Submitted by Diane Kretschmann, Greenwich
Upon election to the CT House of Representatives, Kim Fiorello immediately joined a small group of far-right Republicans who call themselves the Conservative Caucus. Less than a third of Republican legislators are members.
This group routinely votes “no” on nearly every piece of legislation, even on bills that pass with bi-partisan support. These extremist legislators espouse a “freedom agenda.” They vote against tax cuts, against job creation bills, against schools, against public health, against reproductive rights and gun safety. They aren’t “conservative”. They should be called the “Extremist Caucus.”
Recent Greenwich Republican Representatives to the House – Harry Arora, Fred Camillo, Mike Bocchino and Livvy Floren – each avoided membership in this Caucus. Why? They were smart enough not to vote with a group whose positions are out-of-step with Greenwich constituents. Kimberly Fiorello, however, jumped right in.
How out-of-step is this Caucus? In October 2021, during the height of the pandemic, Conservative Caucus member Anne Dauphinais compared Governor Ned Lamont to Adolf Hitler. Responding to Governor Lamont’s pandemic policies, Dauphinais said “King Lamont aka Hitler, is dictating what we must inject into our bodies to feed our family!” Fiorello made no effort to condemn the comments, becoming herself a vocal critic of masks and vaccines as the pandemic claimed over a million American lives. In fact, none of the Conservative Caucus members condemned the comments by Dauphinais. Is this the representation Greenwich deserves?
Greenwich is an inclusive, generous and intelligent community. It is our responsibility to elect representatives who improve our community. The opinions and actions of our delegation to Hartford matter. They are a reflection of us. Kim Fiorello’s alliance with extremist groups does not represent our values, and her record of “no” votes does not represent our interests.
Please join me in voting for Rachel Khanna this November. Rachel is a kind, diligent, open-minded and proven public servant who will make us proud.
Diane Kretschmann, Greenwich CT