From the news section of Congressman Courtney's website:

January 2008

Rep. Courtney Demands Transparency and Consultation In President's Long-term Military Negotiations with Iraq
January 25, 2008 - Congressman Joe Courtney announced today that he has sent the attached letter to President George W. Bush ahead of the President’s final State of the Union Address. In the letter, Congressman Courtney calls on the White House to work in a transparent manner open to the scrutiny of the Congress i... More

Rep. Courtney, House Again Challenge President’s SCHIP Veto
January 23, 2008 - Congressman Joe Courtney today voted today to override President Bush’s veto of H.R. 3963, Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (SCHIP). However, with 151 Republicans voting against the override, the SCHIP legislation has once again failed to meet the 2/3 majority needed... More

Historic Increase in Vets' Funding Becomes Reality with Release of Billions in New Funds
January 17, 2008 - Congressman Joe Courtney welcomed the decision by President Bush today to release $3.7 billion in new funding for veterans health care provided late last year by Congress - the single largest increase in veterans’ health care in the 77-year history of the Department of Veterans Affairs. President ... More

October 2007

Rep. Courtney: Veto Override Fails Due to Misplaced Minority Party Priorities

Congressman Supports Override of President’s SCHIP Veto, but Measure Fails Lacking Republican Commitment to Children’s Health Care.

Washington, Oct 18 - Congressman Joe Courtney voted today to override President Bush’s veto of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) reauthorization, more commonly known as HUSKY B in Connecticut. The override needed two-thirds of those voting to support the measure. The final vote was 273 in favor of overriding the veto and 156 against. 154 Republicans voted to support President Bush’s veto.

The SCHIP measure was intended to provide approximately 10 million children nationwide with health care coverage, which includes approximately four million children currently not enrolled in the program.

"The President and his Republican Party showed that they simply cannot be trusted to remedy the health care crisis of this nation," stated Courtney. "The consequences of President Bush’s veto will be felt throughout eastern Connecticut as tens of thousands of children will continue to go without health coverage."

The Democratic-led Congress proposed and passed in both the Senate and House a comprehensive five year, $35 billion reauthorization of the children’s health care program.

On October 3, President Bush vetoed the legislation in opposition to overwhelming public support. The American Medical Association, AARP, the Association of Health Insurance Plans, and PhRMA also support the bill.

Forty-three Governors across the United States, including Connecticut’s own Governor, M. Jodi Rell, support a robust SCHIP program and support the Congress’s efforts.

On a late Friday night in August, the Administration sent a letter to all fifty states announcing unilateral changes to the rules for the SCHIP program. The President’s proposed changes would immediately cut approximately 5,000 of Connecticut’s kids from HUSKY B. Those unfortunate victims of an irresponsible White House policy change would join nearly 74,000 uninsured children in Connecticut.

Children are the least expensive population to cover because much of their health care costs are related to preventive care, rather than treatment for debilitating and chronic illnesses. This has the added bonus of creating long-term savings for our health care system by introducing a healthier population into the mix.

"I will continue to fight for health care for eastern Connecticut’s children who do not have access to the preventive care they need," added Courtney.

Congressman Courtney has refused to accept taxpayer funded health care until all Americans have access to affordable health care coverage.

REP. COURTNEY TESTIFIES ON BEHALF OF VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS’ TAX BREAK
Congressman Advocates for Property Tax Relief for Volunteer Firefighters, Armed Forces

Washington, Oct 17 - Congressman Joe Courtney provided testimony today to a joint subcommittee hearing by the House Ways and Means Committee to advocate on behalf of local firefighters in eastern Connecticut who he says deserve a break on their property taxes from the Internal Revenue Service. The Committee is in the process of creating a package of tax incentives and breaks for first responders and members of our Armed Services called the Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax Act of 2007.

From the New London Day:

"Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, was named Tuesday to the House Education and Labor Committee, after a campaign in which he repeatedly criticized the Republican Party's policies on school funding and student aid. . . .
Courtney's position on the education committee will put him in the midst of a brewing debate over the proposed reauthorization of the federal No Child Left Behind Act, he said Tuesday in an interview in his office on Capitol Hill. . . .

Joe Courtney Starts his first month in Congress Thursday Jan. 4, 2007. Please call his office and offer him Hampton's good wishes! His Washington DC office is: (202) 225-2076. His Norwich office is: (860) 886-0139. Visit Congressman Courtney's web site by clicking the banner above.

Re-canvas complete! Courtney wins the district by 91 votes.
Thank you Hampton!

Hampton Results [State]

CT Gov

John DeStefano 351 42% [State: 35.42%]
*Jodi Rell 464 55% [State: 63.23%]

US House

*Joe Courtney 441 53% [State: 50.02%]
Rob Simmons 392 47% [State: 49.98%]

Sunday, October 22, 2006

"Mr. Simmons voted to go to war in IRaq and, despite the subsequent debacle, characterizes Democratic criticism with hackneyed warnings about "cutting and running." ....He has voted reliably to extend Bush administration tax cuts that benefit the wealthy and deepen the deficit....(cut)..... Mr. Simmons argues that his district would lose influence if it sent Mr. Courtney to Congress, especially if his party maintains control. That argument loses its power when the question of which party will have the majority is so uncertain. More to the point, his district, on the whole, does not agree with the ultra-conservative House Republican leadership whose power Mr. Simmons has helped perpetuate by regularly endorsing it.