113th Congress: Christopher S. Murphy, D-Conn. (Senate)

By Scott Campbell, CQ Staff

Christopher S. Murphy, a three-term House member, says he decided to run for the open Senate seat because he’s confident he can be a strong voice for his state during “a critical time in the nation’s fiscal history.”

He predicts that decisions made over the next several years on taxes and spending will determine the nation’s economic destiny.

The centerpiece of Murphy’s policy profile is jobs. He intends to “hold the line” for the middle class in the Senate to ensure both immediate and long-term security for American workers. In the House, he showed consistent support for labor and manufacturing jobs, which are particularly important to Connecticut’s work force.

Murphy founded the Buy American Caucus in 2010 with North Carolina Republican Walter B. Jones to draw attention to off-shore government expenditures, most notably Department of Defense contracts. He intends to promote a similar agenda in the Senate, saying “the government can’t preach about not off-shoring jobs when it’s off-shoring jobs.”

Murphy also wants to balance the budget and cut the deficit in a way that he says would ensure continued investment in infrastructure, education and science. He also wants to overhaul the tax code, relieving the middle class of some of its tax burden and asking top-earners to pay “a little bit more.”

Murphy vows continued support for the Democrats’ core social agenda.

He’s focused on implementation of provisions of the 2010 health care overhaul law, writing on his campaign website that affordable health care “should be a right, not a privilege.”

Murphy has been a critic of the Senate filibuster. He told reporters in January 2011 that he would “absolutely” push for filibuster overhaul regardless of which party is in control.

Murphy stuck with his party on 95 percent of votes while in the House, but he still claims some independence. “I won’t back down from what I believe in,” he says, “and I certainly don’t think forceful debate and compromise are mutually exclusive.”

Murphy will replace retiring Democrat-turned-independent Joseph I. Lieberman, whose legacy he proudly admires. “While I don’t agree with him on every issue, Sen. Lieberman has a wonderful ability to create lasting relationships with members of both parties,” he says.