Rep. Joe Courtney

Friday officially marked 60 days since President Trump launched a war with Iran. Under the War Powers Act of 1973, the Trump Administration must seek Congressional authorization to continue the war. Despite an ongoing U.S. blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, the Administration claims that the war has been “paused.” At a Senate hearing this past January, Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio stated himself, “a blockade is an act of war.” Instead of following the law, the President is forcing American taxpayers to pay for his unilateral war of choice.

I was honored to serve as keynote speaker at Law Day at the Connecticut Supreme Court on Friday. I joined Chief Justice Mullins, the justices, and students to reflect on this year’s theme, “The Rule of Law and the American Dream.” The Rule of Law means no one is above the law. At a moment that this principle is being tested, the eyes of the world are very much upon us. We have a duty as Americans to support those who make sure our freedoms are protected.

A poll released this week by ABC News, the Washington Post and Ipsos showed that 61 percent of Americans believe that President Trump made a mistake by launching this war with Iran. Despite public disapproval, the Trump Administration is doubling down on its unauthorized war without clear goals or objectives. I have voted twice to end this war, and I am continuing to call on my colleagues to reassert our constitutional authority over war powers.

Congratulations to Lonnie Braxton II, retired Assistant State's Attorney, for receiving the Liberty Bell Award from the New London County Bar Association, pictured here with his son, Lonnie Braxton III. Born in 1948 in Greenville, Mississippi, Lonnie Braxton grew up in the segregated South during the height of the Civil Rights Movement. He moved to New London in 1968 and has since become a beloved presence in southeastern Connecticut. He is an activist, an educator, and a leader. This award is well deserved.

Accessing community services should be simple and fast. I met with United Way of Southeastern Connecticut to discuss the harm of Trump cuts to health care and food assistance services and the importance of continued support for 211, the free, 24/7 line that connects people with help when they need it most.

Emergency nurses are highly trained, talented professionals on the front lines of care every day. This week, advocates from the Emergency Nurses Association visited Washington to talk about the challenges they’re facing, including the ongoing work to prevent workplace violence which is all too common among health care professionals. They underscored the importance of supporting nursing education, which the new Trump graduate eduction rules will cut, and ensuring high quality care for all patients. I am grateful for their advocacy.

The shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security has been needless from the start. After 76 days, the House has finally passed -- without any opposition -- a bill to fund all DHS agencies except for ICE & CBP. I cosponsored this same framework three days before the shutdown even began. The President must sign it immediately.

Great news. The Navy has awarded Electric Boat a first-in-kind contract to support work under the AUKUS program. This is proof that AUKUS isn’t just a plan on whiteboards but a real enterprise that eastern Connecticut will make a success.

King Charles III’s affirmation of AUKUS and the standing ovation that it received by Congress are another strong message of the UK and the U.S.’s shared commitment to our security agreement with Australia. The U.S.-UK ‘special relationship’ is charting new waters with Australia for the security of all three nations.

In January, the Pentagon’s own National Defense Strategy ranked China and Russia as the pacing threats, at the same time as Iran’s regime is “weaker and more vulnerable than it has been in decades.” Now, the President’s war of choice in Iran is draining US military readiness across the globe.

Rising energy costs from the Iran war are hitting on American families, farmers, and small businesses hard. I grilled Secretary Hegseth on the war's impact to the American people.

Nurse anesthesiologists do vital and difficult work to ensure the health and safety of people undergoing medical procedures. It was a pleasure to meet with the Connecticut Association of Nurse Anesthesiology in Washington today. We discussed the role that CRNAs play in patient care across our state, as well as the potential impact of the Department of Education’s proposed rule on student loan caps for programs classified as “non-professional degrees,” a disgraceful insult to this critical workforce.

Rural postal workers keep eastern CT communities connected. I had a great meeting with Josh Smith, President of the Connecticut Rural Letter Carriers’ Association. They represent nearly a thousand postal workers across the state, with the largest concentration in CT-02, Connecticut's most rural district. We discussed the importance of supporting rural postal workers and my effort to give Scotland a single ZIP Code, which passed the House last year. I am grateful for the work Josh and rural carriers do every day.

It was a pleasure to meet with advocates from the Ukraine Action Summit last week to discuss the ongoing need for strong U.S. support for Ukraine. As Ukraine continues to stand strong against Putin’s unprovoked invasion, the United States cannot turn its back on our allies and partners.

Eastern Connecticut students are leading the next generation of highly-skilled manufacturers. Yesterday, I joined students, teachers, and employers from across our region at Grasso Tech for the Project MFG Maritime Welding Competition and a job fair. At trade schools and comprehensive high schools alike, career and technical education is connecting students to good manufacturing careers.

It’s day 73 of the DHS shutdown. The Senate passed a unanimous bill to fully fund DHS minus ICE & CBP, but Speaker Johnson is refusing to bring it up for a vote in the House. The Coast Guard, TSA, cybersecurity, Secret Service, and more DHS agencies deserve certainty to continue their critical mission. End this shutdown.

There is no question that Groton is the Submarine Capital of The World. This chart, produced by the U.S. Navy, depicts the volume of submarine construction tonnage in the U.S. starting in 1952 through the present, and into the future in 2054. The orange bar represents tonnage in 2026, which is on par with the peak of high-rate production in the midst of the Cold War. We’re only growing.

I am relieved that no one was seriously injured by the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner thanks to the quick action of Secret Service agents. The dangerous trend of political violence has no place in a democracy.

Welcome to the submarine force, USS IDAHO!   Today in Groton, we commissioned the 26th Virginia-class submarine, the USS IDAHO (SSN 799). Two submarines were delivered last year, two submarines are being delivered this year, and two submarines, ARKANSAS and UTAH, are working hard to be delivered next year.   U.S. submarine construction is on a roll!