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“Bashar al-Assad's criminal chemical weapons attacks against the Syrian people requires both an effective response and a comprehensive strategy," said Courtney. "Clearly, our naval forces executed a precise, laser-focused strike with great competence and skill, and which Secretary of Defense Mattis described as limited. From this point on, the Trump administration needs to consult with Congress on what the overall strategy in Syria will be, a question that is far from clear and one I raised with the Secretary this past Wednesday during a hearing of the House Armed Services Committee.”

“The sudden and stunning decision by Ridley-Lowell Business & Technical Institute to close its campuses last week left Connecticut students with nowhere to turn. That is why I called on the Department to act quickly to provide information and resources for students,” said Courtney.

In 2016, the Department of the Navy produced a new Force Structure Assessment which determined that the Navy our nation needs is a 355-ship navy. This is not a number that the Navy came to simply because it believed it needed a larger force. It reviewed and validated the stated requirements – and the real-world demands – faced by our combatant commanders. It looks to present challenges and those expected in the decades ahead.

“Today is a special day in southeastern Connecticut as we mark the 150th anniversary of the creation of the Navy installation that would become Naval Submarine Base New London,” said Courtney. “On this date in 1868, the state of Connecticut and the city of New London conveyed a deed of gift to the U.S. Navy that was only 5,200 feet long and 700 feet wide. Over time, that small tract of land along the Thames River has grown in size and stature as it became the home to the ‘first and finest’ submarine base."

“It would be difficult to overstate how important dredging and dredging disposal is to the maritime economy of southeastern Connecticut,” 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 would simply cease."

“The sudden and stunning decision by Ridley-Lowell Business & Technical Institute to cease operations with no notice to students or staff screams out for action by the U.S. Department of Education and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs,” said Courtney. “Many of the students used federal student loans and grant programs to pay tuition, and it is imperative that the Dept. of Ed exercises its statutory authority to protect both taxpayers and the students who put their faith in this school’s promise of a certificate that would provide gainful employment."