The situation in Syria is that of a national civil war. It's a sectarian and ethnic conflict between two warring factions. This is not about democracy and freedom. There is no social contract. There is no constitution. There is no…

Last week I met with Rich Lowry, the editor of the National Review, whose new book, ``Lincoln Unbound,'' urges the Republican Party to embrace an aspirational agenda of Abraham Lincoln, who led an ambitious program of rail and canal…

The 2014 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill, which is currently awaiting consideration on the House floor, has a devastating 50 percent cut to the Community Development Block Grant program. These grants…

Western New York has long distinguished itself as a leader in innovation and cutting-edge medical research. Buffalo gave the world cancer research when the New York Cancer Laboratory was first established by Dr. Roswell Park in 1897…

The United States Postal Service continues to try to fix themselves financially with service cuts that will undermine the agency's viability, not strengthen it. I am pleased to be a cosponsor of my colleague Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro's…

This bipartisan amendment seeks to stop a flawed plan that would endanger crucial Army Corps projects in the Great Lakes region. The Army Corps of Engineers' Great Lakes and Ohio River Division is attempting to move key functions performed…

It's safe to say that Congress experiences more than its share of dysfunction. Too often, Members engage in behavior that serves to produce partisan gridlock and very little else. But this week, western New York's delegation has…

I have an amendment at the desk. The CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: At the end of the bill, before the short title, insert the following: Sec. ___. None of the funds made available…

In a historic decision yesterday, the Supreme Court rightly ruled that all married couples, regardless of gender of the spouses, are deserving of equal protections and rights under the law. In doing so, they recognize what 13 States…

Unless Congress takes action, student loan rates will double on July 1. This is unacceptable. Access to affordable education is one of the most important issues to young people today, yet many graduates find themselves tens of thousands of…

The original GI Bill was one of the most significant pieces of legislation in American history. It is responsible for providing education to a generation of veterans--the right to rise--and it transformed our Nation's economy from an…

This week, the House will take up Homeland Security appropriations legislation for fiscal year 2014. Unfortunately, this legislation, once again, limits the number of cities in the Urban Area Security Initiative program to 25. This is…

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative represents our Nation's commitment to protecting the health of our Great Lakes, the largest source of fresh water in the world, representing $7 billion in economic activity annually. In western New…

As a member of the House Democrats' Make It In America Working Group, I was pleased to attend a ceremony yesterday welcoming Longaberger Pottery to Niagara Ceramics Corporation in Buffalo. In 2005, Longaberger moved its production line to…

Yesterday the Homeland Security Committee adopted my amendment to block a study of new fees for passengers and pedestrians crossing our borders. A similar amendment was successfully included in the Senate legislation last week. The…

This week's announcement that New York State is committing to take action on removing the Robert Moses Parkway in Niagara Falls is welcome news for western New York. Niagara Falls is a national treasure, drawing millions of visitors each…

The success of Boston law enforcement in responding to the marathon bombing is due to the skill and coordination of their law enforcement community. Boston's law enforcement agencies also have the benefit of membership in the Urban Area…

I thank my friend and colleague for yielding. Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank Congressman Charlie Dent and Congresswoman Esty for working together on this bipartisan amendment. Our amendment would ensure that the Bureau of Land…

I was alarmed to discover that the Department of Homeland Security's budget request proposed a study of the imposition of a fee--a tax--for passengers and pedestrians at our northern land border crossing. Western New York is home to two…

America's biomedical research industry is the envy of the world, but the health insurance model is not keeping pace with the science. For cancer patients, this means that smart drugs purchased at a pharmacy and self-administered orally are…

On Friday, I will participate in a symposium on dementia being sponsored by the western New York chapter of the Alzheimer's Association. This event is a reminder that, while progress has been made in understanding Alzheimer's, there is…

This week I took part in a town hall meeting in Buffalo, along with the Alliance for American Manufacturing, and discussed the importance of manufacturing jobs to our region and to our Nation. With western New York's dedicated workforce…

In western New York, we don't expect anything to be handed to us. History has taught us that we have to fight for what we deserve. Our community just won two recent victories against Federal bureaucracies by standing up and demanding…

Today the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee will hold a hearing on sequestration's effect on implementing safety regulations at the Federal Aviation Administration. This is an important reminder that critical deadlines…

The American Society of Civil Engineers report card is out for the quality of America's infrastructure, and the results are a national disgrace and an embarrassment. America gets a D grade for the quality of its infrastructure. According…