Press Releases

“This week I took three more votes to end the partial government shutdown,” said Congressman Courtney. “We’ve voted in the House nine times to get the government re-opened immediately, and yet the Senate have not acted once to end the shutdown. There’s no excuse for the Senate to use procedural maneuvers to avoid their responsibility to restore critical public services for the nation, including the men and women of the Coast Guard who protect our national security, overseas and at home.”

“Forty-three years after the end of the Vietnam War, our government is still failing to properly care for servicemembers who were exposed to the toxic chemical known as Agent Orange,” said Congressman Courtney. “The Agent Orange Exposure Fairness Act is a long overdue reform to the way the Veterans Administration recognizes the claims of Agent Orange victims. This bill would not be possible without the tireless efforts of one of my constituents, Mr. Gerry Wright, who has singlehandedly crisscrossed the country to raise the alarm about untreated Agent Orange cases. It’s a commonsense bill which will remove one of the most frustrating and onerous barriers that has denied veterans critical assistance for decades. It’s time to correct an injustice, it’s time to pass this bill.”

“Today’s announcement from Mr. Geiger and Electric Boat is good news for eastern Connecticut and for the state,” said Congressman Courtney. “This year’s projection of nearly 900 new hires represents a continued strong, upward trajectory for both the local and regional economies and builds on over 1,000 new hires in Connecticut over the past year.

“I’ve heard loud and clear from people across eastern Connecticut,” said Congressman Courtney, “from patient advocacy groups, to healthcare professionals, to individuals who rely on the Affordable Care Act for coverage – and they do not want to turn the clock back on access to healthcare for folks with pre-existing conditions. Families from every corner of the District oppose this lawsuit that would put them back in the world of medical bankruptcy. Today’s resolution, which I voted in favor of, affirms the House Counsel’s authority to step in where the Trump Administration has failed to defend the law against this existential threat. Congress has a responsibility uphold the law, and to stand up for Americans and their health care – and I am proud to do so today.”

“All Mitch McConnell has to do is bring up that bill – which they already passed – send it to the President, and with the stroke of a pen this would end today. These people who, again, are doing the important work of the American people would not have to be going through the stress and aggravation while they are doing great work to protect our public safety, to represent our country overseas and to make sure that we have leaders of the future through institutions like the Coast Guard Academy.

“The Senate’s failure to pass this bill last year and finally right this wrong for our Vietnam-era veterans was one of the most disappointing aspects of the last session of Congress,” Courtney said. “While the House acted in a bipartisan and unanimous way to pass the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act in 2018, the objections of a small number of Senators blocked action that would have made this bill law. That this bill is being introduced in the first days of the 116th Congress demonstrates our ongoing commitment to ensure that we do right by all our veterans exposed to agent orange, whether on land or on the sea.”

“This announcement isn’t just good news for Electric Boat, its good news for our submarine force” said Courtney. “Recent reports from the CBO and the GAO have underscored the urgent and growing need for the Navy to better utilize our private sector shipyards to ensure that our submarines – both new boats like Delaware and the existing fleet – get the timely maintenance and modernization they need. As demand for undersea capabilities continue to grow, it is more important than ever that the Navy use every tool at its disposal to get submarines the maintenance they need – and back out to see as quickly as possible.