Esty Vows To Shield Medicare, Social Security From Cuts At Torrington Stop

TORRINGTON– Speaking to a roomful of people who lived through the Great Depression and fought in the country’s World Wars on Thursday, Fifth District Democratic candidate Elizabeth Esty promised to protect programs that benefit the middle class, in an election season where economic differences will likely be a more prominent issue than in recent history.

Fifth District Democratic candidate Elizabeth Esty speaks with a resident of the Sullivan Senior Center during a campaign stop in Torrington on Thursday. Esty said she wants to protect federal programs that benefit middle class people and seniors. (Wes Duplantier/The Hartford Courant).

Speaking to a crowd of about 30 at the Sullivan Senior Center here on Thursday, Esty said she would work to block cuts to Social Security and Medicare, which primarily benefit older people who no longer work. The 52-year-old mother of three said she would also work to increase funding for community colleges to train future generations of workers.

“I’m concerned about what’s happening to the middle class in this country,” she said.  “I’m concerned about the future of this country. I look down the road and don’t see us making the kind of decisions we need to be making.”

Esty chatted with residents at the home for about an hour Thursday before helping to serve lunch. She fielded questions about which race she was running in and how people can get registered to vote in the primary, as Connecticut’s August vote is limited only to people who are affiliated with a specific party in their registration.

The stop in Torrington  is an important one for Esty as she works to build support in western Connecticut town’s far from her hometown of Cheshire with six weeks left before the state’s August primary. The Fifth District includes Hartford-area suburbs such as Cheshire, Meriden and Simsbury and stretches westward to cover towns such as Danbury and Salisbury.

Esty gave her specific positions on a number of topics including immigration, where she said the country needs “comprehensive” form, but also said she supports a recent change in federal policy that will let young immigrants stay in the country if they meet certain conditions. She also addressed the idea of term limits for members of Congress, but in an interview afterward said that she would not push to actually create term limits if she is elected.

“I understand why people want them,” she said. “I think the frequency with which that question comes up is a reflection of frustration with professional politics as its engaged in the United States right now.”

Esty is challenging House Speaker Chris Donovan and Kent resident Dan Roberti for the Democratic nomination in the Fifth District. Making her case to the seniors Thursday, Esty said she learned problem-solving skills while serving on the Cheshire Town Council and in the state Legislature that would be useful in Washington.

“This is a really important decision, for you and for all of us,” she said. “We’re at a tough point in this country.”