Connecticut poised to wield major influence in Washington following 'blue wave'
Connecticut's congressional delegation is set to take over committees overseeing the federal budget, as well as the wars in Iran and Ukraine.
The “blue wave” could mean green for Connecticut – as in cash.
With most of the state’s congressional delegation poised to take over major committees, the Nutmeg State will have an outsized influence in Washington once Democrats assume control in January.
POWERFUL POSITIONS
Veteran Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-3rd District) will retake control of the powerful Appropriations Committee, which controls the federal budget. Rep. Jim Himes (D-4th District) is set to take over the Intelligence Committee, which has vast oversight of the wars in Ukraine and Iran – as well as the power to investigate defense contractors who have donated to President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom.
Speaking of defense, longtime Rep. Joe Courtney (D-2nd District) will likely head the Seapower and Projection Forces subcommittee of the Armed Services Committee, which could be critical for southeastern Connecticut’s submarine industry.
Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-5th District), a former National Teacher of the Year, is seeking to become the Education Committee chair. The position could give Hayes broad powers to investigate the U.S. Department of Education, headed by Greenwich resident and WWE co-founder Linda McMahon.
“The American people took their power back,” Hayes said.
On the Senate side, Sen. Richard Blumenthal is likely to take over the Veterans Affairs Committee, and more importantly, the powerful Subcommittee on Permanent Investigations. Sen. Chris Murphy could lead the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, which oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
COST OF LIVING CRISIS
The delegation is losing Rep. John Larson’s seniority; former Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin defeated him.
Bronin said his priority is lowering costs for families. He said that means ending the nine-month-long war in Iran that has raised gas prices nearly $1.50 a gallon.
“There will be a war powers resolution,” Bronin told News 12. “This president has started a war that is illegal, irresponsible, without a plan, without a strategy.”
Democrats also hope to tackle high grocery prices.
“Rosa DeLauro, heading Appropriations, I think the first thing she looks at is SNAP benefits and Medicaid. See if they can pull back some of these really tough cuts,” said Gov. Ned Lamont.
"POWER OF THE PURSE"
Former Republican consultant Gayle Alberda, who now teaches at Fairfield University, said the Connecticut delegation is now in the driver’s seat.
“They’re going to be key positions for everything from checking the executive branch, which we know is a big issue for voters this election cycle, to allocating money,” Alberda said. “The power of the purse is a huge power Congress has.”
But Alberda said Democrats will get a short honeymoon period to deliver on their promises to voters.
"There's going to be kind of two tracks," she said. "The one track is going to be dealing with issues like affordability, housing, and all those issues voters said they care about. The other track is going to be reigning in some of that executive power that voters think is going unchecked."
