Rosa DeLauro

The Honorable Rosa DeLauro
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Connecticut's 3rd district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 1991
Preceded by	Bruce Morrison
Personal details
Born	March 2, 1943 (1943-03-02) (age 68) New Haven, Connecticut
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Stan Greenberg
Residence	New Haven, Connecticut
Alma mater	Marymount College, Columbia University, London School of Economics
Occupation	Political assistant, nonprofit program coordinator
Religion	Roman Catholic

Rosa L. DeLauro (born March 2, 1943) is the U.S. Representative for Connecticut's 3rd congressional district, serving since 1991. She is a member of the Democratic Party.

The district is based in New Haven, and includes most of that city's suburbs.

Early life, education and career

DeLauro was born to an Italian-American family in New Haven, and earned her high school diploma from The Academy of Our Lady of Mercy, Lauralton Hall in Milford, Connecticut. She earned a bachelor's degree from Marymount College in Tarrytown, New York, as well as separate master's degrees from the London School of Economics and Columbia University.

DeLauro worked as an administrative assistant and chief of staff for Senator Chris Dodd and executive director of EMILY's List before entering the House.

U.S. House of Representatives

Committee assignments

• Committee on Appropriations
  • Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
  • Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Ranking Member)

Party leadership

• House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee (Co-Chair for Steering)

Political positions

DeLauro is one of the most Progressive members of the House. She is a founding member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Rosa DeLauro is active on health policy issues, particularly women's health. She has introduced numerous bills aimed at improving cancer treatment and research and women's health policies. As chair of the appropriations subcommittee that funds the Food and Drug Administration, she has been an outspoken critic of that agency's failures to protect the public from unsafe foods and medical products.

On October 3, 2008, DeLauro voted a second time in the House in favor the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 to help stabilize an economic crisis.^[1] She worked to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act. She has urged politicians to be "big thinkers" on the issue of universal health care.^[2]

DeLauro was strongly critical of the Stupak-Pitts Amendment, which places limits on taxpayer-funded abortions in the context of the November 2009 Affordable Health Care for America Act.

Abortion

DeLauro is pro-choice. She supports the availability of abortions in the case of incest, rape, as well as when the woman is endangered. Additionally, representative DeLauro supports the use of federal subsidies for abortion procedures. In 2006 DeLauro voted against HR 6099, a bill that would require abortion providers to follow specific procedures and formalities before performing abortions. She also voted no in 2006 on a bill that makes the transportation of pregnant women under the age of 18 across state lines in order to obtain an abortion illegal. ^[3]

Gun issues

Rosa L. DeLauro strongly supports and has consistently voted for increased gun control in the United States. In 2006 she voted against the Trigger Lock Amendment that ends the use of funds from the Commerce Department FY2007 Appropriation bill to enforce laws requiring guns to be sold with locks.^[4] Additionally, DeLauro voted in 1999 to increase the amount of time given to perform background checks from 24 hours to 72 hours.^[5] Earlier, in 1998 she voted to increase the minimum gun crime sentence.^[6]

Campaign finance and government reform issues

In June 2010 representative DeLauro voted in favor of a bill for new disclosure requirements for political advertising. She voted against the 527 Reform Act of 2005, an act that put an end to party spending limits for candidates during general elections and again against the 527 Reform Act of 2006. DeLauro also helped to pass the Lobbying and Donation Regulations bill that put in place new regulations about lobbyists and donations for Congress members.

In 2002 DeLauro voted for the Help America Vote Act of 2002. This act provided, from Federal funds, $3.9 billion to modernize technology and create new programs to reach a higher standard and to make voting an easier process for disabled citizens, military personnel, citizens living abroad, and first-time voters without valid identification. Once again in 2006 representative DeLauro voted to simplify the voting process by casting her vote against the Federal Election Integrity Act of 2006 that required voters to show a government-issued photo identification before voting.^[7]

Sponsored bills

DeLauro recently sponsored the Birth Defects Prevention, Risk Reduction, and Awareness Act of 2010 (H.R. 5462). This bill allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to create a birth defects prevention, risk reduction, and awareness program that will cost Americans less than one dollar from 2011 to 2015. The program will increase awareness about pregnancy and breastfeeding by starting a nationwide media campaign and provide grants for research on certain exposures that effect pregnancy and breastfed infants. Most recently, on the fifteenth of November, 2010, this bill was received in the Senate and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, labor, and Pensions.^[8]

HR 875

DeLauro introduced HR 875,^[9] The Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009. This legislation is aimed at reforming the food safety responsibilities handled by the FDA. The introduction of this bill represents a potential conflict of interest, because of her husband's, Stanley Greenberg, current relation to agricultural biotechnology corporation Monsanto.^[10]

Hurricane Irene

In August 2011 the 3rd District suffered extreme damage when Hurricane Irene made landfall along the Connecticut coastline. Numerous homes were destroyed in East Haven ^[11] and other shore communities and the vast majority of Connecticut residents lost power for many days.^[12] At the time Hurricane Irene hit the state and during the immediate aftermath, DeLauro was vacationing along Italy's Amalfi Coast and was not anticipated to return to the state until 5 days after the storm had passed. ^[13] A Hartford Courant column rated DeLauro's storm response an "F"^[14] Nonetheless, DeLauro told the New Haven Register she had "no apology for taking a vacation" and being out of state during the storm. ^[15]

Political campaigns

DeLauro won the Democratic primary for the 3rd District after four-term incumbent Bruce Morrison gave up the seat to make an ultimately unsuccessful run for governor. She defeated State Senator Thomas Scott in a very competitive contest, taking 52 percent of the vote. However, she has never faced another contest nearly that close, and has been reelected nine times.

2006

In the 2006 election she was re-elected to a ninth term, defeating Republican challenger Joseph Vollano and Green Party challenger Daniel Sumrall, with 76% of the vote.^[16]

2008

The Wall Street Journal reported on December 17, 2008, that DeLauro was "a top contender" for the position of Labor Secretary in the Obama administration.^[17] However, President-elect Obama announced the nomination of fellow congresswoman Hilda Solis for the position on December 19.^[18]

In May 2006, she was linked in press reports to Senator Christopher Dodd's potential bid for President in 2008. On February 2, 2008, DeLauro endorsed Illinois Senator Barack Obama for President at her home in New Haven, Connecticut.^[19]

The top campaign contribution to DeLauro in 2007-2008 was $14,600 from employees of United Technologies.

2010

See also: United States House of Representatives elections in Connecticut, 2010#District 3

DeLauro was challenged by Connecticut Republican Party treasurer Jerry Labriola Jr. and Green Party nominee Charles Pillsbury. She was re-elected to another term.^[20]

Personal life

DeLauro is married to political strategist Stan Greenberg. They are close friends with former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.

DeLauro is one of the fifty richest members of Congress ^[21]

She is an honorary board member of the National Organization of Italian American Women. She is a leader in the group Catholic Democrats,^[22] which is a pro-choice organization.

In May 2010, DeLauro became a brief internet sensation after the popularization of a website highlighting her allegedly Hipster wardrobe choices. Several news services picked up the story, eventually leading DeLauro to admit that while she had visited the site, she disagreed with its premise.^[23][24]

References

1. ^ [1]^{[dead link]}
2. ^ middletownpress.com^{[dead link]}
3. ^ [2], Issue Position: Abortion.
4. ^ [3], Key Vote: Trigger Lock Amendment.
5. ^ [4], Key Vote: 72 Hour Background Check Amendment.
6. ^ [5], Key Vote: 72 Hour Background Check Amendment.
7. ^ [6], Issue Position: Campaign Finance and Government Reform.
8. ^ [7], Sponsored Bill.
9. ^ "Read The Bill: H.R. 875". GovTrack.us. 2009-02-04. http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h111-875. Retrieved 2010-08-23. 
10. ^ "Greenberg Quinlan Rosner | Clients". Greenbergresearch.com. http://www.greenbergresearch.com/index.php?ID=109. Retrieved 2010-08-23. 
11. ^ http://www.ctnow.com/weather/hc-irene-east-haven-0830-20110829,0,203340.story
12. ^ http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/weather/severe_weather/current-power-outages
13. ^ http://blogs.courant.com/capitol_watch/2011/08/us-rep-rosa-delauro-monitoring.html
14. ^ [8]
15. ^ http://www.newhavenregister.com/articles/2011/09/03/news/doc4e6268f76850c051939353.txt?viewmode=2
16. ^ CNN.com Election 2006 Results, U.S. House of Representatives, CT 3rd District
17. ^ Shaiken Emerges as Top Candidate for Labor Secretary
18. ^ Kornblut, Anne E. (2008-12-19). "Obama to Announce Final Cabinet Picks". The Washington Post: p. A02. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/18/AR2008121804057.html?hpid=topnews. Retrieved 2009-01-25. 
19. ^ Rosa Will Back Obama - Courant.com
20. ^ AP Election Results - Courant.com
21. ^ http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/Sen-Blumenthal-is-One-of-the-Ten-Richest-in-Congress-128244983.html
22. ^ Defining Ourselves as Catholic Democrats
23. ^ Keller, Jared (2010-03-30). "Rosa DeLauro and Hipsters". The Atlantic Wire. http://www.theatlanticwire.com/features/view/feature/Rosa-DeLauro-and-Hipsters-974. Retrieved 2010-08-23. 
24. ^ 8:11 EDT (2010-06-24). "Rosa DeLauro stays informed of hipster status". Washington Examiner. http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/blogs/yeas-and-nays/Holy-hipster_-Rosa-DeLauro-stays-informed-of-hipster-status-97110634.html. Retrieved 2010-08-23. 

External links

• Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro official U.S. House site
• Rosa DeLauro for Congress official campaign site
• Biography at WhoRunsGov.com at The Washington Post
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
• Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
• Congressional profile at GovTrack
• Congressional profile at OpenCongress
• Issue positions and quotes at On The Issues
• Financial information at OpenSecrets.org
• Staff salaries, trips and personal finance at LegiStorm.com
• Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
• Appearances on C-SPAN programs
• Collected news and commentary at The New York Times
• Profile at SourceWatch
• Statement of the Hon. Rosa DeLauro on $10 Billion Accenture Government Contract^{[dead link]}, June 1, 2004

United States House of Representatives
Preceded by Bruce Morrison	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Connecticut's 3rd congressional district 1991–present	Incumbent
United States order of precedence
Preceded by Dave Camp R-Michigan	United States Representatives by seniority 57th	Succeeded by Jim Moran D-Virginia

Persondata
Name	Delauro, Rosa
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1943-03-02
Place of birth	New Haven, Connecticut
Date of death
Place of death