Rep. Courtney Votes to Avert Government Shutdown

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) issued the following statement after voting for a short-term spending package that allows the federal government to remain open.

“Today, I joined a collation of Democrats and Republicans to avert a government shutdown and ensure the services eastern Connecticut residents rely on remain uninterrupted. In eastern Connecticut, the short-term spending bill will also ensure that federal employees, including roughly 9,000 sailors and officers at the Groton submarine base, will not have their pay disrupted, as well the Coast Guard Academy staff in New London. Their important work will continue uninterrupted.

“Importantly, this package continues support for the Columbia-class submarine program by extending funds for construction of the USS Wisconsin and providing an additional $3.3 billion for the Navy to procure long-lead materials, while sustaining critical investments in the submarine industrial base. This is a critical exception for the Navy’s number one acquisition priority that will ensure construction remains on schedule as our shipyards and suppliers dramatically ramp up capacity.

“To pass a full fiscal year budget and ensure we meet the needs of Americans and our allies, the House leadership must return to the established center-left, center-right coalition that prevented a default on the full faith and credit of the US Treasury notes in May and prevented a shutdown on September 30. As I have said before, this bipartisan path is the only proven way to govern in a closely divided Congress.”

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