WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, applauded Senate passage of the Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill. During the Appropriations Committee markup of the bill, Murphy secured $500,000 in the bill to conduct a feasibility study to deepen New Haven Harbor – Connecticut’s largest deep water commercial industrial port that is essential to the state’s economy. The bill also includes Murphy’s Buy American provision instructing the U.S. Department of Energy to use American-made iron, steel, and other domestically manufactured products in the maintenance or repair of Strategic Petroleum Reserve facilities. Murphy also secured $6.5 million for the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve to protect Connecticut homes and businesses that rely on heating oil in case of a disruption in fuel oil supplies.  

Murphy released the following statement:

“I fought for this federal money for New Haven Harbor because Connecticut’s ports pump billions of dollars into our state’s economy. Deepening the harbor would attract more commerce, seed new businesses and put people to work. In order for Connecticut to remain competitive, we need to take advantage of our proximity to major cities like New York and Boston to become a hub for trade in the northeast. This funding is a step toward expanding New Haven Harbor and ensuring the area continues to grow for decades to come.

“The bill that passed today also strengthens Buy American policy for the Department of Energy. Fighting for stronger laws that require the federal government to spend our tax dollars on American-made products is important to me because it means more jobs for American workers. To me, it’s about common sense. Today’s vote tells me that my colleagues support stronger Buy American policies, so I hope they’re ready for me to introduce similar provisions to nearly every bill that comes to the Senate floor.”