Richard Blumenthal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Richard Blumenthal
|
|
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2011
|
|
| Ranking Member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2025 |
|
| Preceded by | Jerry Moran |
| United States Senator from Connecticut |
|
| Assumed office January 5, 2011 Serving with Chris Murphy
|
|
| Preceded by | Chris Dodd |
| 23rd Attorney General of Connecticut | |
| In office January 9, 1991 – January 5, 2011 |
|
| Governor |
|
| Preceded by | Clarine Nardi Riddle |
| Succeeded by | George Jepsen |
| Member of the Connecticut Senate from the 27th district |
|
| In office November 4, 1987 – January 3, 1991 |
|
| Preceded by | Anthony Truglia |
| Succeeded by | George Jepsen |
| Member of the Connecticut House of Representatives from the 145th district |
|
| In office April 11, 1984 – November 4, 1987 |
|
| Preceded by | Anthony Truglia |
| Succeeded by | Nicholas Pavia |
| United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut | |
| In office June 22, 1977 – November 1, 1981 |
|
| 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
(m. 1982) |
| Children | 4, including Matt |
| Relatives |
|
| Education | |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service |
|
| Years of service | 1970–1976 |
| Rank | Sergeant |
Richard "Dick" Blumenthal (born February 13, 1946) is an American lawyer and politician. He is the senior U.S. Senator from Connecticut, a role he has held since 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Before becoming a senator, he served as the Attorney General of Connecticut from 1991 to 2011.
Blumenthal studied at Harvard University and then at Yale Law School. He also served in the United States Marine Corps Reserve from 1970 to 1976. After law school, he worked as a lawyer and later became the United States Attorney for Connecticut. He then served in the Connecticut House of Representatives and the Connecticut Senate before becoming Attorney General. In 2010, he was elected to the U.S. Senate and has been reelected twice since then.
Early Life and Education
Richard Blumenthal was born in Brooklyn, New York. His father, Martin Blumenthal, came to the United States from Germany. His mother, Jane, was a social worker. Richard's grandfather raised cattle, and he often visited the farm as a child. His brother, David Blumenthal, is a doctor.
Blumenthal went to Riverdale Country School in New York. He then attended Harvard College, graduating in 1967. While at Harvard, he was the editorial chairman for The Harvard Crimson, the student newspaper. He also studied for a year at Trinity College, Cambridge in England.
In 1973, he earned his law degree from Yale Law School. He was the editor-in-chief of the Yale Law Journal. At Yale, he was classmates with future President Bill Clinton and future Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Early Career in Law and Politics
After law school, Blumenthal worked for important figures in Washington, D.C.. He was an assistant to Senator Abraham A. Ribicoff and an aide to Daniel P. Moynihan. He also worked as a law clerk for a judge and for Supreme Court Justice Harry A. Blackmun.
From 1977 to 1981, Blumenthal was the United States Attorney for Connecticut. This means he was the chief federal prosecutor for the state. In the early 1980s, he worked as a private lawyer. He also volunteered for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, which helps protect civil rights.
In 1982, he married Cynthia Allison Malkin. Her family is involved in real estate.
In 1984, Blumenthal was elected to the Connecticut House of Representatives. In 1987, he won a special election to join the Connecticut Senate. He lived in Stamford, Connecticut. During this time, he spoke out against the death penalty after helping a wrongly convicted person get a new trial.
Serving as Attorney General of Connecticut
Blumenthal was elected the Attorney General of Connecticut in 1990. He served for 20 years, being reelected four times. As Attorney General, he was the state's chief legal officer. He represented Connecticut in many important cases.
Protecting the Environment
In 1997, Blumenthal worked with the state governor to ask the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to deal with air pollution coming from other states. He argued that pollution from Midwest and southeastern sources was harming Connecticut's air quality.
In 2003, he and other state attorneys general sued the Bush administration. They claimed that changes to the Clean Air Act would increase air pollution.
Fighting for Public Health
Blumenthal was a leader in a lawsuit against tobacco companies. This lawsuit involved 46 states. It claimed that these companies had lied about the dangers of smoking. He wanted Connecticut to be paid back for Medicaid costs related to smoking. In 1998, the tobacco companies agreed to a large settlement. Connecticut received about $3.6 billion from this agreement.
He also sued R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in 2007. He said they used cartoons in ads, which is against the rules because cartoons might make children want to smoke. The company paid Connecticut $150,000 and stopped the ads.
Promoting Fair Competition
In 1998, Blumenthal joined other states in a lawsuit against Microsoft. They accused Microsoft of using its power unfairly to stop other companies from competing. The case was combined with a federal lawsuit. A court later ruled that Microsoft had broken antitrust laws.
In 2007, Blumenthal and other states reported that the settlement with Microsoft had not fully fixed the problem of Microsoft's market power.
Stopping Corporate Tax Avoidance
In 2002, Blumenthal helped stop Stanley Works, a major Connecticut company, from moving its official registration to Bermuda. This move would have allowed the company to avoid paying millions in U.S. taxes. He argued that such moves were unfair and misleading to shareholders. He pushed for new laws to close these tax loopholes.
Fighting Corruption
Blumenthal was involved in lawsuits against people connected to Connecticut Governor John G. Rowland. These lawsuits were about bribery and state contracts. Even though some state cases failed, federal investigations led to prison sentences for the governor and others.
Protecting Children Online
Blumenthal was a co-chair of a task force on social networking. He worked with MySpace and Facebook to make their sites safer for young people. They added features to check users' ages and limit how older users could find members under 18.
In 2024, Blumenthal helped lead the Kids Online Safety Act. This law aims to address issues like depression and bullying that children face online.
Addressing the 2008 Financial Crisis
In 2008, Blumenthal announced that Connecticut was suing Countrywide Financial. This company was a major subprime mortgage lender. The lawsuit claimed Countrywide used unfair practices, pushing people into loans they couldn't afford. The company later settled with the states, providing money to help affected homeowners.
Climate Change Advocacy
Blumenthal has strongly supported the idea that human actions cause global warming. He believes quick action is needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. He has urged the Environmental Protection Agency to declare carbon dioxide a dangerous air pollutant. He also sued electric companies in the Midwest, saying their coal-burning power plants produced too much carbon dioxide.
U.S. Senate Career
In 2010, Senator Chris Dodd announced his retirement. Richard Blumenthal then decided to run for Dodd's seat in the United States Senate. He won the election against Linda McMahon with 55% of the vote. He was sworn into office on January 5, 2011.
He was reelected in 2016 with 63% of the vote. He was the first person in Connecticut's history to receive over a million votes in a statewide election. He was reelected again in 2022.
Key Actions in the Senate
- Protecting Privacy: In 2012, Blumenthal and Senator Chuck Schumer asked the Department of Justice to investigate companies that required job applicants to provide their Facebook passwords.
- Government Ethics: He worked with Senator Mark Kirk to stop pensions for members of Congress who are found guilty of serious crimes while in office.
- Emoluments Clause Lawsuit: Blumenthal and other members of Congress filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump. They claimed Trump was violating the Emoluments Clause of the U.S. Constitution. This clause prevents government officials from accepting gifts or payments from foreign governments without Congress's approval.
- Capitol Attack: After the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol, Blumenthal blamed President Trump. He called for an investigation into the lack of response from law enforcement.
- Aviation Safety: He called for all Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes in the U.S. to be grounded temporarily after a crash, until an investigation was complete.
- Gun Control: Blumenthal supports stricter gun control laws. He has introduced bills to ban assault weapons.
- Health Care: He has supported bills to make health care more affordable and accessible. This includes expanding Medicaid and trying to lower prescription drug prices.
- Immigration: He has worked to protect immigrant families, especially those connected to U.S. service members, from deportation.
- Journalism: He cosponsored a bill to create a memorial in Washington, D.C., to honor journalists who have died while doing their job.
- Railroad Safety: He supported a bill to require all freight trains to have both a certified conductor and engineer for safety.
- SafeSport: In 2022, he criticized the United States Center for SafeSport, an organization that handles misconduct in sports. He said it needed more transparency to protect young athletes better.
Committee Roles
Senator Blumenthal serves on several important committees in the Senate:
- Committee on Armed Services: Deals with military matters.
- Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Focuses on national security and government operations.
- Committee on the Judiciary: Handles laws, courts, and justice issues.
- Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Works on issues affecting military veterans.
- Special Committee on Aging: Looks at issues important to older Americans.
Personal Life
Richard and Cynthia Blumenthal 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, who are well-known real estate developers. They even own a part of the Empire State Building.
In April 2023, Blumenthal had a minor accident at a parade. Someone accidentally fell on him, causing a small leg fracture. He had surgery and recovered well.
Images for kids
-
Richard Blumenthal's signature.
-
Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus presents the Navy Distinguished Public Service Medal to U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal in 2012.
-
Senator Blumenthal speaking at a protest against a health care bill in July 2017.
-
Senator Blumenthal speaking about gun control in 2017.
.jpg)
_(cropped).jpg)
