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“This is welcome news for homeowners in our districts,” the members said. “The additional three years afforded under this updated policy provides critical time for more homeowners impacted by crumbling foundations to make repairs and secure federal tax relief. Since enactment of the new tax law, we have been in regular contact with officials from the Treasury and IRS to explore ways to extend as much relief as possible to homeowners in spite of the changes made by the law. We are grateful for their attention to our concerns and the support they have provided today to homeowners struggling with the damage caused by crumbling foundations.”

"There is no other way to explain President Trump’s action today other than as an attack on the Special Counsel, the FBI, Deputy AG Rosenstein, and ultimately, the rule of law,” said Courtney. “Whatever partisan innuendo the “memo” cherry-picked to attack the warrant application, at the end of the day an Article III Federal judge approved it based on facts presented by the FBI, not a political agenda."

The unfounded attacks being leveled against the dedicated law enforcement professionals of the FBI are reprehensible and dangerous,” said Courtney. “I know firsthand that the men and women of the FBI are honorable public servants who have taken an oath to uphold the law and the Constitution of the United States.

“I voted yes to the Senate compromise today that modified the House bill that was sent over last week by establishing a firm timeline for negotiations on a bipartisan budget,” said Courtney. “Like any compromise, I would have preferred an even shorter continuing resolution with a firm deal on lifting budgetary spending caps. However, the deal hammered out by Senators McConnell and Schumer will provide a path forward for resolving this roadblock and other essential issues that have held up the 2018 budget process for an unacceptable length of time."

“Today’s announcement from Electric Boat that strong hiring is planned in 2018 and beyond is a continuation of great economic news for our region and the entire state,” said Courtney. “As the ranking member of the House Seapower subcommittee for the last three years during the period when Congress expanded submarine construction authority, I will continue to work closely with the Navy and Electric Boat leadership to build upon this success."

“In September, I supported a continuing resolution with assurances that we would work toward a bipartisan budget agreement before the end of 2017. Now here we are in January 2018 and it feels like Groundhog Day has come early as we vote once again on a stop-gap spending measure punting the issue into next month. Where does this end?”

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you Secretary Spencer and Admiral Richardson for your presence here today to update our subcommittees, and the American people, on the results of your reviews of last year’s Navy ship collisions. This is the fourth engagement we have held on topic which is of the highest urgency, given the unacceptable level of fatalities in a non-combat setting which occurred in 2017. For many members, even those who hail from districts far from the Western Pacific, these collisions strike close to home. In Connecticut, two outstanding Sailors – Electronics Technician 2nd Class Dustin Doyon of Suffield and Sonar Technician 2nd Class Ngoc T Truong Huynh (pronounced “Nop - Troong - When”) of Watertown lost their lives. It is the duty of all of us to ensure that bold, systemic change happens to protect our sailors and ships from similar tragedies in the future.

“As the IRS confirmed in its letter, qualified taxpayers who paid to repair damage to their homes in 2017 or in prior open tax years will still able to deduct the cost of those repairs as a casualty loss on their 2017 returns. This is welcome confirmation for those homeowners who have already completed repair work on their homes and will soon begin to prepare their taxes,” said Courtney and Larson.