Dear Friends,

     As the Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, it is my duty to oversee government funding so it gets to the hardworking Americans who paid for them. I am sounding the alarm because federally funded programs that millions of Americans rely on, from Meals on Wheels to Medicaid to Head Start, are at risk from sweeping cuts by Elon Musk.

     On Monday, January 27th, President Trump issued an illegal order to freeze virtually all of approved and legally required federal funding. While several courts have ordered Musk to unlock these funds, there are countless reports across the nation of organizations still unable to access congressionally obligated funding, like federally qualified health centers and local Head Starts. Congress has the power of the purse – not the Executive Branch. The Trump Administration has no authority to unilaterally freeze funds that Congress has directed.

     If you are or anticipate experiencing any difficulties accessing federal funding or benefits, please use the form below to provide my office with more information on how you, or your organization, are impacted. Click here to fill out the form.

     I promise you this: I will use my position as the House Appropriations Ranking Member to restore funding to our farmers, sending food abroad, for public education, Medicaid, and health research. I believe the Constitution and power of the purse will prevail in the courts.

     Now, I wanted to take an opportunity to update you on my recent work in Washington, D.C. and Connecticut.

     At the beginning January, I celebrated the signing of the Social Security Fairness Act. On January 5th, President Biden signed H.R. 82, the Social Security Fairness Act into federal law. This legislation is retroactive for Social Security payments starting in January 2024. I am proud to have championed this issue in Congress and thank President Biden for signing it into law. I promise to always fight to protect Social Security from cuts and ensure generations to come receive their hard-earned benefits. For more information on the status of the Social Security Act, you can visit this website.

     On January 8th, President Biden directed the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to accelerate implementation of the PACT Act, including adding new conditions to the list of those eligible for benefits.

Veterans with the following conditions are presumptively eligible PACT Act benefits:

• Bladder cancer;
• Ureter cancer;
• Other genitourinary cancers;
• Acute and chronic leukemias; and
• Multiple myeloma.

     If you are a veteran with a condition listed, or a survivor of a veteran who passed away due to these conditions, you can apply for benefits immediately.  If you are eligible for benefits from the PACT Act, there’s no deadline to file a PACT Act claim, I encourage you to learn more and file a claim at http://VA.gov/PACT or call (800) 698-2411 to see if you or a loved one qualify for additional benefits. 

     On January 15th, the Biden Administration officially banned Red No.3, a synthetic dye that has been linked to cancer in animals and behavioral problems in children. I was proud to lead the push for the Biden Administration to finalize a ban on Red 3. As a country, we must demand more accountability and regulation of harmful food dyes that have infiltrated our food supply. To hear more about this decision and more work on food safety, please click here.

     In Northford, I joined my constituent Will Dellacamera and other small Connecticut farmers to spotlight the historic Farm Recovery & Support Block Grant that I created. This grant will give our small & medium farmers the ability to recover and thrive after unexpected, localized weather events. For more information on Will’s story and the Farm Recovery & Support Block Grant, please see the infographic below.

     Last week, I visited Amity Regional High School—a school in a Title I school district. As the students showed me their projects, Trump froze federal grant funding that would jeopardize their tech & teachers’ pay. I’ll fight to ensure schools like Amity get the resources they need to help students thrive.

     On January 30th, I hosted a roundtable with survivors, doctors, violence interrupters, academics, & advocates on gun violence prevention. Proven solutions exist but lack funding. With the Trump Administration freezing bipartisan funds, we all must engage to end this epidemic.

     On the 31st, I honored Ethan Song, a young man from our community who lost his life seven years ago today due to an unsecured firearm. I am committed to enacting Ethan’s Law and requiring the safe storage of guns. Our children deserve to be safe.

I will continue my efforts in Congress to get results for the families and communities of the Third District. Should you have any questions or if I can assist you with a federal agency, please contact my District office at 203-562-3718. 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. 

                                                   Sincerely,
                                                   Member of Congress