Larson Recognizes 100th Anniversary of Pratt & Whitney on the House Floor
Washington, D.C. - Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) spoke on the House Floor to recognize the 100th anniversary of Pratt & Whitney, based in East Hartford Connecticut. Established on July 22, 1925, Pratt & Whitney employs approximately 11,000 Connecticut workers, and is recognized around the world for building the most capable production fighter engine the world has ever known, the F135. Pratt & Whitney President Shane Eddy authored an op-ed to mark the anniversary that appeared in the Hartford Courant.
You can view Rep. Larson's remarks here.
“July 22, 1925, yesterday, marked the 100th birthday and anniversary of Pratt & Whitney Aircraft, who builds the most dependable engines and ha[s] led the aerospace industry in this country,” said Larson. “I'm proud to be part of the F-35 Caucus and to understand that not only is it important to America, but also important to our allies all across the globe, who still depend on Pratt & Whitney. The eagle will keep flying because they have the most dependable workforce and build the most dependable engines ever assembled in the world.”
Rep. Larson is the Co-Chair of the bipartisan Congressional Joint Strike Fighter Caucus and has led the fight to secure the F135 engine for the F-35, defeating an alternative engine in 2011 and again in 2023. Over the past three years, he has secured $722 million in funding to modernize the F135 engine, supporting Pratt & Whitney machinists and engineers, as well as the more than 100 suppliers across Connecticut’s manufacturing supply chain.
In 2023, Rep. Larson secured the Biden Administration’s support to modernize the F135 engine instead of investing in a costly and risky alternative engine, and in 2024, worked to include language in the annual defense appropriations bill securing Pratt & Whitney’s role as the sole supplier of engines for the F-35 fighter jet.
You can read a full transcript of Rep. Larson’s remarks below:
“Mr. Speaker, I also rise today to recognize Pratt & Whitney Aircraft in my hometown of East Hartford, Connecticut. July 22nd, 1925, yesterday, marked the 100th birthday and anniversary of Pratt & Whitney Aircraft, who builds the most dependable engines and ha[s] led the aerospace industry in this country and the greatest manufacturing force in the world, located in East Hartford and Middletown, Connecticut, as well.
“My father and mother both worked there — my mother during the Second World War. She had just got out of high school, was seventeen years old, was in the National Honor Society, and was recruited by Pratt & Whitney to help take down the details and information and categorizing of parts, etc., that was desperately needed. My father went off to war, and when he came home, worked there. My brothers have worked at Pratt & Whitney.
“In 1925, East Hartford was an agricultural community and overnight, became the leading manufacturer of airplanes and aircraft and now, aerospace. We salute Pratt & Whitney Aircraft. When my father would go to work, we'd say, ‘Dad, are you going to work? What do you do?’ He said, ‘we keep the eagle flying.’ The symbol of Pratt & Whitney Aircraft is the bald eagle in flight, and underneath it says, ‘We build the most dependable engines.’ That was true in 1925, and it's true today. I'm proud to be part of the F-35 Caucus and to understand that not only is it important to America, but also important to our allies all across the globe, who still depend on Pratt & Whitney and their production of the most dependable aircraft engines ever assembled.
“Mr. Speaker, I want to submit for the record, also, a resolution introduced by Governor Lamont of the State of Connecticut recognizing this hundredth year anniversary celebration of Pratt & Whitney Aircraft. I also want to submit for the record an op-ed piece that was presented in the Hartford Courant by Pratt & Whitney President, Shane Eddy, again, talking about that great workforce over this past 100 years and their dedication then, now, and well into the future. The eagle will keep flying because they have the most dependable workforce and build the most dependable engines ever assembled in the world. I’m proud to have been born and raised in East Hartford, the home and the start of Pratt & Whitney Aircraft, the engine company that makes the most dependable engines in the world.”