Dear Friends, 

This month, a devastating report came out revealing that Trump policies have moved Social Security’s insolvency closer than ever. If no action is taken, the average senior will face a $500 monthly benefit cut in 2032, and Connecticut residents will be hit the hardest. Since he took office, President Trump and his ‘DOGE’ have taken an axe to the Social Security Administration. They’ve cut thousands of staff, tried to slash services over the phone and close field offices across the country, and top officials like Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent have admitted to a “backdoor” plan to privatize Social Security. Speaker Johnson even said that if Republicans retain majorities in Congress, they plan to pass new cuts to Medicare and Social Security.

We don’t need to cut benefits—we need to expand them! I led a coalition of my Democratic colleagues and advocates from across the country to speak out and demand action. Our plan will protect Social Security from cuts and expand benefits across the board to keep pace with rising costs, by making the wealthy finally pay their fair share into the program. 

Watch our full press conference here.

Whether it’s funneling $352 million of your money to build a golden ballroom or $14 million for a botched Reflecting Pool rush job, Donald Trump thinks the federal government is his personal ATM. His unprecedented lawsuit and $1.7 billion settlement, including payoffs to Trump family members, January 6th insurrectionists, and convicted fraudsters, is perhaps his most alarming abuse of federal funding. Never in the history of the United States has a sitting President sought a monetary settlement from the government he leads—let alone one totaling many billions of dollars in taxpayer funds. While this sham settlement has been temporarily blocked in federal court, the Department of Justice continues to pursue a deal that would protect President Trump and his family from ever having to pay the taxes they owe. We cannot stand by. I introduced a bill to block this “get out of jail free" card and require Congress to vote before even a dime can be spent on this settlement.

View my remarks on the “Don’t Settle for Corruption Act” here.

As we recognized Juneteenth, I joined the Connecticut Chapter of the Sierra Club and local leaders like State Reps. Minnie Gonzalez and Maryam Khan to recognize the disparate impact of air pollution on Black and Brown communities. Because of decades of environmental injustices, the Black community is more at risk of lung and heart problems today, especially those with chronic disease. I was proud to help write the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022 – the largest-ever effort to combat climate change in our history – including $10 million to improve public health by taking on pollution in Hartford and communities across Connecticut.

We’ve worked to build on that progress, but President Trump and the Republicans are intent on tearing it down. They want to cut the Environmental Protection Agency in half and are advancing a bill that zeroes out funding for environmental justice. Last year, we defeated their clean energy budget cuts. This year, I’m pushing back again – with a plan to reverse the Trump Administration’s cuts and invest $50 million in environmental justice programs. We need to think big. That’s why I’m proud to work with Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on the Green New Deal. You can view my full remarks below.

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