Media Center

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Joe Courtney and New London Mayor Daryl Justin Finizio today announced more than $2 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to combat lead paint and other home health hazards in New London. In all, the City of Norwich was awarded $1,829,956 in Lead Based Paint Hazard Control grant program funding and $191,000 in healthy homes supplemental funding. With the funding, the city will address lead hazards in 85 housing units providing safer homes for low and very low-income families with children.

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Joe Courtney and the House Readiness Subcommittee today voted to reject a new round of Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC), becoming the first subcommittee in the House to do so, when it passed its "mark" of the FY14 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA, HR 1960). Congressman Courtney has questioned Pentagon officials persistently over the past two years about the up-front costs of BRAC, and suggested that shouldering those costs does nothing to achieve savings under the Budget Control Act.

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Joe Courtney today congratulated Gilman-based Gilman Brothers Company on earning the President's "E" Award for export success. A leading manufacturer of foamboard products, Gilman Brothers has won assistance from the U.S. Export Import Bank to expand their export sales abroad, and they traveled to Israel with Congressman Courtney as part of a 2010 trade mission designed to open international markets to eastern Connecticut businesses.

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Joe Courtney today released the following statement after U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel announced that the Pentagon has reduced furlough days for Department of Defense civilian employees to 11 from the originally-proposed 22:

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Joe Courtney today released the following statement after U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced that the Reducing Flight Delays Act of 2013 will allow the Federal Aviation Administration to avoid employee furloughs and keep open 149 contract towers, including the tower at Groton-New London Airport, that were originally slated to close in June:

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Joe Courtney today visited with Donovan Kelleher, a senior at Norwich Free Academy, who won this year's Congressional Arts Competition. Kelleher's winning portrait, "Father," will be displayed in the United States Capitol, and the artist will be awarded roundtrip airfare to Washington, D.C., to attend the opening of the national exhibit, which features winners from each Congressional District.

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Joe Courtney today announced that Renaissance City Development Association in New London and Willimantic Whitewater Partnership secured grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for $400,000 and $200,000, respectively, to clean up local brownfield sites.

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Joe Courtney today pushed the full House of Representatives to immediately consider his legislation, The Student Loan Relief Act, H.R. 1595, to prevent the interest rate in subsidized Stafford student loans from doubling for two years. The bill would defuse the immediate trigger, and buy time for a long-term compromise to reduce student loan debt. As of today, the House has just 53 calendar days and 24 days in session to prevent the interest rate from doubling on July 1.