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“It is unconscionable that after 49 people were murdered last week in just the latest mass shooting that the only response by Speaker Paul Ryan and the majority party is a sixteen-second moment of silence,” said Courtney. “My Democratic colleagues and I will not be silent in the face of unrelenting gun violence on a daily basis. The Americans People are with us, with ninety-plus percent supporting the closing gun show and internet sales loophole. We will continue to demand up-or-down votes on common sense legislation until we get this done.”

“Congress’s inaction on protecting Americans and preventing gun violence is shameful, heartless, and irresponsible. The American people overwhelmingly support keeping guns out of the hands of terrorists and other dangerous individuals, yet the House has not held a single vote on gun violence prevention legislation."

"I am very pleased that this important piece of legislation which will help bring kidnapped children home received strong support from Congress and is now headed to the President’s desk,” said Courtney. “My colleague, Rep. Erik Paulsen and I first introduced this bill in 2011, and we have remained strong advocates for its passage since that time. Missing children investigations are incredibly complex and challenging for law enforcement officials to solve, and we should be providing them with every conceivable tool that can help bring children home safely."

“Yesterday, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy from the state of Connecticut reminded us of the truth in that statement when for 15 hours he stood on the floor of the United States Senate and refused to yield until he got a commitment from the Republican Leadership of the Senate to hold a vote on a no-fly, no-buy piece of legislation to restrict people on the terror watch list from buying firearms, and also for a common sense background check reform which allow internet sales and gun shows sales to be included in the background check system which is supported by 53% of NRA households. ... It is time for us to listen to Chris Murphy, to follow his example, to thank him for his leadership, and persistence, and courage, and let’s do what the American People are looking for which is ways to protect us from these mass shootings which are far too many, and far too damaging to the people of this country.”

“I was very pleased by the strong bipartisan support for the mental health bill passed yesterday which includes a section of my bill to add child and adolescent physiatrists to the National Health Service Crops,” said Courtney. “In the wake of the most recent mass shooting in this country, we are reminded of a time in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting when there was an extreme need for trained child psychiatrists to address the mental health needs of young people. We know that when children experience trauma or mental illness at a young age, it can have a profound impact on the rest of their lives. We owe it to our children to make sure we are providing enough psychiatric providers to care for them."

“Defense related manufacturing is a central part of our region’s economic recovery and future, and the funding bill passed today invests the resources needed to keep the current trends on track. Coupled with the defense authorization bill I helped craft and pass in the House in May, this bill supports Virginia class submarines, the Ohio Replacement, and a range of other programs vital not just to Connecticut, but to the nation. It is a testament to the exceptional workers who supply and build the most advanced submarines in the world that we are continuing to prioritize these programs, even while making tough budgetary decisions about how to allocate limited resources.”

“We write to raise a growing concern of our constituents in the fishing industry who are facing extreme economic hardship related to the structure of fisheries management across the Northeast and mid-Atlantic,” the lawmakers wrote. “On several occasions during town halls and meetings in Connecticut with many of the fishermen who operate in the state, we have repeatedly heard concerns that black sea bass, summer flounder, and scup have migrated northward, but the state-by-state allocations for these species still reflect historical numbers when they were in greater abundance in the mid-Atlantic. These outdated allocations are disadvantaging fishermen in the Northeast."