Press Releases

“Without this vital funding from the federal government, states would not have the resources at their disposal to preserve and protect these natural spaces,” said Courtney. “The Last Green Valley is an incredible asset to our region. We know that heritage areas actually create local jobs by establishing destinations that people want to visit and vacation nearby, making them a smart investment in both the economy and the natural environment. Moreover, the government funds invested in this program is used to leverage private dollars that provide an enormous value for taxpayers. On average, each $1 invested by the government attracts on average $5 of private investment – and that number if actually much higher for the Last Green Valley. I will continue to fight for funding that is critical to sustaining the Last Green Valley and other National Heritage Areas across the country.”

“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.”

“The impact of a loss of Hartford HealthCare services for these 5,000 Medicare Advantage enrollees can only be described as a significant disruption,” wrote the delegation members. “Without a Special Enrolment Period, these members will be forced to select new primary care providers, new specialists, and familiarize themselves with new facilities, many of which will be outside of their communities and which may not offer the services they receive at Hartford HealthCare. Allowing these beneficiaries to choose any other Medicare Advantage plan offered in Connecticut will allow these patients to maintain their ongoing relationships with their providers. This is especially important for those beneficiaries going through treatment for acute and chronic conditions."

“Speaker Ryan’s comments this morning make clear that he has absolutely no inclination to work with Democrats on a bipartisan basis to improve our healthcare for families across this country,” said Courtney. “I remain ready and willing to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to build on and improve the Affordable Care Act. Speaker Ryan’s comments unfortunately leave little room for this kind of effort, and instead keeps the House on set on a course of further gridlock at a time when Americans are looking for thoughtful cooperation in Washington. I hope he will reconsider, and instead pursue ideas to improve care for Americans that have support among both parties and the American people.”

“Today the Republican Conference took us to the brink of disaster by putting forward a fatally-flawed bill which was largely a tax cut for the rich and would have endangered the healthcare of tens of millions of Americans,” said Courtney. “The Republican bill was opposed across the board by nurses, doctors, veterans’ advocates for older Americans and persons with developmental disabilities. It is my sincere hope that Speaker Ryan and President Trump will get serious about governing in a way that represents all Americans, and work with Democrats to craft real solutions which will build on the Affordable Care Act rather than attempting to start from scratch.”

“When you look at what the stakeholders who deliver healthcare in America have been saying, the American Nurses Association, the American Hospital Association, the AARP, and the American Medical Association, who have looked at this bill over the last two weeks - they have universally pleaded with the Congress to block this measure – to slow down the rush to judgement which is going to deprive people of one of the most elemental basic needs that all of us share,” said Courtney. “We are not immortal – we are not immune to getting illness and disease – it is something that affects every single American, and to pass a bill which will wreak this kind of havoc is irresponsible and takes this country in the absolute wrong direction."

“President Trump has insisted over and over again that 'forgotten' working families are his top priority, but the budget blueprint issued by the White House today shows no indication that the needs of families were considered when putting it together,” said Courtney. “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. His proposal diverts critical K-12 funding from our public schools at the Department of Education, decimates USDA Rural Development funding that is so vital for jobs and infrastructure improvements in eastern Connecticut, cuts job training funding that will fill the skills gap in manufacturing, and most appalling, eliminates thousands of medical research grants at the national institute of health that is aimed at curing a wide range of illnesses and disease. This budget also weakens our global strategic position by hobbling the State Department with massive funding cuts that risk damaging our diplomatic corps and international engagement for a generation. Rather than crafting a thoughtful blueprint for the federal government, the president’s budget is instead a declaration of his administration’s far-right political doctrine that intends to undermine our national government and eliminate federal programs that are critical for working families."

“The news of these potential cuts shows that the opportunities HUD identified last August for remediating crumbling foundations may have a limited shelf life,” said Courtney. “While there are issues the state and others have to work through to determine the best means to utilize HUD programs like the Small Cities grants and the Section 108 credit line program, they still represent the one avenue the federal government has agreed are available to help Connecticut communities address the urgent problem of crumbling home foundations. Now is the time for relevant stakeholders to come together in good will to design the best HUD-based solutions for this problem while there is still time.”