Rep. Esty has worked in a Republican-controlled Congress since she entered the chamber in 2013.
Despite being a political target of national Republicans, Connecticut's Fifth District Democratic Representative Elizabeth Esty survived her first re-election campaign.
Esty was widely seen as the most vulnerable incumbent in the state, largely due to her status as a freshman in a moderate district. Her opponent, Republican businessman Mark Greenberg, had support from the National Republican Campaign Committee.
In an interview with WNPR, Esty said her political approach won't change, despite shedding the "freshman" title. "There's a lot of opportunities to do better, a lot of things that we can get done for the American people, and especially for Connecticut," she said. "That's what I'm going to continue doing."
Esty's priorities will also continue. She said her focus is on jobs, stem education, workforce development, and improving the transportation infrastructure. "It's hard to be competitive in the 21st century if you have a 1950s transportation system," she said.
Esty took office shortly after the Newtown school shooting, and she represents that town. Despite gun control legislation passed at the state level, she still wants to see a federal bill passed.
Esty has worked in a Republican-controlled Congress since she entered the chamber in 2013. She remained optimistic that work would get done, despite fears of partisan gridlock. Last week, lawmakers returned from recess and were able to catch up with each other.
Esty shared one of those interactions. "We’re walking over to vote," she said, "and one of my colleagues, [Republican] Chris Gibson from New York, stopped me and said, 'Oh, congratulations on your election. Do you have another Brownfields bill that we can work on?'"
Another issue on the front burner for Esty is gun control. She took office shortly after the Newtown school shooting, and she represents that town. Despite legislation passed at the state level, she still wants to see a federal bill passed.
"We ought to be passing the common sense reforms that would make a meaningful difference to save lives," said Esty. "Number one on the list is background checks for every single commercial sale. So I will continue to push hard for that." She added that if the House were to vote, new gun legislation would pass.
But one of the most pressing issues at the moment is immigration reform. President Obama could announce his plan for executive action as soon as this week. Esty understands his decision.
"The President does have authority, and if Congress won’t act, I can certainly sympathize with his frustration about where we are now," said Esty. She said she has heard from residents in agriculture and "high-tech" companies that expressed concern about the issue.
Throughout the week, WNPR will check in with each member of Connecticut's House delegation.
