Connecticut’s two United States Senators said they will give a fair hearing to any nominee Donald Trump may send before them for the Supreme Court.
Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy said they will not repeat the behavior of Republicans who refused to vote on the nomination of Merrick Garland by President Barack Obama.
But Murphy told reporters on Monday that Democrats will find ways to oppose anyone who has extreme views.
“This president and the Senate leadership is going to have to reach out and work with Democrats in order to get anything done, including nominees to the Supreme Court," said Murphy. "If Donald Trump wants to send up a radical nominee to the Senate, he won’t get confirmed.”
Trump has put a leading climate change denier in charge of the transition at the Environmental Protection Agency, and there’s speculation that the person tapped to head the agency may also be a climate change skeptic.
Blumenthal said he doesn’t believe such an appointment would pass the president-elect’s own party.
“I think that President-elect Trump would be told by members of his own party in the United States Senate that an appointee who denies climate change, is going to be dead on arrival,” said Blumenthal.
Both senators roundly condemned the appointment as special counsel of Steve Bannon, a man who has openly espoused racist, anti-semitic and misogynistic views.
Murphy said he welcomed Trump’s comments condemning hate crimes in the wake of the election, but actions speak louder than words.
Tragically, the appointment of Steve Bannon shows Trump will govern like he campaigned - dividing us, playing on fears and prejudices.
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) November 15, 2016
“Somehow, some way, the Trump administration is going to have to make sure that Muslim kids and immigrant kids know that they’re safe," said Murphy. "Right now, I’m not sure they feel that.”
The appointment of Bannon has also been condemned by the Anti-Defamation League, the NAACP and the Southern Poverty Law Center.
In terms of Connecticut, the National Defense Authorization Act and Veterans First are at the top of Senator Blumenthal’s agenda.
He said procuring and funding defense programs would have a direct impact on the state. “These bills have critical funding for 268 helicopters to be built here in Connecticut -- Black Hawks that Sikorsky will build -- which saves money for taxpayers as well as providing jobs and economic growth for Connecticut.”
Blumenthal talked about two measures important for veterans; addressing deficiencies in the crisis line that provides assistance for at-risk veterans seeking help, as well as accountability from senior officers at the VA.
Senator Murphy said he’d like to get mental health reform over the finish line. The bill would require evidence-based approaches for treating mental illness along with insurance measures. "It includes provisions that force insurance companies to start covering both mental health and substance abuse treatment at levels they are not currently covering today," he said.
Murphy also talked about a provision included in a defense appropriations bill that would free up federal money for the construction of The Coast Guard Museum in New London. The museum is projected to bring over one million unique visitors to the region annually.
