Politics & Government

Stamford Eye on the Beltway: Blumenthal Wants the Rich Paying More

Blumenthal supports the 'Buffet rule'; different views of Lieberman's legacy; Murphy flush with campaign cash

BLUMENTHAL: The eighth richest congressman in Washington D.C. is pushing for higher taxes on the rich. U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal wants the so-called “Buffet rule” to go into law so the tax rate goes up for people making more than $1 million a year.

"They should pay the same rates as hard-working, middle-class Americans. Unconscionably, current tax loopholes allow the wealthiest Americans who make most of their income from investments to pay a lower tax rate than middle-class families,” he said, according to the Greenwich Time.

While politicians, millionaires and average people debate the merits of raising taxes on the rich, the U.S. Treasury accepts donations. In 2012, $3.5 million was donated – the highest in decades. The Buffet tax would raise an additional $47 billion total in a decade.

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LIEBERMAN: Joseph Lieberman made headlines when he left the Democratic Party for his successful independent run for the Senate. Opinions are divided, and that’s especially true in the race for the seat he’s leaving this term. In a debate amongst the Democratic candidates vying for Senate, opinions ranged from complimentary to saying he could be tried for treason for his support of the Iraq War.

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DELAURO: A union leader is pushing the Obama administration to not renew a free trade agreement with Columbia. Leo Gerard, president of United Steelworkers, says that Columbia is “the most dangerous [country] in the world for union activists” and that 3,000 workers have been killed by paramilitary groups.

Gerard cited a letter by U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro and four other members of Congress that asked what the country is doing to improve its situation.

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HIMES: The War in Afghanistan has now been fought for three presidential terms. U.S. Rep. Jim Himes cited on Twitter an article in the New York Times about the troops.

"For every soldier killed on the battlefield this year, about 25 veterans are dying by their own hands." Unacceptable.

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MURPHY: Linda McMahon has the reputation for having all the money, but U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy is flush with cash in the race for U.S. Senate. The New Haven Register reports that he has $3 million in cash on hand for the campaign, while McMahon has $1.9 million. Democratic candidate Susan Bysiewicz has $1 million and William Tong has $226,848.

“Eye on the Beltway” is new 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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