Press Releases

“I was very pleased that we were able to get this important change for our dairy farmers included in the federal transportation bill last month,” said Courtney. “In my role as the as a co-chair of the Congressional Dairy Caucus, I have advocated on the behalf of small and medium sized dairy farmers who expressed a need to change the law which prevented them from fully utilizing the container space in their milk trucks. Simply allowing our dairy farmers to fill their current milk hauling trucks to full capacity will save them both time and money, and prevent the need for additional trucks on our roadways. The new weight exemption will allow haulers to transport the same volume of fluid milk in four full milk trucks compared to the five partially filled milk trucks used to meet existing weight restrictions on Connecticut roads. I want to thank Congresswoman Esty for all of her work on the issue, and for offering the amendment in the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee where it was included in the larger transportation bill.”

“I am pleased that the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers was able to build on cost-effective and environmentally sound options for disposing of dredged material from our waterways in the final DMMP,” said Courtney. “Economic activities that utilize Long Island Sound waterways contribute more than $9 billion annually in economic output and maintaining navigable shipping channels is critical to the long-term health of our regional economy. From family-owned marinas to the SUBASE New London, the livelihoods of thousands of my constituents directly depend on this comprehensive dredging plan. I am particularly happy that the DMMP underscores the need for a strong partnership among the Regional Dredging Team members and recommends new involvement by the U.S. Navy and newly-formed Connecticut Port Authority.”

“I thought President Obama’s final State of the Union was a thoughtful recipe for the country to succeed in the future. Building on the indisputable job growth we are experiencing, as well as progress in emerging industries like renewable energy, we have an opportunity to improve on our nation’s positon as the world’s strongest economy. I particularly appreciated his reminder that America succeeds when we come together as a diverse nation and not give in to the negative voices that seek to divide us."

“I am very happy that Dr. Mohammed Qureshi has agreed to be my guest at President Obama’s final State of the Union address,” said Courtney. “Dr. Qureshi is an important member of our local medical community, serving as a primary care physician at United Community & Family Services and Backus Hospital in Norwich. His lifetime of work and service should be an example to all.”

“The approval of the acquisition decision memo for the Ohio Replacement is another powerful affirmation that our nation is committed to building this essential component of our national defense,” said Courtney. “This step, along with the pending release of the development request for procurement of the submarine, are among the critical milestones that we will see this year and a reminder that Congress must do all it can now to ensure the success of the program in the future. I look forward to continuing to work on a bipartisan basis to provide the tools and support the Navy and industry needs to meet this national responsibility in the most efficient and cost-effective way.”

“I am pleased that after a great deal of negotiating over the past few months, Congress was able to reach a fair,bipartisan compromise to fund the government,” said Courtney. “While this agreement is not perfect, it does contain a number of important provisions that I have stronglyadvocatedfor,including a delay of the Cadillac Tax, as well as funding for job training, healthcare research, and Connecticut’s defense manufacturing sector which helps drive our economy. To be sure, there were provisions in this bill that I would have removed, but on the whole I amglad to see that both sides of the aisle unite todo the right thing for the country. This is how Congress is supposed to function.”

“Passage of a two year delay to 2020 of the 40% excise tax on health plans represents significant progress in the effort to protect middle-class health benefits,” said Courtney. “Along with many supporters of the Affordable Care Act, I warned in 2010 that the tax was ill-conceived when it was inserted in the legislation at the end, and eventually striking it from the books would only strengthen healthcare reform. The extraordinary collation of groups such as the American Cancer Society, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the AFL-CIO, the American Benefits Council, and organized labor did an outstanding job of educating Congress on the exploding cost shift to patients that the excise tax would cause, creating new barriers to affordable healthcare. With the delay in place, I look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress, the Administration, and those outside experts in the future to get this over the finish line.”

“I am pleased that the Congress was able to reach an acceptable bipartisan compromise today to extend a number tax provisions important to low and middle-income Americans, as well as the small businesses that drive our economy,” said Courtney. “The agreement today makes permanent the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit which were set to expire in 2017 had we not acted, as well as the Research and Development credit which is critical to many cutting edge industries and small-startups across the country and in Connecticut. I was particularly pleased that the mortgage debt forgiveness provision, which is a critical tool to keep the Connecticut real estate market moving forward, was extended for two years. While not a perfect compromise, it should provide some much needed stability and confidence for our economy as we head into the New Year.”