Senator Blumenthal: Week in Review 8/22/2025-8/29/2025
Honoring the Victims of the Minnesota School Shooting
[Hartford, CT] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) shared his grief for the lives lost in the shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis. Blumenthal called for increased gun violence prevention measures in the wake of this tragedy.
“My heart breaks for the students at Annunciation Catholic School & their loved ones. Our children deserve to be safe no matter where they are, but especially at school. The need for commonsense gun violence prevention is urgent. The Senate must take action,” wrote Blumenthal with an accompanying video on Twitter/X.
Fighting Against ICE’s Abusive & Unlawful Tactics
Blumenthal, Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, wrote Acting Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Todd Lyons seeking information “regarding the training and compensation ICE agents are receiving as it relates to how they are constitutionally fulfilling their duties.” In the wake of recent reports about ICE’s aggressive use of force and violations of people’s rights, Blumenthal is opening an inquiry into ICE’s tactics.
In his letter to Lyons, Blumenthal highlighted the illegal and violent detentions of numerous people by ICE – including U.S. citizens, “In Los Angeles, ICE agents detained and shoved a pregnant U.S. citizen whom they falsely charged with assaulting an officer, a charge the U.S. attorney was forced to drop given video evidence contradicting this assertion as well as simple physics (the woman in question was 4’11 and 38 weeks pregnant). In New York, ICE agents detained a Latino U.S. citizen because he ‘looked like’ someone for whom they were searching. And a Chicago lawsuit alleges that, during their activities there, ICE agents violated the rights of 22 people, including at least one U.S. citizen.”
Blumenthal also raised concerns about ICE brazenly threatening Connecticut State Representative Corey Paris with prosecution for informing his constituents that he had learned of immigration enforcement efforts in his district and urging residents to prioritize their safety, “Unfortunately, Representative Paris’s experience is merely one instance of ICE agents seemingly acting as a police state strike force, threatening lawmakers and detaining citizens with hardly a shred of justification and then potentially fabricating allegations after the fact to justify their unlawful actions.”
Blumenthal’s letter to ICE is available here.
Blumenthal announced his inquiry into the practices and enforcement tactics used by ICE at a press conference in Hartford.
“These reports of abusive tactics, excessive use of force, detention of US citizens and possible harm to individuals who were taken into custody and thrown into unmarked vans by masked agents, and then confined in inhumane conditions are deeply troubling, and the reason that I have asked for an investigation,” Blumenthal said.
Blumenthal further highlighted his inquiry into ICE on Twitter/X.
“Strong enforcement of our immigration laws doesn’t require lawbreaking, abusive tactics or excessive use of force. I’m beginning an investigation through PSI to hold ICE accountable & make sure the American people know the truth about what is happening,” wrote Blumenthal with an accompanying video on Twitter/X.
Slamming the Trump Administration’s Halting of Revolution Wind Project
Blumenthal released the following statement on the Trump Administration’s cancellation of the Revolution Wind project.
“As Connecticut families’ electric bills skyrocket, the Trump Administration is canceling critical clean energy projects that would lower utility bills and have created good paying union jobs for our state’s workforce. This arbitrary decision defies all logic and reason— Revolution Wind’s project was already well underway and employed hundreds of skilled tradesmen and women. This is a major setback for a critical project in Connecticut, and I will fight it,” Blumenthal said.
Blumenthal joined Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont and U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) addressing the decision to cancel Revolution Wind project.
“They say there are national security interests here. Come clean, reveal them, and if you can’t do it in public, give us a briefing in private. They have offered no facts to justify this lawless, reckless decision,” said Blumenthal. “The Administration will lose if there is a legal challenge, but in the meantime, consumers will lose. And that is the result of an administration stance on wind power that is truly reckless and irrational.”
Blumenthal, as Ranking Member of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, today wrote to the Department of the Interior demanding information as to why the Trump Administration issued a stop work order for the nearly complete Revolution Wind project.
“These seemingly arbitrary decisions have occurred in the wake of President Trump and Congressional Republicans receiving almost half a billion dollars in campaign contributions from oil companies in the last campaign cycle. It is critical that the American people know whether thinly veiled corruption is leading to soaring energy costs and worsening the climate crisis,” Blumenthal wrote to Secretary Doug Burgum.
“These confounding actions occurred even though wind energy will be critical to meeting America’s booming energy needs in the years ahead. The Trump Administration’s own Department of Energy forecasted in May 2025 that electricity consumption would reach an all-time high in 2025 and 2026, and that renewable energy production would grow significantly faster than all other sources to meet these demands…Given the critical role that wind will play in powering American homes in the years ahead, DOI’s recent actions must be understood and any planned efforts to impede American access to clean energy must be revealed,” Blumenthal wrote.
A full copy of Blumenthal’s letter is available here.
Blumenthal further called out the Trump Administration for the thoughtless decision to cancel the Revolution Wind project on Twitter/X.
“It’s crazy to stop the 80% complete Revolution Wind project. Shutting it down will drive energy prices up, threaten our energy independence, & cut well-paying jobs. I call on the admin to reverse this lawless & reckless cancellation,” wrote Blumenthal on Twitter/X.
Blumenthal reacted to the U.S. Interior Secretary defending the halt on the Revolution Wind project on Twitter/X.
“Paranoid delusions seem to be seizing Sec Burgum. His fumbling fact free rationale for illegally shutting down Revolution Wind is ludicrous. It means higher electricity prices for consumers & massive job cuts. Not to mention undermining energy independence. It’s crazy & lawless,” wrote Blumenthal on Twitter/X.
Celebrating Fairfield National Little League Team
Blumenthal welcomed home Fairfield National little league team and celebrated their run to the U.S. championship game at the Little League World Series. The team finished in third place overall against the team from Aruba, marking the best Little League World Series run by a team from Connecticut since 1989.
“I wish everyone can see from here what I see, which is a beautiful picture of a community coming together. Everybody from different walks of life. You guys did it. You made his history. They made history because they got guts and grit. They got determination. Most of all, they worked hard,” said Blumenthal.
Blumenthal further championed Fairfield National and their Little League World Series run on Twitter/X.
“Wonderful to join Fairfield National to celebrate their tremendous success & amazing season! The class, guts, & grit shown by this Little League team should inspire us all,” wrote Blumenthal on Twitter/X.
Blumenthal Bulletin
Blumenthal demanded answers from Hertz about their AI rental car inspections.
Blumenthal joined the Connecticut Congressional delegation in announcing $7 million in federal funding for Connecticut airports.
Blumenthal slammed the Trump Administration’s tariffs for raising the price of back-to-school essentials.
Blumenthal called out the Trump Administration’s Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for stripping VA workers of their collective bargaining rights.
Blumenthal criticized the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s scaling back of a surveillance program that monitored listeria and other foodborne illnesses.
Blumenthal called for hard-hitting Russian sanctions.
Blumenthal attended the Norwalk Good Trouble rally.
Blumenthal attended a send-off ceremony for the Connecticut National Guard.
Blumenthal attended the Terryville Lions Country Fair.
Blumenthal attended the 49th annual Ukrainian Festival in Newtown.
-30-