Democratic U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, left, and his challenger, Republican Mike France
Mike France knew what he was up against when he took on U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, in the 2022 election.
Courtney, then an eight-term incumbent, hadn’t been seriously challenged in a reelection bid in more than a decade, and France, an engineer, former career Navy man, former Ledyard town councilor and four-term state representative, figured to be a more formidable foe than some of his predecessors.
As it turned out, he was, becoming the only one of Courtney’s Republican opponents to garner as much as 40% of the vote on Election Day. Courtney got 58%.
Will it be any different this time?
France, 61, said he’s better known throughout the sprawling district that encompasses the eastern half of the state than he was two years ago. And, he said, he’s run a better campaign than he did last time. In March, he announced his hiring of National Public Affairs, a political consultancy co-founded by Justin Clark, deputy manager of former President Donald Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign.
Later, he named Brian Werstler, former legal counsel for the Connecticut House Republican Caucus, as his campaign manager.
France recalled that in 2012, he lost his first run for state representative in a district that included Preston, most of Ledyard and part of Montville, and then came back to win the office in 2014. Both times, his opponent was Democrat Tim Bowles. France won reelection in 2016, 2018 and 2020.
Now seeking his 10th term, Courtney has continued to draw attention to his efforts to maintain congressional support for defense spending, especially that involving the building of submarines at Electric Boat in Groton, as well as other initiatives that stem from his status as a senior member of the House Armed Services and House Education and Workforce committees.
Still vivid, he said, are his memories of his first, unsuccessful run for Congress against Republican Rob Simmons in 2002 and his 83-vote victory over Simmons in their 2006 rematch. Courtney has handily won reelection every two years since that nail-biter.
“I never take it for granted,” he said of running for office. “That (2006) experience was indelible.”
Earlier in his career, Courtney, 71, also served four terms in the state House of Representatives. In 1998, he unsuccessfully ran for lieutenant governor on a Democratic ticket headed by Barbara B. Kennelly, the gubernatorial candidate, who lost to Republican John Rowland.
Supplying EB work ― and workers
Courtney attributed his dominance in recent elections to the strong link between his service in Washington and jobs in his district. As a member of the House committee that approves all military contracts, not just those involving shipbuilding, he’s in a position to deliver for Connecticut-based defense contractors like Sikorsky and Pratt & Whitney, which employ district residents, in addition to Electric Boat.
During his tenure as former chairman and now ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee’s Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, the Navy’s spending on submarine production has steadily increased. At the same time, he said, the work of the education and workforce committee has been instrumental in the “skilling up” of the state’s workforce, particularly in eastern Connecticut.
EB now employs more than 23,000 people, two-thirds of them in Connecticut.
Courtney said a big reason the company was able to hire a record 5,300 workers last year is that the federally mandated Eastern Connecticut Workforce Investment Board’s manufacturing pipeline had provided the necessary training for nearly 1,000 people. Since 2016, he said, the pipeline has trained 4,000 workers, most of them EB hires.
Courtney also cited his veteran staff and the quality constituent service it provides for inspiring much of his support.
France disputed Courtney’s claims regarding submarine production, an issue he has long studied, first while in the Navy and since 2005 while working for a local defense contractor. He noted the continuing resolution approved last month by Congress ― a stop-gap measure preventing a government shutdown ― includes funding for only one Virginia-class submarine in fiscal 2025, not the customary two of recent years.
“As I said in the (2022) debate, ‘Has anybody heard of three a year?’” France said, asserting that the pace of U.S. shipbuilding in general needs to be accelerated. “We should be on our way to 360 to 380 ships. Now, we’re in the 280 to 290 range.”
He said the Navy’s reliance on Electric Boat and Newport News (Va.) Shipbuilding to perform maintenance on existing submarines detracts from new construction, helping create a backlog of work and enhancing the global threat China poses.
Courtney noted that while the Armed Services Committee has passed legislation authorizing the restoration of funding for a second Virginia-class submarine, the money has not been approved as part of the entire federal budget. He said that according to the Navy, U.S. shipbuilders will deliver three Virginia-class submarines this year (USS New Jersey, USS Iowa and USS Massachusetts) and two in 2025 (USS Idaho and USS Arkansas).
It’s the economy
The candidates agreed that the state of the economy is the top issue among district voters.
“People are struggling to buy food, putting things back on shelves. And now, in Connecticut, it’s electric bills, too,” France said.
He blamed the Biden-Harris administration for high diesel fuel prices that have boosted the cost of shipped goods.
“Courtney just sat silent,” he said.
The inflation that France said has devastated consumers throughout the district is largely the result of excessive spending on the federal level, he said. Though interest rates on mortgages and credit card debt are coming down, people will never be able to recoup what they’ve lost, he said.
Another issue he raised in an interview is security at the U.S. southern border, where he said 90% of the drug fentanyl enters the country. He said he learned the House Armed Services Committee, of which Courtney is a member, is responsible for drug interdiction and that New London County has recorded the most fentanyl overdose deaths of any Connecticut county, claims the Courtney campaign termed “myths.”
The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and Committee on Homeland Security have jurisdiction over drug interdiction, the Courtney campaign said, while state Department of Public Health data show fentanyl overdose deaths have not been highest in New London County in any of the past five years.
“The economy is always the dominant issue in this district,” Courtney said. “In that bucket, housing is the one you get the most feedback on.”
He said that although state Department of Labor statistics indicate the New London-Norwich labor market leads the state in job growth, the cost of living in the area is still a major concern. Rents are too high and apartments scarce. He said the Harris-Walz ticket’s plan to stimulate new housing construction by offering tax credits for starter homes is the right approach.
While exasperated by the current Congress’ lack of productivity, Courtney said he was proud of his role in passing a bill that lowered prescription drug prices for Medicare patients. He said he’s looking forward to returning to Congress to push a bill extending the legislation’s benefits to working-age people covered by employer-based health plans.
An issue certain to face the next Congress, Courtney said, is women’s reproductive rights.
“My opponent has been saying that it’s a states’ issue, but if you read Dobbs (the U.S. Supreme Court decision overruling Roe v. Wade), that’s not what it ruled,” he said. “It said it’s an issue to be decided by the people’s representatives.”
Courtney, who voted to codify Roe v. Wade as a member of the Connecticut House, said his position is completely different from that of France, who he said celebrated the Dobbs decision on the steps of the state Capitol and has supported a federal ban on abortions past 15 weeks of pregnancy.
“It’s a states’ issue, but it’s a federal issue, too,” Courtney said.
b.hallenbeck@theday.com
CANDIDATE RESPONSES
JOE COURTNEY:
In an Associated Press article published in August, a naval analyst at the Congressional Budget Office said Navy shipbuilding is in “a terrible state.” What’s your take on it, particularly in regard to submarines? What, if anything, can/should Congress do?
The COVID-19 pandemic severely disrupted Navy shipbuilding, just like the rest of the U.S. manufacturing sector. But delays in production ― caused by COVID’s “great retirement” and ruptured supply chains ― have not paralyzed output. The talented shipbuilders at Electric Boat are delivering five Virginia class submarines in fiscal years 2024 and 2025 while also advancing construction of two Columbia class boats which are three times larger than a Virginia boat. To execute this workload, EB hired 5,300 workers in 2023 (the most in EB’s 120-year history), has hired 3,000 so far this year, and will continue at this hiring pace well into the 2030s.
Since 2015, I have served as Chairman and Ranking Member of the Seapower Subcommittee, where we authorized the funding to fuel this construction and the record hiring growth.
As Congress prepares to negotiate the final 2025 budget, I am working to ensure that Navy shipbuilding receives maximum support for procurement and the industrial base. That’s why I worked with Democrats and Republicans last May to reverse the Biden Administration’s inadequate funding request for the Virginia program. This is based on the strategic need for submarine stability and expansion of the shipbuilding sector.
What’s your response to the “Operation Fouled Anchor” revelations about the Coast Guard’s cover-up of an internal investigation of sexual misconduct at the Coast Guard Academy? Should the Coast Guard leaders responsible for the decision to keep the investigation from Congress and the public be held accountable?
The Coast Guard’s cover-up of the results of its internal investigation into longtime patterns of sexual misconduct was an outrage.
This failure is compounded by the fact that the cover-up from 2018-2023 came at a time when the academy was already under scrutiny by Congress for its mishandling of discrimination and harassment cases, which my office helped spotlight working with a whistleblower who testified at the House Oversight Committee in 2019.
After “Operation Fouled Anchor” was revealed, I immediately worked on a bipartisan basis to enact a statutory, permanent “safe harbor” that allows cadet survivors and bystanders to report sexual misconduct without being penalized for minor offenses. Survivors have specifically cited this as an obstacle to reporting abuse. On May 14, 2024, my legislation was passed by the House on a strong bipartisan basis.
The Coast Guard has significant work ahead ― that Congress must scrutinize ― to create a safe, inclusive community. The new Commandant, Linda Fagan, has made progress with her new Accountability and Transparency review, which Congress needs to continue to oversee.
In 2025, Congress will need to address a series of fiscal issues, including the debt ceiling, federal spending and the expiration of the Trump-era tax cuts. What approach do you favor?
A bipartisan approach that strengthens the middle class.
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that former President Trump rammed into law was a massive giveaway to the top 1% and giant corporations which created serious structural deficits. In 2025, much of the law sunsets, allowing an opportunity to restore fairness and reduce deficits by having multi billionaires pay their fair share. Policies like the new law cutting overpayments for prescription drugs are reining in wasteful spending that can strengthen Medicare solvency.
To be fiscally responsible and ensure that America continues to lead the world as a model of democracy and economic vitality, we must once again expand the Child Tax Credit which cut child poverty in half, restore the casualty loss deduction to help victims of the crumbling foundations crisis, and expand the Low Income Housing Tax Credit to create more affordable workforce housing.
MIKE FRANCE:
In an Associated Press article published in August, a naval analyst at the Congressional Budget Office said Navy shipbuilding is in “a terrible state.” What’s your take on it, particularly in regard to submarines? What, if anything, can/should Congress do?
That naval analyst is absolutely right. Navy shipbuilding is in a terrible state and submarine construction is in even worse shape. And it is all due to the lack of leadership by Joe Courtney. Secretary of the Navy Del Toro issued a report earlier this year documenting a 45-day review, which indicated that every new construction shipbuilding program was behind schedule, including Block IV and Block V VIRGINIA Class submarines being 36 months and 24 months behind, respectively, and the COLUMBIA Class submarine program being 12 to 16 months behind. Instead of the two submarines per year that Joe Courtney promised, on average, only one VIRGINIA Class submarine per year has been delivered over the past six years. This has led to the VIRGINIA Class Submarine program being $17 billion over budget. For a senior member of Congress to oversee this failure and waste is inexcusable ― for that member to be from a major submarine construction district is even worse.
We need a change in leadership and I am the one to provide it. With over 25 years of submarine acquisition experience, I understand the complexity of the situation and have witnessed the poor decisions by Congress negatively impacting our naval readiness. By expanding our submarine maintenance infrastructure, we will be able to have our private shipyards focus on the future needs of our country of submarine construction.
What’s your response to the “Operation Fouled Anchor” revelations about the Coast Guard’s cover-up of an internal investigation of sexual misconduct at the Coast Guard Academy? Should the Coast Guard leaders responsible for the decision to keep the investigation from Congress and the public be held accountable?
As a commissioned officer in military service, there is authority and responsibility that begins as soon as he or she accepts a commission or warrant and takes the oath of office. In addition to basic responsibilities of the oath of office, commissioned officers are required to obey and enforce all regulations and directives. It is clear from the Fouled Anchor investigation final report that there was a breakdown in command leadership and lapses by senior officers. Congress has responsibility for oversight of the military services, including the United States Coast Guard. Given that responsibility, Congress should ensure current USCG directives related to sexual misconduct are sufficient and consistently followed. Once the issues identified in the Fouled Anchor investigation were known, the fact that Joe Courtney failed to work with the USCG to resolve them when the 2nd District is home to the Academy is a complete failure of leadership. It is time for new leadership with the experience of serving as a commissioned officer in the United States Navy, who understands the responsibility that comes with the authority of leadership. For those USCG leaders who failed to follow existing regulations and directives, appropriate disciplinary action should be taken.
In 2025, Congress will need to address a series of fiscal issues, including the debt ceiling, federal spending and the expiration of the Trump-era tax cuts. What approach do you favor?
The approach I favor is to stop borrowing money from China to then turn around and send it overseas to pay for the pensions and infrastructure of another country. This isn’t that complicated, but it’s exactly the type of thinking that somehow escapes Joe Courtney. That aside, my approach to these issues is sober caution. While serving three years on the Ledyard Town Council as Finance Committee Chair and eight years as State Representative on the Appropriations Committee, including serving as Ranking Member, I learned that public policy should be set through the budget process. Unfortunately, for over 25 years, the Federal government has failed to pass a budget, instead providing funding through Continuing Resolutions (CRs), resulting in the increase of the national debt to over $36 trillion. In accordance with the U.S. Constitution, it is the responsibility of the House of Representatives to appropriate revenue to fund approved public policy. As I did while serving locally and in the state legislature, I will advocate for completing the 12 appropriations bills, ensuring the federal government is on a sustainable path and we end the brinksmanship of continuous CRs and restore the fiscal year as a structure to ensure efficiency of our federal government.
