Connecticut Officials Decry Federal Budget’s Impact

Leaders warn of health care, SNAP, and safety net cuts.

Connecticut officials are sounding the alarm about the potential harm to health care access and state finances because of the recently enacted federal budget law. They say significant cuts are coming to key programs.

Lamont Blasts “Reckless and Mean-Spirited” Budget

During a press conference held at Hartford’s Charter Oak Health Center, a federally supported facility, Gov. Ned Lamont criticized the budget. He said the measure would slash $13 billion from the state’s Medicaid program over the next 10 years.

According to Lamont, the budget would also shift SNAP administration costs to the state and trigger automatic Medicare cuts. He accused federal lawmakers of fiscal irresponsibility.

“No Republican who voted for this bill can ever use the words ‘fiscal conservative’ with a straight face,” said Lamont. “We’ve been paying down pension debt. We have an honestly balanced budget. They’re not doing that in Washington.”

He also warned the new law would destabilize vital programs families rely on, like home health care and early education.

In addition, the governor challenged Connecticut Republicans to state their position on the federal budget. House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora, in a statement, disagreed with the Democrats’ assessment. He argued the budget represented a move toward a more affordable government that “delivers real relief to working families.”

Medicaid and SNAP Changes

Andrea Barton Reeves, Commissioner of Social Services, noted that Connecticut provides Medicaid coverage to over 1 million residents, including 300,000 children. She stated the state has already allocated $80 million to its network of federally qualified health centers.

To blunt the impact of the federal cuts, Barton Reeves said that the state is preparing to implement the new six-month Medicaid work-reporting requirement. The Urban Institute, though, estimates that similar policies could cause 1.1 million to 2.9 million people to lose Medicaid coverage nationwide (Urban Institute, 2023).

Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz criticized the work-reporting requirement as “punishment by paperwork,” designed to create red tape and remove people from coverage.

The SNAP program, serving approximately 355,000 Connecticut households, is also set to transition into a state-administered program, resulting in a significant administrative and fiscal change.

Federal Deficit and Medicare Cuts

Rep. Joe Courtney emphasized the intentional financial and political design of the bill. Because the bill adds $5 trillion to the federal deficit, automatic cuts are triggered under the PAYGO law. This includes an estimated 4% cut to all Medicare providers. According to Courtney, the law would slice $535 billion from Medicare and $1 trillion from Medicaid nationwide.

Rep. John Larson pointed to misleading claims already circulating, and said people have “been lied to. And eventually, they’re going to realize what’s going on — and they’re going to be mad as hell.”

Broader Economic Concerns

Sen. Richard Blumenthal described the budget as a “Pyrrhic victory” for Republicans, warning of broader consequences. “This is the biggest transfer of wealth from poor to rich in the history of America,” he said. “And make no mistake — the cost of everything will rise. Food, housing, borrowing. The middle class is being disassembled before our eyes.”

State Comptroller Sean Scanlon stated that “history has always shown this trickle-down economics just doesn’t work,” but added, “We got your back. We’re not going to let the people of Connecticut fall through the cracks.”

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