Meet John
Congressman John B. Larson proudly represents Connecticut's First District. Now in his fourteenth term, John sits on the influential House Ways and Means Committee—including the Subcommittee on Trade and the Social Security Subcommittee, where he serves as the Ranking Member.
Born and raised in the federal housing project of Mayberry Village in East Hartford, John is fond of saying he is the product of public housing, public education, and public service. His father, Raymond, worked for Pratt & Whitney, while his mother, Pauline, served on the Town Council. John graduated from East Hartford High School in 1967 and from Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) in 1971. He is a lifelong resident of East Hartford, where he lives with his wife Leslie. They have three children: Carolyn, Laura, and Raymond.
Before entering Congress, John taught history and coached football at George J. Penney High School. He was also an owner of Larson & Lysik insurance agency, where he saw firsthand the challenges many small business owners must overcome. Following in his mother's footsteps, he served on the East Hartford Board of Education and the East Hartford Town Council, before being elected to the Connecticut State Senate in 1982. Larson went on to serve as Senate President Pro Tempore for eight years, from 1987 to 1995.
During his time in the State Senate, John authored and passed the nation’s first Family and Medical Leave Act that was later a model for the national law in 1993. He also oversaw passage of one of the nation’s first assault weapons bans, and some of the first state laws in the country guaranteeing the right to safe and legal abortion and protecting gay and lesbian residents from discrimination.
First elected to Congress in 1998, John swiftly established himself as a leader and consensus builder. As the Hartford Courant has said, "in a badly polarized Congress, [John] is more than willing to work with Republicans to get something done." He has delivered nearly $4 billion in federal funding for the 27 towns and cities of the First District and sponsored or cosponsored 187 bills in Congress that have become law.
Throughout his career in public service, John has been a champion for seniors. He authored legislation to allow Medicare to directly negotiate lower drug prices for consumers, a key reform signed into law by President Biden in 2022, along with a $35 per month cap on the price of insulin, and a $2,000 cap on annual out-of-pocket drug costs for seniors. As Ranking Member of the Social Security Subcommittee, he has led the charge to not just protect but expand Social Security. John knows that Social Security is a sacred trust between the American people and their government.His plan would enhance benefits so no senior can retire into poverty after a lifetime of hard work.
As a senior leader in the House Democratic Caucus, John fought to pass the Affordable Care Act, a landmark law that has extended health coverage for 50 million Americans, bringing our nation’s uninsured rate to an all-time low. He was also named chairman of the Task Force on Election Reform—where he worked with the late Rep. John Lewis to craft the For the People Act, a comprehensive bill to take big money out of politics and protect the right to vote for all Americans. He is an original cosponsor of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, a bill to ensure every citizen can vote safely and securely without discrimination or intimidation.
In Congress and at home, John has stood strong for Connecticut values every step of the way. As a member of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, he helped organize the historic sit-in on the floor of the House of Representativesto demand action. In 2022, he worked to pass the first significant gun violence prevention bill to become law in more than three decades, expanding background checks for gun purchases and keeping deadly weapons out of the hands of abusers.
He has championed the effort to take on the threat of climate change. John served on the first-ever Congressional climate committee, the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. He joined Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to introduce the Green New Deal and helped write and pass the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest-ever investment in green energy across the globe, with new incentives to reduce emissions and lower energy bills, including by supporting Connecticut’s growing clean hydrogen sector.
John voted against the War in Iraq and has been a continuous advocate for peace and diplomacy while remaining a vigorous supporter of our troops and first responders. He visited Iraq three times during the war, and succeeded in passing legislation to reimburse family members who purchased body armor for soldiers, won a key victory to ensure military families with children on the autism spectrum receive the care they need, and worked with his colleagues to extend VA health care to all veterans of the War on Terror.
John stands up for those who need a champion – and he doesn’t back down from a fight. Throughout his time in Congress, John has proven himself a staunch advocate for Connecticut's working families and seniors, small businesses, and manufacturing economy, and remains focused on the needs of Connecticut’s First District. If you would like to contact Rep. Larson or need help from a federal agency, you can reach out to his office at 860-278-8888.