Press Releases

“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.”

“I was honored today to accept the Congressional Leadership Award from the Association of Defense Communities,” said Courtney. “Our region is proud to be the home of so many who serve and have served our nation, as well as their families. So many communities in eastern Connecticut are tied closely with our military, whether sailors and their families stationed at SUBASE New London, shipbuilders working at Electric Boat, employees at small and mid-sized businesses that supply critical defense programs, or countless schools, businesses and organizations that support them. I will continue to support the proud maritime tradition of eastern Connecticut as we contribute to the national defense of the United States.”

“Today I am announcing with personal regret but with warm wishes that my longtime chief of staff, Jason Gross, will be moving on to pursue a new opportunity,” said Courtney. “Jason’s departure will mark the end of an era for my office, as he has been a foundational part of everything I have done here over the past nine years. During his tenure as Chief of Staff, Jason has served this office and the people of eastern Connecticut with dedication and distinction – and he will be missed. I will wish him all the best in his new role serving as Executive Director for the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition.”

“I applaud the EPA for providing much needed support to school districts across the country and right here in Eastern Connecticut to replace ageing buses that no longer meet our current standards for pollution emissions,” said Courtney. “We know now that exposure to dangerous emissions is particularly harmful to young people and with school budgets tight, this funding will make a huge difference for our local communities.”

“As a member of the House Education and Workforce Committee, I served as part of the bipartisan team to help shape and to support the update of this law,” said Congressman Courtney. “The world has changed dramatically since No Child Left Behind was passed, and the needs of our children, our educators, and our workforce have evolved significantly over time.”

“Eastern Connecticut is proud of its deep connection to our Coast Guard and excited to be the home of the planned National Coast Guard Museum in New London – the service’s first major national museum in its history,” said Courtney. “With nationwide fundraising efforts underway to design and build the new museum, I am committed to ensuring that Congress do all it can to support this worthy project. I am proud to have worked with Senator Blumenthal to secure a targeted change to federal law that ensures that the Coast Guard can provide its full support to making the rich treasure of artifacts for oldest maritime fleet available both to the American people and the world. This is a huge boost to national effort to create the long overdue museum, and sends a powerful signal that this effort has strong backing of the Congress, the federal government and the Coast Guard.”