I'm writing as one of your constituents who's been watching what's happened to families in our community since the new federal work requirements stripped SNAP benefits from thousands of people here in Connecticut. These are neighbors, parents, people between jobs or dealing with health issues that don't show up on a federal checklist. Losing food assistance didn't make them more ready to work — it just made them hungry. The state Department of Social Services stepping in with $300 grocery cards is a decent emergency measure, but a one-time card doesn't fix a recurring problem. Every month this continues, more families are falling behind.
What frustrates me is that Connecticut is spending money to clean up damage from a federal policy decision that didn't account for the real lives of real people in our state. That's taxpayer dollars going toward a patch instead of a plan. We have the infrastructure and the will to do better. DSS already knows who these families are. What's missing is a lasting commitment to make sure they don't fall through the cracks again while the federal situation drags on.
I'm asking you to support legislation that makes state-funded food assistance available on an ongoing basis to Connecticut residents who lose SNAP solely because of federal work requirements — not a one-time card, but a real bridge program so no family in our state goes without groceries because of a Washington policy that doesn't fit Connecticut's reality.
Please support a permanent state bridge food assistance program for residents cut off from SNAP through no fault of their own.
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