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Dear Friend,
Everywhere in America, our democracy relies on hard working election officials and volunteers to protect the sanctity of the vote. To everyone in eastern CT who gave their time and energy at the polls and Town Halls to help ensure this week’s election was conducted faithfully—thank you.
People in our region want a representative in Washington who works as hard as they do, and I’m eager every day for the chance to meet that challenge. Representing eastern Connecticut is the honor of a lifetime, and I am deeply grateful for the chance to do so again moving forward.
Now, a few updates on our work for eastern Connecticut.
Observing Veterans Day in Enfield
First, I want to wish everyone a happy Veterans Day today. Our vets are a huge part of what makes eastern CT a great place to live, and one of my top priorities has always been making sure they’re getting the benefits they’ve earned, and that they can really hit the ground running when it comes to starting their careers, growing their families, and taking on new opportunities after they’ve served. I’m grateful to represent so many outstanding veterans and active-duty servicemembers, and their priorities will always be a primary focus for my team and me.
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| Rep. Courtney observed Veterans Day with local vets and their families at the Enfield Veterans Day Parade |
Last Sunday, I stopped by the Enfield Veterans Day Parade to honor everyone in our region who wore our nation’s uniform, and to observe the upcoming holiday with local vets and military families. I was joined by several other local officials, including State Rep. Tom Arnone and Enfield Mayor Bob Cressotti, and by a great crowd who were all excited to get out and honor our vets.
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| There was great weather and a great crowd at this year's Veterans Parade, which was held on Sunday |
Since the start of the 117th Congress, I’ve worked on a bipartisan basis in Congress to advance some important initiatives for our veterans. We voted to pass the PACT Act, a new law that expands health benefits to thousands of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans exposed to burn pits, and to more Vietnam-era veterans; my bill to extend Public Service Loan Forgiveness benefits to active-duty servicemembers was adopted by the Department of Education; we celebrated construction of the brand-new John J. McGuirk Veterans Outpatient Clinic in New London, and the start of construction on the new Coast Guard Museum; and much more.
To all the men and women in our region who have served and sacrificed for our country—thank you. You make us proud to call eastern Connecticut home.
Support for Veteran-Owned Businesses and Entrepreneurs
Eastern CT is lucky to be home to more veterans than any other part of the state. That includes many veteran-entrepreneurs and small business owners creating economic opportunity for themselves and our towns. Last Wednesday, I stopped by the Veterans Small Businesses Expo in Willimantic, which was hosted by the federal U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and held in the recently re-done and much-improved Senior Center. I spoke with several organizations about the services and support they provide to local veterans and military spouse entrepreneurs looking to start their own businesses in eastern CT.
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| The Veterans Small Business Expo had resources to help vets with registering as a veteran-owned business, establishing a business plan, applying for loans, and much more |
Our local economy and small business ecosystem is recovering well from the pandemic, and that’s thanks to hardworking people here in our region. I’ve been glad to see federal support we’ve authorized in Congress play a big role in boosting all that hard work — like direct support for small businesses to retain employees and to make crucial purchases and investments, including for several local veteran-owned businesses. The SBA also works year-round to connect with and support servicemembers and military spouses who own or are looking to start their own businesses. At last week’s statewide expo, they had agencies, lenders, and business partners and resources on-hand that were focused on all phases of entrepreneurship, offering services like free workshops on getting certified as a veteran-owned small business, business plan basics, how to finance a business, franchising, and lots more veteran-specific information.
Big thanks to Diane Nadeau, President of the Windham Chamber of Commerce, and to the SBA for hosting everyone at this great event! To learn more about the SBA’s services for veterans, click here.
A Great Visit to the CT Center for Advanced Technology
Our region is taking on a huge shipbuilding challenge over the coming years and decades. We’re working hard to grow our manufacturing workforce with federal funding, and our suppliers in eastern Connecticut are also working to make the necessary upgrades to produce critical components at greater scale. The Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology (CCAT) is making serious advancements in both equipment and workforce development. I visited last week for an update on their work.
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| Jeff Crandall (Sr. Manager of Additive Technologies) helped show Rep. Courtney around CCAT last week, where they're helping meet increased demand for U.S. Navy submarine construction |
CCAT’s Additive Manufacturing and Advanced and Digital Manufacturing programs are driving forward new methods of prototyping and precision machining for eastern Connecticut manufacturers to use. The team at CCAT made that clear when they showed me around their new equipment and software—these technology advancements are a huge step forward in producing critical components for shipbuilding quicker and more effectively. While we maintain a two-per-year build rate of Virginia-class submarines and move forward into construction of the Columbia-class fleet, this cutting-edge manufacturing technology will play a key role in getting the job done for our Navy.
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| Courtney meet with Ron Angelo (President & CEO, CCAT) (center) and his team for a tour of CCAT's manufacturing facility |
These technology advancements are getting paired with focused efforts to grow our local manufacturing workforce. This summer, I announced the launch of CareerConneCT with Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh. Thanks to federal funding we allocated in Congress, CareerConneCT will size-up the successful workforce development efforts of the Manufacturing Pipeline Initiative – which I helped kick-start with federal funding back in 2016 – and expand it to more manufacturers and other industries across our state. CCAT has received a $2.2 million grant through CareerConneCT to bring unemployed workers into the manufacturing industry and give them the additional skills they need to succeed at higher level positions. Thanks to Ron Angelo (President & CEO, CCAT), Jeff Crandall (Sr. Manager, CCAT), and everyone else on the team for showing me around the CCAT facility and updating me on their work to advance manufacturing in our state through new technology and workforce development.
Catching Up with Local Farmers from the CT State Grange
The Connecticut State Grange is America’s oldest and most trusted agriculture advocacy organization. They meet regularly with me and my team to make sure eastern Connecticut farmers’ voices are heard, and their priorities are perfectly aligned with our region to strengthen local food production and retain our rural heritage. Recently, I was honored to receive the 2022 CT State Grange’s Outstanding Agricultural Advocate award. Last week, I stopped by the Ekonk Community Grange in Sterling — which nominated me for the award — to accept the plaque.
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On Wednesday at the Ekonk Community Grange Hall, State Agriculture Committee Chairman J. Allen Cameron presented Rep. Courtney with the 2022 Outstanding Agriculture Advocate award. The Ekonk Community Grange and President Jamie Cameron nominated Courtney for this year's award.
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The Ekonk Community Grange and its food programs provide a critical service to people in Sterling. It was first organized back in 1888 and operates out of the Ekonk Grange Hall. It was great to catch up with Grange President Jaimie Cameron on their work with the Sterling community and to hear from First Selectman and Grange Member Lincoln Cooper on its importance to the town. In Congress this year, we’ve secured some good wins for farmers in eastern Connecticut through funding for programs they use to modernize their business—particularly the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development Program, which has helped our farmers install everything from energy-efficient barns and solar panels, to biodigesters that can lower costs and create brand-new revenue streams. I also worked across the aisle to introduce and advance legislation to support dairy farmers, and remove barriers for young farmers with student debt who are hoping to enter the industry. I’ll keep working with our local farmers to make sure their needs are heard in the House and with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to deliver impactful results for farmers.
Reminder: Home Energy Assistance is Available
Quick reminder that with colder weather nearly upon us, there’s federal assistance available through the LIHEAP program to help people lower their home heating and energy costs. In Connecticut, federal LIHEAP funds are dispersed through the CT Energy Assistance Program (CEAP). It’s open for applications now, and it’s available to thousands more households this year under some new rule changes. Click here to learn more.
I’ve heard from lots of families and seniors concerned about the cost of home heating oil, and I led the push in the House earlier this fall to re-stock the LIHEAP program so that it would be there for people when they needed it this year. That effort was successful, and last week we announced a new round of $86 million in federal LIHEAP funding for Connecticut. I strongly support an “all of the above” energy policy, but the most direct way to help people lower costs right now this winter was by re-fueling LIHEAP. Glad we got it done, and my office is ready to help anyone interested in learning more about the assistance.
Thanks as always for starting your weekend here. If my team and I can be of any assistance, don’t hesitate to give my Norwich office a call at (860) 886-0139. Have a great weekend!
Sincerely,
Joe Courtney
Member of Congress
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