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Op-Eds

  • Fox News Commentator's Misguided Comments on Military Sexual Assault

    04/05/12
    Liz Trotta reacted to a Pentagon report showing a 64% increase in violent sexual assaults since 2006 by stating: "What did they expect? These people are in close contact." Ms. Trotta went on to decry efforts to address the unacceptably high number of ass
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  • Lowell Sun: U.S. Rep. visits kingdom in transition and birthplace of many area residents

    03/12/12
    For generations, Lowell has been a city where immigrants from across the globe have come to make a better life for themselves, seek new opportunity and contribute to the city's success.
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  • Problems with extending Bush tax cuts permanently

    12/05/11
    Earlier this year, the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives passed a budget that proposed deep and permanent tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. The Republican budget (often called the Ryan budget for its author, Budget Committee Chairm
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  • Make It In America

    11/06/11
    Last week, I hosted a town hall meeting in Lawrence to discuss ways to grow the domestic manufacturing base and promote policies that keep jobs in the United States rather than losing them to our overseas competitors.
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  • Congress must pass the American Jobs Act

    10/14/11
    Six weeks ago, President Obama came before a joint session of Congress to announce the introduction of the American Jobs Act, legislation designed to create jobs and get our economy moving again. The President urged swift passage of the bill given that i
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  • On the Anniverssary of September 11th

    09/09/11
    This weekend, we remember the nearly 3,000 of our fellow citizens who were killed on 9/11 ten years ago. We also honor and pay tribute to the extraordinary heroism displayed by firefighters, police officers, EMS personnel, National Guardsmen and all first responders, as well as so many ordinary citizens, whose selfless actions prevented the loss of life from being even greater and continue to inspire us today. This somber anniversary gives us the opportunity to recognize those who continue to serve and protect our communities every day. And, we express our sincere gratitude to those serving overseas defending the nation we love.
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  • Congress must restore a needed job creation tool

    07/04/11
    Recently I heard from a constituent who has been looking for a job for more than two years. He was laid off from his position as a software engineer when the recession began. After interviewing for numerous positions he was hired to do a similar job at a new firm, but was quickly let go when a new round of layoffs hit. His all too common story illustrates the need for Congress to focus on jobs and help break the cycle of long-term unemployment.
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  • Fighting forclosure

    05/18/11
    Not every mortgage can or should be saved from foreclosure, but Congress has a responsibility to ensure that lenders are playing by the rules and that homeowners are getting a fair chance to save their homes. Rather than leaving homeowners at the mercy of unresponsive financial institutions, we should be improving federal efforts so that deserving homeowners get the assistance they need and communities are able to rebound.
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  • Republican budget potential impact on seniors

    05/18/11
    I recently heard from a constituent from Haverhill named Phil Gelinas who relies on Medicare for his health coverage. His wife's diabetes treatment and prescription drugs are also covered through Medicare and they have both paid into Medicare all their lives through payroll deductions. He remarked to my office that there was no way that they could meet the cost of health care today without Medicare. He and his wife are not alone.
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  • Sexual assault in the armed forces

    02/27/11
    MORE THAN a dozen veterans who were victims of sexual assault while serving in the US military, including two from Massachusetts, recently filed suit in federal court alleging that the Pentagon did not take adequate steps to protect them. Their complaint is reflective of the deep frustration and sense of betrayal that many victims feel with our military leadership, which seems to be unwilling to forcefully confront the issue of sexual assault within the ranks and which has not provided sufficient resources, rights, and legal protections to victims.
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  • Small businesses are key to economic recovery and growth

    10/03/10
    Small businesses employ just over half of all private sector employees and are responsible for more than half of all economic activity in the U.S. In Massachusetts alone, small firms account for 98% of the state's employers, creating outstanding local jobs that stay in the community.
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  • US needs to define mission, goals in Afghanistan

    07/01/10
    Last week, President Obama appropriately accepted General Stanley McChrystal's resignation as the top commander in Afghanistan following disparaging comments he and staff members made criticizing the nation's civilian leadership.
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  • Afghan women key to country's future

    05/18/10
    Last week, President Obama welcomed Afghan President Hamid Karzai to the White House for a two-day summit. Their discussions were aimed at addressing the many and varied challenges of stabilizing Afghanistan. These include rooting out corruption in the Afghan government, establishing greater security throughout the country, developing a strategy that targets extremists just across the border in Pakistan, as well as promoting large scale civic and economic development in a country that more closely resembles the 19th century than the 21st.
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  • Benefits of Health Care Reform for Massachusetts residents

    04/01/10
    I have spent the last week talking with the people I represent about the health care reform legislation that was recently signed into law and what it means for Massachusetts.
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  • Women's contributions to the Health Care Reform Debate

    03/04/10
    March 2010 marks the 30th anniversary of celebrating women's history month, a time to reflect on the notable gains that women have made in the last century. Many of these advancements quickly come to mind such as the right to vote, and we've experienced many famous firsts including the first woman astronaut, Supreme Court Justice, combat pilot, Nobel Prize winner, Cabinet Secretary, Academy Award winning director, and even Speaker of the House of Representatives.
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  • Wall Street Hasn't Learned

    01/22/10
    Last weekend, I was having breakfast at Vic's diner in Lowell with a friend. When I left the restaurant, I found a note on my windshield with a phone number and a brief message: "Think I found something of yours – Alice."
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  • Time to restore fiscal responsibility to Congress

    07/31/09
    For the last several weeks, Congress has been debating in earnest major legislation that will increase Americans' access to healthcare and address the unsustainable trajectory of healthcare costs in the United States. As critical as addressing these issues are, it is equally critical that we do so in a way that does not add to our burgeoning national debt.
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  • Tsongas op-ed encouraging seniors and veterans to file for their 2008 stimulus check

    09/16/08
    At the beginning of this year, Congress passed and the President signed into law a bipartisan economic stimulus package which provided tax rebates for working families, senior citizens and disabled veterans in the Fifth Congressional District and across the country.
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  • Tsongas op-ed on the need to increase American energy independence

    08/12/08
    I recently received a letter from a small business owner in Billerica. She and her husband have owned a landscaping and paving business for over forty years. They will soon be forced to close their doors due to the skyrocketing cost of oil. Sadly their story is not unusual.
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  • Tsongas op-ed on the Farm Bill approved by Congress

    05/23/08
    Late last year, I joined Meals on Wheels in Lowell to deliver lunch on one of their normal routes. I was shocked when we pulled up to several homes in a seemingly comfortable community to deliver meals to people, many of whom were seniors, who simply could not afford to buy food.
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  • Tsongas oped on the President's State of the Union Address and the challenges the country faces in 2008

    01/29/08
    On Monday evening, President Bush delivered his last State of the Union address. The speech offered a preview of his legislative agenda for his final year in office and provided an occasion for all Americans to reflect on the challenges we face this year and beyond, both domestically and abroad.
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  • Tsongas op-ed on her trip to Iraq and Afghanistan

    01/24/08
    I recently had the privilege of visiting with our brave men and women serving in Iraq during a bipartisan Congressional delegation trip I took to the region. Over the course of this visit I also met with General David Petraeus, Ambassador Ryan Crocker, as well as with Iraqi civilian leaders. As a Member of Congress, and a member of the Armed Services Committee, I felt it was essential to meet first-hand with those most directly involved in the daily security operations, political negotiations, and rebuilding efforts in Iraq.
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  • Firsthand look at border helps my work on illegal immigration

    11/25/07
    I have heard from people throughout the Merrimack Valley about the many legitimate concerns they have with our system of immigration including improving border security and cracking down on employers who hire undocumented workers. And, I share those concerns; the system of immigration is broken and I want to be part of the solution to fix it.
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