Fasano: Legislature Will Restore Medicare Savings Program Funding, Despite Gov. Malloy’s Efforts to Derail Bipartisan Agreement

Senate Republican President Pro Tempore Len Fasano (R-North Haven) released the following statement in response to Governor Dannel P. Malloy’s statement today regarding the bipartisan bill that will allow lawmakers to restore funding for the Medicare Savings Program.

“Gov. Malloy needs to stop letting his partisan politics stand in the way of a responsible, bipartisan plan to give thousands of seniors and disabled individuals the peace of mind they deserve. Once again Governor Malloy has no idea what to do to benefit the state of Connecticut. He has spent seven years destroying our state. We cannot look to him for leadership. Lawmakers have worked in a bipartisan manner to reach an agreement that restores the Medicare Savings Program funding in full for this year. Gov. Malloy does not have the authority to guarantee this funding on his own. Despite the governor’s best efforts to try to stop us, lawmakers will be convening on Monday to pass this bill. If Gov. Malloy wants to veto it, just like he threatened with the bipartisan budget, he can have at it. But lawmakers have the power to override his veto and do what is right for the thousands of seniors who need lawmakers to take action.”

“Gov. Malloy apparently doesn’t even know that nearly 90 percent of this bipartisan bill is made up of items he has already agreed to. Let me be very clear about what this bill does. It makes real cuts and reflects real savings in order to fully restore funding for the Medicare Savings Program in the current fiscal year. There is no double-counting of savings. Rather, this bill includes the same teachers retirement savings as reflected in the governor’s own deficit mitigation plan. It also cancels a carryforward in the FY 2018 budget that would have moved extra money from this year to next year since there is no longer extra money this year, something Gov. Malloy himself proposed. The other cuts are clear and instruct the governor to make reductions to his own political appointees. While the governor may not be willing to put seniors and disabled individuals above his partisan appointees, the legislature is.”