Senator Blumenthal: Week in Review 8/29/2025-9/5/2025

Demanding Action to Prevent Gun Violence Tragedies

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) joined gun violence prevention advocates to call on Congress to pass his commonsense gun violence prevention legislation to avert further tragedies like the one at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis last week.

The Assault Weapons Ban of 2025, cosponsored by Blumenthal, would create a nationwide ban on the sale, transfer, manufacture and important of military-style assault weapons, high-capacity magazines, and other high-capacity ammunition feeding devices. In addition, Blumenthal called on Congress to pass Ethan's Law, his legislation requiring gun owners to safely and securely store their firearms. Named in honor of Ethan Song, a teenager from Guilford, Connecticut who was tragically killed in 2018 by an unsecured gun in a neighbor's home, the bill would create federal requirements for safe gun storage and establish strong penalties for any violations.

"We're here as kids go back to school and Congress goes back to work to renew our call, and it's a call for action to prevent gun violence," said Blumenthal. "There's a way to stop gun violence. It's not a mystery. It's not science fiction. It's practical measures."

Blumenthal further called for action to put an end to gun violence on Twitter/X.

"No community is immune to gun violence. Following the tragic events in MN, I joined with advocates to renew our call for action. We have commonsense, bipartisan gun violence prevention measures that could be passed-& save lives," wrote Blumenthal on Twitter/X.

On the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee

Blumenthal, Ranking Member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, joined House Veterans' Affairs Committee Ranking Member Mark Takano (D-CA) in leading a group of their colleagues to demand the Trump Administration's Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) rescind their dangerous new proposed rule to reinstate a near-total ban on abortions and abortion counseling, including for veterans who have been raped or whose pregnancy is threatening their health.

"This incredibly dangerous and reckless rule change will take away essential health care for veterans and beneficiaries of the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA)," the lawmakers wrote in a public comment letter responding to the proposed rule. "For the past three years, these patients have been able to obtain comprehensive pregnancy counseling, including information about abortion services, and abortion care in cases of rape, incest, or life or health endangerment. This proposed rule seriously calls into question whether the Department is putting political allegiances and culture wars ahead of its sacred obligation to deliver quality, life-saving health care to veterans, including the more than 462,000 women veterans of reproductive age enrolled in VA health care."

The lawmakers slammed VA's rule for stripping the Department's ability to provide essential health care in harrowing situations: "Evidence has shown that extreme abortion bans, like the ban this rule would create, cause chaos and confusion for providers, putting them in the impossible position of navigating laws that don't allow them to deliver the appropriate standard of care to ailing patients. Worse, such a ban would also be extremely dangerous to the health and wellbeing of veterans. As we have seen in states with extreme abortion bans, even those with 'life exceptions' in place, patients have faced severe health complications and even death in cases when providers did not know if the patient's life was endangered enough to be covered under this exception."

The full text of the lawmakers' letter is available here.

Blumenthal also joined veterans and reproductive health care advocates at a press conference to rail against this Trump Administration's proposed rule reinstating a near-total ban on VA abortions and abortion counseling.

"Women's rights are human rights. Women's reproductive health care is health care in this country. The VA used to be above politics. The VA used to be a place where people would go based on their needs. They've served and sacrificed for their country. They've fought for this right. The VA is breaking its promise. It's betraying a trust, and we can't allow it to happen," said Blumenthal. "It literally endangers and risks life for hundreds of thousands of veterans. How many veterans? To be exact, 462,000 veterans. Women veterans across the United States. 2,600 of them in Connecticut. Their lives are put in danger. Their futures are on the chopping block. Their choices are denied."

Blumenthal further slammed the Trump Administration for its harmful proposed rule endangering the lives of women veterans on Twitter/X.

"I'm fighting the Trump VA's proposed rule banning abortions in instances of rape, or when a pregnant woman's health is at risk. Women who have served & sacrificed for our great nation now need us to fight for them. This rule is cruel & dangerous," wrote Blumenthal with an accompanying video on Twitter/X.

Standing Up for Workers over Billionaires

Blumenthal joined rallies in Hartford, Norwich, Windham, and Niantic bringing together community members and emphasizing working-class power and solidarity in the face of the Trump Administration's power grab and rising authoritarianism.

"All around CT-in Hartford, Norwich, Windham & Niantic-I'm proud to join rallies for Workers Over Billionaires. Magnificent spirit, energy & courage to preserve our democracy & protect working families," wrote Blumenthal on Twitter/X.

Slamming President Trump's Judicial Nominees

During a Senate Judiciary Committee nomination hearing, Blumenthal pressed Jennifer Mascott, President Trump's nominee to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, for her lack of support for women's legal rights to reproductive care.

"You call the draft of Dobbs, when it was leaked in May of 2022, 'a marvel of a draft.' Do you think it is a marvel of a draft? It became this Court's decision and its opinion in the case, correct? And you said, about Roe, that it was 'not workable' and 'really sad, for out of the mainstream of constitutional reasoning of the Court over the past few decades?'" questioned Blumenthal.

"Well, Senator, yes, consistent with the Supreme Court's own majority holding in Dobbs… the Roe v. Wade decision was not one that merited the Court stare decisis effect, because of the development and the law over time, the fact that the Supreme Court itself had distance itself even in following decisions about abortion from Roe reasoning and pointed out that the Court's texts and traditional approach led to a different outcome in Dobbs, leaving the policy decision to the states and the people," answered Mascott.

A video of Blumenthal's full interaction with Mascott is available here.

Blumenthal further called out Mascott for her answers regarding women's reproductive rights during the hearing on Twitter/X.

"Jennifer Mascott, a Trump judicial pick-who isn't even admitted to practice law in the state where she is nominated to be a judge-leaves little doubt that she rejects a woman's right to reproductive freedom," wrote Blumenthal with an accompanying video on Twitter/X.

Blumenthal also pressed President Trump's nominees for the Alabama and Mississippi district courts for their skirting of questions relating to Obergefell v. Hodges, the landmark decision of the Supreme Court that established that the Fourteenth Amendment guarantees the right to marry to same-sex couples, making same-sex marriage legal nationwide.

Blumenthal asked the nominees if they felt that Brown v. Board of Education and Loving v. Virginia were correctly decided, and the nominees answered affirmatively. Blumenthal then asked if they felt that Obergefell v. Hodges was correctly decided, and the nominees were unable to answer.

"On what basis do you distinguish Brown v. Board of Education and Loving v. Virginia from Obergefell? They're both well established, long accepted precedents of the United States Supreme Court. You think that Loving and Brown were correctly decided, but you're unwilling to comment on Obergefell?" questioned Blumenthal. "I'm not going to argue with any of the nominees, but there is nothing pending right now that would involve your, in effect, commenting on something that is potentially before a court where you would serve."

A video of Blumenthal's questioning is available here.

Blumenthal Bulletin

Blumenthal introduced a resolution to mark the 80^th anniversary of the end of World War II.

Blumenthal slammed President Trump's crypto corruption.

Blumenthal called for action to hold Big Tech accountable through his Kids Online Safety Act.

Blumenthal called the shutting down of the Revolution Wind project "insane, illogical, and illegal."

Blumenthal slammed HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for endangering the health of the American people.

Blumenthal attended a Labor Day rally in Hamden.

Blumenthal attended the Goshen Fair.

Blumenthal attended the St. Barbara Greek Odyssey Festival.

Blumenthal attended the Indivisible Rally in Norwich.

Blumenthal attended the Bridgewater Tractor Parade.

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