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March 7, 2017
“Making deep cuts to the Coast Guard, FEMA, and TSA in the name of a new national security initiative is totally out of touch with the work that the Department of Homeland Security performs,” said Courtney. “The budget shared by OMB, which explicitly targets the Coast Guard, TSA and FEMA, will weaken security and undermine all of the progress that was made over the last 4-years to recapitalize Coast Guard cutters, rescue boats, and icebreakers. I will join my colleagues from both sides of the aisle on the Coast Guard caucus to stop this destructive plan from ever being implemented.”
March 6, 2017
“Our moderate allies from Muslim-majority nations have repeatedly warned President Trump that these rash orders damage our standing to lead the anti-ISIS collation and other counter-terrorism activities around the globe,” said Courtney. “Whatever advantage the Trump administration thinks they have gained with tweaking the prior order is not going to change the backlash we will inevitably experience overseas.”
February 24, 2017
NORWICH, CT —Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02), a member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, is announcing that Valerie Nelson, the longtime principal of the Charles Barnum Elementary School in Groton who retired in June of 2015, will be his guest for President Donald Trump's upcoming address to a joint-session of Congress. Earlier this year, the Barnum school received a National Blue Ribbon Award from the U.S. Department of Education for exceptional performance in closing the achievement gap.
Issues:
Education
February 21, 2017
“It’s very encouraging to see how many people were willing to turnout on a Saturday in Willimantic and across the country to show their support for preserving the Affordable Care Act – it demonstrates just how important this law has become,” said Courtney. “Sometimes people forget that many of the protections they now take for granted, like allowing young people to stay on their parent's plans until age 26, ban against lifetime limits on coverage, protections for those with pre-existing conditions, and a prohibition against charging women more for coverage only exist because of the Affordable Care Act."
Issues:
Health Care
February 17, 2017
“America needs a new generation of farmers, now more than ever,” said Courtney. “The number of new farmers entering the field of agriculture has dropped by 20 percent, while the average farmer age has now risen above 58-years-old. The skyrocketing cost of higher education and the growing burden of student loan debt are presenting major obstacles for young farmers. The burden of student loan debt can thwart their ability to purchase the farming operations they need to get started or drive them away from a career in agriculture altogether. This legislation would assist new farmers during the costly, initial phases of opening a farming business, and allow them a fighting chance to build a life on the farm for themselves and their families.”
Issues:
Agriculture
February 15, 2017
WASHINGTON, D.C. —Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02), ranking member of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, spoke on the House floor about a Russian spy ship patrolling in waters off eastern Connecticut.
Issues:
Defense & National Security
February 15, 2017
“A Russian spy ship patrolling 30 miles from the Groton SUBASE underscores that the threats posed by a resurgent Russia are real,” said Courtney. “This unacceptable, aggressive action, combined with the buzzing of US Navy ships in the Red Sea yesterday are clearly testing the resolve of a new administration. While I have total confidence in our Navy’s vigilant, responsible readiness, the White House needs to move past their seeming infatuation with Putin and treat him like the serious threat to global peace and security that he has been for the last five years."
Issues:
Defense & National Security
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February 10, 2017
“The letter I received from House appropriations today makes it perfectly clear that there is simply no money being provided to FRA for implementation of their NEC FUTURE plan, including the so-called Kenyon Bypass,” said Courtney. “My office has confirmed with both majority and minority appropriations staff that there is no funding under current law, or under the transportation bill already passed in the House for FY 2017 for FRA to implement the NEC FUTURE rail plan. I will continue to work with my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to ensure that no funding is made available now or in the future for FRA to implement any upgrades which harms communities here in southeastern Connecticut.”
Issues:
Transportation & Infrastructure
February 9, 2017
Courtney discusses submarine maintenance shortfalls with Navy leaders. Read more from The Day here.
February 8, 2017
“I am pleased to return as ranking member of the Seapower subcommittee once again in the 115th Congress,” said Courtney. “Over the past ten years serving on the Seapower subcommittee, I have found that this panel has earned its reputation as one of the most bipartisan and productive in Congress. Our panel oversees some of the most critical capabilities on, below, and above the seas at a time when our nation needs them most. I am particularly excited that Congressman Rob Wittman, a friend and colleague with whom I have worked closely on bipartisan shipbuilding issues for the last decade, will serve as our new chairman. This session promises to be busier than ever as we work to implement the new force structure plan released last year to achieve a larger Navy fleet. Implementing this new plan will require us to focus on maximizing our industrial base capacity, ensuring that we complete necessary maintenance of our current fleet, and expanding the reach of our ships through increased capabilities. We need an all-of-the-above approach to achieving this larger fleet, and our bipartisan work to this point has set a strong framework for moving ahead."