention measures including registration requirements for virtual currency kiosk operators with the Treasury Department.

Blumenthal co-sponsored Senate Resolution 231 recognizing the roles and contributions of teachers in the United States.

Blumenthal co-sponsored S. 1748, a bill to protect the safety of children on the internet, with Mrs. Blackburn, Mr. Thune, and Mr. Schumer.

Blumenthal co-sponsored S. 1748, a bill to protect the safety of children on the internet, and worked with Senator Blackburn on this issue for over 5 years on a bipartisan basis.

Blumenthal co-introduced S. 1748, a bill to protect the safety of children on the internet, alongside Mrs. Blackburn, Mr. Thune, and Mr. Schumer.

Blumenthal spoke regarding S. Res. 219 to argue that a $400 million aircraft gift from Qatar to President Trump violates the foreign emoluments clause of the Constitution and poses a national security threat.

Blumenthal co-sponsored Senate Resolution 210 honoring and commending the 80th anniversary of the Blinded Veterans Association.

Blumenthal co-sponsored S. Res. 205, a resolution condemning recent attacks on the free press by President Donald J. Trump and reaffirming the United States commitment to preserving and protecting freedom of the press as a cornerstone of democracy, and co-sponsored S. Res. 206, a resolution supporting the goals and ideals of National Nurses Week.

Blumenthal co-sponsored Senate Resolution 205, which condemns recent attacks on the free press by President Donald J. Trump and reaffirms the United States commitment to preserving and protecting freedom of the press as a cornerstone of democracy.

Blumenthal joined Senator Reed and six other senators in introducing S. 1576, the Stop Subsidizing Multimillion Dollar Corporate Bonuses Act, which would amend the Internal Revenue Code to expand the denial of deduction for certain excessive employee remuneration.

Blumenthal joined Senators Reed, Whitehouse, Merkley, Baldwin, Warren, Van Hollen, and Sanders in introducing S. 1576, the Stop Subsidizing Multimillion Dollar Corporate Bonuses Act, which would expand the denial of tax deductions for certain excessive employee remuneration at publicly traded corporations.

Blumenthal stated that he was unable to vote on Executive Calendar No. 80 regarding David Perdue's nomination as Ambassador to the People's Republic of China due to his attendance at a Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee hearing on mental health care for veterans, and indicated he would have opposed the confirmation had he been present for rollcall vote No. 215.

Blumenthal called for colleagues to join him in condemning actions by President Trump and Elon Musk regarding Veterans Affairs staffing cuts and their impact on veteran healthcare and mental health services.

Blumenthal announced his opposition to the nomination of Paul Lawrence for VA Deputy Secretary and stated he would vote against him, citing concerns that Secretary Doug Collins had not been forthcoming with facts or transparent about plans to fire 80,000 VA workforce members.

Blumenthal spoke on the Senate floor regarding what he characterized as decimation of veterans services, stating that Elon Musk and Donald Trump have launched an assault to degrade and denigrate veterans, and that plans to fire 80,000 VA workers would eviscerate the effects of veterans legislation.

Blumenthal submitted S. Res. 112, a resolution recognizing the partnership between the United States and Ukraine, to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

Blumenthal spoke in opposition to S.J. Res. 28, explaining that the resolution would undo the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's larger participant rule and stating that this would undermine consumer protections on peer-to-peer payment apps like Venmo, Cash App, and Zelle.

Blumenthal cosigned Senate Resolution 107 expressing support for the designation of the week of March 3 through March 7, 2025, as "National Social and Emotional Learning Week."

Blumenthal co-sponsored Senate Resolution 104 designating February 27, 2025, as "Rare Disease Day."

Blumenthal co-sponsored S. 710, a bill to amend title 31, United States Code, to prevent fraudulent transactions at virtual currency kiosks.

Blumenthal co-sponsored S. 597, a bill to prohibit the purchase of certain firearms by individuals under 21 years of age.

Blumenthal co-submitted Senate Resolution 72, which affirms that Hamas cannot retain any political or military control in the Gaza Strip and calls upon the President to use economic and diplomatic tools to halt funding for Hamas.

Blumenthal co-sponsored S. Res. 72, a resolution affirming that Hamas cannot retain any political or military control in the Gaza Strip.

Blumenthal stated that Tulsi Gabbard should not be the next Director of National Intelligence because she is unprepared and unqualified for the role and would pose an existential threat to the intelligence community.

Blumenthal co-sponsored S. Res. 68, a resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States shall not deploy United States military assets or personnel to Gaza for purposes of "taking over" Gaza.

Blumenthal co-sponsored Senate Resolution 68, which expresses the sense of the Senate that the United States shall not deploy military assets or personnel to Gaza for purposes of "taking over" Gaza.

Blumenthal co-sponsored S. 391, the Access to Counsel Act, which would ensure that individuals with a legal right to be in the United States have access to legal counsel if held by Customs and Border Protection at ports of entry or airports for more than one hour.

Blumenthal cosponsored S. 391, the Access to Counsel Act, which clarifies the rights of persons held or detained at ports of entry or facilities overseen by U.S. Customs and Border Protection to access legal counsel.

Blumenthal spoke on the Senate floor to say that the Trump administration's funding freeze violates the Impoundment Control Act and the Constitution, constitutes a seizure of the power of the purse, and represents a move toward tyranny.

Blumenthal spoke on the Senate floor to state that Trump administration executive orders halting congressionally mandated funding are unconstitutional and violate the Impoundment Control Act, and detailed the impacts on Connecticut programs including Head Start, community health centers, mental health services, Amtrak rail projects, and LIHEAP energy assistance.

Blumenthal stated that Peter Hegseth is the most unqualified nominee for Secretary of Defense in recent history and detailed allegations of financial mismanagement at two veterans organizations where Hegseth served as executive director, citing deficits, unpaid debts, toxic workplace environment, alcohol abuse, and sexual harassment during his tenure.

Blumenthal co-sponsored S. 147, a bill to direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to provide grants to air pollution control agencies to implement a cleaner air space program.

Blumenthal co-sponsored S. 106, a bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide Medicare coverage for physicians' services furnished by doctors of chiropractic.

Blumenthal spoke in support of S. 5136, the Plum Island Preservation Study Act, which the Senate had just approved.

Blumenthal co-sponsored S. 5434, a bill to provide increased oversight of certain pardons and to clarify the applicability of bribery prohibitions to pardons and commutations.

Blumenthal joined Mrs. Murray and eight other senators in submitting Senate Resolution 825 to recognize the significance of equal pay and the pay disparity between disabled women and both disabled and nondisabled men.

Blumenthal co-sponsored S. 5091, a bill to provide $1 billion in grants to help institutions of higher education meet students' basic needs.