Press Releases

"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’."

“I am delighted that President Obama signed the 21st Century Cures Act into law today. This legislation was packed with important changes to healthcare policy which will make a meaningful difference in eastern Connecticut and around the country,” said Courtney. “I am particularly pleased that following my bill to authorize emergency funding to fight the opioid epidemic, this law authorized $1 billion dollars for grants to individual states to combat addiction. The Cures Act also contains important changes to tick-borne and Lyme disease research, and incentives for pediatric physicians – both changes mirror provision in bipartisan bills I have been leading for several years.”

"The senseless slaying of Joey Gingerella is a terrible loss for his family and the Groton community. His courageous public battle with addiction - which he was winning - was both an example and inspiration to us all. My deepest condolences go out to his family. "

“I am very pleased to announce that the winner of the 2016 Congressional App Challenge for Connecticut’s Second Congressional District is Peter Dentch from Fitch High School in Groton,” said Courtney. “Once again this year we had a number of remarkable submissions to the Second Congressional District App Challenge, but Peter’s creation really stood out. Our panel of judges from the University of Connecticut was impressed by Peter’s advanced understanding of computer programming, and believe that his app can help make robotic control less intimidating and more accessible for the average person. I applaud Peter and all of our student competitors this year for their aptitude and time dedication to create these incredible programs. This nationwide app challenge is designed to engage high school students in computer science and learn how to code by creating their own applications. We need to demonstrate the value of computer science and education and encourage students to engage in these fields. I am looking forward to meeting Peter soon and seeing his app in action.”

“This is great news for eastern Connecticut and great news for the U.S. Navy,” said Courtney. “The Columbia­-class program would face critical delays and ballooning costs without this needed adjustment to the CR. I was encouraged by the bipartisan cooperation that ensured the inclusion of this provision, and will continue to do all I can to support the design and construction of these submarines that are vital to the United States’ strategic deterrence capabilities.”

“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."

“As the ranking member for the Seapower subcommittee, I am pleased and encouraged by the outcome of this year’s conference negotiations and glad that the agreement was easily passed in the House,” said Courtney. “The agreement reflects the hard bipartisan work that our subcommittee did over the last year to make key investments in the capabilities of our seapower and projection forces, responding to persistent requests from commanders around the world. As we begin transitioning to a new administration, this measure makes a solid down payment on growing the fleet and meeting our security challenges on, below, and above the seas, by sustaining our path to a 308 ship fleet by 2021. I hope that the Senate will now quickly pass the conference report and send it to the President for his signature."

“I am very pleased that the 21st Century Cures Act passed with a number of important wins for eastern Connecticut which I have been championing for several years,” said Courtney. “The final version of the Cures Act represents a strong bipartisan effort to address several major outstanding healthcare issues nationwide. I am pleased that a number of my top priorities such as funding to address opioid addiction, changes to tick-borne and Lyme disease research, and incentives for pediatric physicians were included. These provisions will make a real difference for people back home in eastern Connecticut. Since I first introduced a bill calling for emergency funding to address the opioid epidemic in February, support for federal action has been steadily increasing on both sides of the aisle. What this bill demonstrates is that Congress is finally ready to put its money where its mouth is and provide our communities with the support they need to turn the tide on drug addiction. Lyme disease, which is named after a town in my district, has long plagued eastern Connecticut and large swaths of our country. It is time that Congress makes addressing tick-borne diseases a national priority for our medical community. The provisions contained in the 21st Century Cures Act will accelerate the development of new protocols for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of tick-related illnesses like Lyme disease."