Rep. Joe Courtney

16 years ago this week, The Dodd-Frank Act was signed into law. Following one of the biggest financial crises in our nation’s history, Former Senator Chris Dodd, a proud son of eastern Connecticut, worked alongside the late Congressman Barney Frank to put stronger protections in place so American families wouldn’t be left paying the price for Wall Street’s mistakes. The law created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which has returned billions of dollars to Americans who were cheated by scams, junk fees, and predatory lenders. These protections matter just as much today as they did in 2010, and we should be doing everything in our power to strengthen these protections rather than tearing them down.

Recognizing Hiram Bingham IV with a permanent day of remembrance is a fitting tribute to a U.S. diplomat and a Connecticut resident whose story is one of the finest examples of American courage. Last week, I joined the Bingham family for the inaugural Hiram Bingham IV Day in Connecticut. As vice-consul in the visa section of the American consulate in Marseille, Hiram Bingham IV risked his career to help thousands of predominantly Jewish refugees escape Nazi persecution. His courage saved thousands of lives during one of history’s darkest chapters. It was especially meaningful to hear from members of Hiram Bingham’s family, including his son David Bingham, and from descendants of those whose lives changed by his actions. Today, Hiram Bingham’s legacy is more important than ever as millions of displaced people around the world are seeking safety and refugee admissions in the U.S. have fallen to historic lows. Thank you to Southern CT State Professor Dr. David Pettigrew and everyone who worked to establish this annual day of recognition for a man who deserves a permanent place in our state’s history, and now has one.

Far too many Americans know the experience: after urgently needed and medically necessary treatment, their health insurance claim is denied, leaving them with impossible bills.   Last week, I introduced the CLINIC Assistance, a bill to improve access to no-cost legal assistance through law school clinics for Americans who are wrongfully denied health care coverage. If you are having issues involving denied health insurance claims, my office is here to help. Contact my Enfield office at (860) 741-6011.

10,000 people have graduated from southern New England’s shipbuilding training programs and are hard at work rebuilding our nation’s undersea fleet. In CT Mirror, I wrote about the next-generation submarine workforce that is building a 21st-century “arsenal of democracy.” Read here: ctmirror.org/2026/07/15/bui…

Willimantic’s 3rd Thursday Street Fest was a blast last week. It was great to catch up with the people of Willimantic and hear about the work they’re doing and the issues that matter most to them.

Coventry is set to receive $2.5M in federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding to make long-needed improvements to the Orchard Hill Estates housing community. The bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which officially became law this past week, recognizes the huge benefit of the CDBG program and expands the allowed uses for the grants in future years.

One of the most disturbing trends in health care is the rising number of claim denials that patients seeking urgently needed, medically necessary treatment are left with. Yesterday, I introduced the CLINIC Assistance Act, a bill to establish a grant program to help law schools set up consumer advocate programs where patients can receive no-cost legal assistance with their insurance claim appeals. By establishing this program, we can provide American patients, at no expense, with the expertise – and people – on their side when they’re wrongfully denied coverage.

4/President Trump’s continued demands for the SAVE Act, which has been discredited over and over again as a federal takeover of our nation’s elections that the Constitution explicitly prohibits, are one of the reasons why the House and the Senate are not getting the basic work done, preventing passage of a defense bill and annual appropriations bills.

3/The people of eastern Connecticut would rather have their President focus on the cost-of-living struggles they are enduring right now because of his war with Iran and his high tariffs as opposed to focusing on a conspiracy theory that has no basis in reality. It’s time to move on from the 2020 election, Mr. President – the vast majority of Americans you are supposed to serve have a long time ago.

1/In the midst of a war with Iran that the President unilaterally escalated this past week, once again driving up the cost of living for Americans, it’s beyond bizarre that the President held a nationally televised address to obsess about an election that happened six years ago.

Six years ago today, we lost the indomitable Congressman John Lewis. John Lewis had an extraordinary faith in the unfinished promise of America, and he never yielded to cynicism or convenience. I sat beside him during the 2016 sit-in on the House floor to call for gun violence prevention legislation, one of countless moments when Congressman Lewis challenged our nation to live up to its highest ideals. He advised friends and colleagues “...to give it your all” in the pursuit of that goal. Congressman Lewis did indeed “give his all” throughout his extraordinary life. We strive every day to carry his legacy forward.

Thanks to the United Steelworkers whose members - including some from CT - were on Capitol Hill yesterday to advocate for my legislation, the Protecting America’s Workers Act, which would make overdue updates to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to strengthen our nation’s workplace safety laws. It has been more than 50 years since Congress passed the original OSH Act Signed into law by Richard Nixon. It’s time to update our laws to make sure workers can safely return home after a day on the job.

Student loan defaults have hit record highs, and the Big Ugly Bill is going to aggravate this trend. As a member of the Education and Workforce Committee, I’m fighting against these harmful Trump Administration policies that are worsening the economic distress that a large swath of Americans, particularly the younger generation, are experiencing.

Wildfire smoke is impacting air quality across Connecticut today.   Please limit your time outdoors and take all necessary precautions.

Dairy farms are a vital part of eastern Connecticut’s economy. As Co-Chair of the bipartisan Dairy Caucus, I’m committed to supporting the next generation of dairy farmers.

Americans have now paid $68.8 billion more in energy costs since the beginning of the President’s war of choice in Iran. Americans, who were already facing an affordability crisis before the war began, do not need even more added costs with a new U.S. blockade.

Despite President Trump’s pointless refusal to sign it, the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act officially became law on Friday. Eastern Connecticut needs more quality and affordable housing supply to meet demand and lower costs. This bill, which has huge support in the homebuilding industry and from housing advocates, is a rare bipartisan breakthrough to clear pathways to new housing construction nationwide.

On this day in 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Older Americans Act (OAA) into law, laying the foundation for federal support of community services for older adults. 61 years later, this law continues to help millions of older Americans through programs like Meals on Wheels, legal aid, and transportation assistance. I will continue to work to protect the programs Eastern Connecticut seniors depend on to live independently and thrive.

It was an honor to welcome Australian Speaker of the House Milton Dick, Members of the Australian Parliament, and Australian Ambassador to the U.S. Greg Moriarty to my office today along with seven of the Speaker’s colleagues. Our longstanding alliance is stronger than ever as we work to advance AUKUS Pillar I and strengthen our submarine workforce in both nations.