Congressman John B. Larson proudly represents Connecticut's First District. Now in his twelfth term, John sits on the influential House Ways and Means Committee—including the Subcommittee on Tax Policy and the Social Security Subcommittee, where he serves as the Chairman. Throughout his time in Congress, John has proven himself a staunch advocate for Connecticut's working families, our manufacturing and small business ecosystem, and commonsense solutions for the problems Americans face everyday.
Born and raised in the federal housing project of Mayberry Village in East Hartford, John is fond of saying he is the product of public housing, public education, and public service. His father, Raymond, worked for Pratt & Whitney, while his mother, Pauline, served on the Town Council. John graduated from East Hartford High School in 1967 and from Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) in 1971.
Throughout his career in Congress, Rep. Larson has continually fought for free and fair elections for the American people.  He was an early proponent of publicly financed congressional campaigns to put the power of our elections in the hands of the people instead of wealthy individuals and big corporations. His work has been recognized by good government groups such as Common Cause and Demos.
In the 2013, Rep. Larson was appointed by the Speaker of the House to serve as Chairman of the Task Force on Election Reform, leading the Democratic Caucus' efforts to shed light on the impact of the Supreme Court's ruling in Citizens United v. FEC. This U.S. Supreme Court decision on Citizens United opened a Pandora's Box of unintended consequences by allowing nearly unlimited money to flow into our elections. 
Since then, Rep. Larson has cosponsored constitutional amendments that would reverse this disastrous ruling. Such amendments would once again empower Congress to enact strong campaign finance laws such as limiting large contributions and governing campaign spending. 
He believes it is critical Congress stand up and confront any attempt to make it harder for Americans to exercise their right to vote— whether though restrictive identification laws, selective elimination of neighborhood polling places, or cutting back on early voting opportunities which are particularly important to young, working class, and minority voters. He is working with his Democratic colleagues to restore the Voting Rights Act, which was gutted by a misguided Supreme Court Ruling.  Rep. Larson has co-sponsored and voted for the Protecting Our Democracy Act, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the For the People Act, which would work together to protect elections in our country.
We cannot allow our society to lose ground in our quest for equality by giving up the hard-won gains of the last generation. The right to vote is fundamental to retaining a free and open government that works on behalf of all Americans.