Sen. Cicarella Supports Responsible Budget Practices, Opposes Breaking Spending Cap

Offers amendment that responsibly maintains funding for important programs like Medicaid and assists parents of state workers killed on the job.

HARTFORD – Senior Deputy Republican Leader Paul Cicarella (R-North Haven) today opposed an additional $284 million in Medicaid spending that exceeds the state’s spending cap for the current fiscal year.

The measure, HB 6863, is a deficiency spending bill that bypassed traditional legislative scrutiny and allocates funds above the state’s spending cap to address a shortfall in the Medicaid program.

“There is no crisis, and there is no need for Democrats to renege on the bipartisan promise of fiscal controls for our budget. Yes, Medicaid is important, and it’s important that we address that shortfall. However, this need could have been fulfilled through Republican suggestions to use money that’s already been allocated—instead of breaking the spending cap, a concept that Democrats once called ‘sacrosanct.’

“Spending increases now will lead the way to future taxes on already overburdened middle-class families—we’ve seen this time and time again. We offered a commonsense, reasonable approach to address the problem. Every day, families face tough financial decisions. That means cutting items where appropriate or adjusting how they spend. The state government should do the same,” he said.

Senate Republicans offered an amendment to de-allocate funds from state departments that are under budget—resulting in $136 million in savings alone.

Locally, Sen. Cicarella supported the Senate Republican amendment that also included a provision enabling parents of unmarried state workers killed on the job to receive their child’s death benefits. This was inspired by the tragic 2024 death of Andrew DiDomenico, who was struck and killed in Wallingford while working in a CT DOT work zone by a drunk driver.