Sen. Crisco: Washington Must Resolve Debt Ceiling Debate

As Democrats and Republicans at the national level wrangle over lifting the nation’s debt ceiling,state Sen. Joseph J. Crisco, Jr. (D-Woodbridge), the Senate’s Federal Relations Liaison, the Obama administration and Congressional leaders to resolve the looming federal budget and debt ceiling crisis.

Sen. Crisco said Connecticut residents should contact their respective U.S. Representative and/or a United States Senator to express concern about the consequences for the state if the current impasse is not resolved.

“With an absolute deadline for a federal budget resolution now just two and a half weeks away none of us in Connecticut can afford to wait any longer to call for a greater sense of urgency in Washington,” Sen. Crisco said. “Should that deadline pass without an agreement, and should the federal government begin missing payments as a result, Connecticut’s fragile budget circumstances could become unstable and drastically deteriorate.”

Sen. Crisco reminded state officials and constituents alike that many state programs involve shared responsibility among both the state and federal governments. He said federal payments to Connecticut for everything from transportation and education grants to Medicaid reimbursements and unemployment compensation assistance could be suspended.

“Our state economy could be turned upside down if that steady infusion of federal funds is interrupted or removed from circulation,” Sen. Crisco said. “Everyone who benefits directly from federal pensions or programs like Social Security will be impacted almost immediately and those who work in significantly subsidized sectors like healthcare, defense contracting, and social services could see dramatic consequences within just a couple weeks.”

“The residual – and dire – cost of failure to resolve this budget impasse in Washington is staggering and that’s precisely why we must sound the alarm loudly enough for them to understand our concern,” he added. There’s just too much at stake for Connecticut and its residents.”