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Dear Friend,
After another busy week in Congress, I'm back home in eastern Connecticut and here with an update on legislation I've introduced, a long-awaited milestone for senior services in Colchester, and more from the week. As always, thanks for starting your weekend here with me.
Introducing Legislation to Honor the Sacrifice of an Army Reservist from Bolton and to Close a Benefit Gap for Families of National Guard Members and Reservists
Last July, eastern Connecticut felt the tragic loss of Bolton resident Sergeant First Class Michael Clark, who was killed in a lighting strike during a 30-day training exercise at Fort Gordon in Georgia. Sergeant Clark served our nation for 22 years on active duty and was deployed four times to Iraq and Afghanistan as a U.S. Army reservist. For a family here in eastern Connecticut, this was the devastating loss of a devoted husband and father. To make the most challenging times even worse my office learned the horrible and frustrating news that Sergeant Clark’s family would soon have their TRICARE benefits severely altered. Under the current law, surviving family members of military reservists and National Guard members have just a six-month window to remain on TRICARE Reserve Select if a servicemember dies within less than 30 days while on training or weekend drills. For Sergeant Clark’s family, this law meant they would abruptly lose access to the health care coverage they relied on. Upon hearing the news, my office and I began work to correct this wrong and honor the legacy of a fallen eastern Connecticut servicemember. This week, I introduced the Sergeant First Class Michael Clark TRICARE Reserve Parity Act.
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| Click here to read more about the Sergeant First Class Michael Clark TRICARE Reserve Parity Act |
Guard and Reserve personnel provide invaluable support to our nation and are critical to upholding peace and the international rule of law. They should receive the same benefits as active component members. This bill will deliver on that goal by ensuring surviving family members have access to the health care coverage they need and deserve during the most challenging of times. It would amend existing statute and extend the six-month window in which families have access to TRICARE benefits to three years – bringing parity for guard and reserve survivor benefits to that of active-duty personnel.
I’m proud to introduce the bill with bipartisan support from my colleague Representative Trent Kelly, who served as Major General in the Mississippi National Guard. Read more about the Sergeant First Class Michael Clark TRICARE Reserve Parity Act here.
An Encouraging Update on the Process to Remove Spent Nuclear Fuel from Southeastern CT
Good news on the issue of spent nuclear fuel. This week, the Department of Energy (DOE) released a timeline for its consent-based process of finding a nuclear waste storage solution. I helped kick-start this process with funding in recent federal budgets. It’s going to take time, but this will ultimately lead to the removal of spent nuclear fuel materials from the Dominion Millstone Nuclear Power Plant in Waterford and the decommissioned CT Yankee plant in Haddam Neck. The announcement of a timeline for the process signals DOE’s serious commitment to removing spent nuclear fuel from our towns who never signed up to host it in the first place.
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| Last year, Rep. Courtney hosted U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm for a visit to the Millstone Dominion Nuclear Power Plant in Waterford. Then, in December, he hosted Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy Dr. Kathryn Huff and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition Dr. Kim Petry for visits to Millstone and CT Yankee in Haddam Neck. In Waterford, Courtney hosted a listening session for Dr. Huff and Dr. Petry to hear from southeastern CT residents on the issue of spent nuclear fuel storage |
Nuclear energy is going to be a key part of our transition to clean energy. It’s created thousands of good-paying jobs for our region and the Dominion Millstone Power Plant already supplies electricity for 2 million homes. That said, eastern Connecticut has been burdened for far too long with storing nuclear waste – a responsibility that is ultimately up to the federal government to manage. Stranding this material at over 70 power plants across the country at sites such as CT Yankee and Millstone has forced these host communities to bear a responsibility that they never signed up for. Before we ramp up production of nuclear energy, we need a storage solution which has buy-in from communities. That’s exactly what the Department of Energy’s consent-based process aims to find.
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| Click here to read more about this week's announcement from the Department of Energy |
As the Representative of Waterford and Haddam in Congress and a member of the House Spent Nuclear Fuel Solutions Caucus, I’ve hosted both Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm and Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy Dr. Kathryn Huff for visits to southeastern Connecticut. They heard from our towns about this issue and our desire to remove these materials. This week’s announcement is another step toward making good on their promise to advance our nation’s spent nuclear fuel management and find a solution that is safe, efficient, and community-driven.
Observing Workers Memorial Day, Re-Introducing Worker Protection Legislation
Today, April 28th is Workers Memorial Day, a day to honor all who have died or been injured on the job. In our state, we’ve seen the devastation unsafe workplaces can bring upon a family. Thirteen years ago, a horrifying natural gas explosion at the Kleen Energy Systems Plant in Middletown killed six workers, including my dear friend Rob Crabb, and injured dozens more. It was later determined that the blast was caused by the unsafe but legal practice known as “blow-downs,” in which workers use natural gas to clean pipes. I watched as the workers’ families fought for justice and accountability for years afterwards. Their story, and the reality that hundreds of workers die each day as a result of hazards faced at work, calls for action from Congress. Today, I led 12 of my colleagues in re-introducing the Protecting America’s Workers Act.
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| Click here to read more about the Protecting America's Workers Act |
This bill would meaningfully strengthen and modernize the Occupation Safety and Health Act (OSHAct) for the first time in 50 years by ensuring employers promptly correct hazardous working conditions, protect whistleblowers from retaliation, and hold unscrupulous employers accountable for violations that cause illness, serious injury, or death to workers. While the OSHAct has helped protect Americans for generations, our workforce has evolved rapidly since 1971, and too many workers are still facing injury, illness, or death. On Workers Memorial Day, the tragic loss of workers is a poignant reminder that we must address the shortfalls in OSHA and make progress towards safe workplaces. Read more about my re-introduction of the Protecting America’s Workers Act here, and read a fact sheet on the bill here.
Voting NO on a Bill to Cut Critical Programs for Veterans
This week in the House, leadership put forward a bill which would make draconian cuts to critical public programs, shatter confidence in the U.S. financial instruments, and threaten our national security. Disturbingly, many of the bill’s most severe rollbacks would hurt services provided to America’s veterans. The cuts made to the VA would lead to 30 million fewer outpatient visits, and 81,000 jobs lost across the Veterans Health Administration – leaving veterans unable to get appointments for care including wellness visits, cancer screenings, mental health services, and substance use disorder treatment. More than 20 veteran advocacy organizations wrote in opposition to the legislation.
The Second District is home to more veterans than any other Congressional district in Connecticut, and it’s a top priority of mine to ensure they receive the care and benefits they’ve earned through service to our country. I voted NO on this bill, and I’m glad to say it’s opposed by the Senate majority and the President. That’s a relief, but let’s be clear, by putting up this weak bill, which has no chance of being signed into law, House leadership is playing a dangerous game of chicken with “full faith and credit” of the United States.
We’re just months away from what would be a catastrophic default on our national debt. Congress has worked across the aisle to avoid this since the early 1900s. Under former President Ronald Reagan, Congress passed “clean” debt limit bills 18 times. Under former President Donald Trump, we did so three times. House leadership should learn from history that our nation pays its bills and that’s why, up to now, the “full faith and credit” of our financial instruments are considered safe and stable.
A New Senior Center Facility Breaks Ground in Colchester
Last Friday in Colchester, I joined a packed crowd for the groundbreaking of the new Senior Center. This was a long-awaited day, and so many residents and town officials worked for years to bring us here – including my former District Director and Colchester First Selectwoman Jenny Contois. Seniors in Colchester will finally have the new facility they deserve, and it’s going to play an important role in connecting them to benefits and helpful resources.
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| Last week, Rep. Courtney joined Colchester Senior Center Building Committee Chair Tony Tarnowski, Director of Senior Services Patty Watts, First Selectman Andreas Bisbikos, Selectwoman Rosemary Coyle, former State Representative Brian Smith, Lt. Gov, Susan Bysiewicz, State Senator Norm Needleman, and other local leaders |
Congratulations to Colchester Senior Center Building Committee Chair Tony Tarnowski, Director of Senior Services Patty Watts, First Selectman Andreas Bisbikos, Selectwoman Rosemary Coyle, and former State Representative Brian Smith who diligently secured state bond money for this project.
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| The new Senior Center will be a vital facility to older people in Colchester to access benefits and services. A packed house joined in Colchester's Town Hall to celebrate the groundbreaking. |
Just a few months into 2023, there’s lots of news to share with our senior community. Thanks to the Medicare reform bill we passed last year, long-awaited cost cuts for prescription drugs are rolling out – including a $35/month cap on the price of insulin for Medicare beneficiaries which took effect on January 1st, 2023. On Monday (5/1), I will be at the Griswold Senior Center from 12:15PM to 1:15PM to answer questions on the Medicare reform bill, the 2023 Social Security COLA, and more health care cost savings. You can RSVP to the event by clicking here.
Highlighting a Stafford Spring Resident's Service to his Fellow Veterans
In addition to our large community of retired servicemembers, eastern Connecticut is lucky to have so many community members to step up to provide helpful services and organize events for veterans – many are veterans themselves. This week, I want to highlight Mr. Russell Vibberts (US Army, Ret.), a Stafford Springs resident who recently received recognition for his work serving the veteran community. Former Sergeant Vibberts is a Vietnam War Veteran, assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 47th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division from 1967 to 1968. Upon returning to civilian life, he has led a career as a business man and a leader in the Stafford Spring community. For over 20 years, Mr. Vibberts has been an active member of the 4th Infantry Regimental Association, organizing gatherings for members and carrying on traditions and history of the Regiment. For that dedicated work in service to active duty and retired U.S. Army servicemembers, Mr. Vibberts was recently presented with a Meritorious Public Service Medal from the U.S. Department of the Army.
Thank you to Mr. Vibberts for his service to our nation and for his continued service to the U.S. Army, eastern Connecticut veterans, and the Stafford Springs Community.
If you are a veteran and need support, give my Norwich office a call and ask to speak to my Military and Veterans Representative Manuel Menses (USN, Ret.).
Thanks for taking some time to ready my update. If we can be of any assistance, don't hesitate to give my Norwich office a call at (860) 886-0139. Have a great weekend!
Sincerely,
Joe Courtney
Member of Congress
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