Senator Blumenthal: Week in Review 8/8/2025-8/15-2025
Calling for Children’s Online Protections from Meta
[WASHINGTON, DC] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) joined U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) in sending a letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg urging him to shut down Instagram’s new map feature, which would put children’s safety at risk by allowing them to expose their location to dangerous individuals, including pedophiles and traffickers.
“We write to express our concern with the introduction of Instagram’s new map feature, which would allow individuals to share their location in real time with users around the world. For years, we have sounded the alarm regarding real time location sharing on social media platforms—specifically when it comes to underage users—and we again urge you to protect children’s safety instead of potentially exposing their location to dangerous individuals online, including pedophiles and traffickers,” wrote the senators.
The full letter can be found here.
Blumenthal continued to call out Meta for its location sharing feature on Twitter/X.
“Big Tech's track record of protecting children is abysmal—Meta's new Instagram map feature is no different. Our nation's children deserve meaningful online protections. Meta must abandon this dangerous feature,” wrote Blumenthal on Twitter/X.
Blumenthal slammed Meta’s new Instagram map feature and called for improved online protections for children at a press conference at the Boys and Girls Club of New Haven.
“The internet offers a lot of promise, but also, perils. I’ve introduced a measure called the Kids Online Safety Act that is designed to protect children from some of the dangers of the internet by creating more transparency, providing more tools, and establishing a duty of care for Big Tech companies that have the resources to protect kids but very often don’t. Why? Because they are interested, first and foremost, in dollars. They are putting money over protecting kids, profits over children. And the latest sign of that trend on the part of Big Tech is the map feature on Instagram. It exposes kids to pedophiles and traffickers, and Meta has launched this map feature just last week without the kinds of parental controls and consent features that are necessary to make it even arguably safe. In short, this map feature is a menace,” said Blumenthal at the press conference.
A video of the press conference is available here.
On Twitter/X, Blumenthal further called on Meta to take down their map feature.
“Meta's new location sharing map feature threatens the safety & security of our nation's children. I'm calling on Mark Zuckerberg to take down this dangerous feature now,” wrote Blumenthal with an accompanying video on Twitter/X.
Demanding Oversight to Lower Rising Energy Costs
Blumenthal wrote a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) demanding solutions to drive down rising energy costs in Connecticut and across New England. Blumenthal called for increased oversight of the planning process for regional transmission projects, including the implementation of an independent review mechanism that ensures the proposed upgrade or maintenance project is truly necessary and that the costs are reasonable and prudent.
Blumenthal wrote, “Currently, transmission owners in New England can unilaterally invest in significant transmission construction for local upgrades and maintenance projects, often termed “asset condition projects,” with little to no meaningful review or oversight. Transmission owners are investing heavily in these types of projects. In fact, spending on asset condition projects represents 73 percent of the annual amount that transmission owners spend on all projects in New England. However, these investments receive minimal scrutiny. As a result, the necessity, scope, and cost of the asset condition projects often go unreviewed, unchecked, and unrestrained.”
The full text of the letter to FERC is available here.
Blumenthal joined the Office of Consumer Counsel at a press conference in Hartford to demand FERC provide oversight of costly local transmission projects that drive up energy prices for consumers.
“The energy system is immensely complex, but it comes down to one simple fact. People are paying too much for electricity in Connecticut and in New England. And one of the reasons is a blatantly broken system. We have a broken system of electricity generation. But very few people focus on the cost of transmission—not the cost of electricity, but the transmitting of it—which also is immensely costly. The responsibility for interstate transmission belongs to an agency called the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, FERC. FERC is supposed to regulate the interstate transmission of electricity, and it is a federal agency that gets almost no attention despite its failures and flaws. FERC is failing, utterly and totally failing, at cost containment for consumers,” said Blumenthal at the press conference.
A video of Blumenthal’s press conference in Hartford is available here.
Blumenthal further called for FERC oversight to help drive down skyrocketing energy costs for CT consumers on Twitter/X.
“CT consumers are paying too much for electricity—with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission totally failing to protect them against rising transmission costs. I’m demanding FERC—a paper tiger—do its job,” wrote Blumenthal on Twitter/X.
Advocating for Affordable Housing & Safe Living Conditions
Blumenthal announced the American Housing and Economic Mobility Act, a bill he is co-sponsoring to increase the nation’s supply for affordable housing as costs continue to rise and price out hardworking Americans. The bill would leverage federal funding to build nearly three million new housing units, bring down rents by 10% for American families, and create incentives for local governments to eliminate unnecessary land use restrictions that drive up costs. The bill also provides down payment assistance to first-time home buyers and limits the role of private equity in the housing market.
“That achievement would be monumental for American families, 3 million new homes, a 10% drop in rental. It would change the nature of housing in America, or at least be a really solid step in that direction. We want to provide hope in the face of that housing crisis, because there is reason to hope. It's a soluble problem. It takes a commitment, and America has to make that commitment,” said Blumenthal at a press conference announcing the legislation.
Blumenthal further highlighted the housing crisis in America and the need for affordable housing options on Twitter/X.
“Our country is facing a burgeoning housing crisis, & we must take action now to combat it. The American Housing & Economic Mobility Act will help people find a safe, secure, & affordable place to live,” wrote Blumenthal with an accompanying video on Twitter/X.
Blumenthal also joined the CT Tenants Union and Avon Place Apartments residents to demand better living conditions from the Avon Place Apartments’ landlord, Empire Realty, as tenants grapple with widespread mold and fungus, severe potholes, water leaks, chronic heating and hot water problems, and more. The landlord has also allegedly illegally refused to return some security deposits, while threatening eviction of multiple leaders in the newly formed tenants union.
“What’s happening here borders on criminality. There is a need for this slumlord to be held accountable. Empire Realty must be held accountable,” said Blumenthal.
Pressing for Relief for Burgeoning Medical Debt
Blumenthal joined colleagues in introducing the Medical Debt Relief Act to push back against recent efforts by the Trump Administration to roll back federal protections aiming to keep medical debt off Americans’ credit reports. The legislation would ban all medical debt from appearing on credit reports and prohibit creditors from considering Americans’ medical debt in their decisions on whether to extend them credit. An estimated 280,000 Connecticut residents report having medical debt each year.
“A lot of Americans are one paycheck away from financial disaster – a car crash or a medical incident can cause financial ruin. The impact is not only immediate on household finances, but also potentially longstanding because once medical debt is reported it can stay on credit reports for years and years,” said Blumenthal at a press conference in Hartford. “The Medical Debt Relief Act would protect people, not give them a free pass from the debt, but ensure that they are protected against credit reporting that handicaps and straightjackets their financial status.”
Blumenthal joined health care advocates in Hartford to call for medical debt relief, as medical debt is expected to increase following cuts to health insurance in the Big Blatant Betrayal. By 2034, cuts in insurance coverage could produce $7.6 billion in medical debt nationwide, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
“Medical debt will be a burgeoning burden as cuts in healthcare coverage kick in. Saving people from big black marks on their credit report is why I’m helping lead the Medical Debt Relief Act,” wrote Blumenthal on Twitter/X.
Blumenthal Bulletin
Blumenthal joined MSNBC to discuss the Trump-Putin summit and highlight the need for his Russia sanctions bill.
Blumenthal sought confirmation of prompt payment for the DC National Guard.
Blumenthal demanded that the Kennedy-appointed ACIP member be fired over violent and threatening posts after the deadly CDC shooting.
Blumenthal released a statement on the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General report revealing an urgent staffing shortage.
Blumenthal asked for information about political consultants hired to influence the business travel mega merger between Amex GBT and CWT Holdings.
Blumenthal released a statement on the agreement to keep the Stamford VA clinic open.
Blumenthal attended Norwalk’s National Night Out.
Blumenthal visited Family Center FQHC in Stamford.
Blumenthal celebrated the 50th anniversary of CT Transit.
Blumenthal visited SBA/CT Small Business Person of the Year Michelle Nicholson, owner of The Flour Girl Bakery and Café.
Blumenthal attended the New Haven Puerto Rican Festival.
Blumenthal celebrated National Health Center Week at Inter-Community Health Center in Hartford.
Blumenthal attended the Wolcott Fair.
Blumenthal honored Purple Heart recipients in Norwalk and New Britain.
-30-