DeLauro Details Devastating Impacts of House Republicans Proposed Spending Cuts on Connecticut Families

Today, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) announced the devastating impacts of House Republicans’ reckless plan to gut critical support for hardworking families in Connecticut. This follows information DeLauro received from agency heads in response to letters sent on January 19 about how cutting fiscal year 2024 discretionary spending back to the fiscal year 2022 enacted level would impact the American people.

“House Republicans proposed cuts to government funding would cause irreparable damage to Connecticut,” said Rep. DeLauro. “Thousands of families would be forced to leave their homes and the child care that helps keep them in their jobs. College and job training would be out of reach. Hundreds of cops would be off the street. I will fight to protect critical programs that Americans rely on, and which Republicans and Democrats have historically supported on a bipartisan basis.”

Continued Republican calls for cuts of this magnitude—both secret proposals from Republican leadership and public demands from extremists in the party—would be absolutely detrimental to all Americans, many of whom have not seen a pay raise in years and are struggling to pay their bills. That is in sharp contrast to President Biden’s budget, which invests in America, lowers costs for families, protects and strengthens Social Security and Medicare, and reduces the deficit by nearly $3 trillion over 10 years.

In Connecticut, the extreme House Republican plan would:

Raise costs for Families and Students

• Make College More Expensive for 79,300 Connecticuters. House Republicans’ proposal would not only eliminate Pell Grants altogether for 1,100 students in Connecticut. It would also reduce the maximum award by nearly $1,000 for the remaining 78,200 students who receive Pell Grants—making it harder for them to attend and afford college.

• Eliminate 2,200 Preschool and Child Care Slots in Connecticut. House Republicans’ proposal would mean 1,400 children in Connecticut lose access to Head Start slots and 800 children lose access to child care—undermining our children’s education and making it more difficult for parents to join the workforce and contribute to our economy.

• Strip Food Assistance from 107,000 Connecticuters. House Republicans are threatening food assistance for up to 95,000 Connecticuters with their proposals for harsh new eligibility restrictions in SNAP. House Republicans’ proposal would also mean 12,000 million women, infants, and children would lose vital nutrition assistance through the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), increasing child poverty and hunger.

• Raise Housing Costs for 11,100 Connecticuters. Under House Republicans’ proposal, 11,100 families in Connecticut would lose access to rental assistance, including older adults, persons with disabilities, and families with children, who without rental assistance would be at risk of homelessness.

Endanger Public Safety and Worsen Public Health

• Cut 50 Rail Safety Inspections in Connecticut. At a time when train derailments are wreaking havoc on community safety, House Republicans’ proposal would lead to 50 fewer rail safety inspection days and 80 fewer miles of track inspected in Connecticut next year alone. Since the Norfolk Southern train derailment, bipartisan Senators have called for more rail inspections, not fewer.

• Deny 300 Connecticuters Admission to Opioid Treatment. The extreme MAGA House Republicans’ proposal would deny admission to opioid use disorder treatment for more than 300 people in Connecticut through the State Opioid Response grant program—denying them a potentially life-saving path to recovery.

Harm Seniors and Veterans

• Worsen Social Security and Medicare Assistance Wait Times for 753,400 Connecticut Seniors. Under House Republicans’ proposal, people applying for disability benefits would have to wait at least two months longer for a decision. With fewer staff available, 753,400 seniors and people with disabilities in Connecticut would be forced to endure longer wait times when they call for assistance for both Social Security and Medicare.

• Threaten Medical Care for Connecticut Veterans. The extreme MAGA House Republicans’ proposal would mean 57,000 fewer veteran outpatient visits in Connecticut, leaving veterans unable to get appointments for care like wellness visits, mental health services, and substance disorder treatment.

A fact sheet on how the extreme House Republican proposal would impact Connecticut can be found here.More information on how House Republican proposals hurt seniors can be found here.