Larson Statement on President Trump’s Budget Request
East Hartford, CT – Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) released the following statement on President Trump’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget request, which cuts funding for nearly every federal program and fails to invest in customer service needs at the Social Security Administration.
“The President’s budget request would decimate nearly every program Americans rely on to make ends meet," said Larson. "We continue to support increased funding for customer service at Social Security to address years of underfunding, a request that was blocked by House Republicans in the last Congress. Now, as Elon Musk’s ‘DOGE’ attacks the Social Security Administration by closing field and hearing offices, cutting thousands of staff, and gutting phone services, President Trump is standing behind ‘DOGE’ and proposing nothing to address these backdoor cuts to Americans’ earned benefits. Make no mistake – billionaires like Donald Trump and Elon Musk will not lose a minute of sleep over these cuts. They remain solely focused on finding $2 trillion in cuts to fund tax breaks for the wealthiest one percent. From drastic cuts to our schools, housing assistance, and even programs like Meals on Wheels and AmeriCorps, Connecticut’s working families and seniors will pay the price. Democrats in Congress are fighting to strengthen programs like Medicare and Social Security and will not stand by as this Administration cuts services to hurt the most vulnerable. It will only take a handful of our Republican colleagues to stand with us and defeat this budget. Will they continue to blindly obey President Trump and the desires of the billionaire class, or will they stand up for their constituents?”
President Trump’s budget request:
Slashes federal support for public schools by $4.5 billion, in line with his order to shut down the Department of Education
Puts 5 million households at risk of eviction, slashing federal rental assistance by $26.7 billion
Fails to invest in customer service at the Social Security Administration, at a time when Elon Musk’s ‘DOGE’ is closing field and hearing offices, cutting 7,000 staff, and gutting phone services – cutting staff and services is a de-facto benefit cut
Cuts funding for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services by $674 million, facilitating the closure of the Regional Office that assists Connecticut Medicare beneficiaries
Eliminates all funding for the Connecticut Energy Assistance Program, which helps nearly 100,000 households afford to heat and cool their homes
Completely defunds Community Action Agencies that coordinate programs like Meals on Wheels, including Hartford’s Community Renewal Team
Abolishes AmeriCorps, which mobilizes 200,000 young people and seniors to serve their communities every year