Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro has indisputable liberal credentials. A founding member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and the first executive director of EMILY’s List, she has long championed causes such as paid family leave and raising the minimum wage.
The top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee is also clear-eyed about the limits of power, especially with her party in the minority. But as she navigates the complexities of President Donald Trump’s tumultuous second term, DeLauro’s pragmatic streak has put her at odds with the demands of a restive base in her solidly blue district.
That tension was on display at a roundtable with faith leaders in Hamden, Conn., last week. In the aftermath of two fatal shootings by federal immigration officers in Minnesota, some in the audience denounced DeLauro’s call to overhaul Immigration and Customs Enforcement, pressing instead for the abolishment of the agency altogether.
