The CT Mirror (https://ctmirror.org/tag/joe-courtney/)
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. Continue Reading →
WASHINGTON — When the USS Fitzgerald collided with a container ship off the coast of Japan last month, resulting in the deaths of seven American sailors, the U.S. Coast Guard was dispatched to investigate the incident. That’s an example of the service’s widening mission, which has not been matched by an increase in personnel or resources, leaving its leaders to question whether they can fully accomplish their missions. Continue Reading →
WASHINGTON — The Navy gave Electric Boat good news on Friday with a report that said increasing the production of Virginia-class submarines while the shipyard builds a new Columbia-class ballistic missile sub is “viable” and could save taxpayers money. Continue Reading →
WASHINGTON — Even before President Donald Trump assumed office, the Navy had big plans for expansion that included new submarine work for Electric Boat. Now the ramp-up has grown, along with the Groton shipyard’s challenge to find enough skilled workers. High demand for Pratt and Whitney aircraft engines is adding to the need for skilled workers. Continue Reading →
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 the years 2020, 2022 and 2023. Continue Reading →
Updated at 3 p.m.
Washington – Connecticut lawmakers, for whom gun violence has a personal edge because of the Newtown shootings, reacted with shock and horror at a gunman’s attack on a Republican congressional baseball practice early Wednesday. Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., the House majority whip, was among those shot. The gunman, who was identified as James Hodgkinson of Illinois, also was shot and later died. Continue Reading →
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon has given Congress wish lists totaling more than $30 billion in additional weaponry and personnel that could substantially boost the number of F-35s and Sikorsky helicopters purchased this year. These requests are in addition to the $30 billion President Trump has sough in increased funding for the Pentagon this year. Continue Reading →
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump’s budget would require Connecticut to drop residents from key social and health programs in the state, and make tough decisions on how to handle other proposed federal cuts to education, housing and the environment. Connecticut’s congressional delegation vowed to fight it. Continue Reading →
Updated on May 10 at 12:06 p.m.
Stunned members of Connecticut’s congressional delegation joined demands for a special prosecutor to oversee the investigation of Russian influence on the 2016 election after President Donald Trump fired James Comey as FBI director Tuesday. “The need for a special prosecutor is now crystal clear,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal. Continue Reading →
WASHINGTON — With Donald Trump in the White House and a GOP lock on Congress, the 26 bike riders who roll hundreds of miles every year from Newtown to the U.S. Capitol to honor those slain at Sandy Hook Elementary School decided to change course. Instead of riding to Congress, they were riding away from it Thursday and toward where they believe their message has more resonance. Continue Reading →
WASHINGTON — Connecticut’s defense industry is a big winner in a new budget deal that will keep the federal government running through September. It allows the Pentagon to increase the number of F-35 fighters and nearly double the number of Sikorsky Black Hawks it purchases this year. The bipartisan bill also funds a number of domestic programs important to the state, including the National Coast Guard Museum. Continue Reading →
WASHINGTON — The Navy’s plans to boost the number of ships and submarines would cost more than $100 billion a year and pose a challenge to the capacity of the nation’s shipbuilders, especially those building subs like Electric Boat, a new government report said. Continue Reading →
WASHINGTON — With the stunning failure of the GOP to win support for its health care bill Friday, Connecticut Democrats increased their calls for reforms to the Affordable Care Act that would keep it alive. “If they want to work together to enact improvements to the Affordable Care Act, I will be there,” said Rep. Rosa DeLauro. Continue Reading →
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s budget calls for cutting manufacturing training money that has helped provide hard-to-find skilled workers for Electric Boat and its suppliers, even as the president wants to ramp up building submarines. “This is exactly the wrong direction we should be going,” said Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District. Continue Reading →
WASHINGTON — As soon as the Congressional Budget Office released its long-awaited report Monday afternoon on the impact of the GOP’s American Health Care Act, Connecticut Democrats joined party colleagues in saying the analysis proved the health plan should be scrapped. The CBO estimated the American Health Care Act would result in 24 million Americans losing their health insurance. Continue Reading →