Word on the Hill: Blumenthal Against Bullies

By Alex Gangitano

Posted August 29, 2017 at 5:00am

Uber, the ride-sharing company, is being accused of forcing UberSalon, a hair salon in Fairfield, Conn., to close down and Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut, wants to get to the bottom of the controversy.

Salon owner Dawn Marie Ganino said she received a letter from Uber threatening to take legal action over a trademark violation, West Fair Online reported.

“Senator Blumenthal says the corporate giant does not have the legal right to lay exclusive claim to the word ‘Uber,’ and he says by doing so, the company was being a bully,” News12 reported.

Rubio visits Dolphins practice

Sen. Marco Rubio out at #Dolphins practice @nbc6 pic.twitter.com/jSHkJhB6oM

— Chris Fischer (@ChrisFischer07) August 28, 2017

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, visited a Miami Dolphins’ practice on Monday morning. A local reporter with NBC 6 South Florida tweeted a photograph of the senator speaking with coaches on the field.

Full body scanners in visitor galleries?

Chairman of the Standing Committee of Correspondents and Bloomberg correspondent Billy House tweeted that the House visitor galleries will get “full body scanners,” which means the wait could be longer to visit the House floor. Members often bring their constituents or friends to these galleries, House pointed out, and a longer wait could put an end to that.

Wait ’til members have to deal with this! Full body scanners, like at airports, are being installed outside doors to House visitor galleries

— Billy House (@HouseInSession) August 28, 2017

body scanners (2): the visitor galleries are where members take their constituents, buddies, to sit and watch them on the floor…

— Billy House (@HouseInSession) August 28, 2017

body scanners (3) by new scanners, same machines that inevitably lead to lines, delays at airports, because a comb left in back pocket, etc

— Billy House (@HouseInSession) August 28, 2017

body scanners (4) rushed members now will have to wait even longer to get friends inside the gallery, before running down to vote on floor.

— Billy House (@HouseInSession) August 28, 2017

body scanners (5); Capitol Police said to have argued body scanners would have been better placed at Capitol and CVC entrances —

— Billy House (@HouseInSession) August 28, 2017

Sasse on March on Washington anniversary

Monday was the 54th anniversary of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. marching on Washington to deliver his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech. Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Nebraska, posted his thoughts on Facebook to honor the historic day.

“In a triumph of our First Amendment society, marchers showed the world that Americans fight with words and debate, not violence,” Sasse wrote.

Boxer gives Oakland A’s some advice

Former Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-California, surprised the audience at a community meeting on the Oakland Athletics’ baseball stadium when she dropped by to give her two cents, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. The meeting was hosted by Oakland A’s team president Dave Kaval.

Boxer said the team’s new ballpark should be built in downtown Oakland instead of its current Coliseum site.

She attended with her husband, Stewart Boxer. The former senator owns a condo around the corner from the barbecue restaurant, Everett & Jones, where the meeting was held.

Rooney on Florida flooding

While the nation’s eyes are in flooding in Texas from Hurricane Harvey, Rep. Francis Rooney, R-Florida, is advising constituents about flooding on the opposite side of the Gulf of Mexico.

“Locally, we have had record rainfall that has caused flooding throughout Southwest Florida… Kathleen and I wish to thank all of the first responders that are working non-stop to assist residents and keep us safe,” he released in a statement on Monday along with links to flooding information.

Guessing game from AOC

What’s this #CapitolDetail? Answer + wider image on Friday. pic.twitter.com/ibQhAXWa9U

— U.S. Capitol (@uscapitol) August 28, 2017

The Architect of the Capitol is testing your knowledge of details of the Capitol. It tweeted out a close up of a feature inside the Capitol and said the wider image and the answer as to what that image is will be realized on Friday. In the meantime, take your guess.