Op-Eds

  • Will Change Lead to Commonsense Solutions?

    Another election has come and gone and many people have again voted for change. It has been apparent for some time that people believe the country is generally moving in the wrong direction and they are frustrated with government.
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  • Rep. Lipinski Leads Effort that Halts Administration Proposal that Would Have Been Harmful to American Manufacturers

    Sometimes Washington does things that seem so crazy you wonder if people making these decisions are simply out of touch with reality or whether they are purposely trying to make life more difficult for most Americans. The latest example comes from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), whose "core mission is to serve the President of the United States in implementing his vision across the Executive Branch."
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  • Time to Stop "Kicking the Can" on Transportation

    Recently, Congress passed a bill to move about $10 billion into the Highway Trust Fund to prevent a cutback in road construction and transit funding. If additional money had not been transferred to the fund, federal spending on construction would have been slashed dramatically starting now, but we have put off this crisis now until the spring.
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  • We Can Never Say "Thank You" Enough

    June 6th was the 70th Anniversary of the Allied D-Day Invasion of Normandy that cracked the Nazi's "Atlantic Wall" and led to the liberation of Europe in WWII. I was honored to be part of the Congressional Delegation that participated in events that commemorated this historic invasion and honored the brave men who risked and gave their lives to defeat fascism and protect the freedoms many of us now take for granted.
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  • Eliminating Delays from Clearing Yard Trains at Harlem Avenue

    We have all been there, some more often than others. Stuck by a train either on 63rd or 65th Street and Harlem Avenue. Sometimes the train crawls into or out of the rail yard, the rest of the time it just sits there...stopped. But there may be light at the end of the tunnel now for all of us who have waited.
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  • Helping You Cut Through Bureaucratic Red Tape

    Throughout the month of May, my office has been hosting Senior Fairs at various locations in the district. It's a great opportunity for area seniors to receive assistance from my knowledgeable staff, as well as organizations, agencies, and businesses that provide services to seniors. My final senior fair will take place this Monday, May 19th, from 10-noon, at Moraine Valley Community College, 9000 West College Parkway, in Palos Hills. I know many of you will be unable to attend this free event, so I encourage you to stop by or call one of my district offices year-round, Monday through Friday, to ask for help or to get your questions answered.
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  • America's Future Job Growth Depends on Innovation

    Many Americans are uneasy about our nation's future and wonder how we will make America an economic powerhouse again. An important part of the answer is innovation. Through innovation America can create the new products and new industries that will provide the job growth we so desperately need.
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  • Lipinski: Recognizing Service Academy Nominees

    Each year, one of the highest honors I have as your congressman is nominating young men and women for our nation's prestigious service academies: the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo.; the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y.; the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.; and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Great Neck, N.Y.
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  • 'Fast Track' a Detriment to Trade

    I strongly believe the Congressional Trade Priorities Act, as well as the concept of fast tracking any sweeping legislation without input from the public's elected representatives in Congress, is a terrible mistake.
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  • Affordable Care Act Debut is Disastrous

    The roll-out of the Affordable Care Act has been nothing short of disastrous. Despite assurances from the president that you could "keep your plan if you like it," millions of Americans are finding that is not the case and receiving cancellation letters from their insurers because their coverage doesn't comply with the new law.
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  • No Winners Despite End of ‘Shutdown'

    During the shutdown, I refused to get caught up in the blame game and finger pointing. I continued to do my job.
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  • CREATE's Completion: A National Need

    This summer at congressional hearings across the country, in Los Angeles, Memphis, and New York, one point was crystal clear – completing the CREATE rail modernization program in northeastern Illinois is a national priority for improving the movemen
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  • Optimistic About Local Manufacturers

    One of the most rewarding aspects of being a congressman is the opportunity to have a close-up view of the interesting products being made right here in our local communities.
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  • Shed Labels to Work for American People

    More than 70 members of Congress – split evenly between Democrats and Republicans – came together on a sweltering summer morning in front of a cheering crowd to talk about working together.
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  • Fourth of July Brings Out Our Nation's Best

    Patriotism and duty to country are two principles I rely on to guide me as your elected representative in Washington D.C.
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  • Addressing the Military's Sexual Assault Problem

    It has become apparent that there is a troubling problem in our military with sexual assaults and especially with the way in which victims of these assaults are treated.
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  • Why I Support Make It In America

    It seems that in every election – like the last presidential election – candidates in both parties talk a lot about how they are going to help the middle class.
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  • Lipinski: To avoid sequester, Congress must make compromises

    With the reckless budget-slashing sequester scheduled to take effect Friday, it's time both sides in Washington end the blame game and get to work replacing the across-the-board cuts with a responsible debt reduction plan. Simply put, the sequester
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  • A bipartisan solution to the fiscal cliff

    In today's Chicago Tribune, my colleague Rep. Robert Dold (IL-10) and I weigh in with a plan to avert the fiscal cliff, reduce our debt and get the country on the path to fiscal sustainability. Together we have been working with a bipartisan group of
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  • Rep. Lipinski Op Ed - It's Time to Get to Work

    I was honored to be chosen by the people of the Third District to continue serving as their Representative in Congress. The district boundaries have changed, but the top priorities remain the same: getting Americans back to work, providing greater...
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  • What Matters Most to Me: Results for My Constituents

    As your representative, my goal is to get things done to restore economic opportunity for the middle class, promote job growth, and make a difference in the everyday lives of Third District residents.
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  • U.S. Manufacturing Up Against an Uneven Playing Field Globally

    The last 10 years were indeed a "lost decade" for manufacturing employment in the Chicago region, as the Sun-Times reported last Sunday. But as the Sun-Times also noted, the country as a whole fared no better, shedding one-third of all factory jobs.
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  • Time to Act on Transportation Reauthorization

    Nobody knows better than Third District residents the great need to improve our streets, highways, and public transportation. Traffic is worse than ever, delays are longer, and reliability is sinking.
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  • Stop China's Cheating that Steals American Jobs

    This week, the Senate is expected to take decisive action to defend American workers from unfair trade by passing a bipartisan bill to crack down on China's currency manipulation. As someone who has long fought for such legislation and who voted for a
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  • Frustrated by Congress? So am I

    As an institution, Congress is almost never popular. But when the public's approval of Congress reaches a record low, as it did this summer, it is a sign that something is seriously wrong. Americans are not just unhappy about the bad economy and the
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  • Congressman Dan Lipinski: My Five-Point Plan To Create American Jobs

    Job creation is our nation's most pressing task and has long been my top priority. While cutting the deficit is also crucial, if we do not get Americans back to work we will not be able to balance the budget and build a brighter future.
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  • Lipinski: We Need Fair Trade that Creates U.S. Jobs

    American workers are the best in the world. For as long as I have represented the Third District, I have worked to make sure that trade occurs on a level playing field, creates American jobs, and benefits American workers and companies.
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  • Cut the Bickering And Fix Health Care Law

    A year ago last week, following months of careful study, I voted against the health care law. I did so because the law is not fiscally sustainable, does little to reduce costs for most Americans, threatens seniors' access to care by cutting Medicare f
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  • It's Time for Both Parties to Reach Across the Aisle

    As the 112th Congress gets underway, Republicans control the House, while Democrats hold the Senate and the White House. Now more than ever, getting things done for the good of our country will require members of both parties to cooperate.
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  • Partisan Bickering is No Answer to Problems

    America faces many challenges – from growing the economy and putting people back to work, to tackling the deficit. But as middle-class Americans continue to suffer, too many political leaders only seem interested in bickering and partisan politics.
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  • Getting Tough with China

    Imagine a football game in which one team's players are constantly held by their opponents, but the referees never call a penalty.
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  • Trade Policies Key to Restoring U.S. Manufacturing Sector

    During his recent visit to Ford's Southeast Side assembly plant, President Barack Obama reiterated his goal of doubling U.S. exports in five years and lauded the resurgent American auto industry, predicting a return to its glory days.
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  • Yes to Jobs, No To Reckless Spending

    As America struggles to emerge from recession, leaving Third District families with no choice but to continue tightening their belts, my top priority remains encouraging job creation while opposing reckless spending.
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  • Manufacturing is the Key

    For generations, manufacturing has been the heart and soul of the American economy and our middle class, as well as a critical contributor to U.S. national security. In the Third District, small- and medium-sized factories – many of them family owne
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  • The Case for a National Manufacturing Strategy

    Manufacturing has been a pillar of the American economy for generations, and remains a valuable path to the middle class for millions of families. Today, the manufacturing industry provides good-paying jobs to 11.6 million Americans, including roughly 560
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  • Lipinski Explains His Health Care Vote

    My decision to vote against the Senate health care bill was the result of months of careful study and analysis, and of listening closely to my constituents. As I have said many times, I strongly believe reform is needed to lower soaring health care cos
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  • Lipinski Explains His Health Care Vote, D.C. Must Shift to Jobs, Be Measured on Health Care

    For the last year, while Washington spent much time absorbed with other issues, I have been arguing that job creation should be our number one priority. Now that the massive health care bill has stalled, Congress should work on taking smaller, measured st
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  • Congressman Lipinski Reviews '09 and Eyes Economy

    As 2010 begins, most of us are hoping and praying it will be a much better year than 2009. Like you, I was saddened and sometimes outraged by what I saw happening last year. But amid the bailouts, bankruptcies, soaring unemployment and partisan acrimony,
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  • Getting Washington to Listen on Job Creation

    Now that the health care bill has moved from the House to the Senate, House leaders and the Obama Administration are talking about turning to job creation. I have never lost my focus on jobs because nothing is more important right now than reviving the ec
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  • Deliver Health Care Reform for Middle Class

    As the debate over health care reform continues, my goals remain the same: to reform the health insurance industry to facilitate quality coverage for all Americans, and to rein in the surging cost of health care, without compromising the quality of care a
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  • We Need to Rescue U.S. Workers After Bailout

    A year ago this week, then-Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson Jr. said the world's financial system was on the verge of collapse. Congress was given a $700 billion Wall Street bailout plan and told it was needed to avert catastrophe. There was great pre
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