Kelly, Formica Statement on Democrat Budget Negotiations Beginning Today Behind Closed Doors

May 20, 2021

Kelly, Formica Statement on Democrat Budget Negotiations Beginning Today Behind Closed Doors - CT Senate Republic

Senate Republican Leader Kevin Kelly (R-Stratford) and Senate Republican Leader Pro Tempore Paul Formica (R-East Lyme) released the following statement regarding CT Democrats’ beginning closed-door budget negotiations with Governor Ned Lamont today:

 

“Now is not the time to burden Connecticut residents with new taxes. Connecticut has received over $6 billion in federal relief funds. We also have a surplus and a historic budget reserve fund, both the results of a bipartisan budget passed in 2017 that included Republican policies to cap spending and borrowing. Instead of working together again, Democrats are shutting Republicans’ good ideas out as they craft a tax increase and spending budget behind closed doors.

 

“Working- and middle-class families do not deserve more burdens.  We also know what happens when you raise taxes on the wealthy and jobs, they move out and leave the rest of the middle class to shoulder the load. We hope Governor Lamont will stand strong against Democrats’ tax increases.

 

“Today it was reported that Democrats want to add $2 billion in new borrowing onto the state’s credit card to circumvent the state’s spending cap.  Once again, Democrats expect our children and grandchildren to foot the bill. We need to develop transformative investments in our state to give people opportunity, rather than the Democrats’ approach that gladly spends what we don’t have today so our kids can pay tomorrow.

 

“Connecticut is dead last in job growth and personal income growth because of Democrats’ disastrous policies. While certain Democrats are demanding a Republican budget, their actions show that they don’t really want our good ideas or input. They could invite us in now to negotiate a budget, as we successfully did in 2017. That would give the hundreds of thousands of people we represent a voice in the process. But they don’t want our voices. They don’t want our good ideas. They want a distraction from the pain they are about to inflict.”