Joe Courtney

The notion that this is, you know, somehow going to obstruct its recovery, just events in just the last few days in a state that is poised to move forward really kind of rebuts that.

People who are minimum-wage workers are choosing between a gallon of milk and a gallon of gas.

This Congress has an obligation to make sure that our men and women in uniform have the tools, the equipment, and the training and the leadership that they deserve.

We know what our number one drivers of our deficit and our debts are, and we need to address that. And it is not defense spending.

It is just not right that we are trying to balance our budgets, our Nation's budgets on the backs of our men and women in uniform and their families.

In my opinion, that is clearly the best way to strengthen the network of access for veterans in this country.

If H.R. 3633 were to pass... we would still have a terrible challenge in terms of access to health care for TRICARE.

That is a really pretty safe assumption?

Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I thank you for your kind words.

I mean, in terms of its history as far as veterans are concerned, in fact it is really the opposite.

And if we do the math, okay, we are talking about 2019 is when this issue could be revisited.

Not without a constitutional amendment.

Your commitment to getting us there is based on real results. It is not a talking point for you.

There is strong bipartisan support for getting a 300-ship Navy.

We have to see how the money is being spent, so congratulations on that great achievement.

The historical precedent of sequestration in the 1990s and early 2000s, when Congress came together on a bipartisan basis with a balanced package of deficit reduction, turned off those chainsaws that were put into place with Gramm-Rudman.

I think it is important sometimes to remember the Budget Control Act is not like we are helpless in front of it, and sequestration to boot.

That kind of comes with the territory when you are doing bilateral negotiations and you are fostering democracy.

This is an important issue and Representative Hinojosa and I are working on our legislation, and we have provisions that will strengthen services and access for LGBT seniors.

The bill that Representative Hinojosa and I are developing would establish a unified database to collect information on elder abuse, exploitation, and neglect.

Let's pass this flood insurance measure. In southeastern Connecticut, coastal properties, again, if you talk to the Realtors, you talk to the bankers, these properties are locking up because of the increase in flood insurance premiums. We…

I hope that we keep in mind the important role that OSHA fills in improving accountability and preventing future tragedies.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, again for your, you know, wonderful conduct in terms of this hearing.

The actual OSHA law, I mean the statute, provided for employee participation in inspections.

The notion that somehow, you know, what OSHA is doing in terms of getting information out there through the Web site is somehow, you know, an act of, you know adversarial government heavy-handedness, I--that is not my experience talking to…