Jahana Hayes represents Connecticut’s 5th District in the United States House of Representatives. The district spans northwest and central Connecticut and includes Danbury, Litchfield County, the Farmington Valley, the Naugatuck Valley, Meriden, and her hometown of Waterbury. She serves on committees of Education and Labor, and Agriculture where she is the chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Nutrition, Oversight and Department Operations.
Congresswoman Hayes supported robust funding for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF), and the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG). Within these programs, she supported specific set asides for underrepresented business owners, such as women and communities of color. Congresswoman Hayes has supported increased apprenticeship and workforce development funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. To tackle increasing input costs caused by supply chain issues, she supported the pilot program to train young people for Commercial Driver’s Licenses included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and voted for the Ocean Shipping Reform Act which would require ocean carriers to adhere to minimum service standards that meet the public interest. Congresswoman Hayes has worked to ensure small family businesses – those that make up the hearts of Connecticut’s communities - have the resources they need to succeed.