Senator Blumenthal: Week in Review 7/24/2026-7/31/2026

Combatting Russia's Murderous Invasion of Ukraine

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U. S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) along with U.S. Senators Darline Graham (R-SC), Katie Britt (R-AL), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Jim Risch (R-ID) announced a bipartisan agreement on legislation to hold major purchasers of Russian oil and gas accountable for supporting Russia's war in Ukraine and extend sanctions that restrict funding for Iran's energy and weapons sectors.

"We are proud to announce an agreement on legislation to stop purchasers of Russian oil and gas from fueling Putin's war machine and to continue restricting the Iranian regime's ability to support terrorism and build its nuclear program," the senators said. "There is no greater way to honor Senator Graham's legacy than to move forward with this bipartisan agreement, and we look forward to today's vote."

Blumenthal hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for a meeting with supporters of the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act. The meeting took place ahead of a Senate vote to move forward with the legislation-which passed in an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 86-12.

"We honored Senator Graham earlier today here in the Rotunda, but our real tribute was moving ahead with legislation he championed to impose scorching tariffs & sanctions on purchasers of Russian oil to stop them from fueling Putin's war machine. I know he would be jubilant over this vote. And I also know that he wouldn't rest until the Russia Sanctions bill is truly over the finish line & signed into law-so neither will we," said Blumenthal.

Blumental held a media availability with the bipartisan leaders of the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act after the vote to advance the legislation.

"It's been a rollercoaster of a day emotionally-the sadness of saying farewell to our great friend who has been so instrumental in this fight; the exhilaration now of a really solid step forward, partly in tribute to him; and the visit by President Zelenskyy showing us Ukraine is turning the tide," said Blumenthal at the media availability. "Ukraine's fight is our fight. This vote is a step forward, we still have a path we have to travel-but it is a profoundly solid vote for Ukraine showing that the American people are on Ukraine's side, and we will stand with Ukraine."

Video of the full media availability is available here.

The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 would impose primary and secondary sanctions against Russia and actors supporting Russia's war in Ukraine. The sanctions target Russian officials, oligarchs, their family members, foreign persons, and Russian banks and financial institutions, as well as the Russian Shadow Fleet. The legislation also allows the President to impose targeted tariffs on imported goods from countries that buy the vast majority of Russian oil or gas, and enable Russian sanctions evasion. The bill limits these tariffs to the five largest importers of Russian crude oil or gas, and top five countries that aid Russia's energy sanctions evasion. The bill also includes a provision to prevent a lapse in sanction authority that restricts funding for Iran's energy and weapons sectors.

Blumenthal joined CNN's Anderson Cooper to discuss his meeting with Zelenskyy and the need to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia.

Slamming Trump's Crypto Corruption

Blumenthal, Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI), released the testimonies of three investors in Donald Trump's crypto schemes who lost tens of thousands of dollars while the President made record-breaking profits. The individuals-each of whom requested anonymity-sat for interviews with PSI Minority staff during which they detailed their understanding of the President's meme coin projects and experience in having their investments in the $TRUMP and $MELANIA coins nearly wiped out.

A U.S. veteran lost $60,000 of the $70,000 he had invested in the $TRUMP and $MELANIA coins. He told PSI Minority staff, "When he launched the $TRUMP coin, I thought that it was not real, but then I saw that it was on his official Twitter. So, in January, I invested about $1000. Then he started tweeting about it again, so I thought it was legitimate. This is the president so I thought this was the biggest it could get. And like any other trading, you want to get in early. So, I put more money in."

A college student from Georgia told PSI Minority staff that he watched the $TRUMP and $MELANIA coins that he invested in rapidly decrease in value: "[I]n that collapse so many people lost money, the ones that were not the insiders. But the insiders made out on a lot of transaction fees and whatever they made."

An experienced meme coin trader from Colorado told PSI Minority staff, "The launch of the $TRUMP token, which was kicked off by Trump's social media posts, resulted in high volume and price run-up. Then it was followed shortly afterward by the $MELANIA token. This raised many questions for me, since the timing appeared to divert attention and capital from one token to the other. Whether that was intentional or simply the result of market dynamics is impossible for me to know. However, the sequence gave the appearance of benefiting certain market participants more than ordinary investors… I cannot say who was responsible or what their motivations were, but from an outside perspective, the market did not appear to operate on a level playing field."

These testimonies underscore how the President used crypto to more efficiently pursue his own self-interest and demonstrate why the current status quo of the crypto industry is unacceptable. The individuals' testimonies are available here.

Blumenthal released their testimonies in conjunction with a public forum on Trump's Crypto Corruption, convened alongside U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), a senior member of the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee.

Blumenthal delivered an opening statement at the forum on Donald Trump's self-enrichment crypto schemes, as well as risks the Clarity Act presents without clear ethics standards and any meaningful measures to protect consumers and our national security.

"When most presidents are going through personnel decisions and their vision for the future and helping to lead the country into a new administration, Donald Trump had a different priority, namely cashing in. Trump launched and promoted what he called the 'official Trump cryptocurrency,' a meme coin. It had no inherent value. It was his face and identity. $TRUMP coin was effectively a pump-and-dump scheme," Blumenthal said at the forum.

At the forum, Blumenthal released the testimonies of three Americans who lost tens of thousands of dollars after investing in $TRUMP and $MELANIA coins: "In fact, we've spoken to three investors who bought the $TRUMP coin believing it was a worthwhile investment because it had the endorsement of the President of the United States…They told us about how his approval earned their trust, and they also told us about how quickly they lost almost everything they had invested."

In a recorded video, a U.S. veteran who invested in $TRUMP and $MELANIA coins and who requested to remain anonymous said: "[T]he reality was that there were scams. Within a few days, I had lost about $10,000 under $TRUMP coin and $60,000 on the $MELANIA coin. I couldn't believe it. I trusted Trump that these were legitimate, and they weren't. I can't believe something like this would happen."

Blumenthal continued, "President Trump, who famously once called Bitcoin a scam, has not only used it to enrich himself, but he's also sold out the American people. He's enriched his family, his sons, his insider friends, his campaign donors, and some of them, for example, Steve Witkoff, are also in the national news and in positions of responsibility."

Blumenthal continued, pointing to the President's efforts to advance the Clarity Act without clear ethics standards: "As a result of all this personal success, the President is now fiercely committed to protecting the crypto industry. This kind of exploitation took advantage of weaknesses in the current law. The President is taking a strong stand against reforms that would eliminate the weaknesses and loopholes that he exploited-and others are doing right now-to perpetrate the same kind of fraud on the same kind of innocent victims across the United States."

Blumenthal concluded by calling for reforms to the Clarity Act to protect consumers, citing written testimony received by PSI Minority staff: "Earlier today, we received written testimony from New York Attorney General Letitia James, and she writes, 'Clarity seeks to interfere with and preempt states' investor protection laws, as well as dilute our ability to prosecute fraud. This is a mistake.'"

A video of Blumenthal's opening statement is available here.

Blumenthal further highlighted Trump's crypto corruption on Twitter/X.

"Trump's crypto corruption has costs-losses of $3.8 billion for about 1 million Americans, while he made $1.4 billion. His pump & dump schemes enriched his campaign donors & friends as well as himself," wrote Blumenthal with an accompanying video on Twitter/X.

"Trump is exploiting legal loopholes & enforcement weaknesses that cry out for reform-real safeguards, not smokescreen steps in the Clarity Act. For starters, require Trump & his family & all officials to divest all digital assets," wrote Blumenthal with an accompanying video on Twitter/X.

The forum included testimony from author and filmmaker, Ben McKenzie; crypto scam victim, Lori Flowers; former Chief of the SEC Office of Internet Enforcement, John Reed Stark; Chief Counsel for Ethics and Anticorruption at Democracy Defenders Action, Virginia Canter; and Deputy Executive Director of Transparency International U.S., Scott Greytak.

McKenzie testified at the forum: "It is timely that we are here today as Congress considers new legislation, the Clarity Act, to regulate the crypto sector. I believe we are at a point of crisis when it comes to crypto's influence over our legislative process. Recent reporting from just last week reveals a foreign company that issues a cryptocurrency used by major criminal organizations appears to have shaped Trump's signature piece of legislation, the GENIUS Act, while at the same time forging deep financial relationships with members of the executive branch. When it comes to crypto crimes, the call is coming from inside the White House."

Video of McKenzie's testimony is available here. Written testimony is available here.

Blumenthal further highlighted McKenzie's testimony on Twitter/X.

"Ben McKenzie maps out the potential crypto crimes of Trump & members of his Executive Branch-specifically how they have benefited from their financial ties to the shady foreign operator Tether," wrote Blumenthal with an accompanying video on Twitter/X.

Flowers said at the forum, "Crypto is the currency of choice for crooks. It enabled transnational criminals to steal my money in a way that made recovery impossible. It's a friction-free way to drain the bank accounts of U.S. Citizens and, interestingly, lined the pockets of many members and family members of this administration. It's no wonder the crypto bros are rooting for the Clarity Act. The financial consequences of my crypto-enabled scam continue to be devastating."

Video of Flowers's testimony is available here. Written testimony is available here.

Stark underscored the far-reaching consequences of lax crypto enforcement: "Crypto has created a sanctions evasion superhighway, and now every sanctioned drone and missile program topped up in stablecoins is an externality. We're sanctioning Iran while deregulating the crypto they use to buy the drones and the weapons that kill American soldiers. That's like stepping into the UFC octagon and handing your opponent brass knuckles between rounds."

Video of Stark's testimony is available here. Written testimony is available here.

Canter highlighted loopholes in the current version of the Clarity Act that would allow Donald Trump to continue to profit while still in office: "Unfortunately, the proposed language is fundamentally flawed as it fails to fully address the President's massive financial interests and conflicts of interest. As you've indicated, President Trump just reported receiving $1.4 billion in crypto revenue last year, and he has built a portfolio of crypto ventures valued at as high as $7 billion. Entities backed by the Emirati royal family have directed roughly $2.5 billion to the President's crypto ventures, most prominently through an investment in Binance, which was settled in the USD1 stablecoin. That deal is expected to generate roughly $80 million a year for the President's company. These conflicts of interest have no precedent in the history of the presidency."

Video of Canter's testimony is available here. Written testimony is available here.

Greytak also called for clear ethics standards in the Clarity Act, "This conversation isn't-and needn't be-about cryptocurrency being inherently good or bad. It is about what happens when a president and his family make extraordinary amounts of money from an industry at the same time that the President's administration shapes, implements, and enforces the rules that will determine that industry's value. That conflict is concrete. It is ongoing, and it is unprecedented in scale. And it means that unless the Clarity Act includes comprehensive and enforceable ethics rules going forward, every major decision by the federal government affecting this industry will be accompanied by the same question: is this good policy, or is it just good for the President's bottom line?"

Video of Greytak's testimony is available here. Written testimony is available here.

A full recording of the forum is available here. Written testimony submitted by New York Attorney General Letitia James is available here.

On the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee

Republican leadership blocked Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal's attempt to pass an amended version of the Take Care of America's Veterans Act. Blumenthal's legislation would replace the controversial Republican proposal to cut veterans' benefits with an alternative proposal to cover the costs of the legislation with a small portion of the $75 billion in unobligated and unspent funds appropriated to the Department of Defense in H.R. 1.

Blumenthal emphasized his proposal's bipartisan support: "It would utilize unspent Department of Defense funds from H.R.1, the so-called Big Beautiful Bill, to cover the entire cost of the bill. It's the only offset proposal for the Take Care of Veterans Act that has garnered bipartisan support, and it is the one that doesn't pit some veterans against other veterans…More than $75 billion of the Department of Defense funds in H.R. - a bill signed into law more than one year ago - remain unspent and unobligated. And CBO has confirmed, absolutely confirmed, enactment of my proposal prior to the Department's obligation of those funds would provide the savings we need."

Blumenthal objected to the Republican proposal to cut benefits for more than one million veterans who are currently eligible to receive benefits for tinnitus or sleep apnea: "These disabilities are not hypothetical or abstract. They're real, and they do disable people. And often, they are the result directly from combat or training…It may seem like an abstract principle, but to veterans who would lose sleep apnea and tinnitus benefits, it's a big deal. In fact, it can be a life-changing deal…We are creating a new generation of combat-injured veterans. It is unconscionable to claim that we can only care for them by forcing other veterans to sacrifice."

Blumenthal concluded by calling on his colleagues to abandon these cuts: "We need to do the right thing. Veterans deserve meaningful results from a grateful nation, and they should never be handed an invoice when the costs of war come due."

Last month, House Republicans pull a planned vote on the Take Care of America's Veterans Act, following a bipartisan House vote to replace the Republican benefit cuts with Blumenthal's proposal to utilize unobligated Department of Defense funds. Congressional Democrats and many Veterans Service Organizations have publicly opposed the Republican funding proposal included in the Take Care of America's Veterans Act.

The Senator's amended legislation would also have replaced the watered-down version of the Major Richard Star Act currently included in the Take Care of America's Veterans Act with the Blumenthal-authored version of the legislation that fully repeals the wounded veteran tax.

A video is available here.

Blumenthal further slammed his Republican colleagues for blocking his attempt to ensure veterans receive the full benefits they deserve on Twitter/X.

"Republicans want unprecedented cuts to veterans' benefits. On the floor, I urged a new alternative-use unspent DOD funds to provide for the Major Richard Star Act. Sadly, Republicans rejected it," wrote Blumenthal with an accompanying video on Twitter/X.

Demanding Answers on Cyclospora Outbreak

Blumenthal demanded answers from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Taylor Farms about the record-breaking cyclosporiasis outbreak and the backroom dealing by the Trump Administration that may have delayed the government's response to this ongoing public health crisis.

In letters sent to FDA Acting Commissioner Kyle Diamantas and Taylor Farms Chief Executive Officer Bruce Taylor, Blumenthal sought records and information about the ongoing investigation into the outbreak and the influence of Taylor Farms on staffing and program cuts at the agency.

"Recent reporting indicates that Taylor Farms-which last year donated $1 million to a political action committee supporting President Trump-contacted the White House seeking to delay the recall of its tainted produce, and that the White House brought officials from the FDA onto the call. According to former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, there is no precedent for such intervention from the White House in the agency's management of food safety recalls," Blumenthal wrote in a letter to Diamantas.

Blumenthal continued, "This was not the first time that Taylor Farms has sought to use political connections to influence regulation of the industry in which it operates: Since the beginning of the second Trump Administration, the company has spent $810,000 on lobbying regarding 'regulation of food safety.'"

Blumental raised concerns regarding the Administration's lacking response and shifting information about the outbreak: "According to FDA, the current cyclosporiasis outbreak started on May 17, 2026, but the agency did not issue a public notice about it until July 17, 2026, when it announced that Taylor Farms would voluntarily remove all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico. On July 19, 2026, FDA provided an update claiming the sample collected from Taylor Farms was a false positive. When Taylor Farms then announced that the agency had 'apologized' for linking its produce to the outbreak, FDA quickly denied that it had done any such thing. Shortly thereafter, Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of the Department of Health and Human Services said the outbreak was 'under control' even as it continued to infect thousands of people and expand into additional states."

Pointing to the Trump Administration's cuts to federal food safety programs, including those designed to actively monitor foodborne outbreaks of cyclospora, Blumenthal concluded, "The severity of the outbreak indicates that, thanks to Trump Administration policies, FDA is simply unprepared to handle an outbreak of foodborne illness at this scale."

The full text of Blumenthal's letter to Diamantas is available here

Blumenthal Bulletin

Blumenthal raised concerns about the Trump Administration directing tax payer dollars toward critical mining companies linked to the Trump and Lutnick families.

Blumenthal sounded the alarm on immigration detainee abuse at a public forum.

Blumenthal released a statement on the $76.6 billion contract for Electric Boat to produce 14 additional Columbia and Virginia Class Submarines.

Blumenthal introduced the Food Labeling Modernization Act.

Blumenthal attended Hundred Crown Foundation's first annual community celebration in Bridgeport's Hollow neighborhood.

Blumenthal joined Walter Lockett for a ceremony honoring him with a street named after him in Bridgeport.

Blumenthal joined ConnCAT and ConnCORP for a backpack giveaway in Hamden.

Blumenthal attended a Bridgeport block party celebrating Colombian heritage and culture.

Blumenthal attended a Stamford back-to-school event benefiting hundreds of kids with clothes, books, supplies, and more.

Blumenthal celebrated Cape Verde Day in Bridgeport.

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