State of Connecticut secondary Archives: on Homeland Security
August Wolf:
Demand accountability in Department of Veterans Affairs
Wolf has hit Blumenthal on his decision to support the Iran nuclear pact and his blocking of a vote on a bill that would fund the Department of Veterans Affairs. "Blumenthal pounded his desk demanding accountability in his role as a Veterans Affairs
committee member, and then, when the time came to support this measure providing accountability, he voted like a typical Washington Weasel," Wolf said in a scorching press release.Blumenthal said he opposed the GOP-crafted bill because it would have
provided the Department of Veterans Affairs about $1.2 billion less than President Obama had asked for. "Unfortunately, even as our veterans too often wait too long for the health care they need and deserve, this Republican
bill slashes necessary funding required to solve daunting problems, instead taking from those who already have given so much to our country and committing a serious breach of faith with those who served," Blumenthal said.
Source: CT Mirror on 2016 Connecticut Senate race
Nov 4, 2015
August Wolf:
VA administration has been sorely mismanaged
Dick Blumenthal has failed. In addition to lying about the nature of his military service, Dick Blumenthal was the number one opponent of the VA Accountability Act. The VA administration has more than 300,000 employees and a huge budget.
It's been sorely mismanaged, particularly under President Obama and Dick Blumenthal. That's shameful.
I will support reforms targeted at speeding up health care services and holding administrators accountable for misspending and turning a blind eye to the men and women who wore the uniform and risked their lives. Government facilities aren't the
only places where we can serve vets. Veterans should be able to chose where they want to receive their healthcare. They should also return home to an economy that will embrace them. Those will be among my top priorities in Congress.
Source: 2016 Connecticut Senate campaign website Wolf2016.com.com
Apr 1, 2016
Bob Stefanowski:
Encourage the hiring of Veterans and their spouses
Veterans have developed skills that are needed in both the private sector and the government. Partnering with businesses and state agencies, my administration will make sure that Connecticut's brightest military leaders become our smartest CEOs,
job creators, and innovators. My administration will also work with the private sector to encourage the hiring of Veterans and their spouses - who are often discriminated against in the job market due to multiple moves and gaps in employment.
Source: 2022 Connecticut BobForGovernor.com campaign website
Apr 21, 2022
Chris Murphy:
Russia never stopped interfering in American politics
The Russians never stopped interfering in American politics. They don't just get involved in elections. They are involved every single day. Analysis of what they have been doing on Twitter since 2016 has been pretty clear. They are weighing in over and
over again in support of right-wing causes, in support of Donald Trump's political agenda. He has essentially ceded the Middle East to Russian interests. He has accomplished more in the undermining of NATO than Russia has in the last 20 years.
Source: CNN 2020 interview with Connecticut Senator
Feb 23, 2020
Dan Carter:
Restore troops to being nimble, smart and relentless
We need to restore our troops levels to meet both special needs of terrorism and to give our allies a sense of confidence and our enemies a sense of dread.
The military should not be a police force, but defenders of American interests to meet the challenges of China and Russia.
Barack Obama and Dick Blumenthal's so called "terrorism" strategy has cost too many Americans their lives, and has made America and Americans, both at home and abroad, more vulnerable than ever before.
Our approach must be nimble, smart and relentless. Dick Blumenthal was absent without leave as Obama cut our troop levels and gutted our Navy.
Source: 2016 Connecticut Senate campaign website CarterForSenate.com
Aug 8, 2016
Dan Malloy:
Pledge to end homelessness for veterans by end of 2015
I can't think of anyone more ready and more deserving of our assistance, than Connecticut's veterans. We know that homelessness and unemployment are intrinsically linked; part of a terrible downward spiral that captures too many people, especially
veterans. Right now there are more than 500 homeless veterans in Connecticut. It's unacceptable.Today, the pledge we should take together is simple: Connecticut can and will end homelessness for veterans by the end of 2015. That's a pledge President
Obama made for America, and it's a pledge we must embrace.
My budget proposal includes funding for a new security deposit assistance program to help veterans get over that first hurdle to finding a home. It funds the hiring of job placement specialists
trained in understanding the challenges--and the opportunities--unique to veterans. And it sets aside $500 thousand to support a review of existing state facilities so that we can put them to their best use for Connecticut's Veterans.
Source: 2014 State of the State address to Connecticut legislature
Feb 6, 2014
Joseph Lieberman:
Last thing we want is to release dangerous Gitmo detainees
We entered a new age of our history after Sept. 11th, when we were attacked here at home as we have never been attacked before, by a brutal enemy, radical Islamist terrorism, killed 3,000 of our fellow Americans and they want to do it again. But in war,
America has always been attested to achieve two goals, security and liberty, and liberty is what we're all about. The Bush administration felt its way and pushed the envelope, and the Supreme Court last week, in what I thought was an extraordinary
decision in the best tradition of America, said, Mr. President, no one in this country is above the law, not even the president in a time of war. That was the right decision, and now the president will have to do what he should have done earlier, come to
Congress and negotiate a legal way to treat the detainees at Guantanamo.
Please understand that there's nothing in that court decision that orders us to release those detainees. They are dangerous. And the last thing we want to do is release them.
Source: 2006 Connecticut Democratic Senate Primary debate
Jul 6, 2006
Leora Levy:
A powerful military reinforces the efficacy of diplomacy
President Ronald Reagan left us the blueprint for defeating evil powers: Peace through strength. A powerful military reinforces the efficacy of diplomacy, but when diplomacy fails to resolve a crisis, it is the military that must take the baton.
It is past time for the Western democracies to provide the planes and armaments that Ukraine needs to defeat the Russian invaders.
Source: 2022 Connecticut Senate campaign website LeoraForCT.com
Aug 11, 2022
Linda McMahon:
Terrorists only need to succeed once; we must succeed always
Q: Do you consider it good luck or good planning that we have not had a major terrorist attack on American shores?McMAHON: Both. The terrorists only need to succeed once, while we must get it right every single time.
BLUMENTHAL: While I am thankful
that there has not been a successful attack on American shores since 9/11/2001, real threats remain. It is therefore vital that we use both military and non-military methods to target and attack the terrorists where they are. This includes targeting Al
Qaeda's organizations in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Yemen as well as its affiliates like Al-Shabaab in Somalia. At the same time, we must do more at home to remedy the unacceptable flaws exposed in our homeland security, by improving information sharing,
bringing together the best technology and the most effective management strategies to get people working across agencies, and to engage the private sector to collect, understand, and mobilize information in real time to improve our national security.
Source: Connecticut Jewish Ledger coverage of 2010 CT Senate debate
Sep 29, 2010
Maggie Hassan:
Thank veterans for unyielding dedication to our freedom
We must thank the brave men and women of the N.H.National Guard, who exemplify the spirit of our people, defending our nation, at home and abroad, and responding to emergencies and disasters. Granite Staters want you to know how grateful we are for your
service.The spirit of our people is also exemplified by the ongoing service and sacrifice of all of our active duty servicemen and women, and our veterans who have made our nation strong. Thank you for your unyielding dedication to our freedom.
Source: 2014 State of the State address to Connecticut legislature
Feb 6, 2014
Matthew Corey:
Veterans cannot be ignored or forgotten
We owe our freedoms to those who serve. They must never be forgotten. The backlog of disability claims must be addressed immediately. We cannot send our men and women into harm's way and forget them when they return.
I propose we eliminate every veterans hospital that is failing our veterans and put them into the hospitals that work for everyone. The VA must be held accountable for failing to serve our veterans with the dignity they deserve.
Source: 2018 Connecticut Senate campaign website CoreyForSenate.com
Dec 12, 2017
Ned Lamont:
Gitmo, wiretaps, & Haditha have weakened our moral authority
Q: Last week, the US Supreme Court ruled against the creation of military commissions to try enemy combatants held at Guantanamo, and some have called that the latest blow to the attempt to concentrate more power in the executive. Do you believe that the
nation's response to the September 11th attacks should allow the president greater leeway in conducting the war on terrorism? A: We have a president who is acting as if he is above the law right now. Look at what Guantanamo, look at what Haditha, look
at what Abu Ghraib has done to the moral authority of the US. We are a much stronger country when we are true to our values, a much stronger country when it comes to the war on terror when we're true to what we stand for, and we've compromised a lot of
that over the last few years, and that weakens our country. I look at the illegal wiretaps. I thought that was a time that Democrats should have stood up and held the president accountable [with censure]. I think we should have said that was wrong.
Source: 2006 Connecticut Democratic Senate Primary debate
Jul 6, 2006
Peter Lumaj:
Peace through strength to defeat terrorism
The U.S. defeated Nazism, Fascism, Totalitarianism, and Communism and NOW we must defeat terrorism by:- Identifying, locating and obliterating terrorists wherever they are.
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Having a clear "peace through strength" approach towards nations that harbor or support terrorists and implement a moratorium on visa immigration.
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Maintaining the strongest military in the world.
- Supporting democracies and oppose dictators.
- Re-investing in maintenance of Superpower alliances.
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Scrutinizing the false legitimacy that autocrats seek at the UN.
- Making it clear to the world that an attack on Israel is an attack on the U.S.
Source: Connecticut 2012 Senate campaign website Lumaj2012.com
Jul 4, 2012
Richard Blumenthal:
Apologizes again for having said he served in Vietnam
McMahon listed Blumenthal statements that her campaign commercials have centered upon, including occasions when he misrepresented his Vietnam War service and draft number.Blumenthal said he was proud of his military record in the Marine Corps Reserves
but on a few occasions out of hundreds of public speeches, he said he served in Vietnam. "I apologize as I have done before to the people of Connecticut, most particularly to our veterans, and I will continue to champion the cause of veterans," he said.
Source: Connecticut Post coverage of 2010 CT Senate debate
Oct 7, 2010
Richard Blumenthal:
End unfair copays charged to veterans for contraception
[On contraception coverage co-introduced with Sen. Susan Collins]: "This legislation will end unfair copays charged to veterans accessing essential contraception," said Senator Blumenthal. "Providing these important family planning services to veterans
without out-of-pocket costs--a right already afforded to their active duty and civilian counterparts--is necessary to protect their health, wellbeing and reproductive freedoms. I'm proud to lead my Senate colleagues in introducing the Equal Access to
Contraception for Veterans Act." Senator Collins said, "Under current law, women can obtain contraception without a co-pay through private health insurance, but not through VA health care.
Our bill would support women veterans--the fastest-growing segment of our veteran population--by closing this loophole and eliminating co-payments for contraception for those covered by VA health care."
Source: Sierra Sun Times on 2022 Connecticut Senate race
Aug 5, 2022
Tom Foley:
Appoint veteran-friendly Commissioner of Veterans Affairs
Foley is using his civilian service as Pres. George W. Bush's director of private-sector development in Iraq as a hook for a fundraising letter to veterans, one of the end-of-year flurry of solicitations. Foley promises to appoint a "new veteran-
friendly Commissioner of Veterans Affairs." In a postscript, Foley adds, "Veterans are people of action. Take action today and help me with a contribution."
Foley's appeal to vets is drawing fire from Democrats. Said a spokesman for the Connecticut
Democrats, "Comparing his time as a civilian bureaucrat to the service of soldiers in Iraq, who put their lives on the line every day, is more offensive and erratic behavior from Tom Foley."
Foley didn't equate his service with that of soldiers, but
he opened his pitch to veterans by saying he served "alongside" them: "I was proud to serve in Iraq as a civilian in 2003 and 2004 alongside those of you who deployed when the nation called." Foley said the Democrats were trying to invent controversy.
Source: CT Mirror AdWatch on 2014 Connecticut gubernatorial race
Dec 30, 2013
Page last updated: Feb 18, 2023