Quotes from Elizabeth Esty

We've been having a lot of hearings lately about the reliability of the grid and the need for more distributive generation. We can be a leader of that here in Connecticut.

The real issue is, are you available to the folks you represent? And I am.

I hear over and over again from local leaders and business owners that one of the best ways we can revitalize our cities and towns is to support brownfields cleanup efforts.

Cities and towns throughout central and northwest Connecticut have strong industrial histories and are now in the process of transitioning into new sources of economic growth. I'm doing what I can to be a strong partner in these efforts.

We should not silence our nation's researchers.

Connecticut has a proud tradition of manufacturing going back to the days of Eli Whitney.

We need a comprehensive strategy that includes expanding criminal background checks for all commercial gun sales, dedicated federal law to combat gun trafficking, and a strong commitment to mental health services.

Every week, we read about horrific tragedies resulting from children who play with firearms and accidentally shoot themselves or their family members.

For me to do my job effectively, we need to continue to earn public confidence. That involves transparency and accountability.

Since the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School three years ago, we have lost over 90,000 Americans to gun violence. This is a manmade crisis that needs to be treated as the public health epidemic it has become.

Brownfields cleanups have been treated like capital investments in the tax laws, and they really are repairs and should be taxed as such.

We owe it to our service men and women and their families, who sacrificed so much for our country, to find out the answers they deserve and make care and treatment for them, their children, and their grandchildren a priority.

We have an epidemic of gun violence in America, and in trying to understand how that has happened, part of what we need to do is help equip our children to respond not with fear but with kindness. This has to be the way we go forward.

We may not have the cheapest labor costs, but where we can compete is innovation. Historically, that's been Connecticut's strength, and it can be again.

I'm a mom. That probably hinders sometimes and helps sometimes. To some people, that makes me more approachable.

Clearly, we are courting tragedy by turning a blind eye to marketing gimmicks plainly intended to turn children into gun enthusiasts before they are even old enough to buy a firearm of their own.

We need to develop clean, affordable, and reliable energy sources, and frankly, we need to license that technology to the rest of the world.

I liked New England.

We shield our children from hazardous products - liquid nicotine should be no exception.

Unfortunately, this will have a ripple effect in the economy. People carrying heavy student-loan debt won't buy houses, start families, or start businesses. This will hurt the future economy.

This historically has been an issue that both parties have run away from. For the first time, Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party in its platform are making this issue, about needing to do better as a country to take common sense steps to help prevent gun violence.

It would be really easy to get discouraged over gun safety, and I have to explain all the time why I am not giving up and why people should not give up.

We have a wonderful district with lots of fun little stores and companies and farms.

E-cigarette companies are using shameful tactics, such as Joe Camel-like cartoons in advertisements and creating e-cigarette flavors like bubblegum and cotton candy, to addict our children early - and guarantee another generation of smokers.