The longest federal shutdown in American history could soon be over temporarily, providing some relief for Connecticut food pantries that are struggling to meet demand without government funding.
Sunday, the bill received 60 votes needed to move forward in the Senate. Nearly all members of the GOP voted for the bill along with eight Democrats. The bill would partially reopen the government through Jan. 30.
But Rep. Rosa DeLauro signaled she would not vote for a bill, which would temporarily reopen the government , even though it has gained some support from a few of DeLauro’s Democratic colleagues.
“I'll be honest with you, I'm going to work to defeat this piece of legislation in the House, because there's nothing on health care, doesn't address the health care crisis,” DeLauro said.
DeLauro made the comments earlier Monday during a roundtable with food pantries serving residents across the state. Sens.Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal voted against the bill on similar grounds over concerns that subsidies for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) would not be extended.
But while the shutdown continues, the state government and food pantries are working to provide aid for families in need, without the help of federal funding. DeLauro criticized federal attempts at appealing court rulings mandating full funding for assistance programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
While a deal to end the shutdown would restore regular funding to assistance programs, the federal government has attempted to stop emergency funding for SNAP, mandated by several court orders and now the subject of a federal appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court.
A previous court order forcing the government to fund SNAP for November resulted in several states including Connecticut, receiving funds.
The federal government is now attempting to claw back those funds, which DeLauro characterized as cruel and Gov. Ned Lamont has also pushed back on those efforts. Around 360,000 Connecticut residents depend on SNAP according to Lamont.
“We continue to assess what impact this memo may have, but those who received their benefits should not worry about losing them,” Lamont said. “We have their back.”
The state also announced Monday an emergency state fund to supplement millions in federal funding at risk due to the Trump administration’s “One Big Beautiful Bill.”
Meanwhile food pantries and nonprofits addressing food insecurity such as McCall Behavioral Network say they have made do with strained resources. CEO Maria Coutant-Skinner says the local community has stepped up to help people in need, including those who themselves are barely making ends meet.
Coutant-Skinner referenced a recent interaction with a woman experiencing homelessness, in a wheelchair who ended up donating while making her way to a soup kitchen run by McCall Behavioral Network at Trinity Church in Torrington.
“She said, ‘I want to help.’ And she gave 51 cents,” Coutant-Skinner said. “She gave everything she had.”
