|
Dear Friend,
It's Joe Courtney.
The government has now been shutdown for 38 days, the longest shutdown in U.S. history. The U.S. House has been closed for 49 days. I have been through government shutdowns before. The path to end this one is clear, as it was in 2013 and 2019, when bipartisan agreements reopened the government.
The first step is for Speaker Johnson to end the shutdown of the House of Representatives, which he has shuttered since September 19th in a futile, pointless attempt to jam the U.S. Senate. Congress has plenty of work to do, and as Speaker, he has a duty to open up the chamber for the people's business.
After USDA Cuts Off SNAP Benefits, CT Food Pantries Step Up to Meet Demand
The high cost of living has already been squeezing people’s budgets. Now, the Trump Administration’s order posted on October 26 to cut off SNAP benefits on November 1st is hitting our neighbors hard. Despite rulings from two federal judges ordering the USDA to use emergency funding to restore November SNAP benefits, the USDA has appealed a ruling in the Rhode Island federal court to pay in full. USDA's sluggish response is causing real life harm in eastern Connecticut.
 |
| Left: Enfield Food Shelf's emergency food drive. Right: St. Vincent de Paul Place in Norwich, led by its tireless leader Jill Corbin. |
Emergency food distribution sites are seeing an unprecedented surge in demand. This week, I visited food pantries in Enfield, Norwich, Willimantic, and Putnam. The hardworking teams at these sites are stepping up to meet community need. The Trump Administration must comply with the legal orders and use all available resources to deliver full SNAP benefits, and all leaders in Washington must come to the table for bipartisan negotiations to end the shutdown.
 |
| Left: Access Agency's emergency food distribution in Willimantic. Right: The Danielson Veterans Coffeehouse's monthly drive through food distribution in Putnam - an all-volunteer effort organized by "Quiet Corner" veterans. |
Observing Veterans Day
This Tuesday, November 11th, our nation observes Veterans Day – a day to honor the men and women who wore our nation’s uniform and recognize the sacrifices they have made to keep us safe.
Connecticut’s Second District is home to over 46,000 veterans. That’s the largest veteran community of any Congressional district in our state. It’s my great honor to serve them in Congress, and my office and I are committed to meeting their needs.
This week, I met with the Second Congressional District Veterans Advisory Board. The group is an invaluable resource for guidance on how my office and I can better serve eastern Connecticut's veterans. We discussed current bills in Congress to expand support for veterans and the impacts of the government shutdown on VA services.
For example, the long overdue Richard Starr "concurrent receipt" bill, the Camp Lejeune Justice bill, and the GUARD Act are all ripe for votes in the House. Speaker Johnson could bring them up for a vote as soon as the House is called back into session. For a full list of which VA services are impacted by the shutdown, click here.
Holding a Town Hall at Three Rivers Community College
Yesterday, Connecticut’s Attorney General William Tong and I joined students and faculty at Three Rivers Community College for a town hall discussion.
Three Rivers Professor and Program Coordinator of Environmental Engineering and Technology Diba Khan-Bureau, Ph.D., hosted us to provide an update on pressing environmental issues in Connecticut, namely the Revolution Wind offshore wind energy project – which is now back underway following an unjustified halt work order issued by the Trump Administration in August.
We also covered more pressing issues facing our state, including cost increases for businesses and consumers due to President Trump’s tariffs and the impacts of huge Medicaid cuts in the President’s “Big Beautiful Bill” on nursing homes.
Fighting Back Against Politicizing Public Service Loan Forgiveness
On Monday, I joined Attorney General Tong in Hartford to announce a lawsuit filed by the State of Connecticut and 20 other states against a new rule at the Department of Education which restricts eligibility for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program based on the Trump Administration's political agenda.
My office has heard from many public servants who worked hard for years in public service professions but were still denied the PSLF relief they were promised because of a lack of guidance and clarity from the Department of Education. This new rule to politicize PSLF eligibility will create even greater uncertainty for workers who are in critical public service jobs.
In Congress, I’ve led a coalition of my colleagues in opposition to politicizing PSLF, and I strongly support this lawsuit. We must make PSLF more transparent, fairer, and easier for America’s public service workers.
Joining WINY to Discuss Manufacturing Careers
Electric Boat continues to hire by the thousands. Next year, Electric Boat is planning to hire thousands of new workers including 6,000 welders over the next three years alone to meet the demand of Congress’ and Navy’s submarine plan. Across eastern Connecticut, workforce training programs are expanding to help people skill up and fill manufacturing jobs.
Yesterday, I joined WINY Radio in Putnam with Quinebaug Valley Community College’s (QVCC) Manufacturing Technology Center Director Steve LaPointe to discuss the school’s upcoming expansion of their manufacturing program. In collaboration with Electric Boat, QVCC is working to open a new manufacturing facility for students in Willimantic in the next year. You can listen to our discussion on the need to grow our region’s skilled manufacturing workforce here.
Thank you for taking some time to read my update. If my office can be of any assistance during the government shutdown, do not hesitate to call us at (860) 886-0139.
Sincerely,
Joe Courtney
Member of Congress
|
