Senators Applaud Senate-House Agreements on Two Major Appropriations Bills

November 9, 2005
WASHINGTON – The Senate and House have reached an agreement on two appropriations bills that will provide $15,945,000 in federal funding for important Connecticut initiatives in fiscal year 2006, Senators Chris Dodd and Joe Lieberman announced today. Dodd and Lieberman worked to ensure that resources for a number of Connecticut initiatives were included in both the Commerce, Justice, Science and State and the Energy & Water appropriations bills.

WASHINGTON— In response to today’s Rand Corporation report, Sen. Chris Dodd, the author of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002, issued the following statement calling on Congress to extend the legislation:

“Today’s Rand Corporation report once again illustrates the need for Congress to extend the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act. Failure to do so would create additional, unnecessary risks to our economy.

Providing for our Troops and Protecting CT Jobs: Senator Dodd visited the Bridgeport-based manufacturer Fermont where he announced plans for an additional $4.4 million in orders that will support Connecticut jobs and provide critical equipment for our troops serving overseas. Fermont manufactures generators used to power large military camp sites, medical units, and communication centers deployed in combat zones in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Downtown Hartford is in the midst of an important revival. Business is picking up. The Adriaen’s Landing project on the riverfront, including a brand-new convention center and hotel, is set for completion next year. The Hartford Civic Center Mall is undergoing major renovations, and new apartments are being built in the area, as well.

This week’s opening of the Charter Oak Marketplace, though, is an especially welcome piece of news. It’s a sign that Hartford’s renaissance is spreading beyond downtown and into communities that have been hit hardest by tough economic times. It will create 800 new jobs, most of which will go to local residents. It will fill a critical gap in the community by giving residents of the Behind the Rocks Neighborhood a convenient and safe place to shop, eat, and spend time with family and friends. Next to the retail stores, a new federal Job Corps center will serve the community by providing a place for young people to learn the skills they will need to start a career. And if the Charter Oak Marketplace proves to be a success, more development in the area should follow.

Hard work yields great rewards. Virtually all of us have heard a variation of this at some point in our lives. In America, we are told, opportunity is abundant for those willing to work for it.

But it’s hard to sell that line to the 9.4 million Americans – including nearly 90,000 Connecticut residents – who are out of a job today. These Americans are ready and willing to work. But cutbacks in virtually every field, from investment banking to construction, continue to push qualified Americans off of payrolls and onto unemployment rolls.