Economy & Jobs
More on Economy & Jobs
June 27, 2017
Press Release
“Connecticut Sea Grant has aided local fishermen, shellfish farmers, and maritime conservation efforts in Long Island sound for fifty years,” said Courtney. “Whether it’s jumpstarting a local fishery or connecting local aquaculture producers to local communities, Sea Grant is a vital part of our region’s maritime economy. I am very glad that we were able to secure this funding to help CTSG’s research and education efforts.”
May 23, 2017
Press Release
“While Donald Trump built his campaign message around standing up for middle class and working class families, the draft budget he released today clearly shows that he is intent on doing the opposite,” said Courtney. “The budget he proposed today would make unprecedented cuts to public education and after school programs, undermine higher education affordability, decimates USDA Rural Development funding that is vital for infrastructure improvements in eastern Connecticut, cuts job training funds which are helping to close the skills gap in manufacturing, and most appalling, eliminates thousands of medical research grants at the National Institute of Health aimed at curing a wide range of illness and disease. If the framework the President proposed today were ever to become law, it would deliver a devastating blow to our economy and working families across this country.
May 17, 2017
Press Release
“A college education is one of the most valuable investments a family can make but rising costs often make it difficult for students to attend without borrowing enormous amounts of debt,” said Courtney. “Compounding the issue for families is the fact that student loans often come with higher interest rates than mortgages, car loans, and other forms of consumer lending which can be refinanced. This bill will help ease the burden of student debt by finally allowing undergraduate borrowers to refinance their loans and take advantage of today’s new lower rates. Student debt hinders our economy because it delays or prevents borrowers from making other major investments including purchasing a home, starting a business, or simply saving for retirement. A college degree has become a critical part of securing a good-paying career and that is why keeping college affordable must be a top priority in Washington. I will continue to work to keep the dream of college within reach for Connecticut families.”
May 3, 2017
Press Release
“While this should have been finalized last year, I am pleased that members from both sides of the aisle finally came together to pass a fair and bipartisan spending bill to close out the fiscal year,” said Courtney. “The bill that passed today is good news for Connecticut’s defense industry and our economy as a whole. It contains funding for all of Connecticut’s top-defense manufacturing priorities, including $85 million in advanced procurement funding for Virginia-class submarines produced at Electric Boat. Additionally, despite the Trump administration’s directives to cut funding for domestic priorities such as the National Institutes of Health, Meals on Wheels, SeaGrant, and after school programs, Republicans joined with Democrats in rejecting those harmful cuts. There is little doubt that many of the domestic priorities that Americans rely on will come under attack again during future budget negations with the White House, but I hope the bipartisan framework passed in the House today can serve as a model as we begin to get a very late start on the 2018 budget.”
April 3, 2017
Press Release
“With imported seafood making up 90% of American seafood consumption, our nation should be focusing on programs to expand and improve our domestic aquaculture industry,” wrote the members. “Sea Grant is a program that does just that- helping fishermen and shellfish farmers navigate a complex patchwork of state and federal coastal zone management regulations through technical assistance. Sea Grant works with local producers to grow and sustain their business models while connecting them to local resources to share best practices.”
February 7, 2017
Press Release
“Today is the seven-year anniversary of the devastating 2010 Kleen Energy Plant explosion in Middletown, Connecticut that cost six workers their lives, including my friend Ron Crabb, and injured dozens more.” said Courtney. “As the 2010 incident in Middletown and the catastrophic explosion in 2013 at the West Fertilizer plant in Texas demonstrate, the benefits of ensuring a safe and healthy workplace are not just confined to the facility’s property - local communities also have a major stake in the safety of these workplaces. Since OSHA was first created, great strides have been made in protecting American workers, but too many workers are injured, falling ill, or even killed when working in unsafe and unhealthy conditions. We need to make sure OSHA can continue its vital mission to protect America’s workers so that moms and dads across this country will safely return home to their families after a hard day’s work.”
January 10, 2017
Press Release
“Today’s action by OSHA sends a clear signal to the 15 million people working in the health care sector that the federal government is focused on providing a safe and secure workplace for them,” said Courtney. “We have known for some time that our health care workers face unique challenges and risks to their personal safety, and I urge the incoming administration to continue to press for stronger protections and safety standards for this sector.”
December 14, 2016
Press Release
"The decision to name new ballistic missile submarine after our Nation’s Capital is the highest compliment that the Navy can bestow on this critical program. The USS Columbia and the rest of the submarines in the class will patrol the seas until the 2080s in silent but critical service to our nation’s defense, and will carry with it the history of the shipyard that launched the ‘Forty-One For Freedom’ original class of ballistic submarines starting in 1957,” said Courtney. “Designation of the first submarine is another milestone that affirms the hard work of thousands of workers in southeastern Connecticut to replace the aging Ohio-class submarines. Hardworking men and women at Electric Boat and the hundreds of suppliers across our state have already been hard at work for years to support this program, and remain committed to ensuring its success. Southeastern Connecticut is ready to take on this task which the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral John Richardson has called ‘foundational to Americas national security’."
December 6, 2016
Press Release
“It’s hard to overstate how important dredging and dredging disposal is to the maritime economy across the Long Island Sound region,” said Courtney. “Without the regular dredging of ports and waterways, a vast array of economic activities in our region ranging from recreational boating to commercial maritime transportation, shipbuilding, the Coast Guard Academy, and the submarine base could not function. Today’s publication of the final rule for the eastern Long Island Sound represents the final step in a long process to create environmentally responsible and manageable disposal sites across the entire length of the Sound. This eagerly awaited action follows years of intense environmental reviews, robust public engagement and diligent consideration of all views with regard to the future of dredging in our region. I want to thank the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for their hard work throughout this process."
November 4, 2016
Press Release
“I am very pleased that EPA has finalized its rule establishing a new Eastern Long Island Sound dredging disposal site,” said Courtney “This eagerly awaited step is the result of years of intensive scientific study, robust public engagement and advocacy by a wide range of interests in the region, and I firmly believe that the final product reflects the balanced approach that we all know is needed. The need for this site could not be any clearer, with activities ranging from small marinas to commercial maritime transportation and military facilities like Submarine Base New London all relying on access to a long term placement site for dredged materials. The final plan also moved the site to avoid obstructing the route used by Naval submarines while traveling to and from the Port of New London. The new site is also now located entirely within Connecticut waters demonstrating that the hearing and comment period which included hundreds of letters and testimony from the public on both sides of the Sound was incorporated. Completion of this process is absolutely vital to eastern Connecticut’s economy, and I thank the EPA for its diligent work for getting this site done.”