Chris Murphy

Liberal

Democrat

Senator

Connecticut

Current Position: Senator from Connecticut

Running For: N/A

Policy Positions

For Buy American policies; introduced legislation to close loopholes in Buy American laws and encourage U.S. government to purchase American-made goods
For strengthening Connecticut's manufacturing and tech economy, including securing job training program funding, strengthening Buy American laws through the BuyAmerican.Gov Act, and supporting seed funding legislation for startups; for raising the federal minimum wage, establishing national paid family leave, and reducing childcare costs for working parents.

For stem-cell research; authored Connecticut legislation permitting taxpayer-subsidized stem-cell research while prohibiting human cloning
For expanding affordable health care access, including defending the Affordable Care Act from repeal, introducing the Choose Medicare Act to allow individuals and businesses to buy into Medicare, authoring the Mental Health Reform Act (signed into law in 2016, reauthorized in 2022), securing funding for opioid treatment and prevention programs in Connecticut, and supporting the Inflation Reduction Act's prescription drug price reductions.

For aggressive climate action, including working to pass the Inflation Reduction Act's energy and climate investments, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act's public transit and clean power grid investments, and championing the cleanup of Long Island Sound and coastal resilience efforts in Connecticut.

For protecting abortion access, including helping reintroduce the Women's Health Protection Act (to guarantee equal access to abortion) and the Freedom to Travel for Health Care Act (to protect the right to cross state lines for reproductive health care).
For LGBTQ+ rights, including supporting the Equality Act to end discrimination in employment and housing, and helping pass the Respect for Marriage Act, which protects federal marriage equality and repeals the Defense of Marriage Act.
For expanding veteran support, including securing funding to fight veteran homelessness in Connecticut, and authoring the Honor Our Commitment Act (signed into law in 2018) to provide mental health care to veterans who received less-than-honorable discharges due to PTSD.

For removal of Donald Trump from office following the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack
For protecting voting rights and election integrity, including serving as a key member of the bipartisan group that reformed the Electoral Count Act to ensure accurate certification of state electoral votes, and sponsoring the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to restore the Voting Rights Act and stop voter suppression.
For Supreme Court ethics reform, including introducing legislation since 2011 that would require the Supreme Court to adopt a code of conduct.

For closing the Guantanamo Bay detention camp
Against U.S. military support for the Saudi-led campaign in Yemen; called the U.S. complicit in war crimes and sought to prohibit weapons sales to Saudi Arabia and end military refueling of Saudi coalition planes
Against Israeli West Bank annexation; supports U.S. recognition of a Palestinian state after the Gaza war
Against Trump administration's sales of $8.8 billion in munitions to Israel; voted for resolutions to cancel the sales
For sanctions on Iran, Russia, and North Korea; voted in favor of the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act in 2017
For restricting ICE enforcement actions at sensitive locations; co-introduced the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act
Against Trump administration's military action against Iran without congressional authorization; introduced a War Powers Resolution to limit unauthorized U.S. military involvement against Iran
For immigration reform, including authoring legislation to block former President Trump's travel ban targeting Muslim-majority countries, and supporting immigration reform that creates a pathway to citizenship, permanently protects Dreamers, and invests in humane border security.
For a foreign policy centered on democracy, human rights, and diplomacy, including pushing Congress to increase investment in diplomatic efforts, and introducing bipartisan legislation in 2021 to ensure Congress has a role in decisions on the use of military force.

For minimum age requirements and algorithmic content restrictions on social media for minors; co-introduced the Kids Off Social Media Act setting a minimum age of 13 for social media use and restricting algorithmically targeted content for users under 17
For stronger gun safety laws, including introducing legislation for universal background checks, supporting a ban on assault-style weapons, filibustering for 15 hours after the Pulse nightclub shooting to force a vote, and working across the aisle to pass the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (providing support for red flag laws, enhanced background checks for buyers under 21, narrowing the "boyfriend loophole," and creating federal penalties for gun trafficking and straw purchasing).