Senator Blumenthal: Week in Review 7/31/2026-8/7/2026

Celebrating Senate Passage of Landmark Russia Sanctions Bill

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, U.S. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) celebrated Senate passage of the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 in an overwhelming bipartisan vote. The legislation, led by Blumenthal and U.S. Senator Darline Graham (R-SC), would hold major purchasers of Russian oil and gas accountable for supporting Russia's war in Ukraine.

Blumenthal spoke on the Senate Floor ahead of the final vote. Video is available here.

"Today, President Zelenskyy is watching from Ukraine. And Putin is watching from Moscow. I would like to think that Lindsey Graham is watching, too. And I know how proud he would be of his sister today, who has taken his place on the Floor and has been such a profoundly strong and effective advocate for this bill. Today, we say to the people Ukraine: you are not alone. And we say to Vladimir Putin: You will not conquer Ukraine; you will not defeat this free, brave people, who are turning the tide against your blood-thirsty aggression," Blumenthal said.

"I would like to close with some brilliant rhetorical flourish, but I'd rather just recall some of Senator Graham's last words to me. He said, 'This is a big eff-ing deal. We all did good.'"

Last week, Blumenthal and U.S. Senators Katie Britt (R-AL), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Jim Risch (R-ID) hosted a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and supporters of the legislation at the U.S. Capitol. Photos of the meeting are available here.

Blumenthal and U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) first introduced legislation to bring primary and secondary sanctions against Russia and actors supporting Russia's aggression in Ukraine in April 2025, and spent the last year building support for the effort in Congress and the Administration. Lindsey Graham secured an agreement with the White House on the bill just before his death.

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 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.

The text of the bill is available here.

Blumenthal hosted a press conference following Senate passage of the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act.

"It is a momentous day. President Zelenskyy is watching in Ukraine. Vladimir Putin is watching in Moscow. I like to think Lindsey Graham is watching as well and proud of what we've done. Because today we send a message to Vladimir Putin-you will not win this war. Time to come to the table for peace," said Blumenthal.

Denouncing Todd Blanche as Trump's Nominee for U.S. Attorney General

Blumenthal a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, voted against Todd Blanche's nomination to serve as Attorney General of the United States at this week's Committee markup. At the markup, Blumenthal spoke out against Blanche's nomination, raising concerns about Blanche's lack of independence.

"'I'm his lawyer.' That is what Mr. Blanche told us he was. 'I'm his lawyer.' Namely Donald Trump's lawyer. Maya Angelou famously said, 'When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.' Todd Blanche is Donald Trump's lawyer. He will say anything, do anything, conceal anything for his boss," Blumenthal said at the markup.

Pointing to Blanche's purported rescission of the so-called "Anti-Weaponization Fund" to reward the President's political allies and violent criminals who attacked Capitol Police officers on January 6, Blumenthal continued, "Commentators have talked about loopholes. There are no loopholes here. This document itself is a sham."

Blumenthal underscored that Donald Trump remains committed to seeing the slush fund move forward, despite Blanche's assurances: "The President of the United States yesterday, in the Oval Office, repeated his commitment to the Anti-Weaponization Fund. We don't need to say the quiet part out loud. The President is shouting it."

Blumenthal continued, "The position of the United States Attorney General is a position of supreme trust. Any of us who have worked in the Department of Justice-I was the United States Attorney for Connecticut-knows that the Attorney General of the United States, like every lawyer who represents the United States, has a trust, in going to court, in making representation…Todd Blanche has betrayed that trust. And his betrayal of that trust is disqualifying for his nomination."

"My fear is that Todd Blanche will represent Donald Trump, be his consigliere, and he will put Donald Trump ahead of the American people and the right to vote. I cannot support him. I regret that this committee will in effect betray its trust in the party-line vote that is to follow and approve Todd Blanche as Attorney General of the United States," Blumenthal concluded.

A video of Blumenthal's remarks is available here.

Blumenthal joined CNN's Anderson Cooper to discuss Blanche's nomination.

Blumenthal also spoke on the Senate Floor denouncing Blanche as Trump's nominee to be U.S. Attorney General.

"'I'm his lawyer,' is what Todd Blanche said in the course of his confirmation hearing before the Judiciary Committee of the United States Senate. 'I'm his lawyer,' meaning, 'I'm Donald Trump's lawyer.' He will be guided by blind loyalty to the President and contempt for the law, enabling the President in continued corrupt crypto schemes as well as condoning and empowering the President to establish a slush fund for January 6 rioters, as well as tax immunity," said Blumenthal. "That is not the conduct of an Attorney General of the United States carrying out and respecting the Constitution. That's Donald Trump's personal lawyer."

A video of Blumenthal's full speech on the Floor is available here.

Blumenthal further slammed Blanche as unfit to be U.S. Attorney General on Twitter/X, specifically highlighting his supposed "walking back" of the anti-weaponization fund and his inability to recognize the January 6 insurrection as an attack on our Capitol.

"Blanche's walk-back of the anti-weaponization fund is a sham. There is absolutely nothing stopping Trump from going to court tomorrow & establishing this slush fund," wrote Blumenthal with an accompanying video on Twitter/X.

"To Todd Blanche Jan 6th was just 'events.' No wonder he is in favor of a slush fund that pays out the insurrectionists who violently attacked law enforcement & the Capitol," wrote Blumenthal with an accompanying video on Twitter/X.

"As Attorney General of the United States, Todd Blanche will not be a lawyer for the American people-he will be Donald Trump's personal lawyer," wrote Blumenthal with an accompanying video on Twitter/X.

Applauding Commerce Committee Passage of Bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act

Blumenthal and U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) released the following statement on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation's passage of the bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) by voice vote:

"For years, heartbroken parents have demanded Congress take action to protect America's children from Big Tech's exploitation, and today is a major victory for the courageous families who refused to give up," said Blumenthal and Blackburn. "The Senate has repeatedly shown that there is broad, bipartisan support for a version of KOSA that creates a duty of care to protect kids from online predators, addictive algorithms, and harmful product design. We want to thank our large, diverse, and determined coalition for standing with us today, and we look forward to getting this bill to the President's desk."

Blumenthal further highlighted the need for the Senate Kids Online Safety Act on Twitter/X, after Meta was ordered to pay $942 million to address harm to kids from social media.

"Groundbreaking loss for Zuckerberg. While Meta has bought off House Republican leadership, it is finally facing justice in the courts-near a billion dollars in penalties & meaningful mandated changes in this historic decision. The strong Senate Kids Online Safety Act is ready to become law-once again receiving a resounding Committee approval this week. The question is whether Speaker Johnson wants his legacy to be protecting Mark Zuckerberg or American families," wrote Blumenthal on Twitter/X.

Slamming Trump's Loyalist Judicial Nominees

Blumenthal was joined by three former federal prosecutors to raise alarm over the ongoing refusal of Trump Administration judicial nominees to acknowledge the results of the 2020 election or admit that what happened on January 6, 2021, was an attack on the Capitol.

The three prosecutors - Michael Romano, Sean Murphy, and Brendan Ballou - worked on cases relating to violence at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Prior to the press conference, they joined a group of twelve former federal prosecutors who all worked on cases relating to the violent attack on the Capitol in sending a letter urging members of the Senate to reject judicial nominees who cannot "cannot identify that (1) January 6 as an attack on our democracy, (2) the attack was led by supporters of Donald Trump, and (3) Joe Biden was legitimately elected in the 2020 election."

Video of the press conference is available here.

Michael Romano prosecuted rioters who brawled with police officers on Capitol grounds, who attacked officers with wooden and metal poles, and who pepper-sprayed officers defending the Tunnel. As a manager, Romano also oversaw many cases prosecuted by others. Romano also served as a Trial Attorney in the Criminal Division's Public Integrity Section between 2019 and 2025.

"The fact of the matter was, the riot was an attack on our democracy. It was an attempt to stop the peaceful transfer of power. It was an attempt to install the loser of the 2020 election back in office against the will of the American people. I know this because the evidence was overwhelming," Romano said. "Now, these people were convicted before Republicans and Democratic judges, they were sentenced before Republican and Democratic judges, judges appointed by any President of any party recognized the truth of what this day was. And anybody seeking a position on the bench now should be able to do the same. They should be able to tell the truth."

Sean P. Murphy joined the Capitol Siege Section in January 2021 and remained with the team until it was disbanded in January 2025. Among those Murphy investigated, prosecuted, and secured convictions against are an individual who beat an officer with a flagpole with the American flag still attached until the flagpole broke; an off-duty police officer; a man that used wasp spray to attack police officers, and a man that punched a police officer twice in the head before ripping away the officer's riot shield, leaving him defenseless. Murphy also served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Puerto Rico between 2018 and 2025.

"To the Senators voting on these nominees today, please stop poisoning our courts by confirming appointees who refuse to admit basic historical truths. This is not a problem of perspective or political persuasion; it is fundamental question of competence. We would no more hire a schoolteacher who refuses to believe in fractions, or a mechanic who won't admit that gas goes in a gas tank than you should confirm someone to a lifetime seat on the bench who cannot admit that Donald Trump lost, and who refuses to recognize that those who assaulted police officers at the U.S. Capitol were wrong to do so," Murphy said.

Brendan Ballou was involved in the trial teams that prosecuted a husband-and-wife duo who assaulted officers along the Capitol's western front before they were finally repelled by pepper spray, and prosecuted one of the first rioters who entered the Senate chamber, who triumphantly stood atop the dais within the chamber. Ballou also served as Special Counsel in the Antitrust Division from 2016 to 2017 and from 2020 to 2025.

"So, we have a president that is trying to subvert a future election, we have an acting Attorney General who is eager to help in that effort, and the danger that we face with these judicial nominees is that future court cases that will determine whether our democracy continues may be people who deny the reality of January 6^th," Ballou said. "Think about how dangerous it is, how scary it is, to have a court case about voting rights, about democracy, about the rule of law, prosecuted by Todd Blanche, and overseen by one of these judges who denies the reality of what happened that day. So, it is important to be talking about this, it is important that these judges not be confirmed if they refuse to acknowledge the reality of January 6^th."

At a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing this week, Blumenthal questioned Trump Administration judicial nominees and slammed them for their refusal to truthfully answer questions about the 2020 election and the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021.

"The word 'attack' seems to have been stripped from Trump judicial nominees' vocabulary. It isn't a political controversy to speak the truth about what happened on January 6^th," wrote Blumenthal with an accompanying video on Twitter/X.

"Another panel of political puppets. Trump's judicial nominees refuse to state the simple fact that Joe Biden won the 2020 election," wrote Blumenthal with an accompanying video on Twitter/X.

"After only 6 months on the District Court, Anna St. John has proven herself such a loyal sycophant that she is up for a promotion to the 5^th circuit. She knows what lies the President demands to hear and still won't say Trump lost the 2020 election," wrote Blumenthal with an accompanying video on Twitter/X.

Blumenthal Bulletin

Blumenthal posted a Substack article on Trump's crypto corruption.

Blumenthal introduced a resolution blocking Trump tax amnesty and January 6 slush fund.

Blumenthal released a statement on the U.S. Army's award of two contracts for Sikorsky.

Blumenthal introduced legislation to address youth vaping use.

Blumenthal called on Yale to reject settlement with Trump Administration.

Blumenthal demanded answers from FDA and Taylor Farms about the cyclosporiasis outbreak.

Blumenthal released a GAO report finding DOGE misled Americans about claimed savings.

Blumenthal introduced legislation to end unprecedented Presidential corruption and to stop "pay-to-play" pardons.

Blumenthal joined sweeping legislation to counter Trump's authoritarian takeover and to defend our democracy.

Blumenthal will host a passport, TSA Precheck, and Global Entry enrollment and renewal event in Hartford.

Blumenthal announced a grant for East Street in New Britain to improve the safety of a dangerous intersection.

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