William Tong and Joe Courtney Connecticut residents owe $17 billion in student loan debt — averaging over $31,000 per borrower. That is a crushing debt load with serious implications for anyone looking to start a family, open a business, or buy a home. These are not merely statistics to us. They are the stories we […]

Realtors for Connecticut PAC was formed and is run directly by the Connecticut Association of Realtors, which contributed all of its $604,420 in income. Last week the group endorsed Stefanowski, who will likely be the benefactor of most of that money in the coming days. The National Association of Realtors Fund has also spent $126,202.

The main GOP policy goals — cutting entitlements, cutting taxes for the rich and repealing protection for preexisting conditions — are extremely unpopular. (Republicans’ positions on climate change, “dreamers,” the wall and plenty else are also out of sync with voters.) In the final stretch before Election Day, Democrats are likely to remind voters of the GOP’s ambitions should they retain control of both houses. With many voters already saying they want a check on Trump, McConnell reiterated the policy stances that voters fear most. Schumer and his party couldn’t have asked for a better “October surprise.”

In becoming the party of Trump, the Republicans have forsaken traditional conservatism and given voters no rational alternative to the Democrats. The party needs to be voted out of power and spend a few years becoming again the party of Lincoln, not the party of Trump.

If you haven’t already heard it, check out this fantastic performance by Lynzy Lab, who offers an important perspective on the past few weeks. Great song with a critical message.

Attention Mr. Grassley, Mr. McConnell, Mr. Hatch, Mr. Corker, Mr. Graham, Mr. Cornyn and Mr. 46 minus 1: this is Mr. Merrick Garland. Remember him. You held his Supreme Court nomination open for 293 days without a single hearing. During those 293 days, no one came forward with a shred of evidence about anything that would disqualify him. You just didn’t schedule a hearing or vote for purely political reasons.

Check out a great video highlighting accomplishments our party has made, and outlining a clear vision of how we can move the country forward, and deliver real results for hardworking Americans.

By Michael Schere Former President Obama on Friday delivered a blistering criticism of the political tactics of his successor President Trump, saying he had built on the fears of the powerful as they look to diminishing importance in a rapidly changing nation. “It did not start with Donald Trump,” Obama said during a noon speech […]

Congressman Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, on Monday afternoon endorsed Ned Lamont for governor, because of Lamont’s focus on improving training for the state’s workforce. Courtney tied his endorsement, in part, to Electric Boat’s forecast of growing from 16,200 to 20,000 employees over the next five years.

U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler, a Democrat from Manhattan and the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, has offered up a straight-forward piece of legislation, co-sponsored by U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, which would put an end to the practice.

The final GOP holdouts to Donald Trump whimper into oblivion. By EDWARD-ISAAC DOVERE Put a blond combover on the elephant. Take down the pictures of Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan. It’s over. It’s Donald Trump’s GOP. The anti-Trump candidates are fleeing, and the ones who stick around are getting trampled. The chill has gone out among […]

“It’s fun seeing this, it’s a transformation for the area.” Courtney said. “This is a poster child for how the USDA can help eastern Connecticut, because we are the most rural, sparsely populated area and it’s hard to finance projects like this because of that characteristic.”

Student-loan debt collectors accused of misleading borrowers would get protection under a proposal from the Trump Administration. CLICK HERE to sign our petition and tell Betsy Devos: Stand with borrowers, not student loan companies. The Department of Education may issue a statement that federal law prohibits state governments from regulating companies that collect student debt […]

Courtney cosponsored a resolution brought under the Congressional Review Act to retract the Federal Communications Commission order. By Chris Dehnel, Patch Staff | Feb 27, 2018 4:19 pm ET WASHINGTON, DC— U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney (CT-02) on Tuesday cosponsored a resolution brought under the Congressional Review Act to retract the Federal Communications Commission order repealing […]

By Anna Maria Della Costa adellacosta@norwichbulletin.com (860) 425-4225 Posted Feb 26, 2018 at 4:58 PM GROTON — Anticipating questions on heavy topics that included gun control, the tax bill and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, U.S. Congressman Joe Courtney began a business luncheon Monday with a little humor. Courtney, who recently underwent hip replacement surgery, told the large […]

By Kristina Tedeschi Wayne For The Bulletin Posted Feb 21, 2018 at 2:44 PM NORWICH — U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney paid a visit to the RSVP Veterans Coffeehouse Wednesday morning to present three military veterans with medals for their service. The weekly coffeehouse, put on by the nonprofit Thames Valley Council for Community Action, aims to provide all veterans and […]

By: Rep. Joe Courtney As we enter the second year of the Trump administration, the president’s inability to advance a firm, coherent U.S. position toward Russia persists despite a torrent of belligerent behavior by the Kremlin toward the West. Indeed, on the day he announced a new national security strategy that purported to challenge Russia, […]

By: Russell Blair Rep. Joe Courtney, a member of the House’s education committee, is pressing his Republican colleagues to hold hearings on preventing school shootings in the wake of the massacre that left 17 dead at a Florida high school. “Something is deeply wrong in our society when we experience routine massacres, but we take […]

By Martha Shanahan   Day staff writer m.shanahan@theday.com Connecticut Sea Grant, one of 33 university-based programs nationwide funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, is facing its second defunding threat in two years after President Donald Trump proposed eliminating Sea Grant in his 2019 budget proposal. Trump’s budget, released Monday, would eliminate funding for what his […]

FEBRUARY 14, 2018 JOHN STEARNS Congressional approval of an extension for the federal Medicare Dependent Hospital Program (MDH) last week will result in about $3.8 million more in annual reimbursements for Windham Hospital, the only MDH hospital in Connecticut, according to an announcement this week from U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney and Hartford HealthCare, Windham’s parent.The […]

By: ANA RADELAT | February 9, 2018 Washington – In rare bipartisan agreement, Congress on Friday approved a massive budget deal that will increase federal spending in Connecticut, providing big boosts for the state’s defense industry and health care programs and even helping schools educate displaced students from Puerto Rico. The budget deal increases both […]

By Eric Bedner Journal Inquirer Feb 8, 2018 The IRS has determined that homeowners who make repairs to their crumbling foundations within the next three years can amend their 2017 federal tax filings to deduct the cost. Under the updated guidance from the IRS, which U.S. Reps. John B. Larson, D-1st District; Joseph D. Courtney, […]

By Julia Bergman   Day staff writer j.bergman@theday.com Groton — Despite the uncertainty created by the federal government shutdown, “none of the markers would suggest that the support for submarines is going down,” Electric Boat President Jeffrey Geiger told a crowd Monday morning at the Mystic Marriott. Geiger was delivering the company’s annual update to state […]

By: Stephen Singer Contact Reporter The president of submarine manufacturer Electric Boat delivered an upbeat outlook Monday, telling a business audience that hiring is up, more subs will be built and the Groton site will house new buildings to handle the increased work. Jeffrey Geiger, presenting the annual outlook for the subsidiary of General Dynamics Corp., […]

By Julia Bergman   Day staff writer j.bergman@theday.com U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, is pushing the House to act on legislation that would restore access to VA benefits for Blue Water Navy veterans exposed to Agent Orange and other toxins during the Vietnam War. Blue Water Navy veterans, those who served on ships in the territorial seas of […]

By Julia Bergman   Day staff writer  j.bergman@theday.com As Congress debates new spending levels for 2018, U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, and his colleagues want to ensure increased funding for submarine construction is maintained in a final spending package. Courtney, whose district includes submarine builder Electric Boat, and his co-chairmen on the Congressional Submarine Caucus, are asking congressional appropriators to […]

DECEMBER 27, 2017 • KAREN DEMASTERS The difference between being labeled an inpatient or outpatient may seem minor when you are lying in a hospital bed, but it can cost a patient big money in the end. This difference is something financial advisors should be aware of and warn their clients about when they enter […]

GREGORY B. HLADKY ghladky@courant.com   A GOP-sponsored bill to revise federal student loan programs would shatter the hopes thousands of Connecticut college students, U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2, and a group of students warned Friday. Courtney said the ultimate fate of the bill that passed the U.S. House Education & Workforce Committee on a party-line vote this […]

By Max Jaeger The two Navy destroyers that crashed in separate incidents this year — killing a total 17 sailors — were woefully behind on training certifications, according to a new report. Crews on the USS Fitzgerald, which smacked into a merchant ship near Japan on June 17, was behind on 15 of 22 training […]

By Julia Bergman   Day staff writer Norwich — At a meeting of his Veterans Advisory Board on Monday, U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, told the head of the VA Connecticut healthcare system that there might be an uptick in people accessing VA services. Courtney authored language included in a massive defense policy bill […]

The Hartford Courant This is indeed “huge” news, to quote Connecticut congressman John Larson: The IRS will give a big tax break to homeowners with crumbling foundations. This couldn’t have happened without the dogged determination of U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, whose eastern Connecticut district has been hardest hit by the plague. It’s not often that liberal […]

by Christine Stuart | Nov 22, 2017 2:26pm HARTFORD, CT — Thanksgiving came early for thousands of Connecticut homeowners with crumbling foundations. That’s because the U.S. Treasury Department announced Wednesday that they will allow homeowners to deduct the cost of repairs to their homes from their federal taxes. U.S. Reps. Joe Courtney and John B. […]

POSTED 1:03 PM, NOVEMBER 22, 2017, BY DOUG STEWART HARTFORD — Rep. Joe Courtney and Rep. John Larson announced Wednesday that owners of homes with crumbling foundations will be eligible for federal tax relief. Courtney and Larson sought to secure relief from the Treasury Department for the homeowners who are facing significant cost in repairs […]

By Ryan Blessing NORWICH — It was more than a usual day for the students at Thomas W. Mahan Elementary School on Monday, when U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney and assorted school officials and media toured the classrooms to see how a nationally-recognized Blue Ribbon Award school operates. The hourlong tour not only gave Courtney, D-2nd […]

By: ANA RADELAT | November 8, 2017 Washington – Congressional negotiators on Wednesday finished work on a final defense bill that would boost the number of F-35’s requested by President Donald Trump from 70 to 90 and Sikorsky-made Black Hawk helicopters from 45 to 53. The defense bill also authorized billions of dollars for submarines […]

Community health centers — including many located in area schools and providing health, dental, and behavioral care to East Hartford, Manchester, and Vernon residents — soon could see a sudden reduction in services if federal funds aren’t restored, local and congressional officials warn. Eugene Market, president and CEO of the nonprofit First Choice Health Centers, […]

Reps. Glenn Thompson, R-Pa., and Joe Courtney, D-Conn., today introduced a bill that would allow schools to offer low-fat flavored milk with no more than 150 calories per 8-ounce serving as well as fat-free flavored milk in the federal school lunch and breakfast programs. The bill allows individual schools and school districts to determine which […]

GROTON — In remarks prepared for the christening ceremony Saturday of the submarine South Dakota (SSN-790), U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, highlighted the growth of Electric Boat. Nine years ago, when the submarine was authorized by Congress, he said, “Quonset Point and Groton were limping along at a one sub a year build rate. […]

By: Matt Pilon U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney said he and a Vermont colleague have introduced legislation in Congress aimed at easing the cost of managing nuclear waste for communities such as Haddam. Similar to a bill Courtney and U.S. Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) co-sponsored last year, the Stranded Nuclear Waste Accountability Act of 2017 would […]

Groton — The Navy has awarded Electric Boat a $5.1 billion contract to finish the design of the first Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine, and prepare for construction. News of the contract came after 5 p.m. Thursday via a daily contract announcement put out by the Department of Defense. EB put out a statement shortly thereafter, […]

Mystic Aquarium receives $150,000 grant for Long Island Sound exhibit Mystic — U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, announced Thursday that Mystic Aquarium has received $150,000 in federal funds to develop a new Long Island Sound exhibit. The money, which comes from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, will allow the aquarium to create an […]

After passing the eight-year mark since passing the Affordable Care Act, nonpartisan data from sources such as the U.S. Census Bureau have confirmed the real-life benefits the ACA has brought to the state of Connecticut. As the Bureau reported, the uninsured rate in our state has fallen from 9.2 to 3.8 percent, patients can no […]

Most Americans want Congress to set aside politics and search for common-sense solutions that build upon the efforts of the Affordable Care Act rather than tear it down with no viable alternative. The “Medicare Buy-In and Health Care Stabilization Act,” to be introduced by U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney and two other congressmen, is such a common-sense proposal. Courtney, […]

At Manchester Memorial Hospital Monday, Reps. John Larson and Joe Courtney proposed what they see as a common sense solution to the health care debate that has ensnarled Congress: a Medicare buy-in beginning at age 50. Under the proposal, customers ages 50-64 in the individual insurance market would have the option to pay premiums and […]

Courtney was one of 10 congressmen to send a scathing letter to the president.

House Democrats are poised to advance a flood of proposals designed to address the problems dogging President Obama’s signature healthcare law — a move that puts pressure on Republican and Democratic leaders alike. The strategy marks a pivot for the Democrats, as party leaders have throughout the year discouraged members from offering improvements to the […]

Washington – The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday approved a bill that would block the sale of Plum Island — a strip of land in Long Island Sound — to the highest bidder. The voice vote on the bill was a substantial win for environmentalists, conservationists and Connecticut lawmakers who want to preserve the island […]

A House Republican plan to eliminate a $95-million-a-year federal apprenticeship program could be bad news for Connecticut. With a growing demand for skilled defense and aerospace workers, business and political leaders have been anticipating the funding to boost worker training ahead of an expected ramp-up in military contracting. “It just flies in the face of […]

Members of the National Guard and Reserves will be able to seek help for military sexual trauma through the Department of Veterans Affairs, if a proposal from U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, goes through. A technicality in an existing law prevents most members of the guard and reserves from using the military sexual trauma, […]

KABUL, Afghanistan — Six female students from war-torn Afghanistan who had hoped to participate in an international robotics competition in the United States this month will have to watch via video link after their visas were denied  not once, but twice. The girls wanted to show the world that Afghans can also construct a hand-made […]

Washington — Bowing to local pressure, the Federal Railroad Administration has dropped plans for a controversial new rail line along the eastern Connecticut shore from its ambitious project to overhaul the railroad system in the Northeast corridor. The FRA’s NEC Future plan had proposed construction of new tracks to bypass existing ones along the coast […]

The National Defense Authorization Act approved by the House Armed Services Committee on Thursday is good news for this region, with its funding for expedited attack submarine construction over the next several years and its commitment to a new generation of ballistic missile submarines. The legislation also lays the groundwork for more submarine repair work […]

A generation removed from war, the children of William Gamache and Gerard Gonyea shared their fathers’ stories as they accepted their posthumous medals Wednesday afternoon at town hall. Gamache, who served in Europe during World War II, received more than a dozen medals, including a Bronze Star. Raven Reid, Gamache’s daughter, said she could always […]

The congressmen, a big defense player, voted on the allocations Thursday.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Joe Courtney announced Tuesday that Connecticut Sea Grant has been awarded nearly $470,500 in federal funding. The funding is from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The Connecticut Sea Grant is based at the University of Connecticut’s Avery Point Campus located in Groton. “Connecticut Sea Grant has aided local fishermen, shellfish […]

The House Armed Services seapower and projection forces subcommittee mark directs the Navy to purchase 13 ships in fiscal year 2018, which disregards the service’s initial request of eight vessels. Ranking Member Joe Courtney (D-CT) told Inside Defense June 20 the FY-18 budget sent from the White House is being “tossed to the side.” The […]

Washington – The House Armed Services Committee has moved to boost submarine construction, which would allow Electric Boat to build an additional Virginia-class sub in each of the years 2020, 2022 and 2023. The planned increase in submarine production is part of the proposed sea power section of the 2018 House Defense Authorization bill that […]

HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH)– Congressman Joe Courtney spoke against the contribution President Trump’s budget plan would have on the student loan debt crisis. President Trump’s budget plans were the topic of discussion at Monday’s press conference in Hartford, where Congressman Joe Courtney, who serves on the House Education and Workforce Committee, joined students and the community […]

I wanted to express my profound gratitude to Congressman Joe Courtney for his consistent and passionate stand against the recent attempt to destroy the Medicaid system that was part and parcel of the recently failed American Health Care Act. I am the president of the Arc of Connecticut board of directors. We are a statewide […]

COURTNEY ENDORSES SECRETARY THOMAS PEREZ FOR DNC CHAIR December 15, 2016 WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, Congressman Joe Courtney issued the following statement in support of Secretary Thomas Perez for chair of the Democratic National Committee: “Today, I am enthusiastically endorsing Labor Secretary Tom Perez’s candidacy for chair of the Democratic National Committee. I have worked closely with […]

Of the remarkable things we have learned this election year, the most significant is that the current Republican Party is unfit to lead the country. It has failed the greatest test a political leader or party can face, and failed spectacularly.

“I think Joe is laser-focused on Connecticut and the district,” said Cathy Osten, a Democratic state senator and first selectman of Sprague, the tiny town north of Norwich. “His non-political way of doing things … people listen to that.”

As many as 9.6 million Americans could gain health insurance under Hillary Clinton’s proposal to provide families a tax credit to help them pay for premiums, deductibles and coinsurance, according to a new analysis.

“I am committed to investigating every possible source of federal assistance that could be available to homeowners in northeastern Connecticut with crumbling foundations,” Courtney said. “As more and more residents are discovering that their homes may be impacted by this problem, we are going to need an all-hands-on-deck response in order to make these homeowners whole again.”

Driving the development in large part is the growing number of engineers and other well-paid professionals working at the Electric Boat offices in the city, thanks to the accelerated submarine building and design schedule U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, has fought for in the defense budget.

There were many people who assisted UCFS in achieving this designation but I would like to indicate the extraordinary work done by Congressman Joe Courtney and his staff. Congressman Courtney worked with the Department of Health and Human Services. He placed calls, made visits and wrote letters and emails.

Gold Star mother’s powerful rebuke to Donald Trump in Washington Post: As Senator Lindsay Graham said yesterday Trumps disparaging comments against Mrs Khan fall outside bounds of acceptable political discourse.

81 years ago, Social Security was born out of a commitment to make sure that older americans were not relegated to a live of poverty. In the years since we have built on that commitment, ensuring that hard-working Americans that pay in to Social Security have financial security they deserve when they retire.

City leaders and U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, on Tuesday celebrated the city’s successful application for a $384,000 brownfields assessment grant that will be used in three targeted former industrial areas: downtown, the Shipping Street district and the Ponemah Mills in Taftville.

Courtney was sitting in a Lockheed Martin demonstrator cockpit at Whitcraft LLC, a company that makes hundreds of parts for the f135 engine on the F-35. He and other visitors and employees had a chance Thursday to see a sampling of the whizbang technology that makes the Joint Strike Fighter the most advanced jet fighter ever made, amid controversy over its cost and development.

he U.S. Navy League bestowed their annual ‘Sea Service Award’ to Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) for his efforts to promote shipbuilding and support our maritime services as the ranking member of the Seapower and Projection Force Subcommittee, May 13. This award is presented to one member of the House or Senate each year on an alternating basis – with the previous recipient being Sen. John McCain (R-AZ).

“We think the trend of out-of-state fishermen moving north [to fish off New England’s coast]… has just been accelerating,” said U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District. He said North Carolina boats are seen fishing off the eastern end of Long Island Sound “all the time now.”

Congressman Joe Courtney (D-CT), ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee’s Seapower and Projection Forces subcommittee, said in an interview with The National Interest that the ORP will be built, but it has be built without wrecking the rest of the Navy’s shipbuilding budget. “The Ohio Replacement Program—given where it stands in the food chain—I think it’s going to be built no matter what,” Courtney said. “It’s pretty much chiseled in stone. The question is how can we do it in an affordable way and how can we do it without suffocating the rest of the shipbuilding account.”

“This grant funding is good news for our local fire departments that can use these federal funds to purchase life-saving equipment for their firefighters,” Courtney said in a statement. “Our [first responders] put their lives on the line each and every day to protect our homes and our communities, and we need to make sure we are doing everything we can to provide them with the appropriate equipment to keep them safe.”

The conference committee to which Courtney and Esty were appointed will be charged with combining the House and Senate bills into a single piece of legislation that can be sent to the president and signed into law, according to the news release.

The Day – Published May 17. 2016 9:28PM | Updated May 18. 2016 5:48PM Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, was appointed Tuesday by Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi to serve on the conference committee charged with crafting legislation to address the nation’s opioid addiction epidemic, Courtney’s office announced. Also appointed to the committee was Rep. Elizabeth Esty, […]

“We need to do everything we can to support our small farmers and local agriculture,” Courtney said. “It’s unfair that dairy farmers across the Northeast, including in Connecticut, are forced to calculate their feed costs based on averages that are heavily weighted toward Midwest farming operations.”

EB hosted the event in response to an increased workforce demand not seen in years at the Groton shipbuilding company. The company is hiring thousands of workers to fill positions as engineers, machinists, carpenters, painters, welders and administrative roles as the U.S. military strategy turns back to submarines. As many as 850 high-skilled manufacturing and other jobs are being filled this year and an estimated 4,000 in the next 15 years, creating a workforce of 18,000 at the Groton and Quonset Point, R.I., sites. Between 275 and 300 employees retire each year at EB.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has awarded the city fire department a $151,644 grant for rescue training to be conducted in New London by the Connecticut Fire Academy

A subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee authorized two Virginia class submarines for next year at a cost of about $3.35 billion and $1.4 billion to develop and design the Ohio replacement program. The Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces also restored $85 million that will help prevent production delays and ensure the on-time availability of new submarines.

“So far, we’ve done extremely well,” said Rep. Courtney, whose Connecticut district is home to growing sub-builder Electric Boat. In the administration’s budget request, he told me yesterday, “there was a little bit of a shortfall in AP (advanced procurement) funding for one of the submarines for next year, 2017…. $85 million… That’s going to be restored” in the HASC bill.

Hiring at Electric Boat is expected to spur more work among suppliers, and manufacturers in Eastern Connecticut are organized to capitalize on job growth. The Eastern Advanced Manufacturing Alliance is working with Three Rivers and Quinebaug Valley community colleges and area technical high schools to “make sure what is taught at colleges is what industry wants,” Vallieres said.

The upswing at Electric Boat will be felt in Groton and New London and it will ripple across our state, in hundreds of small businesses and skilled manufacturing firms that support the work at the shipyard. This is welcome news for our state, which has had its confidence shaken in the past year, and left many doubting our competitive posture in the global economy.