When it came time to vote on a bill to raise the nation's debt limit, the united spirit of Connecticut's five-member Congressional delegation did not hold.
U.S. Representatives Jim Himes of the 4th District and Joe Courtney of the 2nd both voted with President Obama in favor of the bill. Both men expressed deep reservations about the bill but said it contained some good ideas and was preferable to the prospect of default.
But the rest of the delegation--John Larson of the 1st District, Rosa DeLauro of the 3rd and Chris Murphy of the 5th--each voted no. DeLauro said she fears the bill will hurt the U.S. economy and stifle job-creation. Larson said he could not support the spending cuts contained in the bill that would squeeze vulnerable citizens.
Murphy says the bill does nothing to address the root causes of the deficit. It closes no corporate tax loopholes while slashing services to the poor and people with disabilities, he said.
"In the end," Murphy explained in an email to supporters, "I could not support a bill that fed the extremist drive to kill off government one piece at a time. And I could not endorse a process that rewards legislative hostage-taking, resulting in hasty, under-informed decision making."
Murphy is running for U.S. Senate and faces what could be a tough challenge from within the party. Former Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz and state Rep. William Tong are also vying for the Democratic nomination and Bysiewicz has already shown signs that she intends to battle Murphy for the left flank of the party.
Complete statements from each of the 5 U.S. House members from Connecticut are listed after the jump.
