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Dear Friend,
It’s Joe Courtney. Here with an update on the latest news from eastern Connecticut and lots more. As always, thanks for starting your weekend here with me.
Celebrating Record Wage Improvements for Groton Shipbuilders
Eastern Connecticut shipbuilders are world class, and they are delivering results for our Navy's undersea fleet. Congress recently delivered funding to provide submarine shipyard workers with a deserved pay raise, and through hard fought collective bargaining, Electric Boat workers are now seeing the improved wages in their paychecks.
Last Friday, I joined MDA-UAW Local 571 in solidarity to celebrate their new 5-year labor contract with Electric Boat, which includes the record pay raises for the union's 2,500 workers and their families. MDA-UAW Local 571 leaders are calling this contract "unprecedented" and "historic".
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| Joining (left to right) Jose Melara (UAW International Servicing Rep), Amy Stephenson (Vice President, MDA UAW Local 571), Brandon Mancilla (UAW Region 9A Director), and Bill Louis (President, MDA UAW Local 571). |
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| A certificate of appreciation from MDA-UAW Local 571 for our work together to secure the pay raise for their workers. |
Collective bargaining is rebuilding America's defense industrial base, and I'm glad to have worked alongside MDA-UAW Local 571 and its President Bill Louis to secure this wage increase. And in addition to the new MDA-UAW Local 571 contract, the funding we passed in Congress enabled pay raises for two additional unions representing over 3,700 workers at Electric Boat. This wage improvement is benefiting Groton shipyard workers now and will go a long way to grow our submarine building workforce.
Social Security Turns 90
Social Security was signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on August 14, 1935. For 90 years, Social Security benefits have allowed Americans to retire with dignity and provided vital income to families after the loss of a loved one.
Americans pay into Social Security over the course of their working lives under the promise that it will be there to support them in retirement. Now, Social Security is under attack.
Since President Trump took office in January, his administration has announced 12% staff cuts at the Social Security Administration and the planned closures of Social Security field offices. Trump Administration officials have also openly discussed "privatizing" Social Security and slandered Social Security, an earned benefit, as an entitlement and a "Ponzi scheme".
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| Discussing the urgent need to protect Social Security benefits at the Colchester Senior Center. |
Last week, I visited the brand-new Colchester Senior Center to discuss these threats to Social Security and my commitment to fight tooth and nail to protect benefits now and for future generations. There was strong agreement from the big crowd that Congress must protect Social Security and honor the promise made 90 years ago when the Social Security Act was signed into law. Protect our checks!
Visiting Australian Allies to Discuss AUKUS & Eastern CT's Critical Role in Making It a Success
Eastern Connecticut and Australia share a close "mateship" under the AUKUS security agreement. We are hosting Australian Navy submariners while they train at the Groton Submarine Base, UConn is partnering with the University of Adelaide to share expertise in undersea technology, and the Australian government is investing $3 billion into the U.S. submarine industrial base.
This week, I traveled to Adelaide with a bipartisan Congressional delegation to discuss AUKUS with Australian government officials. During our trip, we visited the Osborne Naval Shipyard in Adelaide, which is expanding for future construction of the SSN-AUKUS nuclear powered submarines.
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| Touring Osborne Naval Shipyard with (left to right) South Australia Premier Peter Malinauskas, Rep. Trent Kelly (R-MS), and Australian Federal Assistant Minister for Defence Peter Khalil. |
There is strong bipartisan support in Congress for advancing the AUKUS agreement and deepening the U.S.-Australia alliance. AUKUS is our nation's most important foreign policy agreement in decades. I shared with our Australian allies that eastern Connecticut is playing a critical role in making the agreement a success.
Congress Must Act to Avoid a Health Care Cost Increase
Lowering health care costs is a top priority for me and people across eastern Connecticut. This fall, Congress must act to avoid a major cost increase for millions of Americans because of a critical provision that President Trump left out of his “Big Beautiful Bill. Not only did his bill cut health care funding by nearly $1 trillion. It also failed to extend Affordable Care Act premium subsidies.
The Connecticut Insurance Department is warning that because of this failure to extend the subsidies, Affordable Care Act premiums will increase by as much as 75% next year. Around 151,000 people in Connecticut receive health care through the Affordable Care Act. A cost increase this drastic is unacceptable.
I’m a co-sponsor of the Health Care Affordability Act, which would avoid this disaster and permanently lower Affordable Care Act premiums. Congress must act before current subsidies expire on December 31st. I'll be fighting to get the Health Care Affordability Act passed.
An Aerospace Manufacturer Makes a Major Investment in Its Groton Facility
Last week, I had a great visit at aerospace manufacturer Doncasters' Groton facility, which employs about 210 workers. The British company recently completed a $13 million facility upgrade which added 17,000 square feet of space.
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| Touring Doncasters' facility with (left to right) Divisional General Manager Mike Looney and Commercial Manager Bryan Gossett. |
Doncasters' Groton facility develops and produces precision cast components for aerospace, defense, and industrial gas turbine applications. This new facility investment comes amid a continued strong demand from Washington for the skilled work of eastern Connecticut manufacturers. Thanks to Divisional General Manager Mike Looney, Commercial Manager Bryan Gossett, and the entire team at Doncasters in Groton for briefing me on their work.
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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