Connecticut senators are calling out federal funding cuts that would impact local farms and food programs.
U.S. Senators Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) are speaking out against cuts to the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program (LFPA) and Local Food for Schools Program (LFS). The programs help feed hungry families and support local farmers.
Local advocates of the program joined the senators Monday at a Connecticut Foodshare in Bloomfield to rally in opposition to the cuts. They are part of the Trump administration and DOGE’s plan to make significant budget cuts to federal spending.
“This is cruelty for the point of cruelty. These are reality small programs that go a long way to both supporting farmers and supporting families,” Murphy said. “By ending these two programs, all you’re doing is hurting farmers and jeopardizing the food security of our families.”
Murphy called on the Trump administration to reconsider the cuts and reinstate funding. He said Connecticut is set to lose $3.7 million in funding due to eliminating the LFPA and another $5 million from cutting the LFS program.
“These programs don’t save big amounts of money for the federal government. They don’t balance the budget. They are effective, efficient and affordable programs that help families in need,” Murphy said
Eliminating these programs would impact 516 food distribution locations and 131 farms and producers in the state. Murphy said it will also impact the schools and childcare facilities that purchase food from nearby farms.
Blumenthal said cutting these local programs specifically would cause more harm than good. They plan to advocate for the return of the funds or work to prevent further essential cuts from moving forward.
“They could find lots of ways to save money if that were really their goal. They're not trying to eliminate waste; they’re laying waste to government programs that directly benefit working families,” Blumenthal said.
