It is difficult for many of us to imagine having to choose between paying the rent on time or purchasing our sick child’s prescription medicine. But for many Americans who live paycheck to paycheck, circumstances like these are an all-too-familiar reality. For these individuals who are credit-constrained, payday loans provide a financial solution when emergencies or other unforeseen events arise. I know how important these loans can be: I myself relied on a short-term loan to establish my first ... Read more

The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) recently held its 45th Annual Legislative Conference (ALC), which was a resounding success. Now, I believe, the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) will be faced with the challenge of pursuing the numerous important goals outlined during the conference: ensuring justice and opportunity for all Americans, protecting voting rights, and expanding access to education and health care. A lesser known priority, but one that is no less urgent, is the reautho... Read more

When the House of Representatives reconvenes in September, one of our first priorities will be to address the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to curb Iran’s nuclear program. After careful review, I have decided that I cannot support this deal. The goal of the recently concluded negotiations was to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. The negotiators worked diligently, but in the end, the JCPOA allows Iran to remain a nuclear threshold state while simultaneously reaping the be... Read more

Upon seeing a pink ribbon, the average American will easily be reminded of the tragic toll taken by breast cancer and the critical need for supporting breast cancer research. The same can be said for blue ribbons and the fight against prostate cancer. Alzheimer’s also has a symbol, the purple ribbon, but when compared to cancer and other serious illnesses, the disease receives only a fraction of the research funding. As our population ages and the number of Americans afflicted by Alzheimer’s gro... Read more

By Alcee Hastings, Debbie Wasserman Schultz Fifty years ago today, President Lyndon Johnson signed into law the Voting Rights Act. With a stroke of his pen, long-entrenched policies that had prevented African-Americans and other racial minorities from casting their ballots were finally declared illegal nationwide. The law is arguably one of the most important pieces of civil rights legislation in U.S. history, bringing to a close a century of political disenfranchisement. However, where millions... Read more

The ongoing struggle for equality comes in many forms, from protecting voting rights and advocating for equal pay regardless of gender to strengthening anti-discrimination laws in the workplace and increasing economic opportunity. When it comes to our nation’s health care system, it is clear that significant racial and ethnic disparities persist in the morbidity rates for various diseases, access to treatment and care services, and outcomes. While we are closer to realizing an AIDS-free generati... Read more

When Jeannette Rankin of Montana was elected as the first woman to serve in Congress, she knew that she would not be the last. Since her swearing into office in 1916 — four years before the ratification of the 19th Amendment and the establishment of women’s suffrage — more than 300 women have been elected to Congress. Today, more women serve in Congress than ever before, and our nation, led by such pioneers as Congresswoman Rankin, has taken great strides to expand opportunities for women throu... Read more

Today, the below Op-Ed by Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL), titled Refocusing Humanitarian Aid in Syria,​ was published in the Huffington Post and the Florida Sun Sentinel commemorating the third anniversary of the conflict in Syria and highlighting the need for refocusing American humanitarian aid efforts. “The ongoing conflict in Syria has stretched into its fourth year and the regional humanitarian crisis shows little signs of improvement. The United States must do more to ensure that its... Read more

Published in the South Florida Sun Sentinel on October 7, 2012. By Ted Deutch and Alcee Hastings When suspicious voter registration forms were recently traced back to a Republican Party vendor, Strategic Allied Consulting, party officials quickly fired the company and touted that a criminal investigation would uncover and prosecute those found responsible. We agree that anyone found criminally responsible should be prosecuted to the law's full extent. However, a criminal prosecution of this firm... Read more

Published in the South Florida Sun Sentinel on June 10, 2012. On June 1, the U.S. Department of Justice and Florida State Association Supervisors of Elections halted Gov. Rick Scott's partisan purge of eligible voters. This was a concerted collaborative effort led by the governor to suppress and confuse voters. It was not transparent and a clear violation of the law. I, along with many others in Florida, have fought long and hard for the right to vote. To have somebody come along as a 'Scotty Co... Read more