Rosa Luisa DeLauro ( ; born March 2, 1943) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 1991. She is a member of the Democratic Party. The district is based in New Haven and includes most of its suburbs. DeLauro has been the dean of Connecticut's congressional delegation since 2013 upon the retirement of Senator Joe Lieberman.
In 2020, DeLauro was selected as chair of the House Appropriations Committee for the 117th Congress, succeeding Nita Lowey, and becoming the second woman to hold the position. She co-chaired the House Democratic Steering Committee from 2003 to 2021.
Early life, education, and early political career DeLauro was born in New Haven, Connecticut, to an Italian-American family, the daughter of Luisa "Louise" (née Canestri), a New Haven alderwoman, and Theodore J. "Ted" DeLauro, an Italian immigrant. She earned her high school diploma from The Academy of Our Lady of Mercy, Lauralton Hall in Milford, Connecticut. She earned a bachelor of arts degree from Marymount College in Tarrytown, New York, attended the London School of Economics, and earned a master of arts degree in international politics from Columbia University..
Before entering the House of Representatives, DeLauro worked as Senator Chris Dodd's chief of staff and campaign manager, was the executive director of EMILY's List, and coordinated 1988 Democratic presidential nominee Michael Dukakis's tristate area campaign.
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections In 1990, four-term incumbent U.S. Representative Bruce Morrison of Connecticut's 3rd congressional district retired in order to run for governor of Connecticut. DeLauro sought the open seat and she quickly consolidated Democratic support behind her, earning Morrison's endorsement and prompting State Representative Mike Lawlor's withdrawal from the campaign. DeLauro defeated Republican State Senator Thomas Scott 52%–48% in a particularly brutal general election with ad hominem attacks against her, in which her opponent Scott said that DeLauro had kept her maiden name only to appeal to the region's Italian voters. State Republican chair Richard Foley characterized DeLauro as "Walter Mondale in drag". The campaign was equally combative over policy matters, with both candidates' microphones cut off during a radio debate after repeated attacks over abortion and capital punishment.
Since then, the congressional district campaigns have returned to being more civil and DeLauro has never faced another contest nearly so close as her first. She has been re-elected seventeen times, maintaining at least 56% of the vote each election.
2006
In 2006, DeLauro was re-elected to a ninth term, defeating Republican nominee Joseph Vollano with 76% of the vote.
2008
DeLauro was reelected to a tenth term with 77% of the vote.
2010
DeLauro was re-elected to an eleventh term with 65% of the vote against Connecticut Republican Party treasurer Jerry Labriola Jr.AP Election Results – Courant.com
2012
DeLauro was re-elected to a twelfth term with 74.6% of the vote against Republican nominee Wayne Winsley, a former member of the U.S. Navy.
2014
DeLauro was re-elected to a thirteenth term with 67.1% of the vote against Republican nominee James Brown, a high school math teacher.
2016
DeLauro was re-elected to a fourteenth term with 69% of the vote against Republican nominee Angel Cadena, a former candidate for Connecticut State Comptroller.
2018
DeLauro was re-elected to a fifteenth term with 64.6% of the vote in a second consecutive election against Cadena.
2020
DeLauro was re-elected to a sixteenth term with 58.7% of the vote to Margaret Streicker's 39.8%.
2022
DeLauro was re-elected to a seventeenth term with 56.8% of the vote to Lesley DeNardis's 40.7%.
2024
DeLauro was re-elected to an eighteenth term with 58.9% of the vote to Michael Massey's 41.1%.
Tenure
DeLauro is part of the progressive wing of the Democratic Party and one of the Congressional Progressive Caucus's founding members.
DeLauro is interested in health policy issues, particularly women's health. She has introduced bills aimed at improving cancer treatment and research, as well as for women's health policies. As chair of the appropriations subcommittee that funds the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), she has criticized its failures to protect the public from unsafe foods and medical products.
On February 2, 2008, DeLauro endorsed Barack Obama for President.
On October 3, 2008, DeLauro voted a second time for the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008. Since June 24, 1997, and in each of her terms (16 total) since, she has worked to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act. She has urged politicians to be "big thinkers" on universal health care.
On December 17, 2008, the Wall Street Journal reported that DeLauro was "a top contender" for Labor Secretary in the Obama administration. Obama ultimately nominated California Representative Hilda Solis for the position.
DeLauro was critical of the Stupak-Pitts Amendment that places limits on taxpayer-funded abortions in the context of the November 2009 Affordable Health Care for America Act.
DeLauro was a supporter of David Bonior in his race against Steny Hoyer for House Majority Whip in 1991, and seconded the nomination at a meeting of the Democratic caucus. DeLauro cited their work together during the Iran-Contra scandal and said that Bonior's "position as whip will not impact the momentum the choice issue has in Congress right now".
DeLauro has spoken about child care, arguing, "It is time to build a permanent child care infrastructure that respects and values women in the workforce" in a July 2021 article published in The American Prospect. The statement also appeared on her official website.
In December 2024, DeLauro garnered attention for a speech in the House during debate on H.R. 10515, a bill to avert a government shutdown, where she called Elon Musk "President Musk" and called attention to his investments in China. Musk shot back at DeLauro by calling her an "awful creature" and saying that he believes the Democratic congresswoman "needs to be expelled from Congress!"
In June 2025, DeLauro confronted Office of Management and Budget director Russell Vought, who is a principal author of Project 2025 and appeared before the House Appropriations Committee, regarding his testimony about the objective of planned cuts to promote government efficiency. She said, "Be honest, this is never about government efficiency. In fact, an efficient government, a government that capably serves the American people and proves good government is achievable is what you fear the most. You want a government so broken, so dysfunctional, so starved of resources, so full of incompetent political lackeys and bereft of experts and professionals that its departments and agencies cannot feasibly achieve the goals and the missions to which they are lawfully directed. Your goal is privatization, for the biggest companies to have unchecked power, for an economy that does not work for the middle class, for working and vulnerable families. You want the American people to have no one to turn to, but to the billionaires and the corporations this administration has put in charge. Waste, fraud, and abuse are not the targets of this administration. They are your primary objectives."Richardson, Heather Cox, June 4, Letters from an American, Substack, June 5, 2025
On September 19, 2025, DeLauro was one of 95 Democrats in Congress who joined all of their Republican colleagues in voting to honor the life and legacy of political activist Charlie Kirk.
Committee assignments For the 119th Congress: Committee on Appropriations (Ranking Member) Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Ranking Member)
Caucus memberships Black Maternal Health Caucus House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee (co-chair for steering) from 2003 to 2021 Congressional Equality Caucus Populist Caucus Congressional Arts Caucus Afterschool Caucuses Congressional NextGen 9-1-1 Caucus Congressional Progressive Caucus Congressional Coalition on Adoption Congressional Ukraine Caucus Rare Disease Caucus
Political positions
Abortion DeLauro supports abortion rights. As chair of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, she has opposed the Hyde Amendment based on evidence of its discriminatory impact.
In 2006, she voted against the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act.
Alternative proteins DeLauro is a longtime supporter of alternative proteins, including cultivated meat. In 2018, she authored a letter to the Government Accountability Office requesting a review of the federal regulatory framework for cultivated foods. In 2021, she called for parity in federal research funding for alternative proteins so that "the United States can continue to be a global leader on alternative protein science."
Food safety and public health DeLauro is a co-chair of the Congressional Food Safety Caucus and has been critical of the food industry and intensive animal farming practices. During the mad cow crisis in the early 2000s, DeLauro criticized the beef industry for practicing low animal welfare standards and allowing downer cattle to enter the food supply.
In 2009, DeLauro authored a version of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, which was later enacted into law in 2011. In 2019, she authored the Expanded Food Safety Investigation Act, which would have granted the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority to investigate concentrated animal feeding operations linked to disease outbreaks and public health concerns. Following the 2022 United States infant formula shortage, DeLauro proposed restructuring the FDA by spinning off its food safety responsibilities into a separate Food Safety Administration.
In July 2021, in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, DeLauro and Representative Nancy Mace introduced legislation to prohibit the farming of mink for fur, citing concerns that mink farming promotes the spread of zoonotic disease. The legislation was passed by the House of Representatives as part of the America COMPETES Act, but was not passed by the Senate.
Guns DeLauro has voted for stronger regulation of firearms. 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., Key Vote: Trigger Lock Amendment. In 1999, DeLauro voted to increase the amount of time given to perform background checks from 24 hours to 72 hours., Key Vote: 72 Hour Background Check Amendment. In 1998, she voted to increase the minimum gun crime sentence., Key Vote: 72 Hour Background Check Amendment. On January 14, 2013, she introduced a bill allowing for the voluntary surrender of assault-type weapons with compensation in the form of tax credits. She has an F rating from the NRA Political Victory Fund.
Health care DeLauro 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. The program aims to increase awareness of pregnancy and breastfeeding by starting a nationwide media campaign and provides grants for research on certain exposures that affect pregnancy and breastfed infants. In November 2010, it was received by the Senate and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP)., Sponsored Bill. It was not voted on by the Senate.