State Representative Marilyn Giuliano (R-23)

HARTFORD—Today marks the beginning of the 2012 Legislative Session, which is another opportunity to take a good, hard look at improving the way Connecticut does business.

State Representative Marilyn Giuliano (R-23) felt encouraged as she stood among House and Senate legislative leadership today.  She has her own distinct set of priorities to tackle these next few months.

“First and foremost, I will focus on helping businesses start, stay and grow in Connecticut. This means easing regulations, reducing costs associated with taxes and fees and working closely with our business leaders to determine their needs,” Rep. Giuliano said.  “Small businesses are the backbone of the state economy and job market. Government must serve to help, not to hinder these companies’ successes.  Taxes and regulations do not create jobs.”

Giuliano added, “Despite the passage of the largest tax increase in state history, the state budget is still on track to end the year with a $145 million deficit and we are still borrowing to pay for basic operating expenses.  Enough excuses.  We must aggressively address the underlying problems of our economic situation – we must stop the majority party’s overspending and reduce the size and cost of state government.”

Rep. Giuliano serves as the Ranking Member on the Education Committee and she is looking to find real reform in Connecticut’s education system without a massive price tag.

“This year I will continue to fight for Connecticut’s students.  There is no excuse for our state to lead the nation in spending per pupil without the results to back it up,” Giuliano said.  “One of America’s most expensive education programs also has the largest achievement gap, and we need sweeping changes to better prepare children for college and eventually to enter the workforce.”

 Representative Giuliano represents the communities of Lyme, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook and Westbrook.

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Old Saybrook's Hal Farrington and State Rep. Marilyn Giuliano pause after the CT Veterans Hall of Fame ceremony held at the state capitol

In December, the Connecticut Veterans Hall of Fame inducted its 2011 class and of those 10 Veterans, one hails from Old Saybrook.

Hal Farrington, of the United States Army, was recognized for his outstanding community service and veterans’ support nationally and right here in Connecticut.

“Not many people are aware of how many active and retired veterans call Eastern Connecticut home.  Hal has worked tirelessly for over 30 years to connect these heroes to important services for themselves and their families,” said Rep. Marilyn Giuliano, R-23. “His leadership has successfully established Veterans Service Offices at the New London Submarine Base, US Coast Guard Academy and Naval Station at Newport Rhode Island.  These offices provide counseling and financial support to those veterans and families who need it most.”

Farrington most recently served as the Federal Casualty Assistance Officer for the Veterans Administration. He supported families connected to over 148 Active Duty service men and women as they dealt with their loss.  Farrington did not shy away from such an important service when military families are in their greatest time of need.

“I was humbled joining Hal Farrington and his family for the induction ceremony,” said Rep. Giuliano. “It is rare to come across someone who continues to give so much for his country and community. I am glad he has received such a prestigious honor.”

Hal Farrington of Old Saybrook (back row, second from left) and the Class of 2011 inductees to the CT Veterans Hall of Fame stand with LT. Gov. Nancy Wyman after the ceremony held in Hartford.

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State Representative Marilyn Giuliano (R-23) will hold office hours throughout her legislative district on Saturday, February 4.
“With the Legislative Session starting shortly, it is of the utmost importance to get feedback from my constituents on what matters to them,” Giuliano said.

On Saturday February 4, the Office Hours will be held at Acton Library (60 Old Boston Post Road,  Old Saybrook) in the 2nd floor conference room from 9:00 am -10:30 am  and at the Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library (2 Library Lane, Old Lyme) in the community room from 11:00 am -12:30 pm .

Rep. Giuliano encourages residents to stop by if they have any questions or concerns regarding state government and the services it provides.

“I am looking forward to hearing from and sharing with area residents,” Giuliano said.  “These questions and ideas help me be a better representative for our communities.”

Giuliano represents Lyme, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook and Westbrook in the General Assembly.

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Eastern Connecticut Congressman Joe Courtney was one of 95 Democrats who voted in favor of a bi-partisan “compromise debt agreement,” which passed in the House of Representatives on August 1. Joining Courtney in voting for the compromise bill was Democratic Representative Gabrielle Giffords, who returned to the House for the first time, since she was severely wounded by a  gunman in Arizona on January 8.

Also, 174 Republicans voted for the bill, while 95 Democrats and 66 Republicans voted against it. The final tally was 269 votes in favor, and 161 against the measure.

In a statement following the vote Courtney said, “With just hours to spare before the United States would default,” the bill is “the only viable path to avoiding economic catastrophe.”

Courtney, who last Saturday voted for a debt bill sponsored by Senator Majority Leader Harry Reid, stressed that like the Reid bill, “the compromise protects seniors by prohibiting automatic cuts to Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries”
Courtney also said that the legislation “provides long-term peace of mind to families and financial markets by ensuring that we are not engaged in this divisive, unnecessary debate just six months from now.”

However, the Congressman admitted, “This plan is far from perfect, but it succeeds on some critical fronts,” noting that it “locks down a significant payment toward deficit reduction, while also establishing a bipartisan process to address larger savings and tax reform in the future, including waste at the Pentagon.”

The Congressman, whose district includes the Connecticut River towns of Old Saybrook, Essex, Deep River, Chester, Lyme and Old Lyme concluded, “With this long process finally over, Congress must focus its attention where the American people have wanted it all along: on job creation and protecting our fragile economic recovery.”

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Congressman Courtney spoke yesterday on the House floor in favor of a balanced solution to address our default crisis and prevent economic catastrophe. Citing a CNN report prior to Speaker Boehner’s speech the night before, Congressman Courtney highlighted that even if the Speaker’s plan passes, ratings agencies still may downgrade U.S. Treasury bonds from their current AAA rating, driving up lending costs and damaging a fragile economy.

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As Congress considers proposals to get our fiscal house in order, I have heard from and spoken to hundreds of constituents from across the district who, like you, are concerned that the Social Security and Medicare programs they rely on will suffer major cuts. I share your concerns about reckless cuts to these programs, and I want you to know: I consider it my sacred duty to protect these programs that are the bedrock of middle class retirement security.

Click to watch Congressman Courtney vow to protect Medicare on the House floor.

Seniors have paid into Social Security and Medicare over the course of their lifetime. Cutting promised benefits is not only wrong, but it would have grave economic consequences for millions of older Americans who are faced with increased financial hardship and erosion of their retirement savings. As a member of the Congressional Seniors Task Force, I cosigned a letter to the President last week, raising these and other strong objections about proposed changes to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.

Preserving and improving a system that works

While it is necessary to address thoughtful modifications to Social Security and Medicare to preserve the programs for decades to come, recent projections by the Trustees confirm that drastic changes to both programs are unnecessary. The 2011 Social Security and Medicare Boards of Trustees projected that Social Security will remain completely intact until 2036 even if no changes are made today. For Medicare, the program is expected to meet all benefit obligations until 2024 – and 90 percent of obligations between then and 2045. Considering a majority of seniors currently rely on these programs to meet basic life necessities, like groceries and medical care, there is no reason to drastically change benefits.

There is no doubt that raising the debt ceiling and addressing deficit reduction are serious issues that deserve thoughtful and long-term bipartisan solutions. However, the promise of Social Security and Medicare should not be undermined in these negotiations, and I will continue to oppose efforts to scale back benefits in these talks.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact me about this subject, or if I may be of assistance in any other way.

Sincerely,

Joe Courtney
Member of Congress

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