Issue Position: Consumer Advocacy

Issue Position

Rosa has long been an advocate for improved consumer safety. As Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee that deals with these issues, Rosa has made enormous progress in improving food and drug safety and the safety of consumer products. In addition, she has worked to protect Connecticut consumers from the dangerous practices of banks and mortgage lenders in today's economy.

Rosa believes that no Connecticut family should have to worry about the availability of safe, healthy food, which is why she has worked to increase access to safe, healthy food for all Connecticut families, particularly for school children and for our neediest families. She has been a leader in calling for the expansion of programs that provide fresh fruits and vegetables to schools, and in ensuring that food served in schools is completely safe. Rosa has held oversight hearings to examine whether the USDA can do more to prevent unsafe food from entering the school lunch program. She has also introduced legislation to increase inspections of food plants with products at higher risk of contamination, and to ensure that imported food is subject to the same regulations as domestically produced food, to eliminate the public health threat presented by contaminated food.

To Rosa, safety as a consumer means not only protection against unsafe products, but also protection against the practices of corporations and banks that have exacerbated the economic downturn and hurt Connecticut families. She is committed to holding Wall Street executives accountable for their role in the financial crisis, and she will continue to fight against banks and corporations who spend taxpayers' money recklessly even as Connecticut families struggle. Rosa believes that it is critical to treat the root causes of the economic downturn, enacting policies that will allow for oversight and prevent similar financial calamities in the future.

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