Copyright Hartford Courant
Even before the federal government shutdown started on Oct. 1, both sides were blaming the other. Republicans constantly blamed Democrats, and Democrats repeatedly blamed Republicans. The general public often blamed either side, depending on their political persuasion. Republicans have particularly targeted Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer by describing the ongoing impasse as the “Schumer shutdown.” In Connecticut, the blame game continued Wednesday as top Democratic leaders called upon Republicans to pressure President Donald J. Trump into releasing at least $5 billion in federal contingency funds to pay for food benefits that are scheduled to expire on November 1. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which Trump controls, has refused to release the money by saying it was set aside for use for major emergencies like hurricanes and tornadoes. As a result, more than 42 million Americans nationwide and 363,000 in Connecticut will stop receiving benefits on Saturday under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP. The program was previously known as food stamps, but stamps have been replaced by electronic benefit transfer cards that act like debit cards at the supermarket checkout. CT to bolster home heating aid program for some residents amid shutdown. What to know “If the Trump administration refuses to act, Republicans here in Connecticut should have the courage to speak up and put people ahead of politics,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney, a New Haven Democrat. If the shutdown continues and the federal benefits remain suspended, Looney said it is possible that the legislature could set aside money during the upcoming special session that is scheduled for Nov. 12 and 13 at the state Capitol in Hartford. “Certainly that’s on the table,” Looney said when asked by The Courant. “We’ll see where we are when we get to that.” Senate majority leader Bob Duff of Norwalk said, “We should all be very clear that this is the first time in American history that the president of the United States is willfully starving his own people. There is no reason or need for this chaos or this confusion or to not provide food benefits for the people of this nation and the people of the state of Connecticut. … This crisis is a manufactured crisis.” The Democrats gathered in a hearing room Wednesday at the state Capitol complex to send a message about the high-profile issue that touches residents in all 169 municipalities, including wealthy communities like Greenwich, New Canaan, Glastonbury and Avon. While 34% of residents in Hartford rely on food stamps, the number drops to less than 1% in affluent Darien in Fairfield County. Benefits vary based on the size of a family, but the average monthly benefit per person is about $193 or around $50 per week, officials said. The total cost statewide in Connecticut is $72 million per month. Republicans, though, countered that it is the Democrats who are politicizing the issue. “Senate Democrats have offered nothing but posturing instead of preparing to tap our $4.3 billion Rainy Day Fund to help Connecticut families facing food insecurity during a federal shutdown driven by their party in Washington,” said House Republican leader Vincent Candelora of North Branford. “That’s not just wrong. It’s a choice. They’d rather score political points against President Trump and Republicans at every level of government than develop an actual plan to help their constituents. These are the same state legislators who cook up endless schemes to squeeze taxpayers and expand government programs—but suddenly can’t figure out how to use our reserves in a crisis? There’s nothing ‘morally courageous’ about letting people go hungry while sitting on billions.” Senate Republican leader Stephen Harding of Brookfield said, “As Senate Democrats at our State Capitol play political games, Senate Republicans are in agreement with the largest union of federal workers: The American Federation of Government Employees.” The union, known as AFGE, has asked to reopen the federal government immediately and debate complicated issues on healthcare at a later date. Vice President Vance says troops will be paid as pressure builds on Congress to end the shutdown Republicans, he said, are prepared to talk about the federal issues as long as the state maintains its fiscal guardrails that were established in 2017 by the state legislature on a bipartisan basis. “Connecticut Senate Democrats?” Harding asked. “Well, as they are clearly demonstrating with this press conference, they much prefer gamesmanship and partisan politics.” Earlier Wednesday, Gov. Ned Lamont told reporters in Hartford that he understands the political jousting over the issue. Lamont announced this week that the state would provide $3 million to Foodshare, the regional food bank supplier that will distributed 6 million meals in the coming weeks through its vast network of food banks and mobile pantries. “I don’t know if it’s politicization to say you have a fund there that’s supposed to back up SNAP,” Lamont said. “It’s got somewhere between $5 and $8 billion in there. It was authorized by Congress for just this eventuality. If things got cut off, follow the law.” State Sen. Herron Gaston, a Bridgeport Democrat who provides food as the pastor at his church, said that lawmakers need to convince Trump to resume the food benefits. “We need a moral defibrillator to shock his heart,” Gaston said of Trump. Tom Swan, the longtime executive director of the liberal Connecticut Citizen Action Group, told colleagues in an email that hunger is a policy choice. “Our commander in chief is building a golden ballroom, while children starve and go without healthcare,” Swan wrote. “It is despicable. … We won’t stand for a lawless president giving billionaires and corporations tax breaks while children go hungry. Let’s make sure our legislators act during the upcoming special session and use the funds we have at our disposal to take care of our people. We can and must do better.” Separate from the SNAP program, the state is currently providing $200,000 per day for the federal Women, Infants and Children, known as WIC, that helps 11,000 pregnant women, 11,000 newborns, and about 30,000 children in Connecticut. The program provides food aid that includes infant formula. “Their reserves are limited, and we’re going to have to backstop that given the reserves that we have as the state of Connecticut,’ Lamont said recently. “So I want those young families, those moms to know that your WIC card will continue to be good for the foreseeable future. We’re making sure that the government does not take that away from you.” Christopher Keating can be reached at ckeating@courant.com
