The Least Among Us: Waging the Battle for the Vulnerable

Congresswoman DeLauro presents a thorough, staunchly liberal look at the American social safety net, describing it as “one of our country’s greatest legacies.” Until now, DeLauro writes, the safety net has been supported by Republicans and Democrats alike. What now keeps her awake nights, she says, is the increasing conservative opposition to this public good. DeLauro has done her homework, demonstrating in this book the chops that have served her well in her many years as a U.S. representative from New Haven, Conn. She notes the progress the country has made on a number of issues, such as sick leave, food stamps, pay equity, and affordable care. The author also gets her jabs in, asserting that Speaker Paul Ryan “believes he is helping the poor” while “making the poverty problem worse” and making “demeaning statements” about people dependent on public assistance. DeLauro talks about the issues that have been central to her, including the “faith and politics” that helped her through her life, a political family legacy—parents who both served the community as aldermen—and the strength that surviving ovarian cancer at 43 provided her. In today’s hyperpartisan era, conservatives will be unimpressed, but Democrats and liberal independents will find this book useful background for the upcoming fall’s election discussions. (June)