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Dear Friend,
This week marked 10 years since the tragic and senseless shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. The 20 children and 6 educators killed on that December day in Newtown will never be forgotten.
The courageous work by survivors and families to turn their unimaginable pain and grief into purpose continues to send the message to people in Washington. Last week, teens who survived the shooting as students at Sandy Hook came to Congress and the White House to share their heartbreaking stories.
This year, Congress finally passed significant gun law reform legislation – the Safer Communities Act. It includes important enhancements for background checks, support for state red flag laws, and more. Our work is not finished. To honor those lost 10 years ago at Sandy Hook Elementary, we must continue working to end the epidemic of gun violence. That includes bringing the commonsense gun safety laws we have here in Connecticut to the federal level.
Now, an update on more from this week.
CareerConneCT Online Portal is Now Live
When I’m catching up with business owners in the Second District, one of the things I hear most from them is their need for skilled workers to fill open positions. At a time in America when there are nearly two job openings for every unemployed person, growing our skilled workforce across multiple industries has got be a top priority. This summer, I joined U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh and Governor Lamont to announce CareerConneCT – a new federally funded state-wide employment and skills training service. CareerConneCT is going to help people acquire the skills and experience they need to for careers in in-demand industries. This week, the program’s new online portal officially launched.
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| Click here to get started with the CareerConneCT online portal |
Federally funded workforce development programs have already been a massive success in eastern Connecticut. The Manufacturing Pipeline Initiative – which I helped start in 2015 with a federal grant – has graduated over 2,500 people and placed them into good-paying jobs. The Youth Manufacturing Pipeline Initiative is providing career opportunities to a new, diverse generation. Now, CareerConneCT is using American Rescue Plan funding to size-up that success and expand the reach of skills training programs to even more people across the entire state. Learn more about CareerConneCT here.
An Update on Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Workers
Last month, home health care worker Douglas Brant was murdered while on the job working as a visiting nurse serving senior patients in Spokane, Washington. Tragedies like this occur nationwide, and they send shockwaves through our already strained health care workforce. There’s a lot more we need to do to support this critical group of workers, and one of the first steps should be passing the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act. The House has already done so twice, both times on a strong bipartisan basis, and it’s well past time for the Senate to do the same so that this bill can get signed into law.
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| In April 2021, the House voted to pass the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act on a strong bipartisan basis |
Workers in health care and social services experience the highest rates of injuries caused by on-the-job violence of any industry, and the crisis has only gotten worse since the pandemic. Since 2020, nearly 1 in 5 health care workers have quit their jobs and of those who have stayed, 1 in 3 have considered leaving. This is a crisis for the safety of workers and the health of patients. The Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act would create an enforceable standard to ensure that employers are taking the risks their workers face seriously and creating the safe workplaces that their employees deserve. Read more about the bill here.
The Honoring Our PACT Act Week of Action
A quick reminder about a long-overdue bill that we finally passed in Congress this year – the Honoring Our PACT Act. The comprehensive care reform bill expands VA health care and benefits for nearly 3.5 million Veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxic substances, providing generations of Veterans – and their survivors – with the care and benefits they deserve. Since the PACT Act was signed into law in August, more than 185,000 Veterans have applied for PACT Act-related benefits, and more than 730,000 Veterans have received toxic exposure screenings made possible by the law, with nearly 39% of those Veterans reporting a concern of exposure. As part of a PACT Act 'Week of Action', the VA is working to make sure every Veteran, their families, and their caregivers are aware of the reforms the bill makes.
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| Click here to watch a 30-second PSA on the Honoring Our PACT Act |
In eastern Connecticut, one of the best places to spread the word about benefits available to our Veterans is at Veterans Coffeehouses. These gatherings are open to all of those who served in the Armed Forces, and my team and I regularly attend them to provide updates on legislative work like the PACT Act. While we worked in Congress to get this bill over the line, Veterans in eastern Connecticut stressed its passage as a top priority. So many Vietnam Veterans in our region were forced through a long and unfair process to receive care for toxin-related illnesses they contracted while serving. With the Honoring Our PACT Act, another generation of Veterans will not need to go endure the same wait.
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| This week, Rep. Courtney's Military and Veterans Representative Manual Meneses (USN Ret.) attended the Waterford Veterans Coffehouse. During the event, Veterans John Koning (left) and Marsden Sanford (right) were presented with Quilts of Valor – an award to cover and comfort Veterans and servicemembers touched by war |
Importantly, the VA has sped up the initial timeline for the rollout of PACT Act benefits by making all conditions in the PACT Act presumptive since the bill was signed it into law. The VA also announced this week that it would begin processing PACT Act related claims from terminally ill Veterans early, beginning on December 12th, 2022. For more information about the Honoring Our PACT Act, visit VA.gov/PACT.
USS Arizona Keel Laying & Honoring Those Lost at Pearl Harbor 81 Years Ago
Congratulations to the men and women of Electric Boat on marking the keel laying of the USS Arizona submarine! The Virginia-class submarine will be the first ship to carry the Arizona name since the attack on Pearl Harbor, 81 years ago. Proud that it will be constructed by shipbuilders here in eastern Connecticut.
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| Last week, Electric Boat marked the Keel Laying of the USS Arizona, the first ship to carry the Arizona name since the attack on Pearl Harbor, 81 years ago this month |
The sponsor of the USS Arizona is Nikki Stratton, the granddaughter of World War II veteran and survivor of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Donald Stratton – Seaman First Class on the USS Arizona. Stratton was one the few survivors from the attack on the Arizona. He was badly burned and medically discharged from the Navy in 1942. Just a year later, he re-entered the Navy through the draft board and went on to serve in key victories in the Pacific theatre. As a Veteran, he campaigned for his fellow WWII Veterans to receive the honor and recognition they deserved. Read more about Donald Stratton’s life and service here.
The loss of 2,400 servicemembers and civilians in Pearl Harbor 81 year ago forever changed the course of our nation’s history. This month and every month, we honor the Americans who were killed on that day and the brave servicemembers who answered the call to serve in WWII.
Thanks 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. Have a great weekend!
Sincerely,
Joe Courtney
Member of Congress
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