Joe Courtney (politician)
Encyclopedia
Joseph Courtney (born April 6, 1953) is the U.S. Representative
for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party
.
. He earned a law degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law
in 1978 and worked as a public defender for 3 years after leaving school. Courtney is a partner in the law firm Courtney, Boyan & Foran. He also serves as Town Attorney in Vernon, Connecticut
, the town in which he currently resides.
from Vernon
, representing Connecticut's 56th district from 1987 to 1994. He was chairman of the Public Health and Human Service Committee and oversaw the Blue Ribbon Commission on Universal Health Insurance. In 1994, he was honored by Connecticut Magazine for his bipartisan efforts in the state house.
Prior to the 112th Congress, Courtney served on the Committee on Education and Labor with membership on the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness and Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions
.
Additionally, he voted for the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act which would fix what he calls the “broken physician reimbursement system” and replace it with a functional one.
and environmental programs and has opposed the Patriot Act. He was the only Representative from Connecticut to vote against the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008
.
in 2002 and lost 54%-46%.
challenger was the former commanding officer of the Naval Submarine Base New London
, Sean Sullivan
. Courtney won the election by a two-to-one margin.
On May 21, 2008, he announced his endorsement of then-U.S. Senator Barack Obama
for president.
, Green Party nominee Scott Deshefy, and Libertarian write-in Dan Reale. Courtney was re-elected to another term.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
.
Early life, education and career
Courtney grew up in suburban Hartford and became a 1975 graduate of Tufts UniversityTufts University
Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
. He earned a law degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law
University of Connecticut School of Law
The University of Connecticut School of Law is the only public law school in Connecticut and one of only four in New England. The school was recently ranked forty-sixth out of the 190 American Bar Association-accredited law schools in the United States and is considered a Tier 1 school by U.S...
in 1978 and worked as a public defender for 3 years after leaving school. Courtney is a partner in the law firm Courtney, Boyan & Foran. He also serves as Town Attorney in Vernon, Connecticut
Vernon, Connecticut
Vernon is a town in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 29,179 at the 2010 census.Vernon was incorporated in October, 1808, from Bolton. Vernon contains the former city of Rockville, incorporated in January, 1889. The town of Vernon and city of Rockville consolidated as a...
, the town in which he currently resides.
Connecticut House of Representatives
Courtney served in the State RepresentativeConnecticut House of Representatives
The Connecticut House of Representatives is the lower house in the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The house is composed of 151 members representing an equal number of districts, with each constituency containing nearly 22,600 residents...
from Vernon
Vernon, Connecticut
Vernon is a town in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 29,179 at the 2010 census.Vernon was incorporated in October, 1808, from Bolton. Vernon contains the former city of Rockville, incorporated in January, 1889. The town of Vernon and city of Rockville consolidated as a...
, representing Connecticut's 56th district from 1987 to 1994. He was chairman of the Public Health and Human Service Committee and oversaw the Blue Ribbon Commission on Universal Health Insurance. In 1994, he was honored by Connecticut Magazine for his bipartisan efforts in the state house.
Committee assignments
- Committee on AgricultureUnited States House Committee on AgricultureThe U.S. House Committee on Agriculture, or Agriculture Committee is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. The House Committee on Agriculture has general jurisdiction over federal agriculture policy and oversight of some federal agencies, and it can recommend funding...
- Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk ManagementUnited States House Agriculture Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk ManagementThe House Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management is a subcommittee within the House Agriculture Committee. The subcommittee oversees program and markets for major commercial crops, such as cotton, cottonseed, wheat, feed grains , soybeans, oilseeds, rice, dry beans, peas, and...
- Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and PoultryUnited States House Agriculture Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and PoultryThe House Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry is a subcommittee within the House Agriculture Committee. It oversees all issues relating to livestock, dairy, poultry, meat, seafood and seafood products including federal inspection, marketing, and promotion of these commodities...
- Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management
- Committee on Armed ServicesUnited States House Committee on Armed Servicesthumb|United States House Committee on Armed Services emblemThe U.S. House Committee on Armed Services, commonly known as the House Armed Services Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives...
- Subcommittee on ReadinessUnited States House Armed Services Subcommittee on ReadinessHouse Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness is a subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee in the United States House of Representatives.-Jurisdiction:The Readiness Subcommittee exercises oversight and legislative jurisdiction over:...
- Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary Forces
- Subcommittee on Readiness
Prior to the 112th Congress, Courtney served on the Committee on Education and Labor with membership on the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness and Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions
United States House Education Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions
The House Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions is a standing subcommittee within the United States House Committee on Education and the Workforce...
.
Social Security
Representative Courtney strongly favors keeping Social Security from being privatized. In his position paper, he states “I support proposals to fully fund Social Security and will strongly oppose attempts to privatize the program.” However, he does feel that some modifications are necessary to keep the program working and providing retired Americans with the benefits they have earned.Additionally, he voted for the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act which would fix what he calls the “broken physician reimbursement system” and replace it with a functional one.
Gun Rights
Representative Joe Courtney supports restrictions on the purchase and possessions of handguns. In 2010, the interest group, Gun Owners of America, gave him a F based on his Tlegislative votes; he does not support their cause. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence gave Courtney a grade of 100 percent.Endorsements
Representative Courtney was endorsed in the past election by organizations such as the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, which champions those laws and lawmakers that protect wildlife and wild places while working against those that do them harm.", the National Education Association, whose goal is to “promote the cause of quality public education and advance the profession of education; expand the rights and further the interest of educational employees; and advocate human, civil, and economic rights for all”, as well as Planned Parenthood, the Sierra Club, and the Humane Society Legislative Fund.Abortion rights and embryonic stem cell research
Congressman Courtney favors the womans right to choose, and favors embryonic Stem Cell Research.- Voted YES on expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines. (Jan 2007)
- Provide emergency contraception at military facilities. (Apr 2007)
- Focus on preventing pregnancy, plus emergency contraception. (Jan 2009)
Civil rights
Courtney has always been a proponent of equal rights under law.- Voted YES on prohibiting job discrimination based on sexual orientation. (Nov 2007)
Other
While in Congress, Courtney has consistently supported and sponsored healthcare reform, in line with his career in the Connecticut House. He has also supported alternative energyAlternative energy
Alternative energy is an umbrella term that refers to any source of usable energy intended to replace fuel sources without the undesired consequences of the replaced fuels....
and environmental programs and has opposed the Patriot Act. He was the only Representative from Connecticut to vote against the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008
Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008
The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (Division A of , commonly referred to as a bailout of the U.S. financial system, is a law enacted in response to the subprime mortgage crisis...
.
1998
In 1998, Courtney made an unsuccessful bid for Lieutenant Governor.2002
Courtney first ran for Congress against incumbent Rob SimmonsRob Simmons
Robert Ruhl "Rob" Simmons is a retired U.S. Army Colonel and former U.S. Congressman from Connecticut. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 2001 to 2007, representing Connecticut's Second Congressional District as a Republican.Simmons ran as a candidate for the...
in 2002 and lost 54%-46%.
2006
Courtney again challenged Simmons in 2006 in a race that political strategists projected would be very close. Courtney was declared the winner on Election Day 2006 by the slim margin of 83 votes out of over 242,000 cast. Under Connecticut law the race qualified for an automatic re-canvass because he won by less than one half percent. An up and down recount that found several errors, including one that gave Courtney an extra 100 votes, was finished on November 14, 2006. The final results gave Courtney 83 votes over Simmons.2008
Courtney's 2008 RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
challenger was the former commanding officer of the Naval Submarine Base New London
Naval Submarine Base New London
Naval Submarine Base New London is the United States Navy's primary submarine base, the "Home of the Submarine Force", and "the Submarine Capital of the World".-History:...
, Sean Sullivan
Sean Sullivan
Sean Patrick Sullivan is an attorney, a retired submarine commander and was commanding officer of the Naval Submarine Base New London...
. Courtney won the election by a two-to-one margin.
On May 21, 2008, he announced his endorsement of then-U.S. Senator Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
for president.
2010
Courtney was challenged by Republican nominee Janet PeckinpaughJanet Peckinpaugh
Janet Peckinpaugh is an American television anchor, reporter, business owner, and two-time political candidate in Connecticut.-Personal life:...
, Green Party nominee Scott Deshefy, and Libertarian write-in Dan Reale. Courtney was re-elected to another term.
External links
- Representative Joe Courtney official U.S. House site
- Joe Courtney for Congress official campaign site
- Profile at SourceWatchSourceWatchSourceWatch is an internet wiki site that is a collaborative project of the liberal Center for Media and Democracy...
- Freshman congressman Joe Courtney learns the ropes and tries to keep his balance on Capitol Hill Washington Post Photo Gallery, June 7, 2007