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Dear Friend,
It's Joe Courtney. I'm here with an update on outstanding job growth in eastern Connecticut and nationwide, a new expansion in veterans health care benefits, and more from the week. As always, thanks for starting your weekend here with me.
Eastern Connecticut Directly Contributes to Outstanding Nationwide Job Growth
Great news. Today's jobs report from the U.S. Department of Labor showed that the U.S. economy added 256,000 new jobs in December – far surpassing expectations and capping an outstanding year of job growth. The end of year unemployment rate is a solid 4.1%.
Eastern CT directly contributed to that momentum. In 2024, Electric Boat had another fantastic hiring year, hiring over 4,100 new employees, as of the end of December 2024. Total employment at the shipbuilder now exceeds 24,000 workers, and thanks to a 2023 labor agreement led by the Metal Trades Council, improving wages and benefits show these are not just jobs, but careers.
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| Rep. Courtney visits Electric Boat's weekly Walk-In Wednesday job fair in 2022 |
The job growth across eastern Connecticut’s shipbuilding economy is the product of a bold shipbuilding plan set by Congress: continued 2-per-year authorization for Virginia-class submarines alongside construction of the new Columbia-class fleet of submarines, which are 2.5x larger than Virginia submarines.
In 2025, I will continue working with both sides of the aisle to keep momentum strong and provide our shipyards and suppliers with the support they need to meet demand.
Certifying the 2024 Election Results
As Benjamin Franklin said, the United States is “a Republican, if you can keep it.” On Monday, I joined my colleagues in counting and certifying the results of the 2024 presidential election – fulfilling our Constitutional duty to our Republic, ensuring a peaceful transfer of power, and upholding the will of American voters.
January 6th, 2025 looked very different from January 6th, 2021. Four years ago, a shocking, destructive insurrection delayed certification of the election results to the morning of January 7th. Thanks to the courageous actions of law enforcement, the mob was stopped, but not without a bloody cost. We must never take this process for granted.
Honoring the Legacy of President Jimmy Carter
On Tuesday, I paid my respects to former President Jimmy Carter as he laid in state in the U.S. Capitol building. My colleagues and I joined the Carter family, Congressional leaders, and the Vice President for a ceremony to honor President Carter’s legacy of public service. President Carter's devotion to the basic principles of serving others and compassion for those in need should be a guiding light for all Americans.
On Thursday, I attended President Carter’s State Funeral at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC. You can watch the full service here.
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| Left: Former President Jimmy Carter lies in state in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda |
PACT Act: A New Expansion in Care
Under the Honoring Our PACT Act of 2022, this week, the Department of Veterans Affairs expanded the list of presumptive conditions for Gulf War and post 9/11 veterans to include new cancers. This means veterans who were exposed to toxins while serving and now suffer from these cancers will receive the care and compensation from the VA that they are entitled to receive. To view a full list of presumptive illnesses and cancers, visit VA.gov/PACT.
Congress passed the PACT Act in 2022 – the largest expansion in veterans health care ever. As of December 2024, 1.4 million PACT Act benefit claims have been approved and over 385,000 veterans have newly enrolled in VA health care nationwide.
Disaster Relief for Connecticut Farmers
Many Connecticut farms have faced devastating extreme weather in recent years. In December, I worked with my friend, Rep. Rosa DeLauro, Ranking Member on the House Appropriations Committee, and my colleagues in the Connecticut delegation to successfully secure direct disaster aid for small and medium sized farms impacted by weather events in 2023 and 2024.
Now, the Connecticut Department of Agriculture is preparing to distribute the disaster aid, beginning by surveying farmers’ 2023 and 2024 weather related-losses. Farmers can report losses here.
I strongly encourage farmers in our state to share the challenges they have faced – whether it’s production losses, infrastructure damage, or increased costs due to invasive species. Participating in the survey will help our state deliver help where it’s needed as soon as possible.
Thanks 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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