Press Releases

“The Senate did the right thing by following the House’s lead this year by rejecting any discussion of a BRAC,”said Courtney. “Our region knows all too well that we must remain vigilant in defending SUBASE New London and that is what I have done since taking office, working with key stakeholders to support the base and its critical role in our nation’s defense. The language in the House version of the NDAA passed earlier this summer explicitly rejected a new base closing round, and I am glad that the Senate has followed suit. As the House and Senate work to craft a final defense bill in the weeks ahead, I will continue to be ensure rejection of BRAC.”

“I applaud the effort of the two community health centers to obtain these critical resources to combat opioid addiction in eastern Connecticut,” said Courtney. “We have to be diligent about pursuing similar grant opportunism in the future that may be available to fight back against rising drug abuse.”

Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) and Congressman John B. Larson (CT-01) announced three amendments they authored in support of support Connecticut residents impacted by crumbling foundations passed in the House of Representatives. The amendments were added to an omnibus appropriations bill to fund the federal government which passed the House today. These amendments represent the first time that a full chamber of Congress has passed measures related to crumbling foundations in Connecticut.

Rep. Courtney joined Reps. Elise Stefanik (R-NY-21), David Young (R-IA-03), and Tom O’Halleran (D-AZ-01) in introducing the Community Health Investment, Modernization and Excellence (CHIME) Act of 2017 – bipartisan legislation to extend the Community Health Centers Fund (CHCF) for five years, with modest increases to ensure responsiveness to demand for care and national priority areas.

Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) and Congressman John B. Larson (CT-01) met with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy David Kautter at the Department of the Treasury headquarters in Washington, D.C. to discuss assistance for north-central Connecticut residents impacted by crumbling concrete foundation.

"Thank you Mr. Chairman. And thank you to Admiral Moran, Rear Admiral Boxall, and Mr. Pendleton for your testimony today. I would also like to recognize Ms. Rachel Eckels, mother of the late Information Systems Technician 2nd Class Timothy Eckels Jr. who perished onboard the USS John S. McCain, for joining us today. The circumstances that bring us to today’s hearing are painful and tragic. As Admiral Moran pointed out in his order to the Navy’s Fleet Forces Command dated August 24, 2017, in the span of 65 days, 17 sailors were lost in ship collisions and accidents on naval vessels. These were not, as he pointed out, “limited occurrences” but part of a disturbing trend of mishaps in the Asia Pacific Region that since January involved the USS Antietam (CG 54), USS Lake Champlain (CG 57), USS Fitzgerald, and the USS John S. McCain. To put that in perspective, these heartbreaking casualties are more than the number of service members we have lost in the Afghanistan war zone in 2017."

“As members of the Connecticut federal delegation, we are writing in reference to a news story in The Day on Saturday, September 2, 2017, which detailed disturbing allegations from minority cadets alleging that an atmosphere of racial hostility exists on campus,” wrote the members. “As strong supporters of the Academy and its historic role of producing the Coast Guard’s leadership, we are sure you agree that a meaningful, transparent response is required to further advance the institution’s mission. We recognize that the Academy has been engaged in a concerted effort to boost minority enrollment over the last eight years and has shown significant progress in the numbers at the time of matriculation. Higher admission rates have to be coupled with robust retention in order to ensure a higher graduation rate for minority cadets so that Coast Guard leadership ultimately reflects the multicultural makeup of the country’s population. Ensuring that the Academy’s environment and culture are free of any racial animus is critical to achieving such an outcome.”

“President Trump’s move to rescind DACA is a misguided attempt at punishing children for the actions of their parents,” said Courtney. “The president’s decision to remove temporary protection for DREAMers will lead to the indiscriminate deportation of some of the brightest and most talented students in our country. The vast majority of the people covered by DACA have lived in the United States since they were in grade school and have earned their place in this country the same way as any other American. As an original cosponsor of the American Hope Act that will codify DACA and protect these young people, I will work to reverse this harmful decision by the president.