Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont plans to spend about $167.9 million from the state’s recently created $500 million contingency fund to backstop federal cuts to safety net programs.
The plan submitted to the bipartisan leadership of the state General Assembly said the money would be used to reduce the cost of health insurance for 150,000 state residents who are losing federal Affordable Care Act subsidies.
Some of the money would also be used to provide food assistance to approximately 35,000 people affected by federal cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). And some would be used to keep 3,500 people affected by cuts to a federal homelessness program in their homes.
“This is exactly what the fund was created to do. To undo some of the havoc that is being sowed upon states by Washington D.C. and the cruel cuts that they made,” said Speaker Matt Ritter, noting that state legislative leaders agree with the plan.
“I think our state, from what I have read, has done more than any other state right now in backfilling the healthcare subsidies. And taking care of SNAP like we did back in November. But we’ll do the best that we can,” he said.
Ritter anticipates that Lamont would probably submit a plan to spend more from the remaining $332 million in the contingency fund early next year, if there’s another federal government shutdown.
