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“Our region and our state are preparing for tremendous growth in submarine construction work in the coming years – and we need a robust supply chain to help meet the challenge,” said Courtney. “It’s all hands on deck to make sure we are ready to provide the manufacturing capability, the skilled workforce and the innovation that will get us there. I am proud to work with partners such as UCONN and the Thames River Innovation Place to accomplish this important and exciting goal.”

“The passage of this bill is welcome news throughout eastern Connecticut. This farm bill agreement includes many important provisions aimed at providing support and a level playing field for established crops and farm commodities in our region, while breaking down barriers to developing others,” Courtney said.

“The GAO’s report is a sobering assessment of the challenges facing our undersea forces. While demand for our undersea fleet and its unique capabilities continues to rise as reflected in the 2016 Force Structure Assessment, delays in maintaining our existing fleet are exacerbating the growing shortfall in our submarine force structure. This report makes clear that the Navy must do more to fully utilize the capacity of our private shipyards to reduce the backlog in submarine repair work – something I have repeatedly urged the Navy to act on. It is long past time for a return to a “one shipyard” approach to meeting the challenge of maintaining and repairing our submarines so that they can get back to sea doing the important missions we need them to do."

“We expect health care and social service employees to care for us in our times of need, but we know that each year, these men and women are faced with rising rates of violence, often from patients and their families,” said Courtney. “This legislation compels OSHA to do what employees, safety experts, and Members of Congress have been calling for years – create an enforceable standard to ensure that employers are taking these risks seriously, and creating safe workplaces that their employees deserve.”

“The report published this week paints a stark picture that our nation’s strategic advantage is severely at risk,” Ranking Member Courtney said. “The report also makes clear that the Administration’s 2018 National Defense Strategy lacks the depth and coherence necessary to link our military strategy to the resources needed to address the national security challenges our country is facing today. The report presents an invaluable ‘second opinion’ on the direction the Department of Defense and Congress should take in the coming years.