Sen. Miner Statement on Senate Passage of Bill Bringing Legislative Oversight to Federal COVID-19 Relief Funds

Chief Deputy Senate Republican Leader and Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Craig Miner (R-Litchfield) today issued a statement on the Senate’s passage of a bill as amended by the House of Representatives last week (H.B. 6555) that establishes a process for legislative oversight and approval of the allocation of federal COVID-19 relief funds pursuant to the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, or a subsequent federal act.

The bill requires Governor Lamont to submit an allocation plan to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate. Governor Lamont’s recommended allocations under the bill would then be referred to the Appropriations Committee, which would report its approval or modifications to the General Assembly for approval.

“I support this bill as amended as it returns some of the control of the state’s spending to the people by way of the Appropriations Committee. Part of this committee’s function is to oversee the spending of our state agencies, many of which have the potential to be recipients of COVID-19 federal funds. We’ve had a number of occasions thus far where the degree to which these funds can be appropriated were brought into question, including how Connecticut follows the lead of other states in terms of legislative oversight and transparency. In this vein, the state has been an outlier and not in way that favors the voice of the people,” said Senator Miner.

“I appreciate the work of my Appropriations Committee Co-Chairs on this bipartisan bill that is a step in the right direction in restoring the people’s voice to our government as originally designed,” he said.