Rosa DeLauro is the Congresswoman from Connecticut’s Third Congressional District, which stretches from the Long Island Sound and New Haven, to the Naugatuck Valley and Waterbury. Rosa serves as the Chair of the House Appropriations Committee and sits on the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, and she is the Chair of the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee, where she oversees our nation’s investments in education, health, and employment.
At the core of Rosa’s work is her fight for America’s working families. Rosa believes that we must raise the nation’s minimum wage, give all employees access to paid sick days, allow employees to take paid family and medical leave, and ensure equal pay for equal work. Every day, Rosa fights for legislation that would give all working families an opportunity to succeed.
The U.S. needs a comprehensive energy plan that shifts our economy away from heavy dependence on oil imported from unstable regions, to domestic energy sources that create jobs here at home. That is why Rosa supports the responsible development of American natural gas, investing in the next generation of clean and renewable energy sources, and reducing our energy waste through efficiency improvements.
Clean and Renewable American Energy
Currently, 83 percent of the energy used in the U.S. comes from fossil fuels—leaving our economy largely dependent upon foreign energy imports. For economic, national security, and environmental reasons, we need to shift away from fossil fuels and diversify with investments in the next generation of clean and renewable energy technologies.
Shifting toward domestically produced energy will also create good paying jobs here at home and increase our nation’s energy security. Rosa strongly supports the 1603 Grant Program for Renewable Energy and the Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit to encourage new renewable energy projects and the expansion of manufacturing facilities that are critical to improving energy efficiency and renewable energy projects.
One common barrier faced by many renewable energy companies is financing, which is one reason why Rosa introduced the National Infrastructure Development Bank Act. This bill would provide financing for a wide range of energy projects, including energy transmission, energy efficiency enhancements for existing building, renewable energy, and energy storage.
Responsible Development of American Natural Gas Reserves
America has some of the most plentiful natural gas reserves in the world, and it is important for our economy that we develop them, while also protecting the environment and water quality.
Rosa supports the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act to require all companies that drill for natural gas on public lands to disclose the chemicals they use in the hydraulic fracturing process. She also supports the Keep American Natural Gas Here Act to reduce energy prices and create a new fuel for the next generation by ensuring that the natural gas recovered in America stays in America.
Rosa is also a co-sponsor of the New Alternative Transportation to Give Americans Solutions Act, which would provide tax credits to individuals and businesses to encourage the purchase of natural gas vehicles and the installation of additional natural gas refueling infrastructure.