The federal government is once again grinding to a halt. Republicans in Congress have—once again—chosen brinksmanship over governance, threatening the lives and livelihoods of millions of Americans with their manufactured shutdown. They are not just holding government funding hostage—they are actively working to dismantle programs like the Affordable Care Act, cutting health coverage from families who are fully and legally entitled to it.
And let’s be honest about the motives here. For too many in the Republican caucus, this is not about fiscal responsibility. It is about exclusion. They believe that if you were not born here, or if your skin color doesn’t match the majority of the really, really old white men sitting in Congress, then you don’t deserve access to basic services in this country. That is not leadership—that is cruelty disguised (quit poorly by the way) as policy.
Here in Connecticut, our courageous Democratic leadership refuses to let the politicized and inhumane cruelty of US Senate Republicans stand unanswered. The Nutmeg State is stepping in to support essential services during this shutdown, making sure that families can access health care, food assistance, and other basic needs while Washington Republicans play their adult (?) games with people’s lives. Connecticut has always believed that every resident—citizen or otherwise—deserves dignity, fairness, and access to opportunity.
Even at the local level, Democrats in East Lyme like Board of Selectmen candidates Dan Cunningham, Ann Cicchiello, Jason Deeble and Cindy Collins see the absurdity of this moment. Our slate of endorsed Democratic candidates for municipal office is committed to working tirelessly so that nobody in our community is left behind. We know that strong local leadership is what keeps towns like ours running when silly politicians in Washington abandon their responsibilities.
Republican billionaires may carve out more and more of our national resources for themselves, but here in East Lyme, Democrats are carving out a future for all of us. East Lyme Dems are continuing to build a community rooted in fairness, compassion, and the simple belief that government should work for everyone, not just the privileged few white, moneyed ones..
This November, the choice could not be clearer. We in East Lyme want leaders who show up, stand up, and refuse to walk away from the people they serve. We are lucky to have leadership from our state and local Connecticut Democrats—and we should all keep working really, really hard to make sure we get them all elected!
