Senator Blumenthal: Week in Review 11/14/2025-11/21/2025

Sounding the Alarm on the Trump Administration’s Looming Hunger Crisis

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) joined advocates in Hartford to sound the alarm on a historic 20 percent cut to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that will cause millions of Americans to lose access to fresh food.

Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” reduced funding for SNAP by $186 billion—a 20 percent cut and the largest reduction in the history of the program. The bill also imposed strict work requirements that disproportionally impact vulnerable participants like seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, individuals experiencing homelessness and more without improving employment outcomes. Millions of recipients are expected to lose their benefits or see reduced benefits because of these changes.

“This economic perfect storm is going to create more need, not less, for programs that address hunger in America,” Blumenthal said. “And right now the Administration is shredding that safety that exists for families and children across East Hartford, Connecticut, and the country.”

Blumenthal further slammed the Trump Administration for threatening access to food for millions of Americans on Twitter/X.

“The President plans to deprive millions of families of SNAP benefits while increasing the financial burden on states by hundreds of millions of dollars. Trump & Republicans are shredding the hunger safety net & making sure kids go without the food they need,” wrote Blumenthal on Twitter/X.

During a Nominations Hearing of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Blumenthal pressed John Walk, nominee to be Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, on the Trump Administration’s plans to have every recipient of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) reapply for benefits as a “fraud prevention measure.” States are already required to reconfirm eligibility every 6-12 months. This costly move would simply add unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles for hardworking families to access food assistance. As the Trump Administration continues to attack SNAP and attempts to kick eligible recipients off the highly effective and successful program reducing hunger, Walk confirmed that there is no legal requirement forcing recipients to reapply for SNAP benefits.

“Mr. Walk, we were talking, or you were talking to the Chairman about the SNAP program. And we understand, or we’ve heard, that the Secretary of Agriculture has said that there has to be reapplication on the part of all current SNAP recipients now. There is no legal requirement that all of the current SNAP beneficiaries reapply as though they hadn’t been receiving SNAP benefits, is there?” questioned Blumenthal.

“Sir, my understanding is that there is a requirement for recertification but in terms of taking folks off unless they reapply, I do not know that there is a requirement for that,” answered Walk.

“There is none, correct?” pressed Blumenthal.

“Not that I am aware of,” Walk confirmed.

A video of Blumenthal’s exchange with Walk can be found here.

Launching Inquiry into Trump Staffer’s Interference in Investigation of Tate Brothers

Blumenthal, Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, and U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, yesterday launched an inquiry into Trump staffer Paul Ingrassia’s interference in a federal investigation of alleged rapists and human traffickers Andrew and Tristan Tate. This week, ProPublica reported that Ingrassia, while serving as White House liaison to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), personally intervened in a federal investigation of the Tates, who are facing multiple criminal and civil charges of sex trafficking and rape in three different countries.

In letters sent to White House Chief of Staff Susan Wiles, White House Counsel David Warrington, and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, Blumenthal and Peters requested all records and communications regarding Ingrassia’s actions. In a letter to DHS Inspector General Joseph Cuffari, Blumenthal and Peters called for the Office of the Inspector General to open an investigation into Ingrassia’s conduct and whether his interference in the Tate investigation occurred at the direction of the White House.

“After Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized the Tate brothers’ electronic devices upon their February 2025 arrival in the United States, Mr. Ingrassia reportedly reprimanded DHS officials for doing so and directed them to return the devices to them. Mr. Ingrassia reportedly made clear to the DHS officials that this demand was coming directly from the White House,” the Senators wrote to Wiles and Warrington.

“Mr. Ingrassia’s behavior raises grave questions regarding the independence and impartiality of federal law enforcement operations and the White House’s potential meddling in such investigations. Mr. Ingrassia’s reported actions may have violated government ethics rules and other legal standards of conduct. Moreover, appallingly, this alleged conduct would mean that the White House allowed a self-proclaimed ‘Nazi’ to intervene in a federal investigation to protect indicted rapists and child sex traffickers. If this behavior is not examined and addressed, it could dangerously undermine the independence, legitimacy, and effectiveness of DHS law enforcement operations and implicate the White House as complicit in the most heinous crimes and hateful ideologies imaginable,” the Senators concluded.

The full text of Blumenthal and Peters’ letter to the White House is available here. Similar letters sent to Secretary Noem and Inspector General Cuffari are available here and here.

Demanding Answers on White House Ballroom Private Donations

Blumenthal and U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Adam Schiff (D-CA) this week wrote to the leading fundraiser and lobbyists working to coordinate private donations for President Trump’s multi-million-dollar White House ballroom project. According to recent reporting, Meredith O’Rourke, the Trump campaign’s lead finance operative, is coordinating with lobbyists with close ties to the Trump Administration to solicit donations for the ballroom from major corporations, Big Tech companies, and billionaires with interests before the Administration. Blumenthal, Warren, and Schiff are demanding answers from O’Rourke and the lobbyists she is working with about how the fundraising is being organized and coordinated, how donors are being identified and solicited, and what promises may have been or may yet be made in exchange for these substantial contributions.

“Soliciting hundreds of millions of dollars in private donations to build a White House ballroom bearing the president’s name raises questions that Americans deserve to have answered. Many of the donors to the project have deep financial, business, or other personal interests before the Administration,” the Senators wrote.

The Senators continued, “Indeed, a recent report revealed that more than half of the Trump Ballroom donors are facing, or have recently faced, enforcement actions from the federal government and that ballroom donors have received more than $279 billion in federal contracts in the last five years. And, another report found that two-thirds of the corporate ballroom funders are represented by one of the three lobbying firms identified as coordinating the ballroom funding.”

Blumenthal has written to each of the reported donors to the White House ballroom project as well as donors previously kept secret by the White House to seek information about the terms of their donations and any potential deals made in exchange for contributions.

The full text of the letter sent to O’Rourke is available here. Similar letters were sent to Jeffrey Miller, CEO of Miller Strategies LLC; Reince Priebus, President & Chief Strategist of Michael Best Strategies LLC; and Brian Ballard, President of Ballard Partners.

Blumenthal highlighted his demand for answers regarding private donations to President Trump’s White House ballroom project on Twitter/X.

“Fundraisers & lobbyists have coordinated the donation of hundreds of millions of dollars to destroy the East Wing & build Trump’s gilded ballroom. I’m demanding info about their role in soliciting money from those who have deep financial, business, or personal ties to this Administration,” wrote Blumenthal on Twitter/X.

On the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee

Continuing their efforts to protect the rights of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employees, Blumenthal, Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member, and U.S. Representative Delia Ramirez (D-IL), House Veterans’ Affairs Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Ranking Member, introduced the Right to Representation for VA Workers Act—legislation to restore VA employees’ right to have their choice of representation in inquiries with other Department staff that could lead to disciplinary action.

Blumenthal and Ramirez have heard from various unions and VA employees that Trump VA officials no longer allow employees have the right to choose their own representation in investigation meetings.

“VA workers deserve to be represented by someone of their choice—a right that must be guaranteed by statute because the VA is routinely denying it in practice. It’s part of Secretary Collins’ assault on VA worker rights, including an illegal ban on collective bargaining. Ultimately, it harms care and benefits for veterans, and it must be stopped,” said Blumenthal.

The introduction of the Right to Representation for VA Workers Act follows the Blumenthal and Ramirez’ introduction of bipartisan legislation last week to restore and protect VA employees’ collective bargaining rights in response to the Trump Administration’s cancellation of union contracts for 80% of VA employees. Their legislation, the VA Care and Benefits Accountability (VA CBA) Act, would restore union bargaining rights and protections for nearly 400,000 VA employees, among which almost 25% are veterans.

Blumenthal Bulletin

Blumenthal demanded Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem provide information on CBP and ICE’s detention of U.S. citizens.

Blumenthal demanded the Trump Administration stop stalling toxic chemical cleanups and protect military families and nearby communities.

Blumenthal joined Gabe Feldman on his podcast SportsWise to discuss how the benefits of the SAFE Act in protecting college athletes.

Blumenthal slammed a potential Executive Order that would punish and coerce states for commonsense AI safeguards.

Blumenthal called for strong sanctions on Russia’s oil and gas revenue to stop Putin’s war machine.

Blumenthal slammed efforts to impose a moratorium on state regulation of artificial intelligence—a safeguard against election deepfakes and other AI abuses.

Blumenthal called for accountability from the Department of Justice in releasing all of the Epstein files.

Blumenthal called on the WNBA to support keeping the CT Sun in Connecticut.

Blumenthal swore in Pat Del Monaco as First Selectman of New Fairfield.

Blumenthal joined First Selectman Bill Morrison and his team in Stafford.

Blumenthal attended the Uniformed Professional Fire Fighters Association 24th Peter Carozza Biennial Convention.

Blumenthal joined the swearing in ceremony for Mayor Roberto Alves of Danbury.

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