Democrats taking the U.S. House and Senate means several Connecticut lawmakers are likely to have important jobs come January.
Multiple members of the state’s federal delegation currently serve as ranking members on various legislative committees — making them frontrunners to get the gavel.
U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-3)
DeLauro is expected to once again become chair of the House Appropriations Committee, which oversees how the government spends money.
She told WSHU a few weeks ago that she’ll be focused on the affordability crisis, as well as clawing back cuts made by the Trump administration.
“Whether it is transportation, whether it's education, whether it's worker training, you know, health and human services,” DeLauro said.
“The other thing I'm going to do is, there has got to be accountability for the money, in my view, that has been stolen. We have appropriated dollars in the Appropriations Committee, and that means Democrats and Republicans have appropriated those dollars because you cannot have an appropriations bill unless Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate have said yes. Those are bills that have been signed by the President, but the Office of Management and Budget and the Administration have, in my view, stolen those funds and used them for other things. We need to track that down,” she continued.
DeLauro did, however, warn that action won’t be as quickly as some in her party may hope.
“We’re going to need time to . . . begin to turn some of these things around,” DeLauro said.
DeLauro was elected top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee in 2020.
U.S. Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT-4)
Himes is the frontrunner for chair of the House Intelligence Committee, which oversees the intelligence activities of 18 U.S. Government agencies, including the FBI, CIA, and the military.
As current ranking member, Himes is already part of the “Gang of Eight” -- the nickname for the small group of lawmakers briefed on intelligence issues before the rest of Congress.
As chair, Himes would decide which agencies to examine and call in for hearings. He would also draft funding and policy legislation that decides how the agencies spend money and function.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) appointed Himes to the position in 2023. Since Democrats have not controlled the House since then, he has never served as committee chair.
U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT-2)
Courtney is the ranking member on the Sea Power and Projection Forces Subcommittee, which is under the House Armed Services Committee.
He has served as the top Democrat on the subcommittee since 2015.
U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-CT-5)
Hayes is reportedly considering going for the top spot on the House Education and the Workforce Committee.
The soon-to-be four-term Congresswoman was the national teacher of the year in 2016.
The committee Hayes is looking to lead oversees overseas education and labor policy, including federal student loans, Pell grants, and the U.S. Departments of Labor and Education.
U.S. Rep.-elect Luke Bronin (D-CT-1)
As a freshman member of the House, Bronin is unlikely to obtain a leadership role.
He will likely get his committee assignments after he is sworn in in January.
U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)
Blumenthal, who was not up for reelection this cycle, could chair the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. He’s currently the ranking member on both.
Democratic Caucus rules don’t allow members to chair two full committees at once; however, the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations is not a full standing committee.
The PSI investigates government efficiency, fraud, and more. As ranking member, Blumenthal has held a series of “shadow hearings” about ICE operations and VA staffing cuts.
As chair of the committee, he can call full oversight hearings.
“I am so proud to be your United States Senator,” Blumenthal said at a Democratic campaign party on Tuesday night. “Democracy is a fight. I am glad to be in this fight. I look forward to continuing.”
U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT)
Murphy is currently recovering from a stroke and was still in the hospital on Tuesday night. He is expected to make a full recovery and return to Congress.
When he does, he will likely become chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation. It oversees policy related to NATO.
