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Larson Working Cooperatively to Get Things Done

February 9, 2018

Washington, D.C. - Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) announced that several bipartisan bills and initiatives that he sponsored or was among the lead Democratic sponsors were signed into law with the passage of the Bipartisan Budget Act. These bills were directly inspired by constituents in Connecticut.

"Throughout my time in public service, I have always made an effort to work across the aisle. I have also made the effort to go out and meet with citizens and listen to them. I am proud to announce legislation that could have only been adopted bipartisanly, has been signed into law by the President. These legislative efforts were all inspired by constituents in Connecticut.

  • "The Honoring Hometown Heroes Act came to be because of the efforts a local Hartford firefighter, Jim McLoughlin. Jim brought to my attention that the U.S. Flag Code did not allow for the lowering of the flag to half-mast if a first responder fell in the line of duty. I worked closely with Republicans, Democrats, and first responder groups to amend the flag code so we can honor our fallen hometown heroes.

  • "The Steve Gleason Enduring Voices Act is something that I've worked closely on with Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), the Connecticut-based Center for Medicare Advocacy, Team Gleason, and the ALS Association. Steve Gleason is a former NFL player, who is now a champion for individuals with ALS after being diagnosed with it in 2011. It has been an honor to work with his team and Connecticut resident Judy Stein, the Executive Director of the Center for Medicare Advocacy on this piece of legislation, to ensure that everyone who suffers from a degenerative disease will have continued access to speech generation devices that allows them to communicate with their loved ones.

  • "Companies like Newman's Own and the work of Bob Forrester, who donate 100 percent of their proceeds to charities like the Hole in the Wall Camps for critically ill children and their families, should be celebrated for their philanthropy. That is why I worked to pass the Philanthropic Enterprise Act, which I introduced with Rep. Dave Reichert (R-WA), a small technical fix in the tax code that will support, rather than stand as a barrier to, socially-responsible companies like Newman's Own and the dozens of other philanthropic businesses they have inspired.

  • "The Wrongful Conviction Tax Relief Act, which I spearheaded with Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX) received an extended deadline for wrongfully convicted individuals to apply for tax relief. The story of East Hartford resident, James Tillman, was the inspiration behind this legislation. Mr. Tillman served 18 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. He was exonerated in 2006 and was my guest at the State of Union in 2016.

  • "Finally, Connecticut is home to the world's leading fuel cell manufacturers and I have heard from the businesses and workers in this industry about the importance of extending the investment tax credit. As a founder of the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Caucus, I was proud to vote to extent the investment tax credit for five years, which will provide parity with other clean energy technologies and allow this industry to grow jobs in Connecticut."

Larson is an original cosponsor of the Technologies for Energy Security Act (HR 1090), to extend the Section 48 investment tax credit for clean energy technologies, including fuel cells, for five years.

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