"My husband Stan and I are shocked by the tragic loss of our dear friend and colleague, Ashley Turton,'' Rosa DeLauro said in a statement issued this afternoon.
"She was special. She was special as a pioneering chief-of-staff who knew how to make the House of Representatives work for people. She was a leader and comrade in arms to so many staff. She was a member of our family, and we mourn her. My heart goes out to her family, especially her husband Dan and their three young children. This is truly a terrible week for our Congressional family."