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Dear Friend,
After another busy week in eastern Connecticut, I’m here with an update on federal grants supporting eastern CT farmers, small business manufacturers, and lower inhaler costs.
Thanks for starting your weekend here with me, and best of luck to the UConn Basketball Men & Women in their Final Four games!
This is the fifth time both the UConn Men & Women have reached the Final Four in the same year – no other school has accomplished that more than once! There's no question that eastern Connecticut is the College Basketball Capital of the World.
USDA Grants Driving Economic Growth in Eastern CT
The USDA Rural Development and Rural Energy for America (REAP) grant programs are under-appreciated drivers of growth in rural eastern Connecticut. They help farmers, rural fire departments, and hospitals to name a few.
Funding for the REAP grant program was turbocharged by the Inflation Reduction Act which I helped pass in 2022, and, in particular, it is now helping local farms reduce monthly energy costs and improve operations with renewable clean energy. This week, I visited two farms and a community kitchen with USDA Rural Development Under Secretary Dr. Basil Gooden to highlight recent grants.
On Monday, we visited Seacoast Mushrooms in Mystic – owned by Navy submarine veteran Chris Pacheco. They have created an exciting new local market for mushroom production but are contending with high energy costs due to indoor growing. In the summer, Chris pays around $4,000 per month for his energy bill. With USDA Rural Development grant funding, Seacoast Mushrooms will add a new solar installation to generate 248,000kWh of electricity per year, enough to power 22 homes.
Later, on Monday, we visited Prides Corner Farms in Lebanon. REAP grant funding has allowed the 3rd generation Sewell family-owned plant nursery add solar energy installations to their facility. Jack and Ben Sewell described how the energy source has helped lower costs while boosting sustainable operations.
On Tuesday, we toured CLiCK Community Kitchen in Willimantic. CLiCK is a national model that supports local farms. Under Secrtary Gooden and I heard directly from Director Leigh Duffy and the small businesses that use CLiCK to process healthy, locally grown food for the region.
Rural Development grants, along with Connecticut state funding, have helped CLiCK grow from the start 9 years ago. New funding will provide more freezer and incubator space to help even more farms and start-ups. Dr. Gooden and his staff told CLiCK’s team that they are setting an inspiring example for the rest of the country.
Catching Up with Submarine Suppliers
Eastern Connecticut manufacturers are the backbone of the submarine industrial base. Alongside the record hiring at the Groton shipyard, the 184 small business manufacturers across the Second District are taking on more work for Virginia- and Columbia-class submarine construction.
Before returning to Congress next week, and as the Seapower Subcommittee prepares to begin the 2025 budget process, I visited two submarine suppliers for an update on their work and to hear the concerns they want to see addressed in the FY25 National Defense Authorization Act.
In Ivoryton, I caught up with the team at L.C. Doane – a women-owned small business manufacturer with over 100 employees. They've been supplying lighting fixtures to EB built submarines since 1947. Today, they are expanding both in number of employees and facility size through work for Columbia-class submarines, which are 2.5x bigger than a Virginia-class sub. Thank you to President Bill Psillos, Government Sales Manager Nina Psillos Merrill, Production Manager Alex Psillos, and the entire team for a great tour.
Yesterday, I stopped by BNL Industries. The Vernon manufacturer has 48 employees and supplies valves for Virginia- and Columbia-class submarines. During my tour, President Christopher Bain stressed the importance of stability in shipbuilding procurement in federal budgets – which allows them to invest in new manufacturing technology and grow their team.
Top of my priorities list as Ranking Member of the Seapower and Projection Forces subcommittee is keeping Virginia-class submarine procurement at a steady, two-per-year rate. As the shipbuilding workforce grows in Groton and suppliers across eastern Connecticut hire more skilled employees, submarine production cadence will continue to pick up tempo.
I'm confident that there is strong bipartisan support in Congress, especially from my fellow leaders on the Armed Services Committee, to keep the momentum strong – for our shipyards, our suppliers, and our successful workforce training programs that make it all possible.
One More Thing: After Pressure, Inhaler Manufacturers Lower Costs
Finally, I wanted to make sure you saw this good news.
After we put the pressure on drugmakers to lower costs, three of the top four inhaler manufacturers have agreed to cap the price of their inhalers at $35/month for many people who need them.
Finally, we’re taking on Big Pharma. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 has cut costs for Medicare beneficiaries – headlined by a $35/month cap on insulin costs, free shingles vaccines, historic drug price negotiation, and a cap on annual out-of-pocket costs. I’m continuing to push for these savings and more to be extended to working age Americans too.
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 go Huskies!
Sincerely,
Joe Courtney
Member of Congress
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