Senator Blumenthal: Week in Review 2/27/2026-3/6/2026

Slamming President Trump's War of Choice in Iran

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) released the following statement after the U.S. attacks on Iran this past week:

"War must always be a last resort and never a first choice. The Trump Administration seems to be engaging in a war of choice that rejects opportunities for diplomacy. A nuclear-armed Iran is unacceptable and Iran's malign activities throughout the region pose a severe danger, but President Trump has failed to explain to the American people his objectives, end game, or exit strategy - risking another forever war. This attack fits a pattern of unilateral action without accountability to the American people. I believe that Congress should come back into session, demand answers on behalf of Americans, and act on the Iran War Powers Resolution. My foremost concern is the safety and wellbeing of the men and women in our armed forces and their families who are in harm's way."

Blumenthal spoke on the Senate Floor to condemn President Trump's unauthorized military action in Iran. Blumenthal's remarks came ahead of the Senate vote on legislation to reclaim its authority under the War Powers Act.

"We have said countless times that war must be a last resort, never a first choice. And yet, the administration seems to be engaging in a war of choice that is needless and reckless, conducted chaotically, and most alarmingly, spreading and widening throughout the region. It is no longer a conflict involving only the United States and Iran or the United States and Israel with Iran. It is now a regional conflagration," said Blumenthal.

"The simple fact is Donald Trump is workshopping a war. He's making it up as he goes along in real time. He is inventing and then discarding and then reviving objectives, as though he were a child playing with a puzzle, trying to fit the pieces into a coherent hole," Blumenthal continued.

A video of Blumenthal's remarks is available here.

Blumenthal echoed his remarks on the Floor and further highlighted how Trump is endangering American troops with his war in Iran on Twitter/X.

"On the Senate floor, I made it clear that Trump has thrust us into a widening war of choice, & a deeply dangerous path toward possible American boots on the ground," wrote Blumenthal with an accompanying video on Twitter/X.

Blumenthal joined MS NOW to discuss Trump's widening war in Iran threatening American troops.

"I fear we are at the precipice of a major expansion that would involve putting American troops on the ground in Iran. The reason I fear it is that the objectives continue to be undefined, confused and contradictory. The Administration seems to be making it up as it goes along, test marketing a war that is going to be deeply unpopular when the casualties tragically mount," said Blumenthal.

Blumenthal also joined CNN to discuss the war in Iran after Senate Republicans voted to block the War Powers resolution.

"I have emerged from classified briefings deeply concerned and very fearful that we are on the precipice not only of an escalating conflict in that region, but also our putting American troops on the ground, our sons and daughters, in harm's way-because that is almost inevitably the path that the Administration's chosen by its current tactical approach. And the vote yesterday rejecting the War Powers Resolution was by no means a final green light to the President. The Republicans are going to be held accountable, but so is the President, because the American people don't want this war, don't understand it, because the Administration has failed to explain." said Blumenthal.

Holding Kristi Noem & the Department of Homeland Security Accountable

Blumenthal, a member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, released the following statement after President Trump announced that Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem had been fired from her position:

"Kristi Noem's firing is well-earned. The atrocities she oversaw, the falsehoods she peddled, and the corruption she committed - all richly deserve her discharge. President Trump should have made it explicit, rather than disguising it with another position of public trust. Whoever follows her must institute commonsense reforms that the American people have demanded and police forces around the country routinely follow. Changing only the top official is inadequate without changing the practices and power structure in the department."

Earlier this week, Blumenthal grilled Noem about constitutional violations and abuses by federal immigration agents. At a hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee, Blumenthal questioned Noem about U.S. citizens who have been unlawfully detained and assaulted by federal immigration agents, calling on Noem to respond to her department's treatment of three citizens present at the hearing-Leonardo Garcia Venegas, Javier Ramirez, and Marimar Martinez-all of whom were detained or assaulted by federal immigration agents.

Blumenthal pressed Noem on whether she had met with any U.S. citizens who have been unlawfully detained: "After hearings I conducted in the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations as the Ranking Member, you admitted finally in a letter written to me just last month, that in fact U.S. citizens have been detained and arrested… You put the number at 38. Far more American citizens have been arrested by ICE and CBP, probably in the hundreds, perhaps the thousands. Have you met with any of the American citizens who have been detained or arrested by your agency?"

After Noem refused to answer Blumenthal's question, Blumenthal called on citizens who have been detained and who were present in the hearing room to stand: "I would like to introduce you to three of them. Leo, Javier, and Marimar, would you please stand? These three individuals, Madam Secretary, were arrested by your agency."

Blumenthal questioned Noem about DHS agents' violation of Leonardo Garcia Venegas's constitutional rights: "Do you know what your agents did to Leo Venegas? I'll tell you. On May 21 of last year, they entered the private property at a house that he was constructing without consent, without a warrant, illegally. Again, on June 12, they entered private property, a home where he was doing construction. He is a United States citizen, born in Florida. They seized him and ignored and disregarded his proof of citizenship."

Blumenthal then pressed Noem about DHS's unlawful detention of Javier Ramirez, a U.S. citizen who was refused medical care while in DHS custody: "Do you know what your agents did to Javier Ramirez? He was on his own private property when he was assaulted by masked agents-his own property-without a warrant, without consent. They said, 'Get him, he's Mexican.' He was violently slammed into the ground while being handcuffed and taken into custody, despite telling officers that he is a United States citizen and even showing them his passport. And when he was asked what he was being arrested for, you know what they said? 'We don't know.'"

Blumenthal also questioned Noem about Marimar Martinez, a U.S. citizen from Illinois who was shot five times by federal immigration agents: "Marimar Martinez is with us as well. She is standing right behind you. She was on her way to donate clothing at her church when she came across an unmarked car. The agents sideswiped her car. Three masked agents in camouflage stormed out. One of them pulled out his gun and fired at her moving vehicle, hitting her five times. She almost bled to death."

"I think we're talking about an egregious illegality here, violations of rights and trust…The answers are very simple, and I would have hoped you could give better answers today to these three individuals," Blumenthal concluded.

A video of Blumenthal's remarks is available here.

Blumenthal further amplified the stories of Garcia Venegas, Ramirez, and Martinez on Twitter/X.

"Since Sec. Noem hasn't met with any of the U.S. citizens violently detained by ICE, I took today's hearing as an opportunity to introduce her to three of them," wrote Blumenthal with an accompanying video on Twitter/X.

Blumenthal also slammed DHS's policy permitting ICE officers to circumvent the privacy protections in the Constitution's Fourth Amendment on Twitter/X.

"Sec. Noem disregards the need for judicial warrants & seems to see no problem with violating Americans' 4th Amendment rights," wrote Blumenthal with an accompanying video on Twitter/X.

Blumenthal, along with U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Adam Schiff (D-CA), held a press conference following Noem's testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Blumenthal, Padilla, and Schiff were joined by Garcia Venegas, Ramirez, and Martinez.

Blumenthal called out Noem for her inability to answer for the violent and brutal tactics of DHS on Twitter/X.

"Following Sec. Noem's evasive, disingenuous testimony, I'm joined by U.S. citizens-victims of DHS assault & detention-setting the record straight," wrote Blumenthal with an accompanying video on Twitter/X.

Blumenthal also wrote Noem demanding clarification of her apparently false testimony under oath before the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding the role of Corey Lewandowski in approving federal contracts.

During this week's hearing, Blumenthal asked whether Lewandowski has a role in approving contracts at DHS and Noem responded, "no." However, ProPublica reported that internal DHS documents show Lewandowski "personally approved a multimillion-dollar equipment contract at the agency last summer" and "has approved numerous contracts at DHS and often needs to sign off on large ones before any money goes out the door" according to current and former employees.

"The law requires and Congress expects witnesses to provide complete and truthful testimony. There are criminal penalties for knowingly and willfully making materially false statements or representations to Congress," Blumenthal wrote. "Accordingly, I demand that you amend your testimony to clarify your previous answer, including a full explanation of Mr. Lewandowski's role at DHS, and provide the basis for your clearly false statement on the record."

The full text of Blumenthal's letter is available here.

On the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee

Senate Republicans blocked two attempts from Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Ranking Member Blumenthal to advance the Major Richard Star Act-stalled bipartisan legislation to deliver more than 50,000 combat-injured veterans their full military benefits. Despite its overwhelming bipartisan support and importance for veterans, U.S. Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) blocked the legislation saying "we simply cannot afford it."

U.S. Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) first blocked Blumenthal's motion to pass the legislation and fix this injustice for disabled veterans. In response, Senator Blumenthal offered a compromise motion that would have set up a single roll call vote on the bill at a 60-vote threshold. The motion would have waived all procedural votes to protect floor time and gave Republican Majority Leader Thune discretion to call up the vote at any point before August. Johnson also blocked this motion, denying a bill with 77 bipartisan cosponsors a single vote.

"The simple request for a vote has been denied, there are a variety of excuses that have been offered, like it cost too much. Well, as the National Commander for the [Veterans of Foreign Wars] said today, in supporting this bill, costs of providing for our veterans are part of the cost of war," said Blumenthal. "We are in a war right now, real-time. And some of those combat-injured veterans will be sacrificing their disability or retirement pay because of this injustice…We can afford to right this injustice…it is a pittance compared to the cost of our national defense, which is close to a trillion dollars now. This country can afford to do the right thing by these combat-injured veterans, and we have a moral imperative to do so."

Blumenthal rebuked Johnson's claims for blocking action on the stalled legislation: "I am heartbroken for a nation that can afford to spend tens of billions of dollars, as we are doing right now, perhaps hundreds of billions, in a conflict far away putting American lives in harm's way, causing death, six at least so far, and casualties in real-time when we are failing to match their bravery with our own. It is unconscionable. A lot of words, a lot of numbers, a lot of fallbacks to Senate procedure process-meaningless."

A video of Blumenthal's remarks is available here.

Blumental further called out his Republican colleagues for blocking the Major Richard Star Act on Twitter/X.

"As American troops serve in harm's way, Republicans unconscionably blocked my Unanimous Consent request to pass the Richard Star Act & finally provide full benefits to combat-injured veterans. It's simple justice & a moral imperative, supported by 77 cosponsors," wrote Blumenthal with an accompanying video on Twitter/X.

At a joint Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee and House Veterans' Affairs Committee hearing with Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs), Blumenthal highlighted the importance of veterans' advocacy in producing legislative results and emphasized his commitment to passing the Major Richard Star Act after it was blocked by Johnson. Veterans Service Organizations have continuously cited the legislation as their top policy priority and called on lawmakers to advance the bill during hearings this week and last week.

"I went to the floor of the United States Senate and asked for unanimous consent to pass the Major Richard Star Act. Unfortunately, it was blocked. I asked, as a fall back, for a simple vote on the bill before August, it was blocked as well," said Blumenthal. "…The Chairman just talked about promises. Promises are meaningless unless they are kept. We made a promise to these veterans that they would receive both retirement and disability benefits. We owe them both, and I promise you I will not stop fighting until we pass the Richard Star Act in this Congress.

Blumenthal also stressed the importance of veterans' voices in pushing back against the Trump Adminsitration's maligned workforce policies at VA. This follows recent reporting from The New York Times revealing how the Administration has cut thousands of roles for doctors and nurses at VA after its employees left in droves due to the Administration's toxic culture and draconian policies: "…At our hearing last month, Secretary Collins said the VA needs more doctors. And yet, he has eliminated thousands of positions and jobs. We need your help. We need your advocacy. We need your voices and your faces. Which is why it's so important you're here today so that we can maintain, restore, and even grow the numbers of doctors, nurses, counselors, psychiatrists. All of the team, at VA health care that is so important to make sure that we have sufficient workforce to serve the needs of our veterans."

A video of Blumenthal's remarks is available here.

Blumenthal Bulletin

Blumenthal released a statement today on the U.S. Navy's announcement that RTX was awarded a $256 million contract to support the production of F135 engines.

Blumenthal attended the Stratford Mayor's "Ball for All."

Blumenthal promoted his GRID Act and called on Big Tech companies to protect consumers.

Blumenthal introduced bicameral legislation to restore a Trump-shuttered Department of Justice transnational crime unit to crack down on fentanyl.

-30-

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Tweet

Previous Article

Next Article