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Dear Friend,
It's Joe Courtney. Here to share an update with the latest news from this week.
I hope you are enjoying a holiday season filled with peace, joy, and loved ones. I’m here to share an update on the new attempt to stop Connecticut's offshore wind project and a look back at the year. As always, thanks for starting your weekend here with me.
Offshore Wind: Fighting to Prevent Increased Energy Costs and Lost Jobs
On Monday, without any new information to justify its decision, the Trump Administration again paused work on the Revolution Wind offshore wind energy project, which is now 85% complete, in Connecticut and Rhode Island. The Department of the Interior paused all leasing for five major offshore wind projects on the east coast, again citing "national security risks," without any specifics.
If this feels like de-ja-vu, you are not mistaken. On August 22nd, the Trump Administration cited national security concerns in a halt work order for the Revolution Wind project. The issue of national security was then litigated at the federal district court level in September, when a Reagan appointed judge flatly rejected the vague claims. The issue was also debated in the House of Representatives, when a broad bipartisan coalition rejected an amendment to the annual defense policy bill that sought to raise national security as a statutory bar to offshore wind projects.
After years of review, the Department of Defense, as recently as December 2024, flatly and conclusively stated that the Revolution Wind project “would not have adverse impacts to DoD missions in the area.”
We know that President Trump has a longstanding personal obsession against offshore wind, wildly claiming the noise of the rotor blades "causes cancer." He also promised to cut electricity costs in half. Cutting off new supply exactly the opposite. Lastly, pausing these projects without any real justification will eliminate good paying jobs for the New England building trades workforce. Working families do not need that kind of a setback to start the new year.
Working for Connecticut’s Second District in 2025
As always, in 2025, there was no higher priority for my office and I than serving the people of Connecticut’s Second District. My team in Norwich and Enfield are ready to assist constituents will a wide variety of work related to the federal government: passport services, grant applications, security clearances, immigration, veterans’ benefits, Medicare and Medicaid services, and the IRS to name just a few casework areas.
In 2025, my office completed 35 cases in which Second District residents were owed money or benefits by the federal government. If we can be of any assistance, don’t hesitate to give us a call in the new year.
Hearing from You in 2025
I know that for many people, 2025 brought new challenges and frustrations. From the start of the year, my office received an avalanche of calls and messages from Second District residents with serious concerns about cuts to health care, basic needs programs, unprecedented overreach in the executive branch, and Congress’s continued disfunction.
Hearing directly from the people of the Second District is a critical part of my job. In 2025, I hosted 12 town halls, both in packed venues and on phone calls with tens of thousands of listeners. Thank you for making your voices heard. As I often remark, "you can never overcommunicate in times like this."
Results Delivered & Major Milestones in 2025
There is no sugarcoating how dysfunctional the 119th Congress has been in 2025. Nonetheless, from my position as Ranking Member of the Seapower Subcommittee and a senior member of Higher Education and Workforce Development subcommittee, my team was able to achieve real results for the Second District this year.
Thank you for taking some time to read my update. If my office can be of any assistance, do not hesitate to call us at (860) 886-0139.
Sincerely,
Joe Courtney
Member of Congress
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