Month: June 2020

WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and U.S. Representatives Gerald E. Connolly (D-VA) and Francis Rooney (R-FL) led the introduction of a resolution denouncing discriminatory treatment of Iranian Americans. This bicameral, bipartisan resolution comes after earlier this year, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) office on the U.S.-Canada border was found to have directed its agents to detain and question Americans of Iranian origin about their faith and military service following the U.S. killing of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani. The resolution calls on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to launch a civil rights probe into the incident and directs government officials to ensure that civil rights and liberties of all Americans – including Iranian Americans – are protected.

“The prejudice Iranian Americans experienced at the hands of federal border officials earlier this year will simply not be tolerated in our country,” said Blumenthal. “I am proud to co-sponsor this important resolution with congressional colleagues from both sides of the aisle to completely denounce such acts of bigotry and take steps to ensure this never happens again. The Department of Homeland Security must launch a full and complete investigation into this shameful incident, and leaders across the country must reaffirm our nation’s commitment to protect the civil rights and liberties of all Americans – including Iranian Americans.”

“Earlier this year, dozens of Americans of Iranian heritage were detained at the border at the direction of Customs and Border Protection agents,” said Connolly. “There is no place for such bigotry or acts of discrimination against any American. This resolution unequivocally condemns such discriminatory treatment, urges the Department of Homeland Security to conduct a civil rights investigation into this matter, and calls upon government leaders and law enforcement personnel to ensure that the civil rights and civil liberties of all Americans, including Iranian Americans, are fully protected.”

 

“Iranian Americans are being profiled by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for no reason other than appearance,” said Rooney. “This is illegal and unacceptable. This is why Congressman Gerald Connolly and I introduced a bipartisan resolution to acknowledge the diversity of the Iranian American community and their contributions to the socioeconomic fabric of America. Many Iranian Americans serve in our military, contribute to our small and large businesses, hold elected government positions, and work in our law enforcement. This resolution sheds light on the importance of maintaining and promoting the civil rights and liberties that the Iranian American community deserves.”

The resolution was co-sponsored by U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) in the Senate and U.S. Representatives Scott Peters (D-CA) and Michael Waltz (R-FL) in the House.

“Iranian-Americans have made immense contributions across American society,” said Kaine. “I’m proud that many of them call Virginia home. And I’m glad to join this group of bicameral, bipartisan colleagues to condemn discrimination against the Iranian-American community at the hands of federal border officials earlier this year. Congress must stand strong against discrimination in all its forms.”

The resolution was also endorsed by the Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA).

 

“I applaud congressional leaders for their efforts to encourage local, state and federal elected officials to engage with Iranian Americans to end harmful stereotypes and protect our community’s civil liberties and civil rights,” said PAAIA Executive Director Leila Austin. “The discrimination of anyone based on ethnicity or national origin does not speak to the values of our great nation. I am hopeful that through the introduction of these resolutions, efforts will be made to eradicate this discrimination from our communities and in government. I thank Sen. Blumenthal and Reps. Connolly and Rooney as well as the resolutions’ bi-partisan co-sponsors Sen. Kaine and Reps. Peters and Waltz for shining a spotlight on this issue and for putting forth recommendations to discourage the discrimination of any American based on their race, color, religion, national origin or ethnicity.”

 

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WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Wednesday applauded Senate passage of the Great American Outdoors Act. The bipartisan legislation, which passed by a vote of 73-25, fully and permanently funds the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) at $900 million per year. The LWCF is the main federal program to ensure protection of and access to our public lands. The Great American Outdoors Act will also address our nearly $12 billion repair backlog in National Parks and on other public lands by directing up to $9.5 billion over five years to address maintenance needs within the National Park System. The legislation now heads to the U.S. House of Representatives, and President Trump has signaled he would sign this bill into law.

 

“Today is big win for our public lands. The Great American Outdoors Act fully funds the Land and Water Conservation fund which is critical to preserving Connecticut’s public parks, restoring our aging park facilities and infrastructure, and creating good jobs. This bill also funds much needed outdoor infrastructure programs in urban communities in our state, so everyone can access the outdoors. Good things happen when Congress puts politics aside, and this bill is evidence of that,” said Murphy.

 

LWCF is a critical tool to protect iconic landscapes, recreation areas, wetlands, and wildlife refuges in Connecticut and has funded over $60 million in conservation projects across the state since the program was created in 1965. As the threats from climate change become more severe, providing permanent funding for LWCF will help Connecticut mitigate and adapt to those shifts. In addition, with aging park facilities and decreased visitation revenue, this bill will help address the deferred maintenance backlog of $2.3 million at Connecticut’s National Park sites.

 

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#WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), author of the Restoring Aviation Accountability Act and a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation, released the following statement on the Aircraft Safety and Certification Reform Act, introduced earlier today by U.S. Senators Roger Wicker (R-MI) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA), the Chair and Ranking Member of the Commerce Committee.

 

“I’m glad to see this bipartisan reform proposal include several provisions I’ve championed, including stronger protections for whistleblowers, minimum qualifications for those preforming work on behalf of the FAA, targeted audits of ODA units, and addressing concerns about compensation and bonuses for meeting performance goals,” Blumenthal said. “Left to its own devices, the aviation certification system puts corporate profits before consumer safety. I look forward to working with my Commerce Committee colleagues to make this legislation even stronger – returning power to federal regulators, restoring accountability, and reforming industry oversight.”

 

Earlier this year, Blumenthal and U.S. Senators Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Tom Udall (D-NM), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) introduced comprehensive legislation revamping oversight of the aviation industry to prioritize consumer safety. The Restoring Aviation Accountability Act effectively reverses the provisions enacted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2018, which allowed the aviation industry to regulate many of its own certification processes. As a result, Boeing’s automated system MCAS, which has been widely recognized as the cause of the deadly Boeing 737 MAX 8 crashes, was never fully analyzed by the FAA while Boeing downplayed its risks.

 

Among a number of reforms, the Restoring Aviation Accountability Act would:

 

·         Establish a commission to review the current FAA safety delegation program (ODA) to determine and evaluate if alternative certification programs would provide more robust oversight.

·         Increase the accountability measures of the current safety oversight system by requiring that pay, compensation, and bonuses for officers and employees of the FAA are not contingent on the delivery of airplanes, the number of aircraft certified, or the number of audits completed.  Prohibits safety certification system employees of manufacturers from having performance standards tied to delivery of aircraft. 

·         Require a comprehensive, independent audit of ODA practices, safety management, and the organization management team responsible for overseeing the ODA holder at least once every three years, regardless of the length of time that the entity has been an authorized ODA holder.

·         Establish an independent panel to review each aircraft type certificate every five years, as well any amendment to an existing type certificate, and make recommendations about whether the application for a new type certificate is warranted. This provision would also require the Administrator to review the panel’s recommendations to determine whether the aircraft is airworthy or if the manufacturer needs to apply for a new type certificate.  

·         Bolster whistleblower incentives and protections in the aviation industry for employees, contractors, and subcontractors of aircraft manufacturers, aircraft repair stations, and the FAA by providing whistleblowers with access to court for a jury trial and monetary incentives for information that leads to a successful resolution of a complaint.

 

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The Connecticut Police Chiefs Association, which represents over 100 Municipal and University Police Chiefs that lead 0ver 8500 municipal police officers in our state, have agreed to a 90-day moratorium on the acquisition of surplus military equipment.

 

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