Senator Honig Votes to Protect Constituents From Federal Cuts

Senator Paul Honig, D-Harwinton, voted Wednesday to preserve access to emergency response resources, set aside by the state legislature to offset significant funding cuts enacted or threatened by the federal government, through June 2027.

Wednesday’s vote ensures that a reserve fund, which contains $313 million, will be an accessible resource as Connecticut continues to face funding cuts by the federal government.

“When the federal government doesn’t honor its funding commitments to Connecticut residents, the math is pretty straightforward: either the state steps up to protect our residents or our constituents go without vital support. Today, I voted to preserve access to an emergency response fund,” Senator Honig said. “This isn’t political theater and it’s not partisan grandstanding. We’re simply planning for known risks so no one is blindsided by whatever Washington throws at us.”

The federal budget, passed in July, included significant programming cuts with billions stripped from Medicaid and Medicare in the coming years. Other cuts have included the discontinuation of grants helping millions of families afford health insurance and reductions to programs supporting public health, education, clean energy and housing.

These cuts and the administration’s ongoing threats to enact more serious funding reductions, prompted state legislators to create a similar response fund during a special legislative session late last year. That fund has already been used to support investments in response to federal changes and funding cuts including:

• $115 million to replace expiring federal health care subsidies for Connecticut residents with plans through Access Health CT, its Affordable Care Act exchange, which will take effect in March
• $24.6 million for food banks and food pantries to serve the public after eligibility changes to SNAP ended benefits for thousands of residents
• $11.4 million for system upgrades at the Department of Social Services to implement eligibility changes and constituent support
• $8.5 million to replace lost federal reimbursement for Planned Parenthood of Southern New England and $1.9 million to replace funding for its frozen Title X family planning and preventive health services grant
• $6.88 million to offset expiring Continuum of Care grants for homelessness prevention and housing vouchers formerly funded by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development
• $4.7 million for 211, Community Action Agencies to help the public better understand and meet new SNAP eligibility requirements
• $4.513 million to replace Community School grants in New Haven, Waterbury and Hartford providing health care and childcare services to children and families
• $2 million to expand community health workers’ ability to help the public meet changes to SNAP and Medicaid eligibility
• $830,000 to replace funding for mental health counselors to schools in the Northwest region of Connecticut

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Hugh McQuaid | hugh.mcquaid@cga.ct.gov