{"id":2014,"date":"2026-01-08T11:11:18","date_gmt":"2026-01-08T16:11:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/?p=2014"},"modified":"2026-01-11T10:23:53","modified_gmt":"2026-01-11T15:23:53","slug":"federal-restrictions-on-benefits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/2026\/01\/08\/federal-restrictions-on-benefits\/","title":{"rendered":"Federal Restrictions on Benefits"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Press Release<\/strong>:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Attor\u00adney Gen\u00ader\u00adal Tong Files Law\u00adsuit to Block Fed\u00ader\u00adal Restric\u00adtions on Pub\u00adlic Ben\u00ade\u00adfits<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Preceding Event<\/strong>:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Three gov\u00adern\u00adment agen\u00adcies with\u00adin the exec\u00adu\u00adtive branch put out new guid\u00adance and restric\u00adtions \u2014 the Depart\u00adment of Health and Human Ser\u00advices (HHS)<\/a> the Depart\u00adment of Jus\u00adtice (DOJ)<\/a> and the Depart\u00adment of Edu\u00adca\u00adtion (ED)<\/a> \u2014 on access to fed\u00ader\u00adal safe\u00adty net ben\u00ade\u00adfits based upon legal sta\u00adtus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is a rein\u00adter\u00adpre\u00adta\u00adtion of the Per\u00adson\u00adal Respon\u00adsi\u00adbil\u00adi\u00adty and Work Oppor\u00adtu\u00adni\u00adty Rec\u00adon\u00adcil\u00adi\u00ada\u00adtion Act of 1996, a statute which dic\u00adtates what states must do in order to receive fed\u00ader\u00adal fund\u00ading for social safe\u00adty net pro\u00adgrams. This changes eli\u00adgi\u00adbil\u00adi\u00adty and access to these pro\u00adgrams for mil\u00adlions of peo\u00adple around the coun\u00adtry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

General Overview<\/strong>:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Accord\u00ading to the press release from July 21, 2025, \u201cAttor\u00adney Gen\u00ader\u00adal William Tong today joined a coali\u00adtion of 20 oth\u00ader attor\u00adneys gen\u00ader\u00adal in suing the fed\u00ader\u00adal admin\u00adis\u00adtra\u00adtion to stop its unlaw\u00adful attempt to restrict access to crit\u00adi\u00adcal health, edu\u00adca\u00adtion, and social ser\u00advice pro\u00adgrams\u2026 Attor\u00adney Gen\u00ader\u00adal Tong and the coali\u00adtion are ask\u00ading the court to halt the new fed\u00ader\u00adal rules and act quick\u00adly to ensure con\u00adtin\u00adued access to some of the nation\u2019s most cru\u00adcial social ser\u00advices pro\u00adgrams.\u201c
Accord\u00ading to the release, the fed\u00ader\u00adal gov\u00adern\u00adment made these changes and did\u00adn\u2019t fol\u00adlow the steps laid out in the Admin\u00adis\u00adtra\u00adtive Pro\u00adce\u00addure Act and mis\u00adap\u00adplied the Rec\u00adon\u00adcil\u00adi\u00ada\u00adtion Act to entire pro\u00adgrams. \u201cThe changes also vio\u00adlate the Constitution\u2019s Spend\u00ading Clause by impos\u00ading new fund\u00ading con\u00addi\u00adtions on states with\u00adout fair notice or con\u00adsent,\u201d the press release said. Accord\u00ading to the press release, the orders give the exec\u00adu\u00adtive branch con\u00adtrol over mon\u00adey that only Con\u00adgress is sup\u00adposed to have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connecticut Nexus<\/strong>:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Accord\u00ading to the press release, \u201cIn Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut, tens of mil\u00adlions of dol\u00adlars\u2019 worth of fund\u00ading is at risk. Connecticut\u2019s nine Com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty Action Agen\u00adcies, which run Head Start, Meals on Wheels, food pantries, and a vari\u00adety of oth\u00ader anti-pover\u00adty, employ\u00adment, and train\u00ading ser\u00advices, cur\u00adrent\u00adly receive rough\u00adly $9 mil\u00adlion each year in Com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty Ser\u00advices Block Grant (CSBG) fund\u00ading. These agen\u00adcies could poten\u00adtial\u00adly be forced to shut down while they attempt to nav\u00adi\u00adgate these new guide\u00adlines for ver\u00adi\u00adfy\u00ading immi\u00adgra\u00adtion sta\u00adtus. This means putting the edu\u00adca\u00adtion of more than 5,000 chil\u00addren enrolled at Head Start pro\u00adgrams in Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut and the more than 100,000 Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut fam\u00adi\u00adlies served by Com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty Action Agen\u00adcies each year at risk.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Date of filing:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

July 4, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Case #:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1:25-cv-00345<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Case title:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

State of New York et al v. U.S. Depart\u00adment of Jus\u00adtice et al<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plaintiffs:<\/strong> 20 states and D.C.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n