Courtney-Backed Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Bill Introduced in 116th Congress
Washington, DC – Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) today joined House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Mark Takano (D-CA) in introducing the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019 (HR 299). Congressman Courtney, Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces in the 115th Congress, is an original cosponsor of the legislation and has been a leader in its advancement in previous Congresses.
“The Senate’s failure to pass this bill last year and finally right this wrong for our Vietnam-era veterans was one of the most disappointing aspects of the last session of Congress,” Courtney said. “While the House acted in a bipartisan and unanimous way to pass the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act in 2018, the objections of a small number of Senators blocked action that would have made this bill law. That this bill is being introduced in the first days of the 116th Congress demonstrates our ongoing commitment to ensure that we do right by all our veterans exposed to agent orange, whether on land or on the sea.”
The Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act expands benefits for Vietnam blue water navy veterans who are currently suffering from diseases they acquired because of their service in proximity to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. Specifically, the bill enables effected veterans to receive expedited consideration for Veteran’s Affairs (VA) benefits if they suffer from diseases known to the U.S. Government to be linked to Agent Orange.
Background:
During the Vietnam War, more than 20 million gallons of the herbicide “Agent Orange” were sprayed to remove jungle foliage. A toxic chemical in the herbicide has since been linked to devastating health effects, including non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (NHL), various cancers, Type II Diabetes, and Parkinson’s disease.
The Agent Orange Act of 1991 (AOA) empowered the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to declare certain illnesses “presumptive” to exposure to Agent Orange and enabled veterans to receive disability compensation for these related conditions.
However, in 2002, the VA stopped giving benefits to blue water veterans and limited the scope of the AOA to only those veterans who could provide proof of “boots on the ground” in Vietnam. As a result, veterans who served in the waters off of the Vietnamese coast or in bays and harbors were required to file individual claims to restore their benefits, which have then been decided on a case-by-case basis.
Key Provisions:
This bill restores the presumptive coverage for those who served in the territorial seas of Vietnam that existed prior to 2002 and lifts the burden from the individual veteran to prove direct exposure to Agent Orange.
The presumption currently exists for veterans who served on land and inland waterways, and therefore the bill places Navy personnel on the same playing field as those who served in country.
Congressman Courtney’s Record:
Courtney has been a lead cosponsor of the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act every session since the 112th Congress.
In June 2018, Courtney helped pass the bill in a broad, unanimous vote in the House – https://courtney.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/courtney-backed-blue-water-bill-passes-house
In September 2018, Courtney and 115 other House members wrote to Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Isakson and challenged aspects of the Veterans Administration’s stated opposition to the bill. You can read a copy of the letter HERE.
In October 2018, Courtney again wrote to Chairman Isakson urging him to allow the bill to move forward in the Senate. That letter noted the significant, good faith, bipartisan effort that Members of the House made to find agreeable sources of funding for care and compensation for Blue Water Navy Veterans and ultimately led to the House’s unanimous vote of 382-0 in favor of H.R. 299 in June. You can read a copy of the letter HERE.
In December 2018, the Senate adjourned without taking action on the bill.
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Congressman Courtney Votes to Uphold Affordable Care Act, Protect Healthcare for Connecticut Residents with Pre-Existing Conditions
Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) joined House Democrats in taking action to protect Connecticut residents’ health care by voting in favor of a resolution that strengthens Congress’s hand to intervene against the Texas v. U.S. lawsuit, which seeks to strike down the entirety of the Affordable Care Act and its landmark provisions, including protection for over 1.5 million people in Connecticut who live with pre-existing conditions. The resolution, which passed the House of Representatives 235-192, affirms the House Counsel’s authorization to intervene as a party in the Republican-led lawsuit, asserting the House of Representative’s authority to defend laws it has passed and enacted into law.
“I’ve heard loud and clear from people across eastern Connecticut,” said Congressman Courtney, “from patient advocacy groups, to healthcare professionals, to individuals who rely on the Affordable Care Act for coverage – and they do not want to turn the clock back on access to healthcare for folks with pre-existing conditions. Families from every corner of the District oppose this lawsuit that would put them back in the world of medical bankruptcy. Today’s resolution, which I voted in favor of, affirms the House Counsel’s authority to step in where the Trump Administration has failed to defend the law against this existential threat. Congress has a responsibility uphold the law, and to stand up for Americans and their health care – and I am proud to do so today.”
James Michael, CEO of Access Health Connecticut, issued the following statement:
“The Affordable Care Act has been the driving force behind healthcare reform in this country since 2010. This landmark law helps provide Connecticut residents with access to affordable healthcare, protects people with pre-existing conditions and changes the way healthcare is delivered in Connecticut and the entire U.S.. Connecticut’s early implementation of the ACA has created a stable marketplace for people to find and enroll in healthcare coverage, and is a contributing factor to reducing the uninsured rate to historic lows and helping Connecticut be considered one of the five healthiest states in the country. Congress must do everything it can to protect and continue this progress for all.”
Originally filed on February 26, 2018, during the 115th Congress, the plaintiffs of Texas v. U.S. assert that because the Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act in 2012 as a constitutional use of its taxing power, the elimination of the tax makes the remainder of the law unconstitutional.
Following the lawsuit’s filing, Congressman Courtney became a cosponsor of H.Res.1031 in the 115th Congress, which sought to authorize Congressional intervention in the case of Texas v. U.S. The legislation was not scheduled for consideration by the House of Representatives under Republican leadership in the 115th Congress.
In December 2018, a federal district court judge in Texas ruled in favor of Republicans, issuing a stayed decision that would strike down the entirety of the Affordable Care Act, including:
Protections for people with pre-existing conditions;
The ban on lifetime and annual limits on health coverage;
The Medicaid expansion covering 15 million Americans;
Health insurance affordability tax credits assisting 9 million Americans;
Bans on discriminatory insurance practices that force women to pay more for coverage;
Young adults’ ability to remain on their parents’ insurance until age 26, and more.
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Courtney Statement On Strong Outlook For Hiring At Electric Boat In 2019
Norwich, CT — Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02), Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces in the previous 115th Congress, issued the following statement regarding Electric Boat’s (EB) annual legislative update hosted by company President Jeffrey S. Geiger. Geiger detailed Electric Boat’s plans to hire roughly 900 new employees in Connecticut in 2019.
“Today’s announcement from Mr. Geiger and Electric Boat is good news for eastern Connecticut and for the state,” said Congressman Courtney. “This year’s projection of nearly 900 new hires represents a continued strong, upward trajectory for both the local and regional economies and builds on over 1,000 new hires in Connecticut over the past year.
“Electric Boat now employs nearly 12,000 people in Connecticut, and over 17,000 across their entire footprint — a huge milestone that confirms EB is one of Connecticut’s most persistent and long-term drivers of economic growth. Just as impressive are the statistics behind these numbers, which show a continued transformation of EB’s skilled labor towards a younger and more millennial workforce. EB is providing young adults with careers, not short-term jobs, and with over 50 percent of EB’s current workforce between the ages of 22 and 37, it’s the sort of change that augurs well for the region.
“Another significant development which will begin in 2019 is the construction of a massive new production building for the Columbia class submarine program. These subs are two and a half times the size of Virginia boats, and the structure will cost $850 million. A whole new structure is required on the Groton waterfront to build this program, which will continue into the 2030s.
“As Ranking Member of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee in the previous Congress, I have worked to ensure that our submarine programs and suppliers receive the support and funding they need to build our nation’s undersea force. Last year, Congress authorized a 47 percent increase in submarine program funding from 2018 to 2019, as we continue to phase in construction of the new Columbia-class submarine. I have also pushed the Navy to better manage its repair work across our public and private shipyards, leading the Navy to transfer two repair availabilities to Electric Boat in the past year and to publicly commit to more. This repair work is critical to ensuring EB workforce in Groton is in place and ready for Columbia-class construction.
“I want to thank President Geiger for hosting today’s update, and to especially thank the hardworking men and women at Electric Boat. EB delivers critically important submarines to the U.S. Navy, and it couldn’t happen without the folks who do the work. I look forward to continuing to work in Congress and here in Connecticut to ensure that our undersea investment, and the workforce that makes it possible, remains a top priority in the 116th Congress and for my colleagues on the Seapower and Projection Forces subcommittee.”
Among the notable updates from the briefing today:
Total hiring in Connecticut is projected to be about 900 in trades, design and engineering, and support positions. Over 60% of projected hires for 2019 are planned for Connecticut.
Electric Boat continues to experience a change in demographics towards a younger, more millennial skilled labor force. In 2013, 30.3% of EB employees were between the ages of 22 and 37. Today, 51.1% of EB employees are between he ages of 22 and 37 — a 20.8% change.
Electric Boat continues to utilize key workforce investment tools secured by Congressman Courtney and the Connecticut Delegation to support the training of their new and increasingly younger workforce, including the Eastern Connecticut Manufacturing Pipeline, which is credited with over 1,000 EB hires in Connecticut.
Congress has significantly increased investment in key submarine programs like the Virginia Class Submarine, Virginia Payload Module and the Columbia-class submarine program, represented by a 47% increase in enacted appropriations for such programs from Fiscal Year 2018 to Fiscal Year 2019.
The above items were received between 1/8/19 and 1/14/19.
