Dear Friend, 

As we close out the summer season, I'm here with an update on news from the week and recent visits I made in eastern Connecticut. As always, thanks for starting your weekend here with me.

Empowering Medicare to Negotiate with Drugmakers for Lower Rx Prices 

One of the most significant reforms we included in the Inflation Reduction Act, which narrowly passed Congress one year ago last month, empowers the Medicare program to negotiate medication prices with pharmaceutical companies. This week, Medicare announced the first 10 medications that will undergo price negotiations. The list includes blood thinners, medications for diabetes, arthritis, and more. Finally, American seniors won’t be paying 2.5 times more than the rest of the world for the medications they need.

Negotiation on these medications will take place in 2024, with their new, negotiated prices taking effect at the start of 2026. 

Average annual out-of-pocket costs for these drugs were as high as $6,497 per person last year.

This week's announcement is the start of a cumulative process which could lead to as many as 60 medications with lower, negotiated prices by 2029. In the new Congress, I’m working to extend these cost savings to working age Americans as well. The days of having drug manufacturers dictate unfair prices is finally coming to an end. 

Hosting Assistant Secretary of Labor Lisa Gomez in Eastern CT to Listen to Small Employers and Mental Health Professionals

Last Friday, I invited the Department of Labor’s Assistant Secretary for Employee Benefits Lisa Gomez to eastern Connecticut for visits with local workers and employers.

First, we stopped by Proponent, an employee-owned aerospace manufacturer in Essex. Eastern Connecticut is home to quite a few businesses who have adopted the employee-ownership model, also known as the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). Employee-ownership leads to better bottom-lines for workers and companies. ESOP businesses are proven to have better retention, higher wages, and stronger retirement benefits for their workers, as well as high employee engagement and satisfaction.  Thanks to my bill, the WORK ACT, which was signed into law, Assistant Secretary Gomez’s office is opening a new division so more workers across the nation can take advantage of the benefits that come with employee ownership.  

Rep. Courtney and Asst. Sec. Gomez visited Proponent, an aerospace manufacturer in Essex and an employee-owned business. They meet with Amy Hout, Proponent Employee and Executive Director of the Connecticut Center for Employee Ownership, Chris Mercier, VP or Portfolio Optimization, and more Proponent employee-owners and economic development leaders

Then, Assistant Secretary Gomez and I met with mental heal providers and patients at the Community Health Center in New London to discuss the challenges they are facing accessing mental health care, and the new steps the Department of Labor is taking address those challenges. Ensuring workers have the same access to mental health care benefits as physical health benefits is not just the right thing to do—it is the law. Unfortunately, many insurers are abandoning this duty and the Department of Labor does not have the legal authority to adequately deter bad actors. 

At the Community Health Center in New London, Courtney and Gomez heard from mental health care provides and patients about the challenges workers and families face accessing mental health benefits. They were joined by CHC's Yvette Highsmith Francis, Regional VP, Dr. Tichianaa Armah, Chief Psychiatry Officer, VP of Behavioral Health, and more state leaders and elected officials.

As a Senior Member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, I’m working with Assistant Secretary Gomez to strengthen mental health parity. In the last Congress, I championed and helped pass the Mental Health Matters Act in the House. While the Senate didn’t take up the measure, I’m continuing to work with colleagues and the Education and Workforce committee to see this effort through.

Visiting the Bradley International Airport Air Traffic Control Tower 

Bradley International is the airport most people in the Second District use when they need to fly. It's often ranked as one of the best airports in country, and the Infrastructure Law is delivering multiple rounds of funding to enhance safety, expand terminal capacity, and improve passenger experience. Importantly, Bradley – and Groton-New London Airport – remain some of the safest runways in the country. Last week, I visited Bradley International’s Air Traffic Control Tower to discuss ongoing operations and how I can support their work to keep BDL a safe place to fly. 

Rep. Courtney visited the Bradley Air Traffic Control Tower to meet with Air Traffic Controllers Tim Roig and Bryan Krampovitis to discuss operations and staffing challenges

The top issue facing air traffic controllers at Bradley and nationwide is staffing levels. Today, there are 1,200 fewer fully certified controllers than ten years ago. We need to turn this trend around, and the recently House-passed FAA Reauthorization bill, would do so requiring the FAA to conduct maximum hiring for air traffic controllers for the next five years and take steps to improve employee retention. The bill also invests in workforce development programs to grow the entire aviation workforce – including pilots, mechanics, and air traffic controllers. 

Thanks to air traffic controllers Bryan Krampovitis, New England Alternate Regional Vice President for the National Air Traffic Controllers Association and Tim Roig, a NATCA Representative for welcoming me to the Bradley ATCT. The investments and hiring requirements in FAA Reauthorization bill – in addition to infrastructure and safety improvements being made nationwide through the federal Infrastructure Law – will help ensure runways in America as well as our skies remain safe. 

New Federal Support for Griswold to Stem Substance Misuse 

Yesterday, to mark International Overdose Awareness Day, I announced a $625,000 federal grant for Griswold PRIDE – a coalition dedicated to addressing youth substance misuse. 
  
Families across the nation continue to experience the tragic impacts of the substance misuse crisis and our region is not immune to this epidemic. This new federal grant will allow Griswold PRIDE to expand its exceptional, grassroots work to decrease youth’s access to prescription drugs and other substances, increase youth mental health resources, provide educational resources to youth and families, and more. 
  
Griswold PRIDE, under the leadership of Miranda Mahoney, has taken a data-driven and community-led approach that is making real progress in helping prevent drug use and smoking, improve community response to overdoses, and educate young people and their families. This federal grant is a testament to the progress they have made in our community and their commitment to expanding their efforts. Thank you to Miranda, as well as Community Health Resources CEO, Heather Gates, for their work to secure this funding.     
  
This week’s announcement is part of my ongoing work to address substance misuse in the Second District. In May, I secured a $739,322 grant for Governor’s Prevention Partnership to conduct school- and community-based prevention programs to prevent opioid misuse in eastern Connecticut. Thanks to this funding, targeted prevention activities—including a mentorship program—will serve 200 high school-aged youth and 200 parents/guardians. 
  
I look forward to seeing how both Griswold PRIDE and the Governor’s Prevention Project use their federal funding to support our region’s young people. 

Steady, Recurring Federal Support for the Last Green Valley 

Earlier this month, I sat down with the Last Green Valley organization at their headquarters in Danielson. Executive Director Lois Bruinooge and Chief Ranger Bill Reid updated me on their work during the summer season. Last year, we worked together to secure a 15-year reauthorization for the Last Green Valley’s status as a National Heritage Area.  

Rep. Courtney, Executive Director Lois Bruinooge, and Chief Ranger Bill Reid discussed the importance of the long-term, 15-year reauthorization of the Last Green Valley as a National Heritage Area and the steady, recurring federal support that comes with it.

Across the 35 towns it covers in eastern Connecticut and southcentral Masschusetts, the Last Green Valley organization operates programs that preserve our region’s natural and cultural heritage so future generations of residents and visitors can enjoy it. This long-term, NHA authorization – which we pushed for over the course of two years – ensures steady, recurring federal support for the Last Green Valley’s wide-ranging work in northeastern Connecticut. 

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.

Have a great weekend and happy Labor Day! Eastern Connecticut’s workers are the backbone of our economy and community. In Congress, I am working to make sure every worker earns fair wages, has decent working conditions, and a voice in the workplace.

Sincerely,

Joe Courtney
Member of Congress

OFFICE LOCATIONS