{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://courtney.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-courtneys-bipartisan-legislation-support-subase-new-london-protect", "Rep. Courtney\u2019s Bipartisan Legislation to Support SUBASE New London, Protect CT Waterways Passes U.S. House", "2024-12-10", "2024", "2024-12", "Democrat", "House", "CT", "Joe Courtney", "C001069", "courtney.house.gov", "courtney", "https://courtney.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, Rep. Joe Courtney voted to pass the final Water Resources Development Act of 2024. The bill includes several priorities Rep. Courtney fought for, including a bipartisan proposal to support Naval Submarine Base New London and enable future Virginia Class submarine missions.\n\nAs the Submarine Base continues its modernization and waterfront recapitalization plan to homeport the next generation of Virginia Class submarines, known as Block V and Block VI, which will be 84-fleet longer than the current Virginia Class submarines, existing piers must be extended to homeport these larger vessels. Rep. Courtney\u2019s provision enables construction to extend Pier 8 by transferring a certain portion of the Thames River Channel from the Army Corps of Engineers to the U.S. Navy, as the scope of the project would extend beyond Submarine Base-managed property.\n\n\u201cGood news for SUBASE New London and the Virginia Class submarine program. Expanding the Navy\u2019s control of the Thames River for the Virginia Class submarines enabled with Virginia Payload Modules is a strong commitment by Congress to the \u2018enduring\u2019 mission of SUBASE NEW LONDON. Block V and Block VI submarines are the future of the fleet, and this bill, which will soon be enacted by President Biden, aligns the base\u2019s perimeter to be able to home port them while they are on patrol well into the 2060s,\u201d said Rep. Joe Courtney, Ranking Member of the House Seapower Subcommittee. \u201cFrom reducing invasive species in the CT River to protecting our watersheds and shorelines, the bill will also make significant progress to protect and strengthen eastern Connecticut\u2019s waterways and ecosystems.\u201d\n\nThe Water Resources Development Act passed today reflects the final, negotiated text between the House and the Senate following months of negotiations to reconcile the differences between the versions that each chamber passed last summer. The Senate is expected to follow the House\u2019s lead and pass the bill in the next week and send it to President Biden\u2019s desk for signature.\n\nThe bill also includes critical provisions to protect Connecticut\u2019s waterways, ports, and ecosystems:\n\nWastewater and Drinking Water: Rep. Courtney secured an authorization of $25M for Environmental Infrastructure for water and wastewater infrastructure in East Lyme and $25M for Environmental Infrastructure frow water and wastewater infrastructure in East Hampton.\n\nReducing Invasive Species: Rep. Courtney secured a provision to ensure the hydrilla plaguing the CT River is addressed by the US Army Corp of Engineers.\n\nReducing Hazards to Shorelines: The bill adds Connecticut\u2019s shoreline to a list of regions that receive more federal resources from the US Army Corps of Engineers to carry out projects and studies to reduce damages from floods, hurricanes, and storms.\n\nPrioritizing Watersheds: The bill adds Connecticut River Watershed to a list of regions prioritized to receive federal support from US Army Corps of Engineers to address needs related to flood damage, sea level rise, and more.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://courtney.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-courtneys-bipartisan-legislation-support-subase-new-london-protect"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9365561418235302, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}