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Dear Friend,
It was another great week here in eastern Connecticut. I am here with an update on my work to protect Social Security, lower health care costs, and more. As always, thanks for starting your weekend here with me.
Supporting Seniors, Protecting Social Security
This week marked the 88th anniversary of the Social Security program -- guaranteeing seniors can retire with dignity after a lifetime of hard work. Social Security is our most effective anti-poverty program and it allows beneficiaries to pay rent, buy groceries, and fill their prescriptions.
Right here in eastern Connecticut, over 155,000 constituents, including retirees, children, and veterans, receive Social Security benefits every year. Unfortunately, if Congress does not act to strengthen benefits, workers who retire after 2034 will receive only 77 percent of their full Social Security benefits.
Earlier this week, I met with seniors from the Quinebaug Valley Senior Center to hear first-hand how the program supports their livelihood. We also had a great dialogue on my work to protect the program for years to come through the Social Security 2100 Act. The bill, led by my friend Congressman John Larson, will strengthen Social Security’s finances and the program’s benefits, not cut benefits as some in Congress have proposed.
The bill is endorsed by the AFL-CIO, the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, the CT Alliance for Retired Americans, and more. I look forward to continue urging my colleagues in Congress to pass this critical bill.
If you need assistance receiving social security benefits or working with the Social Security Administration, please reach out to my Norwich office at (860) 886-0139.
A New Era of American Clean Energy Right Here in CT
Exciting activity happening at New London’s new State Pier.
On Wednesday, I made an impromptu stop to see Connecticut workers unload the first of several shipments of off-shore wind turbine blades from the massive UHL Fierce cargo ship that arrived at the new State Pier on Tuesday. This first shipment of turbines, along with the enormous towers that are being assembled on the pier, will be barged and erected at the South Fork Wind Farm in Long Island Sound in the coming weeks. This farm is the first sizable offshore wind project that is slated to reduce carbon emitting power production in the Northeast US.
The next tranche of turbines will be delivered soon to be a part of Revolution Wind – Connecticut and Rhode Island’s first utility off-shore wind farm. Importantly, this project was made possible in part by tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act–a historic law we passed last year to boost clean energy production and tackle the climate crisis.
Residents here in eastern Connecticut will feel the direct benefit of this exciting development. First, the City of New London will receive at least $750,000/year in recurring revenue for the first seven years of operations, which never existed before from the state-owned pier – with more possible in the future. Second, the wind farm will power 350,000 homes across Connecticut and Rhode Island. Lastly, it will boost the number of direct and indirect jobs for port operation, turbine assembly, and the offshore wind ecosystem in the region.
It’s no coincidence that Southeastern CT is home to this new era of American clean energy. Dominion Energy in Waterford provides over 40 percent of Connecticut's electricity, carbon free, and State Pier will join that effort as a clean energy hub. The upgraded pier can now handle three times greater weight than before and is built to higher resiliency standards to withstand flooding. The final design of the pier left intact the pier's New England Rail Line connection which will be available for cargo transit in the future.
This week’s delivery is just the first of many that will usher in clean energy and good-paying jobs for people right here in eastern Connecticut. More updates to come.
Lowering Health Care Costs
This week marked the one-year anniversary since the Inflation Reduction Act was signed into law. The bill is making long-awaited reforms to the Medicare program which are already lowering costs for seniors in eastern Connecticut.
Some of those cost savings are in effect right now, like the new $35 per month cap on insulin costs, a new price cap that will keep prescription drug costs from being jacked up at a rate faster than inflation, as well as tax credits to keep health care premiums low. Since the Inflation Reduction Act’s enactment a year ago, 2,600 people here in Connecticut’s Second Congressional District are saving an average of $560 annually because of the law’s cap on insulin prices for seniors on Medicare. 18,000 people in the area are also benefiting from the tax credits that lower health care premiums and help everyday Americans, which is saving the average person $1,840 in premiums this year.
In the coming two years, even more cost saving provisions—like a cap on out-of-pocket costs—will kick in and help ensure every resident in eastern Connecticut can afford the health care they need.
Click here to learn more about the Inflation Reduction Act.
Honoring our Veterans
On Tuesday, I joined veterans at the Danielson Coffeehouse to share an update on the PACT Act -- one of the largest expansions in Veterans’ health care ever. In eastern Connecticut, over 5,000 veterans have filed a PACT Act claim since the bill was signed into law a year ago. This allows veterans to be eligible right now for the care and benefits they have earned, instead of forcing them to go through an onerous process of proving that their illness was related to their service.
For help filing a PACT Act claim or connecting with the VA, give my Norwich office a call at (860) 886-0139 and ask to speak to Manny, my Military and Veterans Representative.
Last weekend, I recognized those who served during World War II at the Plainfield VJ Day —or Victory over Japan Day—parade. The day marks when President Truman announced the end of World War II, one of the deadliest wars in history.
The parade through Moosup is one of the last parades nationwide that recognizes this important day in history and honors those who died during conflict. I was grateful to march alongside community leaders, veterans, and even the Honor Guard from the Naval Submarine School.
I was particularly grateful to catch up with Jim LaCousiere who is slated to be the National Commander of the American Legion in 2025. He will be the American Legion’s first National Commander from Connecticut since 1953. Looking forward to having him represent our state on the national stage very soon.
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| Rep. Courtney at the VJ Day Parade with Jim LaCousiere who is slated to be the American Legion's National Commander beginning in 2025. |
Thank you for taking some time to read my update. If we can be of any assistance, don't hesitate to give my Norwich office a call at (860) 886-0139.
Sincerely,
Joe Courtney
Member of Congress
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