Politics & Government

Westport Eye on the Beltway: Lieberman Wants Help for Syria

Blumenthal attends a forum about flooding, Rosa DeLauro decries what she calls an "assault on women" in Wisconsin.

LIEBERMAN: Sen. Joseph Lieberman was on the Turkish border with other politicians to assess the conflict in Syria. The senators issued a lengthy joint statement and urged “non-lethal aid” be provided to the fighters opposing the government.

Over the past few days, we have met with senior Turkish leaders, with the leadership of the Syrian National Council and the Free Syrian Army, with young members of the Syrian resistance, with defectors from the Assad regime, and with Syrian refugees. All of the Syrians we met with are grateful for the humanitarian assistance that many nations are providing, as are we. But this does not change the basic fact: The international community is failing the people of Syria.

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BLUMENTHAL, HIMES, MURPHY: U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal met with community leaders from municipalities along the Housatonic River to talk about ways to alleviate flooding in the area.

“We’re all affected by flooding or by drought,” Blumenthal said, according to the Housatonic Times. “We need to work on a bipartisan basis.”

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Aides for several legislators - Jim Himes, Rep. Chris Murphy and Rep. Rosa DeLauro - attended the meeting.

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DELAURO: U.S. Rep. Rosa Delauro continues attacking Republican policies. Earlier this week, she criticized a budget passed by the House of Representatives. Now she’s calling out Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker for what she describes as an “assault on women.” 

Last Thursday, April 5, Governor Scott Walker continued the war against women by signing a bill repealing Wisconsin’s 2009 Equal Pay Enforcement Act. The 2009 Act allowed victims of workplace discrimination to seek damages in state courts. 

This action further highlights the need to enact legislation at the federal level.  The Paycheck Fairness Act, which I have introduced in every Congress since 1997, has twice passed the United States House of Representatives, but unfortunately contains no Republican cosponsors. Being sure that women receive equal pay for equal work should not be a partisan issue. 

“Eye on the Beltway” is a feature on your local Patch that looks each day at the activities of elected officials in our nation’s capitol from your town and other parts of southwestern Connecticut.

Those officials are:

  • Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)
  • Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT)
  • Rep. Rosa DeLauro (CT-3), a Democrat representing Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Bethany, Branford, Derby, Durham, East Haven, Guilford, Hamden, Middlefield, Middletown, Milford, Naugatuck, New Haven, North Branford, North Haven, Orange, Prospect, Seymour, Shelton, Stratford, Wallingford, Waterbury, West Haven and Woodbridge.
  • Rep. Jim Himes (CT-4), a Democrat representing Bridgeport, Darien, Easton, Fairfield, Greenwich, Monroe, New Canaan, Norwalk, Oxford, Redding, Ridgefield, Shelton (part), Stamford, Trumbull, Weston, Westport and Wilton.
  • Rep. Chris Murphy (CT-5), a Democrat representing Avon, Bethel, Bethlehem, Bridgewater, Brookfield, Burlington, Canaan, Canton, Cheshire, Cornwall, Danbury, Farmington, Goshen, Harwinton, Kent, Litchfield, Meriden, Middlebury, Morris, New Britain, New Fairfield, New Milford, Newtown, Norfolk, North Canaan, Plainville, Plymouth, Roxbury, Salisbury, Sharon, Sherman, Simsbury, Southbury, Thomaston, Torrington (part), Warren, Washington, Waterbury (part), Watertown, Wolcott and Woodbury.


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