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“This was a great opportunity to speak directly with local selectmen, fire chiefs, nonprofits, and other community leaders from across the district about the benefits of working with the USDA-Rural Development program,” said Courtney. “All too often, rural communities do not have access to the credit necessary to begin long-term projects like bridges, schools, or municipal complexes, and these loans and grants provided through the USDA ensure eastern Connecticut towns do not get left behind. During the reauthorization of the Farm Bill in 2014, I worked hard to maintain rural development eligibility in Connecticut by ensuring the definition of rural included small communities in Eastern Connecticut. I want to thank all of our local leaders who came out to learn more about the grant program, and I look forward to working with them to obtain additional grant funding for our district this year.”

“I am honored to recognize the service and sacrifice of eastern Connecticut veterans who took part in the UN peacekeeping mission during the Korean War,” said Courtney. “While they served long ago, their role has not been forgotten in either this country, or in South Korea which bestowed the Korean Ambassador for Peace Medals I presented to them today. It is important that we take this opportunity to honor and remember the service of these veterans in front of their families and their communities.”

“The long range strike bomber is a critical program for our nation, and I can think of no better supplier for its engines than the hard working men and women of Pratty & Whitney”, said Ranking Member Courtney. “Once again, Connecticut has been called on to play a key role in a high priority national security effort – and I know that Pratt, its workers, and the state-wide network of suppliers that supports them are equal to the task. This is a good day for our state, and I proud to be working on the subcommittee to ensure the success of the B-21 program.”

“My resolution is calling on the Senate to ratify the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea treaty once and for all,” said Courtney. “As our country continues to challenge excessive maritime claims in the South China Sea, or jockey for standing in the increasingly competitive Arctic region, we risk being left on the sidelines during these important negotiations unless we are a party to this agreement. The UNCLOS treaty has long been supported by presidents and leaders from both parties, and while 166 countries and the European Union have already ratified it, the U.S. is part of a small group of nations including North Korea, Iran, Syria, Libya, and Venezuela that have not done so. Our military leaders need this treaty ratified in order to maintain free and open access to waterways across the globe, as Admiral Harris and General Breedlove said just like week during two different House Armed Service Committee hearings. I want to thank Congressman Young for joining me as a lead cosponsor of this critical effort.”

As we have heard repeatedly in our hearings over the last year, the need to modernize and recapitalize these aircraft and their capabilities is increasingly critical. Rapidly improving A2/AD capabilities, long range weapons and sensing technologies makes upgrading and replacing our legacy fleets that much more important. In order to meet these challenges, we must make the right investments today to ensure that we stay ahead of these trends. In my view, the 2017 budget we are considering here today makes important investments toward this goal and, on the whole, moves us in the right direction.

“The Centers for Disease Control tells us that in 2014, 27,000 Americans suffered accidental overdose deaths across the country - a drastic increase from 2013,” said Courtney. “And this trend is happening again all across the country. In the state of Connecticut, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner reported its statistics for 2015, which showed that 723 individuals lost their lives. So we are in the midst right now of a problem that is sweeping across the country that is affecting states that are Republican and Democrat, Blue and Red, and we as a Nation need to get all hands on deck and come to grips with it."

This hearing and this budget comes at a critical time for our Navy and Marine Corps. As recent events around the world clearly demonstrate, the presence and capabilities of our forces on, below and above the seas are in higher demand than at any other time in recent history. Yet, as this subcommittee knows all too well, these forces are under significant pressure in meeting growing operational needs and keeping pace with developments around the world in the face of limited resources. I believe that we need to ensure that we make the right investments in the capabilities of our seapower forces while also ensuring that they have the capacity to utilize them. In my view, the 2017 budget request makes important strides to towards this goal – but there are areas where I look forward to working on a bipartisan basis to make further progress.