Abortion DeLauro supports
abortion rights. As chair of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, she has opposed the
Hyde Amendment based on evidence of its discriminatory impact. In 2006, she voted against the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act.
Alternative proteins DeLauro is a longtime supporter of
alternative proteins, including
cultivated meat. In 2018, she authored a letter to the
Government Accountability Office requesting a review of the federal regulatory framework for cultivated foods. In 2021, she called for parity in federal research funding for alternative proteins so that "the United States can continue to be a global leader on alternative protein science."
Food safety and public health DeLauro is a co-chair of the Congressional Food Safety Caucus and has been critical of the food industry and
intensive animal farming practices. During the
mad cow crisis in the early 2000s, DeLauro criticized the beef industry for practicing low
animal welfare standards and allowing
downer cattle to enter the food supply. In 2009, DeLauro authored a version of the
FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, which was later enacted into law in 2011. In 2019, she authored the Expanded Food Safety Investigation Act, which would have granted the
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority to investigate
concentrated animal feeding operations linked to disease outbreaks and public health concerns. Following the
2022 United States infant formula shortage, DeLauro proposed restructuring the FDA by spinning off its food safety responsibilities into a separate Food Safety Administration. In July 2021, in response to the ongoing
COVID-19 pandemic, DeLauro and Representative
Nancy Mace introduced legislation to prohibit the
farming of mink for fur, citing concerns that mink farming promotes the spread of
zoonotic disease. The legislation was passed by the House of Representatives as part of the
America COMPETES Act, but was not passed by the Senate.
Guns DeLauro has voted for stronger regulation of firearms. In 2006, she voted against the Trigger Lock Amendment that ends the use of funds from the Commerce Department FY2007 Appropriation bill to enforce laws requiring guns to be sold with locks. In 1999, DeLauro voted to increase the amount of time given to perform background checks from 24 hours to 72 hours. In 1998, she voted to increase the minimum gun crime sentence. On January 14, 2013, she introduced a bill allowing for the voluntary surrender of assault-type weapons with compensation in the form of tax credits. She has an F rating from the NRA.
Health care DeLauro sponsored the Birth Defects Prevention, Risk Reduction, and Awareness Act of 2010 (H.R. 5462). This bill allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to create a birth defects prevention, risk reduction, and awareness program. The program aims to increase awareness of pregnancy and breastfeeding by starting a nationwide media campaign and provides grants for research on certain exposures that affect pregnancy and breastfed infants. In November 2010, it was received by the Senate and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. It was not voted on by the Senate. In July 2014, DeLauro introduced the
Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Tax Act, also known as the "SWEET Act", which would impose a one-cent excise tax per teaspoon of caloric sweetener in soda, energy drinks, sports drinks, and sweet teas (roughly nine cents on a 12-ounce soda). "This act is intended to discourage excessive consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages by increasing the price of these products", according to the text of the legislation. DeLauro and other supporters of the act argued that it could help address the national epidemics of obesity and diabetes by discouraging consumers from consuming the products and also raise money to fund prevention, treatment programs, research, and dietary education to help reduce the costs of related health problems. It was opposed by the
American Beverage Association and the
National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA), which said, "People don't support taxes and bans on common grocery items, like soft drinks" and that sweetened beverages "are not the main source of added sugars for children and teens and that a tax on sugary drinks unfairly singles out the industry."
Hurricane Irene In August 2011, the 3rd district suffered extreme damage when
Hurricane Irene made landfall along the Connecticut coastline. Many homes were destroyed in
East Haven and other shore communities and many Connecticut residents lost power for days. When Irene hit the state and during the immediate aftermath, DeLauro was vacationing along
Italy's
Amalfi Coast and was not scheduled to return until five days after the storm had passed. A
Hartford Courant column rated DeLauro's storm response an "F". DeLauro told the
New Haven Register she had "no apology for taking a vacation" and being out of state during the storm.
Immigration enforcement After the
killing of Renée Good by an ICE agent, DeLauro opposed funding increases for ICE without committing to supporting funding cuts. She opposed abolishing ICE, despite appeals from Connecticut clergy.
Voting rights In 2002, DeLauro voted for the Help America Vote Act of 2002. This act provided $3.9 billion to modernize technology and create new programs to reach a higher standard and to make voting an easier process for disabled citizens, military personnel, citizens living abroad, and first-time voters without valid identification. In 2006, DeLauro voted against the Federal Election Integrity Act of 2006 that required voters to show a government-issued photo ID before voting. == Personal life ==