Richard Blumenthal

If there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it adjourn under the previous order. There being no objection, the Senate, at 7:44 p.m., adjourned until Thursday, December 4, 2014, at 9:30 a.m…

For the information of all Senators, there will be up to five rollcall votes at 10 a.m. on confirmation of the Orr and Hezir nominations and cloture on the Stivers, Leeson, and Griggsby nominations. Another series of up to six rollcall…

I certainly will pledge to do so and will think of the Senator from Iowa when we do, hopefully, consider the next such highway bill. But let me just say, in conclusion, for myself, I was not going to mention the ``R'' word--the retirement…

My impression also is--and perhaps the Senator has some views on this--that, in a way, we have a responsibility in this body to create that awareness and to spend the money on what should be regarded as an investment. It is spending, and…

I want, again, to thank my great friend, Senator Harkin, for the legacy of public health advocacy that he will leave for all of us. I pledge to him that I will carry on, among many others, I am sure, that legacy and advocacy. The Senator…

I would strongly encourage them to do the right thing on their own. I think they would become heroes rather than the opposite which they are now.

I do not understand...why the NFL is fighting your very, I think, sensible proposal.

So the FCC, in essence, to put it from the fan's perspective, found no uncertainty as to what would happen to broadcasts?

Why be greedy about it? The antitrust exemption are the keys to the kingdom.

Is not the present policy in effect to the disadvantage of certain cities over others, certain fans over others?

The use of the name is hurtful and insulting to so many people in our country, including in my home State of Minnesota.

Why continue with the threat of blacking them out?

I would like to reiterate our strong belief that the FANS Act addresses some of the unfair and unbalanced subsidies and preferential policies like antitrust exemptions that professional sports leagues enjoy at the expense of taxpayers and…

Now the NFL should do the right thing. It should listen to fans, economists, other leagues, the commissioners, the FCC, the Members of Congress and end its local blackout policy.

In my opinion, Senator, that is a tacit admission.

If you could let us know whether there is any time line for the committee reaching a conclusion, I would appreciate it.

No one likes blackouts and that includes the NFL.

The FANS Act would eliminate this 'get out of jail free card.'

It does end the blank check from the Government to the leagues and it takes away Congress' implicit endorsement of blackout policies.

Americans really love sports and they deserve to see them on their terms, not on the terms that are prescribed by the professional sports leagues.

Is it fair to blackout games after driving up those costs to the fans of, in effect, buying the cable services?

But things have changed over that 50 years.

The threat continues to exist in Connecticut and around the country that they will be deprived of access to those games.

So why the blackout policy?

Fans should have a better access to those games and putting them on broadcast is one way to do that.