Connecticut — 2nd District

Joe Courtney

Supports middle-class investments and clean energy

Courtney emphasizes middle-class economic growth driven by federal investments in infrastructure, manufacturing, and targeted tax relief. His legislative voting record reflects support for major economic packages like the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act while opposing conservative spending caps.

• Voted for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.
• Voted for the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024.
• Voted against the Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023 and the 2025 reconciliation bill (H.R. 1).

George Austin

Supports fiscal restraint and tax cuts

Austin advocates for a 'lunchbox mindset' in federal governance, calling on Washington to cut wasteful spending, reduce red tape, and lower taxes for workers and small businesses. Drawing from his background in construction management, he pledges to curb excessive federal borrowing and help working families afford housing and daily expenses.

• Proposes a 'lunchbox mindset' to cut federal waste and stop treating taxpayer money as endless.
• Advocates for lower taxes and reduced regulatory red tape for workers and small businesses.
• Focuses on creating conditions for young people to afford homes and build wealth.

“That lunchbox mindset is simple: pack your own lunch, watch every dollar, and do the unglamorous work it takes to provide for your family.”

“I’m running so that Washington finally adopts that same lunch‑box mindset: do your job, cut waste, and stop abusing the taxpayer credit card with impunity — treating other people’s money like it’s endless.”

“Workers and small businesses who need good jobs, less red tape, lower taxes, and a chance to own a home and build a future—not just see opportunity reserved for the elite or the well‑connected.”

Joe Courtney

Supports expanding healthcare access and Medicare benefits

Courtney considers affordable healthcare access a fundamental priority for American families. He voted to empower Medicare to negotiate drug prices and extend Affordable Care Act subsidies through the Inflation Reduction Act.

• Voted for the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 to enable Medicare prescription drug price negotiation.
• Supported extending Affordable Care Act health insurance subsidies.
• Prioritizes accessible, timely, and affordable healthcare for all citizens.

“Every American deserves access to quality, timely, and affordable health care...”

George Austin

Protects Social Security and Medicare solvency

Austin pledges to secure the financial solvency of Medicare and Social Security for current seniors and future retirees. He calls for fixing the entitlement system while rejecting political scare tactics around senior benefits.

• Pledges to protect retirement security by ensuring Social Security and Medicare solvency.
• Rejects political scare tactics surrounding entitlement program reforms.

“Seniors who deserve honest retirement security: stop the scare tactics and fix the system so Social Security and Medicare stay solvent and are there for the people who earned them.”

Joe Courtney

Supports expanded constituent services for veterans

Courtney focuses on serving eastern Connecticut's large veteran community by improving access to local medical services and supporting federal benefits.

• Prioritizes veteran constituent services in a district with one of the largest veteran populations in Connecticut.

“Our region is proud to be the home of more veterans than any other in Connecticut...”

George Austin

Advocates for VA reform and care

Austin argues that veterans deserve streamlined care and respect without having to struggle against bureaucracy at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

• Calls for reforming the VA so veterans receive prompt, quality care rather than administrative hurdles.

“Veterans who should be honored and cared for, not left fighting the VA.”

Joe Courtney

Supports naval shipbuilding and submarine manufacturing

Courtney serves as Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces, consistently securing federal funding for submarine construction in eastern Connecticut, known as the 'submarine capital of the world.'

• Serves as Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces.
• Consistently votes for annual National Defense Authorization Acts to maintain naval shipbuilding contracts in the district.

“For more than 100 years, our region has been known as the “submarine capital of the world,” and with good reason...”

Joe Courtney

Supports federal infrastructure modernization

Courtney advocates for federal funding to repair and modernize roads, bridges, rail lines, and transit systems across eastern Connecticut.

• Voted for the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021.
• Focuses on updating aging state transit and transportation networks.

“Investment in our state’s aging infrastructure is not just about updating our roads, bridges, rail, and transit...”

George Austin

Supports worker protection guardrails on AI

Austin calls for federal guardrails on artificial intelligence to protect workers from displacement and ensure innovation benefits American laborers rather than tech monopolies or foreign adversaries.

• Proposes regulatory guardrails on artificial intelligence technology to preserve American jobs.
• Warns against technological advantages concentrating among tech monopolies and foreign adversaries.

“All of us living through the AI revolution: we need serious guardrails so new technology doesn’t wipe out people’s jobs and opportunities before they even get started in life, and so American workers—not just a few tech monopolies and foreign adversaries—benefit from the next wave of innovation.”

Joe Courtney

Supports targeted enforcement and opposes broad restrictions

Courtney's voting record reflects support for specific enforcement measures against criminal offenders while opposing comprehensive Republican border and voter proof legislation. He voted for the Laken Riley Act but against the Secure the Border Act and the SAVE Act.

• Voted for the Laken Riley Act (2025) requiring detention of undocumented immigrants arrested for theft or burglary.
• Voted against the SAVE Act (2025) requiring documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration.
• Voted against the Secure the Border Act of 2023 (H.R. 2) and DUI deportation legislation (H.R. 875).

Joe Courtney

Supports affordable higher education and workforce training

Courtney serves on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, where he promotes expanded access to affordable higher education and job training to strengthen the middle class.

• Member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
• Advocates for affordable higher education access and job training opportunities.
• Voted against the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025.

“Joe knows that access to quality and affordable education is the key to a thriving and growing middle class...”

Joe Courtney

Supports local farming and dairy economy

Courtney emphasizes agriculture as a vital sector of eastern Connecticut's economy, leveraging his prior service on the House Agriculture Committee to support regional producers.

• Previously served on the House Committee on Agriculture (subcommittees on livestock, rural development, and credit).
• Supports federal policies assisting local dairy farmers and agricultural producers.

“Agriculture is a critical component of our region’s economy...”