JANUARY 2021 CONGRESSMAN JOE COURTNEY

2020 YEAR IN REVIEW

CONGRESSMAN JOE COURTNEY

FIGHTING ALONGSIDE EASTERN CT

DURING COVID-19
A NEW BIPARTISAN COVID-19 RELIEF
PACKAGE
On December 21st, Courtney helped pass the bipartisan 2021 Omnibus
Appropriations Package (H.R. 133), a bill that combined the annual government
funding bill with a new round of COVID-19 aid. President Trump signed the bill
into law on December 27th. In addition to funding the U.S. government for FY
2021, H.R. 133 also included important pandemic relief funding, with as much as
$9 billion in aid for the State of Connecticut -
2020 YEAR IN REVIEW
JANUARY 2021 CONGRESSMAN JOE COURTNEY

2020 BY THE NUMBERS

Over $942,000 in savings recovered for CT-02

Constituents

Over 250 eastern CT residents directly assisted

with Economic Impact Payments,
Unemployment Insurance, and Tax Filings

745 Casework Request Files Processed

Provided nearly 80,000 families with a

comprehensive COVID-19 Resources Guide,
which is always available at
courtney.house.gov/COVID19

6 Town Halls with over 27,500 Participants

790 total federal grants awarded totaling to

over $228,631,207 welcomed home to CT-02

Over 80,000 calls and e-mails received

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2020 YEAR IN REVIEW

- through various components that will provide a boost to our economy while
we still battle COVID-19. The bill passed the House and Senate with
overwhelming bipartisan support, and includes important pandemic relief such
as:

Individual Payments of $600 per eligible person and their dependents—

Courtney supported higher payments in the House-passed HEROES Act
and CASH Act, but those higher payments were blocked in the Senate,
leaving $600 as the final outcome
Support for Restaurants and other Small Businesses, and a new round of
forgivable PPP and EIDL loans with expanded opportunities for restaurants,
live venues and theatres, and more
Rental Assistance for families struggling to stay in their homes.
Connecticut will receive $237 million for this purpose.
A Strengthened Earned Income Tax Credit to help ensure families facing
unemployment or reduced wages receive a strong tax credit based on their
2019 income
Extends and Improves the Employee Retention Tax Credit to help keep
workers in jobs
Enhances Unemployment Insurance Benefits, extending the program and
adding $300 per week for unemployed Americans
Provides new funding to local school districts and colleges to keep
classrooms open, and safe. In Connecticut, $492 million will go to K-12
schools, and $225 million to support public and private college and
universities.

COURTNEY WORKED TO AUTHORIZE RELIEF

AID THROUGHOUT THE YEAR
The 2021 Omnibus Appropriations package was the 5th comprehensive COVID-
19 relief bill that Courtney has helped to become law this year. Throughout
2020, he's voted to pass other relief measures that helped bring home much
needed support to eastern Connecticut. Despite all of the polarization in an
election year, each one was passed with bipartisan support:

H.R. 6074 authorized the first round of funding for research and vaccine
development; small business loans; telemedicine services for seniors; and
more
The Families First Coronavirus Relief Act provided paid leave for sick
Americans; unemployment insurance for laid off workers; expanded food
assistance programs; increased Medicaid funding, and more

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The CARES Act authorized individual payments to American workers and

families; new resources for nurses, doctors and hospitals; forgivable PPP
and EIDL loans for small businesses, and more. A provision authored by
Rep. Courtney in the CARES Act ensures that Americans with private
insurance will not pay a penny to receive the COVID-19 vaccine
H.R. 266 re-supplied critical small business programs like PPP and EIDL
with a new funding, expanded COVID-19 testing, and authorized additional
funding for hospitals and care centers

For the Latest COVID-19 aid resources, visit courtney.house.gov/COVID19

WORKING ACROSS THE AISLE FOR

EASTERN CONNECTICUT
Being a resource for eastern Connecticut to rely on throughout COVID-19 has
been one of our top priorities this year, but it hasn’t slowed down our work to
advance other important priorities for our region.

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2020 YEAR IN REVIEW

My team never stopped working this year, and even during a global pandemic
we were able to get some big wins across the finish line on behalf of eastern
Connecticut.

A BIPARTISAN WAY TO WIN PLUM ISLAND

The House has passed Joe’s bipartisan bill to save Plum Island for 5 years in a
row, and this year they forced the issue in the Senate. Rep. Courtney re-
introduced his bipartisan bill with Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY) and others to
officially repeal the law that mandated the sale of Plum Island, and their effort
was signed into law as part of this year’s bipartisan appropriations package for
FY 2021. This year it became final: Plum Island will be protected once and for
all for future generations.

ENDING SURPRISE HEALTH CARE BILLING

The FY 2021 appropriations package also included bipartisan, bicameral

language that will end surprise billing for emergency and scheduled care – so
that no patient will receive an unexpected bill for treatment they received
from an out-of-network doctor. This is a hard-fought win for eastern
Connecticut patients.

SUPPORTING THE SURGE IN OUR WORKFORCE

As Chairman of the House Seapower Subcommittee, which oversees Navy

shipbuilding, Rep. Courtney has secured important bipartisan support for our
region’s submarine industrial base and manufacturing sector.

Rep. Courtney led the successful bipartisan effort to fully restore

construction of the 2nd Virginia-class submarine in 2021, reversing a
Trump Administration plan to break the two-a-year build rate.
As Chairman, Courtney has led this effort since February. Finally, in
December, Congress voted to override President Trump’s veto of the
bipartisan NDAA, delivering the win on Rep. Courtney’s year-long push
to restore the construction of the 2nd Virginia-class submarine in 2021
After years of shepherding the Columbia-class submarine program towards
realization, Courtney announced on November 5th the Navy’s contract
award to construct the first ever Columbia submarine at Groton’s Electric
Boat.

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Today's announcement makes the hard work, planning and advocacy for this
generational program real. This isn’t just a milestone for the shipbuilders at EB—
the Columbia-class program will also be a major opportunity for industry
partners up and down the supply chain for years to come, and a foundational
piece for our region’s economic future

— JOE COURTNEY 11/05/20

SUPPORT FOR VETERANS AND MILITARY

FAMILIES
Joe and his team work hard to help our region’s veterans and military families,
and Joe works across the aisle to advance their priorities in Congress.

On December 7th, Rep. Courtney’s bipartisan bill to protect educational

Impact Aid funding for schoolchildren from military families during
COVID-19 was signed into law by President Trump. H.R. 8075 is one of only
a handful of COVID-19 relief bills to be made law this year, Rep. Courtney
introduced it on August 25th, and now it’s going to provide real support to
school districts like Groton, Ledyard, and others across the country.

This is a big deal for us. Groton has about 1000 military-dependent children who
live in military housing, and because their parents don’t pay property taxes on
their military housing, the town misses out on that revenue. The town was in
real jeopardy without this funding

— DR. MICHAEL GRANER, SUPERINTENDENT OF GROTON SCHOOL

DISTRICT

In May, Courtney helped secure a new lease for a larger Veterans

Outpatient Clinic in New London. The new CBOC is staying in New
London, and it’s going to be over 15,500 sq. ft. – nearly THREE TIMES its old
size, with DOUBLE the amount of staff. It’s expected to open in summer
2021.
Joe co-introduced the bipartisan Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act,
and it was signed into law in 2019—finally making way for many vets
exposed to Agent Orange to get the care they deserve.

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As of October 31, 2020, the VA has provided over 25,900 Vietnam veterans
and their families with more than $699 million in health care benefits for
service-connected injuries related to AO. But there’s more work to do.
On December 16, Joe voted to pass H.R. 7105, a veterans’ health care bill that
would move the ball forward on another effort Courtney has worked to
advance through the Agent Orange Fairness Act (H.R. 566) by mandating a
GAO report that could lead to many more Vietnam veterans becoming
eligible to receive these benefits.

ADDRESSING THE CRUMBLING FOUNDATIONS

CRISIS
Congressman Courtney has continued working to ensure eastern Connecticut
gets the support it needs to address the crumbling foundations crisis.

Courtney worked to secure $2 million to support continued research into

the crumbling foundations crisis and to develop new solutions to respond
to it in the final FY 2021 appropriations package. The University of
Connecticut School of Engineering was already awarded the first such
grant in 2020, and has already made great progress in developing new
technologies for testing and standards for remediation of pyrrhotite
Earlier this year, Courtney secured clarification from the IRS that financial
assistance paid to homeowners through CFSIC will not be treated as
taxable income—a major update as people begin to prepare their tax filings
Courtney also worked to successfully include three bipartisan crumbling
foundations provisions in the Moving Forward Act, a bill that passed the
House and would expand federal funding to help homeowners address
pyrrhotite damage; extend the “casualty loss” deduction for concrete
repairs; and authorize funding to help schools with crumbling foundations.
Courtney will continue working to pass these provisions into law in 2021.

HERE FOR EASTERN CONNECTICUT’S

FARMERS

Eastern Connecticut’s farmers and agricultural producers were hit hard by

COVID-19, and Courtney has worked alongside them this year to help expand
federal relief opportunities, and to get resources where they’re needed most.

Courtney led the effort to secure Coronavirus Food Assistance Program

Round 2 (CFAP 2) funding for eastern Connecticut’s shellfish farmers, -

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- who were left out of round one of the successful program

Throughout the year, Courtney has pressed USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue
and Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross to expand assistance to farmers
through CFAP and through other sources, like the federal National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Courtney is a founder and Co-Chairman of the bipartisan Congressional
Dairy Caucus, and he’s met frequently with eastern CT dairy farmers to help
them apply for assistance through programs like CFAP, PPP and EIDL, and
for updates on COVID’s impact on their ability to sell and distribute milk
and other products
In November, Courtney was recognized by the CT Farm Bureau Association
(CFBA) with the 2020 Legislative Award, which honors folks who have
given an outstanding commitment to Connecticut farmers and the state’s
agricultural economy. The CFBA is Connecticut’s leading agricultural
advocacy organization representing over 3,400 farmers and members of
CT's ag sector

LOWERING THE COST OF HIGHER ED

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Many people and families in eastern Connecticut are working to pay off
student loans. Congressman Courtney is working to support them.

Over the summer, Courtney introduced a bill that would let Americans
refinance their legacy student loans down to the current low rate of 2.7%.
Today, American scan refinance their debt on mortgages and car and
motorcycle loans – this bill would give Americans with student loans the
same opportunity.

CASEWORK HIGHLIGHTS
SERVING THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED

As the COVID-19 pandemic took hold of our country, Rep. Courtney’s office
didn’t stop serving the constituents of the Second District, especially those
who have served our nation. When a veteran from Canterbury experienced a
significant disruption with his VA-based patient care and medication delivery,
he contacted Courtney's team to help expedite the receipt of his medication.
Rep. Courtney’s caseworker spoke with him to gain fulfill understanding of his
needs, and learned that the delayed medication was needed for the treatment
of PTSD. Courtney’s office immediately initiated communication with the VA to
ensure the availability of this much-needed medication. After receiving
assurance from the VA, the Canterbury veteran was able to retrieve his
medication and continue his prescription regiment.

HELPING SMALL BUSINESSES DURING COVID-

19
Mrs. B, a small business owner in Killingly, was faced with the tough decision of
closing her business due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She was thankfully able to
qualify for assistance through the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL)
program, established as part of the CARES Act that Courtney voted to pass in
March. After she was approved to receive funding, however, an issue arose
with the disbursement of the loan and the funding wasn’t properly directed
into her account. Mrs. B contacted my office seeking assistance with receiving
her EIDL funding, and Courtney’s caseworker immediately contacted the SBA—
Office of Disaster Assistance to rectify the issue. After corresponding with the
SBA-ODA, Courtney’s team was able to clarify the -

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- issue with Mrs. B’s funds and help establish a direct line of communication
between her and the agency. As a result, the small business owner received
her full EIDL loan and was able to keep her doors open.

FEDERAL HOUSING ASSISTANCE DURING

COVID-19
The CARES Act, which Courtney helped pass in March, initiated a moratorium
on all evictions for those struggling to make their mortgage or rental payments
during the pandemic. While being a lifeline for many American families, it also
created concern over how the forbearance on payments would be managed by
mortgage lenders across the country. One family from Griswold contacted
Courtney’s office because they became were apprehensive about whether a
large balloon payment would need to be paid once the forbearance period
ended. Courtney’s office contacted to the family’s lender, and helped them get
a clearer picture on the company’s repayment options. They also connected
the family with the lender to establish an open line of communication between
the two parties for the future. Healthcare Assistance During COVID-19

struggling to make their mortgage or rental payments during the pandemic.

While being a lifeline for many American families, it also created concern over
how the forbearance on payments would be managed by mortgage lenders
across the country. One family from Griswold contacted Courtney’s office
because they became were apprehensive about whether a large balloon
payment would need to be paid once the forbearance period ended. Courtney’s
office contacted to the family’s lender, and helped them get a clearer picture
on the company’s repayment options. They also connected the family with the
lender to establish an open line of communication between the two parties for
the future.

HEALTHCARE ASSISTANCE DURING COVID-19

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HEALTHCARE ASSISTANCE DURING COVID-19

Over the past year, our country’s healthcare sector experienced an unforeseen
amount of pressure to care for those affected by COVID-19. Alongside those
with COVID, we still had individuals with existing ailments who needed
assistance navigating our healthcare system, including those relying on
Medicare and Medicaid. A constituent from Westbrook had an ongoing issue
involving a billing discrepancy between Medicare and Walgreens Pharmacy.
While Medicare was paying for his prescriptions, a billing error resulted in him
being assessed a higher co-pay amount. Upon receiving this information and
supporting documentation from the constituent, Courtney’s caseworker
contacted the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to determine and
address the source of the error. Once this issue was resolved, Courtney’s team
took the extra step to help the constituent recover the hundreds of dollars of
out-of-pocket expenses he was erroneously billed and paid.

ASSISTANCE WITH SOCIAL SECURITY

BENEFITS

In Colchester, Mr. F had difficulty reconciling social security benefits for his
wife, who had recently passed. Without securing these benefits, he would have
been unable to settle her estate. Mr. F contacted Rep. Courtney’s office, and his
Social Security caseworker quickly contacted SSA to check the status of the
benefits and expedite Mr. F’s claim. Soon after, Mr. F received a response from
SSA stating that he would receive his wife’s benefits retroactive to when she
first became eligible for Social Security benefits. This has allowed Mr. F to
resolve his beloved wife’s estate.

FEDERAL GRANTS BY THE NUMBERS

Rep. Courtney has helped to welcome home more than $228,631,207 in federal
funding and congressionally authorized federal contracts in 2020 alone:

Amtrak and the Connecticut Department of Transportation received a

$62,500,799 grant award from the Federal Rail Administration to replace the
Connecticut River Bridge, providing connection for Amtrak’s Northeast
Regional line and ConnDOT’s Shoreline East trains between Old Saybrook -

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- and Old Lyme. The busiest corridor in the nation, this bridge carries 56 trains
every day. Despite the line being intended for high-speed rail, trains crossing
the 113-year-old bridge are limited to 45 mph. The construction of a new,
modern bridge creates tremendous potential for increasing the flow of rail
traffic and goods along the Eastern corridor.

The Norwich Prevention Council received $125,000 in continued funding

through the Office of National Drug Control Policy’s Drug Free Communities
Support Program. NPC’s mission is to prevent risky behavior among Norwich
youth by building local capacity to provide programs and opportunities for
youth; promoting education and training to reduce tobacco, alcohol,
prescription drug misuse, and other risky behaviors.

The cities of Norwich and New London both received emergency Community
Development Block Grant funds authorized by the CARES Act. Norwich
received a total of $1,050,712 and New London received a total of $871,756.
These funds can be used to address housing, public facilities, public service,
and economic development issues in light of the COVID-19 public health crisis.

EASTCONN and the Thames Valley Council of Community Action both

received funding for their Head Start and Early Head Start programs, which
provide intensive, comprehensive child development and family support to
low-income infants, toddlers, children, and their families, and to pregnant
women and their families. EASTCONN received $2,690,844 and TVCCA
received $4,039,523.

Generations Family Health Centers and United Community and Family

Services were both granted funds from the Department of Health and Human
Services to expand COVID-19 testing. These grants were used to expand the
range of testing and testing-related activities to best address the needs of their
local communities, including the purchase of personal protective equipment;
training, outreach, procurement and administration of tests; laboratory
services; and the expansion of walk-up or drive-up testing capabilities.
Generations Family Health Centers received $409,684 and United Community
and Family Services received $398,299.

Courtney announced that the federal Office of National Drug Control Policy
(ONDCP) awarded two federal grants totaling $250,000 to help support

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addiction prevention and recovery efforts in Norwich, Andover, Hebron, and

Marlborough. Both grant awards were dispersed through ONDCP’s Drug Free
Communities program, and will provide continuing funding to strengthen
infrastructure among local partners to create and sustain a reduction in local
youth substance abuse.

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