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Dear Friend,
It’s Joe Courtney. After a busy week in Congress, I’m back home in eastern Connecticut and here with an update on the latest news from the week. As always, thanks for starting your weekend here with me.
Electric Boat Completes the Transformation of the Crystal Mall
On Tuesday, Electric Boat announced its purchase of the Sears retail space in Waterford, completing the transformation of the entire Crystal Mall into a center of excellence for undersea vehicle technology.
The spacious site will accommodate hundreds of engineers to continue the urgent push underway to expand the capacity of our nation's submarine industrial base. The skill set of work with generate high-paying, high-value jobs that ensure Waterford's economy will thrive from this ingenuous reuse of this prime parcel of realty. Over the last seven years, Congress has funded projects through the Navy to grow the workforce, supply chain, and facilities of the submarine program.
New Infrastructure Law Funding for Bus Service in Eastern CT
Four years ago, I strongly supported passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act because it would provide a generational investment into eastern Connecticut infrastructure and transportation projects. Today, the Infrastructure Law is still paying dividends for our region.
Yesterday, the Connecticut Department of Transportation was awarded $35.7 million in funding from the Infrastructure Investment of Jobs Act of 2021 to upgrade and expand a bus facility in Mansfield that services both Windham Region Transit District (WRTD) and University of Connecticut buses.
The project will double the size of the current bus facility and upgrade it to support up to 50 zero emission electric buses. In an area with so many college students at UConn and Eastern Connecticut State University who rely on public transportation, and with so much new housing along Route 195 in Mansfield, this project is really a perfect fit.
Standing Up to High-Cost Tariffs
The high cost of living is the number one concern I hear from people in Connecticut's Second District. The cost of health care, housing, and groceries, continue to squeeze people's budgets.
Recently, the Tax Foundation, a conservative think tank, reported the "Liberation Day" tariffs imposed by the President on April 2nd have increased the price of retail goods by 5% compared to the pre-tariff line. Additionally, the National Association of Home Builders reported that the Trump tariff policies will raise the average cost of a new home by $11,000.
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| Meeting with homebuilders and local grocery story Fiddleheads in New London to discuss increased costs due to President Trump's tariffs. |
Over the last week, in response to the discontent all across the country, the White House finally relented from its position that there will be "no exemptions or exclusions" from its tariffs, and cancelled some of the general tariffs on imported foods that we don’t even grow in the United States.
Clearly, these tariffs on groceries like coffee, bananas, and tropical fruits, which made no sense, should have never been put in place to begin with. On Monday, I spoke on the House floor to once again urge Congress to assert its constitutional role to decide tariff policy.
Tariffs are a tax on imported goods, and under Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution, Congress has authority over tax policy – not the President alone. I’m a co-sponsor of the bipartisan Trade Review Act, which would reclaim that authority and stop these chaotic tariffs. And right now, there is a case before the Supreme Court where the plaintiffs have powerfully stated that the President does not have authority to impose his tariff policies.
The American people have told Washington again and again to focus on lowering costs. It’s blindingly obvious the President's tariff policies are doing the opposite. Washington must keep the promise made to Americans and recommit to lowering costs. Trump tariffs have to be rolled back.
Voting to Release the Epstein Files
On Tuesday, the House of Representatives finally voted to force the release of the full unredacted Epstein Files. The American people deserve full transparency on the Department of Justice’s investigation of the heinous crimes committed by Jeffrey Epstein – including details of complicity of Epstein’s accomplices. The Epstein Files Transparency Act requires by law the full release of the Epstein Files in a manner that protects survivors.
Passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act overcame months of stonewalling by President Trump and Speaker Johnson. It took a discharge petition to force a vote – I was the fourth member of the House to sign the petition.
Following House passage of the bill on Tuesday, the Senate swiftly followed suit and sent it to the President’s desk. On Wednesday evening, the President signed it into law. The bill requires the Department of Justice to release the files within 30 days of being signed into law.
President Trump has said he has “nothing to hide” in the Epstein Files. If that’s true, he could direct Attorney General Bondi to release the files immediately. The survivors of this horrific ordeal deserve no less.
Fighting for Small Farms
Eastern Connecticut is lucky to be home to so many small farms. They’re at the center of our region’s identity and are a vital part of our local economy. I’m committed to supporting them in Congress. Unfortunately, in a business with such tight margins, rising costs and Trump tariffs are hitting small farms particularly hard. For too many small farms, their survival is at risk under these economic conditions.
The Trump Administration has promised for months to bring aid to farmers, compensating in part for the impact of higher input costs and trade wars triggered by its tariff policy. Farmers still haven't seen a dime of this help. This week, I joined 31 colleagues in calling on the Trump Administration to include small farms in any relief package from USDA. We must protect our small family farms, who are particularly exposed to increased input and machinery costs.
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
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