Right now in Congress we have an opportunity to negotiate a compromise that will settle the economic challenge facing our nation. Most of the Oregonians I talk with ask about the “fiscal cliff,” and they understand that sacrifice today will be necessary to achieve a deal that can strengthen our economy today and cut our deficit tomorrow. 

As a member of the House Budget Committee, and a relatively new member of Congress, I take this challenge seriously. Instead of trading political barbs, I’m interested in a constructive engagement of ideas and finding common ground. My goal is to serve the Oregonians who are counting on me to move beyond the gridlock, and I trust and hope that my colleagues have the same commitment to the people they represent.

One hundred and eleven homes burned to the ground in Queens, flooding in parts of Manhattan forced the financial markets and subways to close, and severe winds tore down much of the façade of a Chelsea apartment building.
 
These incidents are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the damage New York faced as a result of Hurricane Sandy – the latest reminder of the need for a national disaster mitigation strategy that will lessen the impact of the next storm in a cost-effective way.
 
A smart mitigation strategy – which includes efforts like effective floodplain management and reduced development in high-risk areas – is a holistic approach to protect people and make response less costly.

Though the country is focused on partisan gridlock over the fiscal cliff, bipartisanship still exists in Washington. President Obama has signed into law the Russia and Moldova Jackson-Vanik Repeal Act of 2012, a bill that demonstrates that the national interest is served when members of both parties work together. With this measure – which promotes freer trade with Russia while holding accountable Russian officials that violate human rights –both parties have found common ground on the need to encourage a strong, vibrant, and more open Russia.

U.S. economic growth is not strong, and anytime this is true, we are just one or two wrong moves away from growth becoming quite weak. For over a year, we have felt that the current high-risk economic and market environment is one that is more vulnerable than normal to exogenous shocks such as natural and manmade disasters in Japan, recession in Europe, and now multiple forms of U.S. fiscal policy-tightening measures, collectively referred to as the “fiscal cliff.”

It seems to me that the best way to help the psychologically ill before they do harm to themselves or others is to make it easier and less obtrusive for family members to seek close-to-home and less formalized treatment when they become aware of possible problems.

On Friday I had five grandsons in three schools within 30 miles of Newtown in Fairfield County, Connecticut. I am also a veteran with many years of experience with firearms, and really do not see the need for assault weapons to be in the hands of ordinary citizens. Gun control is an important part of the solution to curbing violence.

Just over a month ago, Americans went to the polls and rejected an extreme agenda that would have blocked women from getting cancer screenings, family planning, and basic health care.
 
This election had the largest gender gap ever recorded, according to Gallup, and the message voters sent couldn’t have been clearer: stop playing politics with women’s health.
 
Somehow, there are politicians who still haven’t gotten the message.

The murder of Ambassador Chris Stevens and three colleagues in Benghazi highlights the dangers and hardships our Foreign Service personnel face every day as America’s first line of defense. Our nation’s diplomatic and development personnel are present overseas before the U.S. military is deployed, supports them if they are engaged in combat, and remains in place when the military returns to the United States. The degree of danger, naturally, varies with locale. But the threat is ever present.  Because of Benghazi, questions about the security of Foreign Serve Officers will be high on the national agenda in the near future – and properly so.

Now that the Senate is nearing the conclusion of its lame duck session after President Barack Obama secured a second term and Democrats increased their Senate majority, it is appropriate to analyze court appointments. The judiciary experiences 60 vacancies in the 679 district court judgeships, two of which are Middle District of Pennsylvania openings. Thus, President Obama must promptly nominate, and the Senate swiftly approve, nominees, so that judges can dispense justice.

There is a frequent misconception that tuberculosis (TB) is a disease of the past, or is only a problem for those living in developing countries. In reality, TB is the second leading cause of death due to infectious disease worldwide; taking approximately 1.4 million lives in 2011 alone. It is the third leading cause of death among women of reproductive age and orphaned nearly 10 million children around the world in 2010.