Dear Friends, 

Happy Holidays to you and your loved ones! As the 118th Congress comes to a close, I am proud of the work we accomplished for Connecticut’s First District.

• My team has worked to assist constituents with federal agency issues, opening 2,132 cases and securing more than $341.7 million in federal grant funding. 
• Despite calls to cut programs like Medicare and Social Security, we secured new funding to improve customer service at the Social Security Administration and worked to defeat a commission that could have fast-tracked benefit cuts. Now it’s time to roll up our sleeves and act to enhance benefits, cut taxes for seniors, and extend Social Security’s solvency.  
• I worked with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pass a government funding package with nearly $14 million in funding for projects across the First District to build affordable housing, revitalize downtowns, provide new resources for our veterans, and support victims of gun violence. These funds will ensure organizations like Mothers United Against Violence have the resources they need to continue to serve our communities, and towns and cities across the district can invest in projects that improve quality of life for their residents. 
• In this year’s government funding package, we enacted a record investment in F135 modernization, securing Pratt & Whitney as the sole supplier of engines for the F-35. This achievement will bolster our manufacturing supply chain, ensuring the best machinists and engineers in the world, right here in Connecticut, will keep the eagle flying for years to come! 
• After dozens of farms in the Connecticut River Valley lost hundreds of acres of crops and millions of dollars in revenue due to extreme weather, the Connecticut delegation fought to secure much-needed disaster aid. Last week, President Biden signed a bill into law that included approximately $23 million in emergency relief to get our local farms back on their feet.  
• As of this year, 50 million Americans have gained health coverage since we passed the Affordable Care Act. There is still time to enroll in a plan for 2025, set to begin on February 1st, at AccessHealthCT.com. Most residents are eligible for low or no-cost plans. 
• Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, which I worked to craft and pass on the Ways and Means Committee, almost 1.5 million seniors saw their drug costs capped at $3,500 this year. Starting on January 1st, no senior will pay more than $2,000 in annual out-of-pocket costs for their prescriptions. 

I look forward to continuing to serve as your representative in Congress in the new year. To follow what I’m working on both in Washington and in Connecticut, visit my Facebook page, follow me on Twitter, or follow me on Instagram.     

Regards,

John B. Larson
Member of Congress