As Democrats drift left, liberal firebrand Rep. Rosa DeLauro finds herself squarely in the center

Aug. 18--In a congressional career that has spanned nearly three decades, Democrat Rosa DeLauro has built a reputation as a fiery liberal who championed equal pay, took on big agriculture and fought against trade deals she believed would hurt blue-collar workers.

But at 76, DeLauro is suddenly out of step with the zeitgeist of a Democratic party that is perceived to be moving sharply to the left.

On several key issues, from the impeachment of President Donald Trump to health care proposals that would eliminate private insurance to reparations for slavery, DeLauro has staked out a more moderate position than the progressive Democrats who were swept into office in 2018.

Those new members, including four younger congresswomen of color known as the Squad, have captured headlines and drawn the wrath of Trump. Their increased visibility has amplified an ideological and generational split within the Democratic Party that is playing out among candidates seeking the party's 2020 presidential nomination.

"Rosa DeLauro is one of the most liberal members of Congress, and it says something about where the Democratic Party is today that she's now considered a moderate," said J.R. Romano, chairman of the Republican Party in Connecticut. "She's not a moderate but she is reasonable. The people taking over the Democratic Party today are not reasonable, they're delusional."

DeLauro, a grandmother who has served in Congress since 1991, is an old-school pol who favors personal connections over zingers on Twitter. A top lieutenant of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, DeLauro became chairwoman of the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations subcommittee after Democrats took control of the House in 2018.

Like Pelosi, DeLauro says defeating Trump in 2020 should take precedence over beginning impeachment proceedings. "Rarely do I get an impeachment question from my constituents," DeLauro told reporters at a recent round table discussion in her New Haven office. "There is no majority for impeachment. There is a majority to deal with people's everyday lives. That's what they ask me about. ... That's where I'm going to focus my time and attention, which is what I have been trying to do."

Her caution on impeachment contrasts sharply with the more confrontational approach of the progressive freshmen. (Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, a member of the Squad, vowed to "impeach the [expletive] on the day she was sworn in.)

DeLauro's ideas to remake the American health care system also are far less radical than plans put forth by several 2020 presidential candidates for a government-run program that would eliminate private health insurance.

"The country and the Democratic party are evolving at a very rapid pace," said Tom Swan, a veteran progressive activist. "I'm happy to say that what was considered the lefty position in 2009 is now considered the conservative position."

DeLauro's Medicare for America proposal would let small employers buy in to the Medicare program while preserving a role for private insurance, an industry that employs thousands of Connecticut residents. "One hundred and sixty five million people get their insurance through their employer," she said recently. "You can't say 'sorry' and get rid of it."

State Sen. Gary Winfield, a Democrat from New Haven, questioned that. "It is wrong to suggest that people only want their employer-centered health care ... but that's the way the debate is being framed," Winfield said. "What people really want is health care that works."

But despite strategic differences on important issues, Winfield said DeLauro enjoys "three decades of love from her constituents ... while she may take a position here and there that people don't agree with, she has a lot of good will built up."

DeLauro was not available for comment. But her defenders, and there are many, reject the characterization that her brand of politics is out of sync with the progressive wing of the Democratic Party.

Josh Elliott, a liberal state representative from Hamden, views DeLauro as a champion with a track record who has the power and seniority in Washington to get things done. "She's just so consistently been there on everything," he said. "Even if she's not parroting exactly what the new wave is saying, I think she's close.'

Former Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman, who is now chairman of the state Democratic Party, said DeLauro's politics are in line with those of most mainstream Democrats in Connecticut. "You can talk far left or you can talk moderate left but if you surveyed most Democrats in the state, they'd say Rosa is a sensible person," Wyman said. "She's a progressive."

Lewis Panzo, chairman of the Hamden Democratic town committee, said DeLauro blends liberal ideals with steely pragmatism.

"In the game of politics, everybody doesn't always agree," said Panzo, who has known DeLauro for decades. "We're on different sides on a lot of things, that's just the Democratic Party these days ... but she knows how to get things done."

DeLauro has a long history of liberal activism. Her father and all four of her grandparents were Italian immigrants who settled in New Haven and played a prominent role in the city's political life; both of her parents served on the board of aldermen.

DeLauro worked as a community organizer before Chris Dodd picked her to run his 1980 Senate campaign. She later became his chief of staff.

After a stint leading EMILY's List, a political action committee that helps women candidates who support abortion rights, DeLauro sought the open 3rd Congressional seat in 1990. The district is centered on New Haven, but also includes the Naugatuck Valley, the shoreline and parts of Waterbury and Middletown.

DeLauro has long been known for her advocacy of equal pay, paid family leave, food safety and legal access to abortion. She's also drawn attention for her unique personal style: colorful scarves, chunky eyeglasses and occasionally, purple-tinged hair. (At one point, her funky fashion sense spawned a Tumblr called "Rosa DeLauro is a [expletive] hipster.")

"She's got a great personality," said James Albis, a former state representative who now leads the Democratic town committee in East Haven. "People know her and feel comfortable with her and they know she's going to have their backs ... she connects with blue-collar voters in East Haven really well."

Wyman said DeLauro is an exceptionally skilled politician. "She never forgets where she came from," Wyman said. "With Rosa, it's always about knowing who people are."

DeLauro has consistently racked up lopsided victories in a district that tilts heavily toward the Democrats. She beat Angel Cadena, her little known and under-funded 2018 Republican opponent, by a nearly 2 to 1 margin.

Few observers believe she is likely to draw a challenge. "Who wants to go up against a popular, well-liked incumbent?" wondered Jonathan Wharton, a professor of political science at Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven and a member of the Republican State Central Committee. "But how long is too long to be in office?"

"You're seeing that with many of the baby boomer lawmakers who have been there for decades," Wharton said. "At what point does an upcoming generation attempt to run against an incumbent?"

The type of intra-party battle that led to the defeat of Joe Crowley a longtime Democratic congressman from Queens who lost in 2018 to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, is unlikely to play out in Connecticut's 3rd District, Wharton said.

"Her office is so dedicated to constituent service," Wharton said. "That's Rosa's secret ingredient."

DeLauro's devotion to her district won her praise from Romano, the state Republican chairman. "I don't agree with her on anything, but in terms of constituent services, she does a great job."

DeLauro is running for a 16th term in 2020. "She's a survivor," said Panzo, the Hamden Democratic chairman. "And I think she'll be there for as long as she wants."

Courant Capitol Bureau Chief Christopher Keating contributed to this story.

Daniela Altimari may be reached at [email protected].

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