Richard Blumenthal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Richard Blumenthal
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Blumenthal in 2023
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| Ranking Member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2025 |
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| Preceded by | Jerry Moran |
| United States Senator from Connecticut |
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| Assumed office January 5, 2011 Serving with Chris Murphy
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| Preceded by | Chris Dodd |
| 23rd Attorney General of Connecticut | |
| In office January 9, 1991 – January 5, 2011 |
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| Governor |
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| Preceded by | Clarine Nardi Riddle |
| Succeeded by | George Jepsen |
| Member of the Connecticut Senate from the 27th district |
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| In office November 4, 1987 – January 3, 1991 |
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| Preceded by | Anthony Truglia |
| Succeeded by | George Jepsen |
| Member of the Connecticut House of Representatives from the 145th district |
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| In office April 11, 1984 – November 4, 1987 |
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| Preceded by | Anthony Truglia |
| Succeeded by | Nicholas Pavia |
| United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut | |
| In office June 22, 1977 – November 1, 1981 |
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| President | |
| Preceded by | Peter Dorsey |
| Succeeded by | Alan Nevas |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 13, 1946 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Cynthia Malkin Blumenthal
(m. 1982) |
| Children | 4, including Matt |
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| Education | |
| Signature |  |
| Website | |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch |
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| Service years | 1970–1976 |
| Rank | Sergeant |
Richard Blumenthal (born February 13, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer. He is a Marine Corps veteran. Since 2011, he has served as the senior U.S. Senator for Connecticut.
Blumenthal is a member of the Democratic Party. Before becoming a senator, he was the Connecticut attorney general from 1991 to 2011. He also served in the Connecticut General Assembly from 1984 to 1991. From 1977 to 1981, he was a U.S. attorney for the District of Connecticut.
He studied at Harvard University, Trinity College, Cambridge, and Yale Law School. From 1970 to 1976, Blumenthal served in the United States Marine Corps Reserve. He reached the rank of sergeant. After law school, he worked as a law clerk and in private law. He also volunteered for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
Blumenthal was elected to the Connecticut House of Representatives in 1984. In 1986, he was elected to the Connecticut Senate. He became Attorney General of Connecticut in 1990 and served for 20 years. In 2010, he ran for the U.S. Senate and won. He was reelected in 2016 and 2022.
Early Life and Education
Richard Blumenthal was born in Brooklyn, New York. His parents were Jane and Martin Blumenthal. His father came to the United States from Frankfurt, Germany, at age 17. His mother was a social worker.
Richard and his brother, David Blumenthal, often visited their grandfather's farm. David later became a doctor and health care expert.
Blumenthal went to Riverdale Country School in the Bronx. He then attended Harvard College, graduating in 1967. He studied government and was a top student. At Harvard, he was the editorial chairman of The Harvard Crimson, the student newspaper. He also worked as a summer intern reporter for The Washington Post in London.
After Harvard, he studied for a year at Trinity College, Cambridge in England. In 1973, he earned his law degree from Yale Law School. There, he was the editor-in-chief of the Yale Law Journal. He was classmates with future U.S. President Bill Clinton and future Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Early Career in Public Service
Blumenthal worked as an assistant for Senator Abraham A. Ribicoff. He also served as an aide to Daniel P. Moynihan. Later, he was a law clerk for Judge Jon O. Newman and for Supreme Court Justice Harry A. Blackmun.
Before becoming attorney general, Blumenthal worked at law firms. In 1982, he started the Citizens Crime Commission of Connecticut. This was a private group focused on crime prevention. From 1981 to 1986, he volunteered as a lawyer for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
At 31, Blumenthal became the United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut. He served from 1977 to 1981. In this role, he was the main federal prosecutor for the state. He handled important cases involving organized crime and financial fraud. He also worked on cases related to civil rights and environmental pollution.
In 1982, he married Cynthia Allison Malkin. Her father, Peter L. Malkin, is a real estate investor.
In 1984, Blumenthal was elected to the Connecticut House of Representatives. He represented the 145th district. In 1987, he won a special election for the 27th district of the Connecticut Senate. He lived in Stamford, Connecticut.
During the 1980s, Blumenthal spoke in favor of ending Connecticut's death penalty. He did this after representing a man who was wrongly convicted. Blumenthal helped the man get a new trial.
Connecticut Attorney General
Blumenthal was elected the 23rd Attorney General of Connecticut in 1990. He was reelected four times, serving until 2011. In 2002, he received an award for public service from Quinnipiac University School of Law.
Key Actions as Attorney General
Protecting Land and Environment
In 1995, Blumenthal challenged a decision about land for the Mashantucket Pequot tribe. He argued that taking the land for a federal trust would remove it from local tax rolls. The tribe later withdrew their request.
In 1997, Blumenthal worked with Governor John G. Rowland to address air pollution from other states. They asked the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to help reduce pollution. In 2003, he and other state attorneys general sued the Bush administration. They argued that changes to the Clean Air Act would increase air pollution.
Taking on Big Tobacco
Blumenthal was a leader in a lawsuit against the tobacco industry. This lawsuit involved 46 states. It claimed that tobacco companies lied about the dangers of smoking. He sought money for Connecticut's Medicaid costs related to smoking. In 1998, the states reached a large settlement. Connecticut received an estimated $3.6 billion over 25 years.
In 2007, he sued RJ Reynolds. He said their ads used cartoons, which was against the settlement rules. The company paid Connecticut $150,000 and stopped the ads.
Challenging Microsoft
In 1998, Blumenthal and other attorneys general sued Microsoft. They accused the company of using its power unfairly to stop competition. This lawsuit was combined with a federal case. A court ruled in 2000 that Microsoft had broken antitrust laws. Blumenthal and other attorneys general proposed ways to fix the problem.
Online Safety for Kids
Blumenthal focused on protecting children online. In 2006, he worked with MySpace to add safety features. He pushed for better age checks and to remove inappropriate content. He also co-chaired a task force on social networking safety.
In 2024, Blumenthal helped lead the Kids Online Safety Act. This law aims to protect children from online harms like depression and bullying.
Protecting Homeowners
In 2008, Connecticut joined other states in suing Countrywide Financial. This company was a mortgage lender. The lawsuit claimed Countrywide used unfair practices. It said they pushed people into loans they couldn't afford. Blumenthal stated that Countrywide "conned customers into loans that were clearly unaffordable."
In 2008, Bank of America agreed to settle the lawsuits. Connecticut received funds to help homeowners.
Fighting Climate Change
Blumenthal has strongly supported action against global warming. He believes human activity causes rising temperatures. He has urged the EPA to declare carbon dioxide a dangerous pollutant. He has also sued power plants that produce too much carbon dioxide. He believes that "no reputable climate scientist disputes the reality of global warming."
U.S. Senate Career
Elections
2010 Election
In January 2010, Senator Chris Dodd announced his retirement. Blumenthal then decided to run for Dodd's Senate seat. Early polls showed him with a strong lead. He easily won the Democratic nomination.
During the campaign, there was some discussion about his military service. He had sometimes said he served "in Vietnam," but he served in the Marine Corps Reserve during the Vietnam era. His commanding officer from 1974-1975, Larry Baldino, defended Blumenthal. He called him "one of the best Marines with whom I ever worked."
Blumenthal won the November 2010 election. He defeated Linda McMahon with 55% of the vote. He was sworn in on January 5, 2011.
2016 Election
In the 2016 Senate election, Blumenthal ran for reelection. He faced Republican state representative Dan Carter. Blumenthal won with 63% of the vote. He became the first person in Connecticut history to receive over a million votes in a statewide election.
2022 Election
Blumenthal sought reelection again in 2022. He defeated Leora Levy in the general election.
Senate Work and Key Issues
Blumenthal returns to Connecticut every weekend for a "listening tour." This helps him hear from people in his home state.
In 2012, he worked with Senator Chuck Schumer to investigate companies. They looked into employers requiring job applicants to share their Facebook passwords.
Blumenthal also worked to stop pensions for members of Congress convicted of felonies.
He was part of a group of congressmen who sued Donald Trump. They accused President Trump of violating a part of the U.S. Constitution.
After the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol, Blumenthal blamed Trump. He said Trump "incited" the attack. He also asked for an investigation into the law enforcement response.
In December 2021, Blumenthal gave a speech at an awards ceremony. After criticism, he stated he is "a strong supporter and believer in American capitalism." He said he would not have attended if he had known of the group's Communist ties.
Committee Roles
Blumenthal serves on several important Senate committees:
- Committee on Armed Services
- Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (where he chairs the Subcommittee on Investigations)
- Committee on the Judiciary
- Committee on Veterans' Affairs
- Special Committee on Aging
Legislation and Political Views
Animal Welfare
In 2024, Blumenthal helped introduce the Captive Primate Safety Act. This bill would stop people from owning chimpanzees and other primates as pets. Animal welfare groups support this legislation.
Foreign Relations
- China: Blumenthal supports efforts to stop unfair trade practices by China. However, he has criticized quick decisions on trade policy. In 2018, he supported a bill to penalize ZTE and Huawei for export violations. He also urged sanctions against Chinese officials for human rights abuses against the Uyghurs.
- Middle East: In 2017, he co-sponsored the Israel Anti-Boycott Act. In 2019, he asked the King of Saudi Arabia to release human rights activists. In 2022, he criticized Saudi Arabia for cutting oil production. He suggested pausing U.S. military technology transfers to the kingdom.
Gun Control
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Blumenthal supports gun control. He has introduced bills to ban assault weapons. He has a low rating from the NRA Political Victory Fund due to his voting record.
After the 2015 San Bernardino attack, he supported better mental health resources and universal background checks. In 2016, he urged funding for research on gun violence and called for action on gun violence prevention.
In 2016, he supported a bill to ban people on terrorist watch lists from buying guns. He also supported requiring toy guns to have orange parts.In 2019, he introduced a bill to require background checks for all firearm sales. He also co-sponsored a bill to ban suppressors.
Health Care
In 2019, Blumenthal supported a bill to allow states to create a Medicaid buy-in program. This would give people a public health insurance option. He also supported a bill to give more federal funding to U.S. territories for health care.
He introduced the Affordable Medications Act. This bill aims to make drug prices more transparent. It would also allow Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices. He has also asked for data on the effects of changing the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
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Immigration
In 2018, Blumenthal urged the Trump administration to reunite migrant children with their families. In 2019, he expressed concern about military deployments to the southern border.
He introduced the Home Ownership Dreamers Act. This bill would ensure that DACA recipients can get federal mortgage loans. He also worked to ensure that federal contractors provide good care for children.
In 2019, he signed a letter against ending protections for military families from deportation. He also introduced the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act. This bill would require approval for ICE agents to act in sensitive locations.
LGBT Rights
In 2014, Blumenthal asked the FDA to change its policy on tissue donations from gay men. In 2019, he asked the State Department why it did not celebrate Pride Month. He also asked why the LGBTI special envoy position was empty.
In 2022, Blumenthal voted for the Respect for Marriage Act. This law protects same-sex marriage rights federally.
In 2023, Blumenthal co-sponsored the Kids Online Safety Act. This bill aims to protect children online.
Personal Life
On June 27, 1982, Richard Blumenthal married Cynthia Malkin. They have four children. Their son, Matt Blumenthal, was elected to the Connecticut House of Representatives in 2018.
Blumenthal is one of the wealthiest members of the Senate. His family's wealth comes mostly from his wife's family. The Malkins are real estate developers and own part of the Empire State Building. His brother-in-law, Scott Malkin, is a co-owner of the New York Islanders hockey team.
In April 2023, Blumenthal had a minor leg fracture. This happened when someone accidentally fell on him at a parade. He had successful surgery and recovered.
Images for kids
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Richard Blumenthal's signature
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Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus presents the Navy Distinguished Public Service Medal to U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal in 2012.
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Election results by county for the 2010 U.S. Senate election in Connecticut
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Results of the 2016 U.S. Senate election in Connecticut by town
See also
In Spanish: Richard Blumenthal para niños
