Dear Friend, 

After a busy week in Congress, I'm back home in eastern Connecticut. Here with a quick update on my work helping pass the National Defense Authorization Act, the final passage of the Respect for Marriage Act, and more from eastern CT. Thanks for starting your weekend here with me.

An NDAA for Eastern CT & the Navy

First, an update on the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This year, we worked across the aisle on the House Armed Services Committee to craft a defense authorization that provides our Navy and Armed Services with the resources they need support our servicemembers, deter conflict, and protect our homeland. At a time when many people wonder whether Congress can still work together to get big things done for our country—here’s hard evidence that it can. Yesterday, for the 62nd year in a row, the House came together to pass our NDAA in bipartisan fashion. That’s great news for our servicemembers, our Navy, and for eastern Connecticut. We crafted this bill in the House, and now that we’ve voted to pass the final version it’s on to the Senate for a secondary authorization, and then to the White House for signature. 

Click here to watch Rep. Courtney’s speech on the House floor in support of the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act

Our servicemembers in uniform, their families, and the civilians who support their work in the manufacturing industry are what lies at the heart of our nation’s national security—and we ensured this year’s NDAA delivers them the support they deserve. The 2023 NDAA will ensure that all American military personnel get a 4.6% pay raise next year, it increases and expands housing and basic needs stipends for servicemembers, and it includes funding to lower the cost of groceries for servicemembers and their families. Our bill also puts a strong emphasis on building out our long-term naval and shipbuilding efforts, especially by making continued investments to grow our manufacturing workforce and to support our network of local suppliers. I’ve worked for years to increase submarine production in our region, that work requires sizeable and skilled workforce, and the 2023 NDAA includes provisions I authored to strengthen our local suppliers and manufacturing supply chain, and to invest over $225 million for increased manufacturing workforce development. 

The final 2023 NDAA we voted to pass this week is loaded with provisions that support our Navy and our region. It includes funding authorization to keep building two Virginia-class submarines per year, full support to continue construction on the new Columbia-class submarine program which kicked-off earlier this year, new infrastructure upgrades for SUBASE New London, and lots more. Click here for more information on what’s in the 2023 NDAA, and don’t hesitate to give my office a call with any questions. 

An Update on the AUKUS Undersea Partnership

There was another exciting provision included in the annual defense authorization this year: the first-ever provision voted on by the U.S. Congress in support of the new AUKUS defense alliance between the U.S., Australia, and U.K. AUKUS is the most significant national security alliance that America has entered in generations, and this new provision comes straight from my bipartisan bill, the Australia-U.S. Submarine Officer Pipeline Act. As founder and chairman of both the Friends of Australia Caucus and the new AUKUS Caucus, I was determined to enact this bipartisan effort in support of our new undersea alliance that was supported by the Australian Embassy. In March 2023, the 3 nations compromising this security agreement will announce the join plan for construction of the Aussie fleet, and the next Congress will have more work to do to implement this extraordinary effort. 

Click here to read more about the Australia-U.S. Submarine Officer Pipeline Act in the Hartford Courant

The Indo-Pacific region has become increasingly important for the national security priorities of America and our allies—and we’ve got some great allies in Australia. Even in the face of bullying and threats from China, they don’t compromise on their strong democratic values. The historic AUKUS alliance of 2021 really emphasizes the importance of our national security partnership with Australia and the U.K., and at its core is the delivery of U.S. nuclear-powered submarine technology to our Australian allies for use in the Indo-Pacific region. There’s a lot of work left to be done before that happens, and it’s far too early to rule anything “in” or “out” at this point in terms of how it all gets done, but what’s certain is that we need our Aussie partners to be ready to pilot those submarines expertly once they’re delivered. That’s exactly what this new provision I authored will do—it will establish an education and training program for Royal Australian Navy submariners to come to the U.S. and train right alongside our own U.S. Navy sailors, which will maximize efficiency down the road when we’re working together beneath the waves. I worked together with my follow co-chairs on the AUKUS Caucus to push this effort forward, and it received strong support this week as we passed the NDAA.

The AUKUS undersea partnership is already in action! Last week, the USS Mississippi – a Groton-built Virginia-class sub – docked at HMAS Stirling Naval Base in Western Australia for a visit while on patrol in the Indo-Pacific. Take a look at some great pictures of the ship and its crew.

That wasn’t the only big news for AUKUS this week. Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles visited Washington for meetings with our defense and foreign affairs leaders as part of the annual Australia-U.S. Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN). These meetings are a good example of the strength of our two countries’ defense partnership, and of the seminal role AUKUS will play in our histories. While visiting the U.S., Defence Minister Marles also made a trip up to New England to tour Electric Boat’s Quonset Point facility – gaining insights into our shipbuilders work to build submarines. With this week’s developments and the success of our bipartisan work on the AUKUS Caucus, I’m more bullish than ever on the Australian-U.S. alliance and the role eastern Connecticut shipbuilders and submariners can play to make it a success.

This week, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Australian Minister for Defence Richard Marles met as part of the annual Australia-U.S. Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN). While in the U.S., DM Marles also visited Electric Boat in New England

Final Passage of the Respect for Marriage Act

This week, I was proud to cast my vote for final passage of the Respect for Marriage Act. We originally passed this bill in the House back in July, and after the Senate passed an altered version of the legislation last week, we passed it again on Thursday with bipartisan support. The Respect for Marriage Act enshrines the right to same-sex and interracial marriage into federal law, and this was the final passage of the bill. I’m happy it had bipartisan support in both the House and the Senate. Now, and it’s on its way to the President’s desk to be signed into law.  

After the Supreme Court’s divisive decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, other long-settled Court precedents on Americans right to privacy were thrown into doubt since the rational of Dobbs striking down “unenumerated rights” could easily be extended beyond reproductive choice. Now, any future attempt by the Court to turn the clock back decades and strip millions of American families of their fundamental rights has been preemptively thwarted by this bipartisan legislation. Learn more about the bill here.

Federal Grant Funding is Support the Arts in CT-02

My team in Norwich closely tracks federal grant opportunities for groups in eastern Connecticut. In total, the Second District has received 958 grants and subgrants in 2022—equaling nearly $2 billion in federal funding! This week, my Grants and Special Projects Coordinator Julia McGrath attended the Thrive! Cultural Coalition Conference to help connect groups from eastern Connecticut with federal grant programs they could be eligible for support through. We have such a great arts and entertainment community in the Second District – it's a big part of what makes our towns great places to live. Federal grant funding has supported some of our most historic establishments to survive through the pandemic and now expand in the years to come.  

On Tuesday, Rep. Courtney's office attended the Thrive! Cultural Coalition Conference at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center to help connect people to federal grant opportunities

Federal grant programs like the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) have supported restoration and digitization projects at the Mystic Seaport Musuem, the Lyman Allyn Art Museum, and the Mohegan Library and Archives. The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) provided the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam with funds for new musical theater development programs and also to the Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme to support an exhibit on naturalism in contemporary art. For more information on the IMLS and NEA – including the types of projects and institutions they typically fund – check out the brochures below! You can also get in touch with my Grants and Special Projects Coordinator by giving my Norwich office a call or by email at [email protected].

• Click here to learn more about the Institute of Museum and Library Services
• Click here to learn more about the National Endowment for the Arts

Women Veterans Get Together in Norwich  

This week, my Military and Veterans Representative Manny Meneses (USN Ret.) was at the Easterseals Veterans Rally Point Center in Norwich for the Women Veterans Luncheon. Like all veterans coffehouses in the Second District, this was an opportunity to female veterans to come together and share their experiences. The event was open to women veterans from every branch, and this week it was particularly important as they took time to recognize the service of 100-year-old, CT-native World War II veteran Corporal Dorothy ‘Dotti’ Weiss Dee, (USMC Ret.) who served our nation from 1943–1946. 

This week, Rep. Courtney's team joined women veterans at a luncheon at Easterseals Veterans Rally Point Center in Norwich

Mrs. Dee is a WWII veteran, a mother of three sons, and a CT native. Her family is truly dedicated to service—her late husband, Richard, was also a WWII veteran. People like her give us pride in our country and are a big part of what make eastern Connecticut such a great place to live. Very glad to see her receive this recognition.

My Military and Veterans Representative Manuel Meneses and I keep in touch with veteran groups and benefits providers. If you or a family member need help access the veterans benefits you’ve earned, don’t hesitate to give my Norwich a call and ask to speak with Manny.

Thank you for taking some time to read my update. If we can be of any assistance, don't hesitate to give my Norwich office a call at (860) 886-0139.

Sincerely,

Joe Courtney
Member of Congress

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