Freshman U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal has secured seats on several key committees, including Armed Services and Judiciary.
In announcing his new assignments, Blumenthal said serving on Armed Services will help him advocate for the state's defense industries and the naval submarine base in Groton. The state's senior senator, Joseph Lieberman, also sits on the Armed Services committee.
The Judiciary Committee, which Blumenthal will also serve on, handles judicial nominations, intellectual property and criminal law and oversees the U.S. Department of Justice. Blumenthal is a lawyer who served as Connecticut's attorney general for two decades before his election to the Senate in November.
He will also sit on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Blumenthal's predecessor, former U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd, was a longtime member of the HELP committee.
Blumenthal also secured a seat on the Senate's Special Committee on Aging.