Dear Friend, 

After a busy week in eastern Connecticut, I’m here with exciting updates on the U.S. Coast Guard Museum, the Connecticut River Bridge, and more.

Construction on the U.S. Coast Guard Museum is Underway

Last Friday, I was in New London for the Keel Laying of the U.S. Coast Guard Museum. The Coast Guard is our nation’s oldest sea service, but they’re the only one of America’s service branches without a national museum dedicated to its heritage and legacy. That’s finally changing thanks to funding we secured in the 2022 federal budget.

Last week, Rep. Courtney joined Susan Curtin, Chairwoman of the Board of the National Coast Guard Museum Association, and Coast Guard Veteran, New London Mayor Michael Passero, U.S. Coast Guard Commissioner David Lehman, U.S. Coast Guard Admiral Linda Fagan, Rep. Rosa DeLauro, Senator Blumenthal, and Wes Pulver (Coast Guard Retired), Executive Director of the Coast Guard Museum Association to celebrate the start of construction on U.S. Coast Guard Museum. Click here to read more in the Day

The Keel Laying of the U.S. Coast Guard Museum marks the official start of construction. This project has been years in the making, and there have been times when naysayers predicted it would not come to fruition. Now, that uncertainty is gone. I am proud to have worked shoulder to shoulder with the Coast Guard Museum Association and Coast Guard leadership in support of making this museum a reality, and in its rightful location: the heart of New London, CT.

Construction of the Coast Guard Museum was made possible after years of work on the ground in New London and in Congress from Rep. Courtney, Rep. DeLauro, and Sen. Murphy

The 2022 federal budget included $50 million for construction of the Coast Guard Museum – a long-sought federal investment that was needed to show real commitment to the project. That funding is now going to turbo-charge construction of the museum, and it comes thanks in large part to the work of Chairwoman DeLauro and Senator Chris Murphy (CT), Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Subcommittee. I also secured an additional $5 million in the budget to support future exhibits and the preservation of artifacts at the museum. Eastern Connecticut is the proud home of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, and to so many Coast Guard sailors and servicemembers who make our communities great. Now, we’ll also be home to the place where their service, stories, and history are celebrated and memorialized. Congratulations to our U.S. Coast Guard, and to everyone who pitched in to help make this happen!

A Program to Help Communities Connect with Farmers

On Wednesday, I visited vegetable and flower farm Sterling Organic to meet with owner Zoe Madden. She’s operated the farm since 2019—growing the produce and brings it herself to restaurants, customers, and markets.

Zoe Madden has owned and operated Sterling Organic since 2019. She grows spectacular flower for weddings and healthy organic vegetables for CSA customers. She is an incredibly hard working sole proprietorship and mother who tends her farm with smart, sustainable practices.

It’s important for farmers to have a close relationship with consumers in their towns. Zoe and I caught up on a local program she’s taken part in called “Grown ConNECTed”, which helps make that happen by putting a spotlight on direct-to-consumer farms in northeastern CT. The program is led by UConn, is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and it’s great to know that it’s helping make communities aware of the products we can pick-up from local farmers like Zoe.

The program Grown ConNECTed has helped Zoe put Sterling Organic out there for people in northeastern Connecticut to know as a place to buy locally grown flowers and vegetables

There’s a lot more support on the way for farmers in eastern Connecticut thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, which we passed in Congress earlier this month. Farmers in this region make use of lots of federal agriculture programs to reduce overhead and input costs—one of the most popular is called EQIP, which helps reduce energy and fuel costs by giving farmers the resources to use new technology. In towns like Preston and Old Lyme, local farms have already used EQIP to lower costs by installing things like new energy efficient barns, and solar panels that power farm operations and delivery vehicles. The only problem with EQIP is that it’s always been over-subscribed. The Inflation Reduction Act will grow EQIP and other similar programs, meaning more of our local farmers will have access to these cost-saving opportunities. Read more about the bill’s substantial support for our agriculture industry here.

Long-Awaited Upgrades to the CT River Bridge are Coming

Last week, I was excited to announce some great news for Shoreline East riders. The Connecticut River Bridge connecting train service from Old Saybrook to Old Lyme will finally be upgraded using funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. A replacement for this 115-year-old bridge has been “in the queue” for decades, and now it’s finally going to happen thanks to this bipartisan Infrastructure bill we got done in Congress. Rail riders in our region have been seeking a transformative project like this—it’s going to make train service on the shoreline safer, more reliable, and faster. It’s also good news for our maritime economy on the Connecticut River, which has struggled with chronic breakdowns of the existing drawbridge. This project couldn’t have happened without the bipartisan IIJA. Read more about it here.

Infrastructure projects like these are creating real jobs in eastern Connecticut. When U.S. Labor Secretary Martin Walsh visited our district last month, I brought him down to the Gold Star Bridge, where IIJA-funded repairs to the northbound span are brining good-wages to union workers on the Thames River. Secretary Walsh was impressed with how our construction workforce is meeting the demand of these once-in-a-generation infrastructure projects.

Last week, Rep. Courtney joined U.S. Labor Secretary Martin Walsh, Governor Ned Lamond, and Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner Joe Giulietti at the Gold Star Bridge in New London

There are infrastructure projects in various stages all over the Second District. From the Blain Road Footbridge in Thompson which reopened to hikers this spring, to the Enfield Train Station we secured full funding for this year, to IIJA-funded dredging work along the Patchogue River in Westbrook, which was completed in time for peak boating season this summer. As other projects are announced and move forward in development, we will continue to provide updates here.

New Port Security Grants for the Mystic and New London Fire Departments

Had some great news for some of our local fire departments last week with the announcement of three new federal Port Security Grant Program awards. These grants are operated by FEMA, they’re competitive, and they were awarded to the Mystic Fire Department, the New London Fire Department, and to Cross Sound Ferry Services to help with important projects like fire boat maintenance, upgrading coastal surveillance and cybersecurity systems, and purchasing new water rescue equipment.

Last Thursday, Rep. Courtney met with Mystic Fire Department Chief Tony Manfredi (left) and many other local first responders for an update on new Port Security Grant funding at a meeting of eastern CT’s Port Area Marine Group.

The Mystic and New London Fire Departments, along with Cross Sound Ferry, are key maritime enterprises in our region. Their work is important for our economy, security, and quality of life, and these federal Port Security Grants mean a lot to them. The Mystic Fire Department will use their grant funding to perform maintenance on the department’s fire boat—particularly on its chemical, biological radiological, nuclear, and explosives (CBRNE) detection equipment—so it will be ready to respond to emergencies on the Long Island Sound and surrounding areas. The New London Fire Department will use their award to purchase new water rescue equipment, and Cross Sound Ferry Services will use theirs to upgrade cybersecurity and surveillance systems aboard 10 ferries and at 2 ferry terminals. For more detailed information, click here.

The Port Area Marine Group is made up of fire and police departments, emergency services, and other entities representing over 40 CT-02 towns—from Old Lyme, Mystic, Stonington, and others along the shoreline; to Ledyard, Griswold, and more throughout New London County; to Thompson, Woodstock, and others in the Quiet Corner and north central CT.

Our local departments did a great job of earning this funding. Back in June, when my office learned that the Mystic Fire Department was vying for a new Port Security Grant, we were happy to weigh in with FEMA to support their application. Mystic is the only department in the region with a fire boat equipped with CBRNE equipment, and as part of the New London Marine Group other departments really depend on that boat being operational. Last week, I shared the good news when I met with our region’s Port Area Marine Group—a gathering of fire and police departments, emergency services, and other entities focused on coastal security in CT-02. It was great to catch up with Chief Tony Manfredi of the Mystic FD, New London FD Chief Jay Lyon, and everyone else about the new grants, and some of their other top issues as we wind down the summer boating season.

Cheaper and Over the Counter Hearing Aids

Great news for seniors! The FDA has announced a rule change which will make hearing aids available over the counter—no prescription, no haggling with insurance, no audiology visit needed. That’s going to make these devices fare more available, and is projected to help drive hearing aid costs down by 60% on average.

Thanks as always for taking the time read my update. If we can be of any assistance, don't hesitate to reach out to my Norwich office at (860) 886-2974. Have a great weekend!

Sincerely,

Joe Courtney
Member of Congress

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