Senator Blumenthal: Week in Review 6/19/2026-6/26/2026

Demanding Action on Social Media Victims Remembrance Day

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - On Tuesday, June 23, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) joined 48 bereaved families, lawmakers, youth advocates, and child safety experts at a memorial marking Social Media Victims Remembrance Day.

"We are here to honor so many young people. But we need to honor them with more than words - we need to honor them with action," Blumenthal said. "I'm angry at Big Tech and Mark Zuckerberg, but I'm also angry at my colleagues in that building. I am angry at the United States Congress for its inaction."

"And as all of you know, because you've knocked on those doors, you've talked to them, they all know how to talk the talk, right? Oh, we feel for you, we grieve with you. Well, they need to put some spine where their words are, and reject the campaign contributions, and shut out the lobbyists, and say no to the lawyers."

In his remarks, Blumenthal called on Congress to act by passing the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) approved by the Senate in an overwhelming bipartisan 91-3 vote. In the Senate, KOSA has 76 co-sponsors and creates a duty for online platforms to take meaningful steps to prevent users of their products from being hurt, just as every other industry in America is required to do. The "duty of care" requires social media companies to prevent and mitigate certain harms that they know their platforms and products are causing to young users as a result of their own design choices, such as their recommendation algorithms and addictive product features. The specific covered harms include suicide, eating disorders, substance use disorders, and sexual exploitation.

"If my colleagues are serious, they're going to reject laws that eliminate the Duty of Care. Well, they'll tell you, you know, again, it's complicated, it's difficult - there's nothing complicated about the Duty of Care," Blumenthal said. "If you make a defective toaster and it blows up in someone's home, they're liable. If you make a defective car, and it careens into a tree, they're liable. If you make an airplane that crashes because it has defective parts, they're liable. When Big Tech makes products that addict and kill young people, they should be liable under a Duty of Care that is clear and effective."

Blumenthal concluded by thanking the families and advocates who have supported KOSA and advocated for change.

"Since our last meeting here, I've become a grandfather. And for all of us who have children or grandchildren, this issue is not about some abstraction - some principle that we learned in law school or take to court. It is about real lives. It is about the Bride family and the Neville family. It is about every one of who is here today who have mustered the courage - and I don't know how you have it - but you are giving us the spirit and the drive and the inspiration that we need to continue this fight," "Since our last meeting here, I've become a grandfather. And for all of us who have children or grandchildren, this issue is not about some abstraction - some principle that we learned in law school or take to court. It is about real lives. It is about the Bride family and the Neville family. It is about every one of who is here today who have mustered the courage - and I don't know how you have it - but you are giving us the spirit and the drive and the inspiration that we need to continue this fight," said Blumenthal.

On Twitter/X, Blumenthal further highlighted Social Media Remembrance Day and called for protections for children online.

"We should be angry about Big Tech addicting & killing children. Mourn the dead but fight like hell for the living. An old adage, it should stop us from being daunted or discouraged. Fight for my internet safety act-KOSA," said Blumenthal with an accompanying video on Twitter/X.

On the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee

Blumenthal, Ranking Member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, led 46 of his Democratic colleagues in opposing cuts to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits for disabled veterans who suffer from sleep apnea and tinnitus, as proposed by a draft VA rule and the Take Care of America's Veterans Act.

In a letter to VA Secretary Doug Collins, the Senators condemned a proposed reduction in benefits for more than one million veterans suffering from sleep apnea and tinnitus: "We write in strong opposition to a proposed reduction in benefits for more than one million veterans suffering from sleep apnea and tinnitus outlined in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) draft rule entitled "Schedule for Rating Disabilities--Ear, Nose, Throat, and Audiology Disabilities; Special Provisions Regarding Evaluation of Respiratory Conditions; Respiratory System" (RIN: 2900-AQ72). We urge you to listen to the growing opposition from veterans and publicly commit to addressing their concerns."

The Senators continued, "Along with the draft rule, we are equally opposed to the Take Care of America's Veterans Act because it codifies the same harmful reductions in benefits for veterans with tinnitus and sleep apnea benefits. By writing these cuts into statute, the legislation would permanently implement the very policies that veterans, medical experts, and veterans service organizations have overwhelmingly opposed. Whether implemented through regulation or enacted by Congress, these cuts would strip disabled veterans of earned compensation and health care benefits - they should be rejected outright."

The Senators emphasized how the policy would cut benefits for veterans with service-connected sleep apnea and tinnitus and pointed to veterans service organizations' opposition. They noted that tinnitus in particular is the most common service-connected disability recognized by VA, with an estimated 3.6 million veterans receiving benefits for this condition. The Congressional Budget Office has confirmed that nearly one million veterans would have their monthly disability compensation reduced by the change.

The Senators concluded by calling on VA Secretary Collins to join them in opposing these harmful cuts to benefits: "At your confirmation hearing last year, you pledged, "We're not going to balance budgets on the back of veterans' benefits." We urge you to honor that commitment by abandoning these proposals and to further reject any legislation that would permanently cut off these benefits to veterans. We look forward to working with you to ensure our nation's veterans receive the care and benefits they deserve."

Blumenthal further highlighted how Republicans are blocking benefits for combat-injured veterans on his Substack.

On Twitter/X, Blumenthal amplified the stories of veterans and advocates calling for the Major Richard Star Act to do right by our nation's veterans.

"Listen to Octavia, a U.S. Navy veteran who served for 30 years. She'll tell you why we need the Major Richard Star Act to provide for our nation's veterans-without depriving other veterans of their earned benefits," wrote Blumenthal with a video of Octavia on Twitter/X.

Calling for a Living Wage for Working Americans

Blumenthal joined U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Ron Wyden (D-OR), workers, and labor leaders for a press conference announcing the Living Wage for All Act, historic legislation to raise the federal minimum wage to $25.

"Almost half of all Americans are making less than $26 an hour. Americans are struggling right now - the cost of gasoline, and groceries. We all know that Donald Trump has inflated all of the costs of living in this country. People cannot make ends meet on less than $25 an hour and live fairly and with dignity. And that's why we need to raise that minimum number to $25 dollars," said Blumenthal.

"Right now, we have a system that encourages a race to the bottom, not to the top. A living wage, $25 an hour, is the least we can do for the American middle class, working families, Americans who go to work every day and depend on what they make. They don't depend on the stock market. The President of the United States measures the economy by what the stock market is doing. Most Americans depend on what they make, what their paycheck is, every week at work. And that's the reality, Mr. President. My colleagues here need to accept that a living wage is the way to treat Americans fairly, with dignity, with respect, and to strengthen the middle class," continued Blumenthal.

A video of Blumenthal's remarks is available here.

Blumental further called for a living wage to do right by American workers on Twitter/X.

"As Trump inflates the cost of living-skyrocketing prices for everything from gas to groceries-people deserve to be paid with dignity & fairness. Proud to join my colleagues in calling for a living wage for Americans workers," wrote Blumenthal with an accompanying video on Twitter/X.

Slamming Trump Administration's Use of Taxpayer Dollars for White House Ballroom Project

Blumenthal, Ranking Member of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI), demanded answers from U.S. Secret Service Director Sean Curran about the redirection of Congressionally appropriated taxpayer dollars to fund the construction of President Donald Trump's White House Ballroom. In a letter sent this week, Blumenthal requested documents and information regarding the Secret Service's diversion of $1.17 billion that was intended to be used for Secret Service operations.

"Diversion of this major appropriation amount from its intended and explicitly directed purposes seems to exceed your legal authority and violate statutory limits. These funds were appropriated by Congress to provide the Secret Service the resources and tools needed to keep those under the agency's protection safe," Blumenthal wrote.

Blumenthal continued, "President Trump has repeatedly insisted that construction costs would be paid by private donors and himself personally, at no cost to the taxpayers. Recent reporting, however, indicates that the cost of constructing the ballroom is much more expensive than the American people were led to believe, and they will be responsible for hundreds of millions of dollars to pay for it. Indeed, we now know that, at the very same time President Trump promised the American people that the project would be paid for '100 percent by me and some friends of mine,' the Administration privately planned for taxpayers to fund half of the costs of a project that was recently estimated to cost $600 million, triple the President's original estimate."

"The ever-increasing scale of the White House Ballroom project, together with the Administration's lack of transparency about it has only made it more critical that Congress ensure that taxpayer money intended for Secret Service protection operations is not diverted to ballroom construction. This is clearly not how Congress intended this money to be spent. Indeed, Congress rejected the Administration's request for $1 billion to fund the ballroom project in the most recent budget reconciliation process, reinforcing Congress's intention that Secret Service funds not be utilized for this purpose," Blumenthal concluded.

The full text of Blumenthal's letter to Director Curran is available here.

Blumenthal Bulletin

Blumenthal released a statement on the Senate vote to halt Trump's unauthorized war in Iran.

Blumenthal marked the anniversary of the Dobbs Supreme Court decision, recommitting to fighting for reproductive justice, abortion access, and the foundational right to choose your own health care.

Blumenthal reacted to the Supreme Court's decision allowing the Trump Administration to end legal protections for migrants fleeing violence and natural disaster in Haiti and Syria.

Blumenthal reacted to the Supreme Court striking down a law limiting guns in businesses.

Blumenthal delivered an opening statement at a public forum on the Trump Administration abandoning Americans to disease.

Blumenthal pressed Trump's National Parks Service and Reflecting Pool contractors for answers as firms with close ties to Trump bungle Reflecting Pool project.

Blumenthal urged the Connecticut Insurance Department to reject double-digit health insurance rate increases that would impact nearly 220,000 Connecticut residents.

Blumenthal introduced legislation to prevent frontover child deaths.

Blumenthal attended Juneteenth celebrations in Middletown, Bridgeport, New Haven, Danbury, and Stamford.

Blumenthal joined CNN to discuss Trump's Reflecting Pool project.

Blumenthal questioned Trump's judicial nominees on who won the 2020 election and if the Capitol was attacked on January 6^th.

Blumenthal questioned Trump's Postmaster General on his refusal to commit to delivering mail-in-ballots without fulfilling Trump's new review.

Blumenthal attended celebrations for American's 250^th anniversary in Wallingford and Milford.

Blumenthal joined the Hooks for Heroes event in Stamford.

Blumenthal celebrated Father's Day.

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