“I am honored to have the support of so many hard-working Democratic activists, and the endorsement of the Democratic party,” said Donovan. “I will fight every day for the right of every Connecticut family, and every American, to be treated with fairness, dignity, and respect. That is what I have done in Connecticut, and it’s what I will do in Congress.”

“Not everyone shares the values of fairness, dignity, and respect,” continued Donovan. “Congressional Republicans are actively blocking job creation measures, attempting to destroy Medicare and Social Security, and waging a war on women’s access to health care and contraception. In Congress, I will fight for all of our families to have access to great jobs with strong benefits, to Medicare and Social Security as they age, and I will fight to make sure that every woman has access to the health care and contraception that they need.”

The Connecticut Democratic Party joins Secretary of the State Denise Merrill, Comptroller Kevin Lembo, former 5th CD Congressman Jim Maloney, Simsbury First Selectman Mary Glassman, Southbury First Selectman Ed Edelson, Congressman and Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus Raul Grijalva and Congresswoman and Vice Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus Chellie Pingree, the Connecticut Working Families Party, the New Britain DTC, the Meriden DTC, the Newtown DTC, the Bethlehem DTC, the Burlington DTC, the Torrington DTC, the Harwinton DTC, the Canaan DTC, the Middlebury DTC, the Morris DTC, the Watertown DTC, the New Milford DTC, the New Fairfield DTC, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, Blue America, the Connecticut State Police Union, the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 478, Sheet Metal Workers Local 40, AFT Connecticut, AFSCME Council 15 – the Connecticut Council of Police, the Connecticut Education Association, the Connecticut State Council of Machinists, the Connecticut Carpenters, the IAFF – Uniformed Professional Fire Fighters Association of Connecticut, United Auto Workers Region 9A, the Connecticut Laborers District Council, and the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 777 in endorsing Chris Donovan as the best candidate to fight for the families of Connecticut’s Fifth Congressional District.

“Chris Donovan is one of the strongest supporters of the Connecticut State Police and we are delighted to give him our first endorsement in 2012,” said Andrew Matthews, President of the Connecticut State Police Union. “Chris is a strong advocate for public safety, understands the importance of sufficient State Police staffing, and he works tirelessly for Connecticut’s working families. He is the best person to fight for us in Congress. We look forward to helping elect Chris and working with him in Washington.”

“It is an honor to have the support and endorsement of the hard-working men and women of the Connecticut State Police. These brave troopers put their lives on the line every day and deserve to be treated with fairness, dignity, and respect. I look forward to working with the members of the CSPU to fight to bring good jobs with strong benefits to Connecticut, and to protect Social Security and Medicare from Republican attacks,” said Donovan.

The Connecticut State Police Union joins Secretary of the State Denise Merrill, Comptroller Kevin Lembo, former 5th CD Congressman Jim Maloney, Simsbury First Selectman Mary Glassman, Southbury First Selectman Ed Edelson, Congressman and Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus Raul Grijalva and Congresswoman and Vice Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus Chellie Pingree, the Connecticut Working Families Party, the New Britain DTC, the Meriden DTC, the Newtown DTC, the Bethlehem DTC, the Burlington DTC, the Torrington DTC, the Harwinton DTC, the Canaan DTC, the Middlebury DTC, the Morris DTC, the Watertown DTC, the New Milford DTC, the New Fairfield DTC, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, Blue America, the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 478, Sheet Metal Workers Local 40, AFT Connecticut, AFSCME Council 15 – the Connecticut Council of Police, the Connecticut Education Association, the Connecticut State Council of Machinists, the Connecticut Carpenters, the IAFF – Uniformed Professional Fire Fighters Association of Connecticut, United Auto Workers Region 9A, the Connecticut Laborers District Council, and the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 777 in endorsing Chris Donovan as the best candidate to fight for the families of Connecticut’s Fifth Congressional District.

“President Barack Obama’s historic announcement of his support for marriage equality is a major, and welcome, step forward for the cause of equal rights. I am proud of the President’s willingness to address this important issue now, and I am even more proud that Connecticut has helped to lead the way in ensuring the civil rights of all of our residents.”

“Our work, however, is not complete until every American has the right to marry whomever they want, and DOMA is repealed and Connecticut families can travel anywhere in the United States, taking their civil rights with them. That is what I have fought for in Connecticut, and it’s what I will fight for in Congress.”

MERIDEN, CT – Congressman Raul Grijalva, Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and Congressman from Arizona’s Seventh Congressional district, and Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, Vice Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and Congresswoman from Maine’s First Congressional district, today announced their endorsement of Chris Donovan for Connecticut’s Fifth Congressional District.

“The House of Representatives needs more people like Chris Donovan who are willing to fight for working families and progressive values,” said Grijalva. “On protecting and expanding access to quality, affordable health care, on fighting back against Republican attempts to slash social services and balance the budget on the backs of the middle class and working families, on ensuring access to contraception and the availability of Plan B to victims of rape in all Connecticut hospitals, and on cleaning up toxic waste and protecting our natural resources, Chris has fought – and won – for the people of Connecticut. Chris’ leadership in Connecticut and his record of success on the issues most important to Connecticut families make me look forward to working with him in Congress.”

“Chris has a great history as a progressive champion in Connecticut and I’m excited to endorse his campaign for Congress,” said Pingree. “Chris’ leadership in passing one of the strongest campaign finance reform and public election financing laws in the country, in fighting for women’s pay equity and rights in the work place, and in expanding access to quality, affordable health care is just what Congress needs to start working again. I look forward to fighting for working families alongside him in Congress.”

“I am honored to have Raul’s and Chellie’s support and I thank them for their endorsement,” said Donovan. “I am excited to work with them, and the Congressional Progressive Caucus, to fight to bring great jobs with strong benefits to all of our families, and to fight back against Republican attempts to gut Social Security and Medicare, and their assault on contraceptives and women’s health care and reproductive rights.”

Congressman Grijalva was elected to Congress in 2002 and is Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Prior to election to Congress, Congressman Grijalva spent 13 years as a member of the Pima County Board of Supervisors, 12 years as a member of the Tucson Unified School District Board, and 11 years as director of the El Pueblo Neighborhood Center.

Congresswoman Pingree was elected to Congress in 2008 and is Vice Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Prior to election to Congress, Congresswoman Pingree was a member and eventually the Majority Leader of the Maine Senate, and the President and CEO of Common Cause.

Congressman and Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus Raul Grijalva and Congresswoman and Vice Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus Chellie Pingree join Secretary of the State Denise Merrill, Comptroller Kevin Lembo, former 5th CD Congressman Jim Maloney, Simsbury First Selectman Mary Glassman, Southbury First Selectman Ed Edelson, the Connecticut Working Families Party, the New Britain DTC, the Meriden DTC, the Newtown DTC, the Bethlehem DTC, the Burlington DTC, the Torrington DTC, the Harwinton DTC, the Canaan DTC, the Middlebury DTC, the Morris DTC, the Watertown DTC, the New Milford DTC, the New Fairfield DTC, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, Blue America, the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 478, Sheet Metal Workers Local 40, AFT Connecticut, AFSCME Council 15 – the Connecticut Council of Police, the Connecticut Education Association, the Connecticut State Council of Machinists, the Connecticut Carpenters, the IAFF – Uniformed Professional Fire Fighters Association of Connecticut, United Auto Workers Region 9A, the Connecticut Laborers District Council, and the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 777 in endorsing Chris Donovan as the best candidate to fight for the families of Connecticut’s Fifth Congressional District.

So, he proposed, in a New York Times op-ed, that millionaires and billionaires shouldn’t pay lower tax rates than the workers of the middle class.

Like many common sense proposals, it was a great idea, and President Obama soon suggested it as a new tax rule — the Buffett rule — a minimum effective tax rate of 30 percent for all money made over $1 million.

And by asking millionaires and billionaires to pay their fair share, we can give some tax relief to the rest of us, as well as avoiding cuts to Social Security and Medicare.

Buffett noted in his op-ed that, despite his enormous wealth and paying millions of taxes in 2010, his effective tax rate was the lowest tax rate in his office (it was a phenomenon noted by none other than Republican President Ronald Reagan in a 1985 speech).

That is so significant that it bears repeating — Warren Buffett, either the richest or second richest person in the world, depending on when you look and how much he has recently donated to charity, paid a lower tax rate than every other person in his office from the IT professionals, to the assistants, to the vice presidents, to the middle managers.

Somewhere along the way, our tax system has gone off the rails of fairness.

When millionaires and billionaires pay a smaller share of their earnings in taxes than the middle class, something is wrong and should be fixed.

The days of Wall Street financiers, bankers, and hedge fund managers paying a lower tax rate than the construction workers who pave the roads they drive on, or the teachers who educate their children, need to end.

Fairness and justice argue that the wealthiest among us should at least pay the same tax rate as the people they employ — not a far lower one.

In tough economic times, and these surely qualify, we all must band together to rebuild an economy shattered by reckless financial speculation.

And when I say we all, I do mean all of us, not just the middle class and working families.

We simply cannot solve the economic crisis and balance our budgets on the backs of the middle class.

Unfortunately, despite the popularity of the Buffett Rule across party lines, Congressional Republicans do not agree.

At the end of March, House Republicans (with one lone dissenter) voted en masse against the Buffett Rule when they rejected the Democratic Budget Alternative.

Recently, Republican Senators joined their colleagues in the House by filibustering Buffett Rule legislation — causing it to fail even though a majority of Senators voted in favor.

At the same time that House Republicans are rejecting common-sense tax fairness, they continue to push for the disastrous Ryan Budget, put forward by Wisconsin Republican Paul Ryan, which would dramatically lower tax rates for the wealthiest, while cutting Medicare, Medicaid, and other programs that seniors and working families rely on.

Not only would the Ryan Budget not implement a fairness component to taxation of the ultra-wealthy like the Buffett Rule, it would hand people making more than $1 million per year an additional tax cut of almost $265,000 per year.

It is easy to understand the complaints of people who feel that the current House of Representatives is better at representing we, the few, than they are at representing we, the people.
But there is a better way.

In Connecticut, with a Democratic legislature and a Republican governor, we were able to put our differences aside and come together to pass the first millionaire’s tax in Connecticut history.

Washington desperately needs a dose of that sort of pragmatic rule making. Congress should act to pass the Buffett Rule as soon as possible.

Christopher G. Donovan, D-Meriden, is the Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives and has represented the 84th Assembly District since 1993. Donovan is seeking the Democratic nomination to run for the 5th Congressional District seat.

Read the full article here

“Chris Donovan is the best democratic candidate to represent the families of New Milford in November and in Congress,” said Mary Jane Lundgren, Member of the New Milford DTC and Democratic Town Council Member. “We trust Chris to fight just as hard in Washington as he does in Connecticut – for great jobs with strong benefits, to protect Medicare and Social Security from Republican attacks, and to stop the Republican effort to deny women access to health care and contraception.”

“I am proud to have the support of my good friends of the New Milford DTC. Together we will work to make sure that the families of New Milford, and Connecticut, have the jobs, health care, and educational opportunities, and are treated with the dignity and respect, that they deserve,” said Donovan.

The New Milford DTC joins Secretary of the State Denise Merrill, Comptroller Kevin Lembo, former 5th CD Congressman Jim Maloney, Simsbury First Selectman Mary Glassman, Southbury First Selectman Ed Edelson, the Connecticut Working Families Party, the New Britain DTC, the Meriden DTC, the Newtown DTC, the Bethlehem DTC, the Burlington DTC, the Torrington DTC, the Harwinton DTC, the Canaan DTC, the Middlebury DTC, the Morris DTC, the Watertown DTC, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, Blue America, the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 478, Sheet Metal Workers Local 40, AFT Connecticut, AFSCME Council 15, the Connecticut Council of Police, the Connecticut Education Association, the Connecticut State Council of Machinists, the Connecticut Carpenters, the IAFF – Uniformed Professional Fire Fighters Association of Connecticut, United Auto Workers Region 9A, the Connecticut Laborers District Council, and the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 777 in endorsing Chris Donovan as the best candidate to fight for the families of Connecticut’s Fifth Congressional District.

This would be devastating to many seniors, and their families, who are living on fixed incomes, often relying only on Social Security. Why are we pushing more of the burden onto those who can afford it the least? Republicans would have us believe that providing health care to everyone, even our seniors, is too expensive, and that government doesn’t work. But is that really the country we love? The United States has made and kept a promise to our seniors for over fifty years: that they will have affordable access to health care. Do we want to be the generation that breaks that sacred trust?

Medicare works. It is keeping people alive and healthy longer by giving them the health care that they need. Before Medicare was enacted, half of seniors had no health coverage, 25% avoided care because of cost, and one-third of seniors lived in poverty. Now almost every senior has access to affordable health care and less than 15% live in poverty. And that coverage has resulted in better health – life expectancy at age 65 has increased, and the chronically disabled senior population has declined. According to the Commonwealth Fund, “compared to people with private insurance, Medicare enrollees have greater access to care [and] fewer problems with medical bills.” Medicare is also popular, both with seniors and with people who want the opportunity to buy in to Medicare coverage. Despite the success and popularity of Medicare, Republicans have targeted it for cuts.

Republicans also had an opportunity to eliminate $24 billion in tax breaks to Chevron, ExxonMobil, BP, ConoccoPhillips, and Royal Dutch Shell. Instead of protecting seniors, they chose to give $4.6 trillion in tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires, and “balance” their budget on the backs of seniors and families. This budget is a great example of where Republicans’ priorities lie.

Budgets express our values about what we think is important in our communities, in our society, and in our country. We can give more money to the richest among us, or we can ensure that everyone, even the sickest or oldest, have the health care, and are treated with the dignity and respect, that they deserve.

Republicans say that today’s workers shouldn’t have to pay for today’s seniors, but I remember back when I was boy crossing the street with my grandfather, hand in hand, and he turned to me and said, “Chris, today I’m holding your hand, but someday, you’ll be holding my hand.” And indeed I was. When I was old enough to be in the workforce, I was paying into the same Medicare program that was providing him with coverage.

We are faced with a choice today: we can allow Republicans to give tax breaks to billionaires and Big Oil, or we can fulfill our commitment to those who worked hard their whole lives. The choice is clear and the Republicans have made theirs. I want Medicare to be there for us when we hold our grandchildren’s hands and cross the street, and for them when they return the favor.

Chris Donovan, the Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives, has represented Meriden’s 84th Assembly District since 1993, and is currently a Democratic candidate for Congress in the 5th Congressional District.

Read the full article here

“It is an honor to announce the Carpenters’ endorsement of Chris Donovan for Congress. Chris has made a career of fighting on behalf of Connecticut’s families and we know that he will continue that fight in Congress,” said Bruce Lydem, Regional Manager of the Connecticut Carpenters. “Chris has always been a strong advocate for working families – for good jobs with great benefits, for Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, and for expanding access to education and to quality, affordable health care. We are excited to work with him and his campaign to ensure he will continue fighting for the issues that matter to our families in Congress.”

“I thank my good friends of the Connecticut Carpenters for their endorsement and support. Together we will work to make sure that all of the families of Connecticut are treated with dignity and respect on the job site, in our schools, with regard to health care, and in retirement,” said Donovan.

The Connecticut Carpenters join Secretary of the State Denise Merrill, Comptroller Kevin Lembo, former 5th CD Congressman Jim Maloney, Simsbury First Selectman Mary Glassman, Southbury First Selectman Ed Edelson, the Connecticut Working Families Party, the New Britain DTC, the Meriden DTC, the Newtown DTC, the Bethlehem DTC, the Burlington DTC, the Torrington DTC, the Harwinton DTC, the Canaan DTC, the Middlebury DTC, the Morris DTC, the Watertown DTC, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, Blue America, the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 478, Sheet Metal Workers Local 40, AFT Connecticut, AFSCME Council 15, the Connecticut Council of Police, the Connecticut Education Association, the Connecticut State Council of Machinists, the IAFF – Uniformed Professional Fire Fighters Association of Connecticut, United Auto Workers Region 9A, the Connecticut Laborers District Council, and the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 777 in endorsing Chris Donovan as the best candidate to fight for the families of Connecticut’s Fifth Congressional District.

“On expanding access to quality, affordable health care, on raising the minimum wage, and on protecting schools, libraries, and senior centers from debilitating funding cuts, Chris Donovan has always fought for the people of Connecticut,” said George Anastasio, Vice Chair of the Canaan DTC. “I know that he will fight just as hard in Congress – to protect Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, to grow jobs, and to make sure that every family is treated with the dignity and respect that they deserve.”

“The Middlebury Democrats are committed to making sure the Fifth Congressional District continues to be represented by a proven progressive with a history of fighting and winning for the families of Connecticut,” said Curtis Bosco, Chair of the Middlebury DTC. “Chris is that progressive champion.”

“Chris Donovan has spent his life working hard for the families of Connecticut on the issues that matter,” said Larry Sweeney, Chair of the Morris DTC. “We trust him to go to Congress to fight for us and our families.”

“Chris is the best candidate to represent the Democrats in November,” said Carl Mancini, Chair of the Watertown DTC. “His record of success in Connecticut in working to pass progressive legislation makes me look forward to him breaking up the partisan gridlock in Congress.”

“I am looking forward to working with my good friends on the Canaan, Middlebury, Morris, and Watertown DTCs to fight to create stable jobs with great benefits, to ensure that every family has access to quality, affordable health care, and to defeat Republican attempts to destroy Medicare and privatize Social Security. I welcome their endorsement and thank them for their support,” said Donovan.

The Canaan, Middlebury, Morris, and Watertown DTCs join Secretary of the State Denise Merrill, Comptroller Kevin Lembo, former 5th CD Congressman Jim Maloney, Simsbury First Selectman Mary Glassman, Southbury First Selectman Ed Edelson, the Connecticut Working Families Party, the New Britain DTC, the Meriden DTC, the Newtown DTC, the Bethlehem DTC, the Burlington DTC, the Torrington DTC, the Sherman DTC, the Harwinton DTC, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, Blue America, the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 478, Sheet Metal Workers Local 40, AFT Connecticut, AFSCME Council 15, the Connecticut Council of Police, the Connecticut Education Association, the Connecticut State Council of Machinists, the IAFF – Uniformed Professional Fire Fighters Association of Connecticut, United Auto Workers Region 9A, the Connecticut Laborers District Council, and the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 777 in endorsing Chris Donovan as the best candidate to fight for the families of Connecticut’s Fifth Congressional District.

“I am very pleased that our Town Committee was able to vote unanimously to endorse Chris to be our Democratic nominee for Congress. We know that Speaker Donovan has a very strong history of working for the people of Connecticut,” said Sherman Democratic Town Committee Chair Joseph Keneally. “He has a proven record of creating legislation that helps families in their real lives. Chris has championed issues like pay equity, paid sick leave, family leave, civil rights, marriage equality, and public financing of campaigns in Connecticut. I am very confident that Chris Donovan will be a very worthy successor to Congressman Christopher Murphy (who will make a superb Senator for Connecticut!) and will continue pursuing the progressive policies our district and our state need so badly.”

“Thank you to my good friends of the Sherman DTC for your endorsement and support. Together we will continue the fight for good jobs with solid benefits, to protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid from Republican attacks, and to make sure that all of our families have access to the quality, affordable health care that they need and deserve,” said Donovan.

At the meeting Sherman Democrats also chose new officers for the next two years. Mr. Keneally was elected Chairman, Richard Valeriani was elected Vice Chair, Nancy Whitfield will be Secretary, and Jeff Ginsburg will continue as Treasurer. Mr. Keneally said, “I speak for the entire Town Committee when I salute outgoing Co-Chair Mark Weber. He has been a tireless and passionate advocate for Sherman Democrats for the last seven years. His knowledge and commitment have helped build a strong and cohesive Committee. I have very much enjoyed working with Mark and know he will continue to be a great asset and valued member of the Sherman Democratic Town Committee.”

The Sherman DTC joins Secretary of the State Denise Merrill, Comptroller Kevin Lembo, former 5th CD Congressman Jim Maloney, Simsbury First Selectman Mary Glassman, Southbury First Selectman Ed Edelson, the Connecticut Working Families Party, the New Britain DTC, the Meriden DTC, the Newtown DTC, the Bethlehem DTC, the Burlington DTC, the Torrington DTC, the Harwinton DTC, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, Blue America, the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 478, Sheet Metal Workers Local 40, AFT Connecticut, AFSCME Council 15, the Connecticut Council of Police, the Connecticut Education Association, the Connecticut State Council of Machinists, the IAFF – Uniformed Professional Fire Fighters Association of Connecticut, United Auto Workers Region 9A, the Connecticut Laborers District Council, and the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 777 in endorsing Chris Donovan as the best candidate to fight for the families of Connecticut’s Fifth Congressional District.