State GOP hoping for less conflict after historic change.
Top Connecticut Republicans hailed the the ultimately peaceful changeover from Donald Trump to President Joseph R. Biden Jr. on Wednesday as symbolic of the nation’s resiliency and its ability to come together at a historic moment.
“I heard snippets of the president’s remarks and I think he is hitting the right tone,” said House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora, R-North Branford, who listened on his car radio while driving his son to school in Western Connectcut. “The key is to focus on issues, not personalities. Over the last four years, on both sides of the aisle, everyone got in the sandbox and threw sand around.”
“When a new president gets sworn in, this is a great day for our country even if you didn’t vote for the person or don’t believe in their politics,” said Themis Klarides, Candelora’s predecessor in the House who is contemplating a campaign for higher office, most likely goveror. “What makes our democracy great is the smooth transition of power. Today is a day of celebrating democracy in our country: the first woman vice president, the first African American vice president, the first south Asian vice president.”
Klarides added, “Today is not a day to be political. We can go back to that soon enough.”
After the Jan. 6 insurrection, when hundreds of rioters, fueled by Trump’s denial of the election results, invaded the U.S. Capitol building, Wednesday’s inauguration under the eyes of National Guard troops in the continuing pandemic, was a special moment that affected Klarides. Political disagreements should not divide the nation, or the state, she said.
“I spent 22 years in the loyal opposition and we played a big part in stopping things that weren’t in the best interests of Connecticut, and we’ll continue to do so, for the state of Connecticut,” Klarides said.
The state House of Representatives has traditions of cooperation, Candelora said.
“We’ve had a pattern of mutual respect and when there is disagreement I think we focus on the issues,” he said, stressing that Democrats and Republicans in Connecticut have worked together, particularly the 2017 state budget that set new limits on spending and added requirements for paying off long-term liabilities. “That’s something we never see in Washington, D.C.”
Candelora said the cooperative tone will carry over. While there will be disagreements on issues including adult-use marijuana or mandatory childhood vaccines in upcoming weeks, complicated by the pandemic, Republicans are likely to have a hand in drafting new laws.
And while Republicans are stark 97-54 and 24-12 minorities in the House and Senate, respectively, communications between Democrats and Republicans will likely continue. “If you are a ‘no’ on a bill, but you can get to a yes, Democrats don’t leave you there at no,” Candelora said, stressing the need to focus less on personalities and more on issues.
Senate Minority Leader Kevin Kelly, R-Stratford, agreed that Wednesday’s swearing-in ceremony was historic, particularly Vice President Kamala Harris, the first woman to take that office.
“I am hopeful that they will work to bring an end to the divisiveness and bitter partisanship that has plagued Washington D.C. for too long and unify our country,” Kelly said. “They have a tremendous opportunity to show the American people that actions speak louder than words by working in a bipartisan way to help struggling middle-class families across this great country cope with the pandemic, create good paying jobs and deal with unaffordable health insurance premiums and skyrocketing energy costs.”
Veteran State Rep. Jason Perillo, R-Shelton, said he watched the inauguration as “a mini-social studies class,” with Lydia, his first-grader.
“Even though he never mentioned the former president’s name, I thought he tried to draw a distinct line between himself and Trump,” Perillo said. “He mentioned a number of times that politics doesn’t have to be an all-out war, implying that he will be a bit moremellow than Trump. He’s a seasoned creature of Washington and I think compromise is something with which he is comfortable.”
But Kelly quickly added, “I think he’s in for a rude awakening because his own party is being pushed hard to the liberal left by legislators who don’t care much for compromise.”