Dear Friends, 

This week, the Trump Administration continued to go after the programs and benefits Americans of all ages rely on to make ends meet and get ahead. I held forums in Cromwell, East Windsor, Hartford, and West Hartford to directly hear your questions and concerns and discuss my efforts to hold this President accountable.

Rep. Larson hosts a town hall in East Windsor 

House Republicans recently passed a budget with President Trump’s support that could make deep cuts to Medicaid to pay for another round of tax breaks for the wealthy. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office recently came out with a report revealing their plan requires cuts to Medicaid coverage. This budget threatens health care for more than 100,000 residents of the First District, including 48,000 children and 16,000 seniors. On Tuesday, state leaders gathered with Disability Rights Connecticut, The Arc, and residents from across the state to make our voices heard against these cuts. You can view my remarks below.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) also announced plans to curtail phone services for beneficiaries. By requiring seniors and disabled Americans to enroll online or in person instead of over the phone, Trump and Musk are going to create chaos and inefficiencies at SSA. Last week, House Republicans blocked my Resolution of Inquiry compelling President Trump to turn over their plans for Social Security. He and Elon Musk need to provide answers to the United States Congress and the American people. I wrote to Chairman Jason Smith, alongside every Ways and Means Democrat, demanding Elon Musk and his ‘DOGE’ appear as witnesses before our committee, to answer questions under oath. I joined The Rachel Maddow Show on Wednesday to discuss our fight for accountability. You can view our conversation below.

On Thursday, President Trump signed an executive order aimed at shutting down the Department of Education. In Connecticut, the Department of Education’s programs fund services for 88,000 students with disabilities, Pell Grants to help 63,000 students afford a college education, and directly support public schools that serve 183,000 of our state’s kids. This order is another effort by Trump and Musk to pay for their tax breaks for the wealthy, this time by taking away resources from our kids and educators. The President has no power to eliminate the Department of Education on his own. I am cosponsoring Rep. Jahana Hayes’ Department of Education Protection Act to ensure federal funding is not used to downsize or restructure the Department. I spoke with Yalda Hakim on Sky News about the President’s executive overreach, and why Trump and Musk need to be honest with the American people. You can view our conversation below. 

As your representative in Congress, I am committed to doing everything I can to hold this Administration accountable. My office has prepared a web page where you can find updates on the Trump Administration and a full list of actions I have taken since the President took office. 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