Governor Ned Lamont Allocating $8.5 Million to Replace Food Assistance Cut in Federal Budget

On June 3, 2026, Connecticut Gov Ned Lamont (D) announced a plan to allocate $8.5 million from the state’s Federal Cuts Response Fund to assist individuals predicted to face food insecurity as a result of the “big beautiful bill” instituted by President Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans.

Affected residents are expected to lose their federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits due to changes in work requirements. Governor Lamont strongly condemned the federal policy shifts, noting his particular concern over the elimination of SNAP work exemptions for veterans.

“Connecticut will not stand by as the Trump administration uses hunger as a weapon against working families, veterans, and our most vulnerable,” Governor Lamont stated. “These new SNAP work requirements represent a cruel decision and fundamental shift away from the program’s core mission of ensuring our neighbors don’t go hungry. I am particularly troubled by the decision to eliminate the exemption for veterans who risked their lives for our country and now are having the rug pulled out from under them. We are providing this assistance as a bridge to prevent people from going hungry as we help them navigate these changes. I hope that Congress will end the inhumane and immoral cuts that President Trump pushed for after Americans elect a new Congress this fall.”

In response, the Governor’s he initiative will provide a one-time $300 grocery assistance card to an estimated 25,000 Connecticut residents.

The grocery assistance program will be administered by the Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS) in partnership with community action agencies across the state. These agencies will manage outreach, verify eligibility, and distribute the grocery cards to those impacted. During the application process, individuals will also be connected with services aimed at helping them regain their SNAP eligibility whenever possible.

DSS Commissioner Andrea Barton Reeves echoed the Governor’s urgency, referring to the one-time grocery assistance as an “immediate lifeline” for thousands of residents who are losing food benefits “through no fault of their own.” State Senator Matt Lesser, co-chair of the Human Services Committee, also commended the plan, praising the administration for taking steps to protect Connecticut residents from “Washington overreach.”

The Federal Cuts Response Fund was established in late 2025 to ensure Connecticut remains well-positioned to navigate federal policy changes and funding reductions. Through Special Act 26-1 and Public Act 26-68, a total of $380,811,954 was transferred into the fund from the state’s Budget Reserve Fund.

Following this $8.5 million allocation, a balance of $268,268,954 will remain available from the appropriations made under Special Act 26-1. Under state law, any proposed expenditure from the fund requires the governor to submit a detailed plan to bipartisan legislative leaders, who then have a 24-hour window to review and potentially vote to disapprove the action. This grocery assistance initiative marks the fourth plan submitted by Governor Lamont for the fund’s use.

Editor’s note: The cover photo is by Dr Frank Gerratana.