The year 2005 exposed America's dangerous dependence on fossil fuel. No sooner had the American public been shaken by the human devastation of hurricanes Katrina and Rita than they were forced to face the financial devastation of sudden and steep hikes in gas prices at the pump. Fossil fuel prices climbed at record speeds in the summer of 2005, and they are climbing again this winter. Consumers ar... Read more »

Hurricane Katrina was more than a natural catastrophe. The painful images of Americans suffering, dying and calling desperately for help will forever be seared into our collective conscience. Katrina was a revelation. As a country, we will no longer be able to speak of our impoverished as an abstraction or pretend we've never seen the faces of the forgotten. We are forced to confront the difficul... Read more »

"If it were left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter" –Thomas JeffersonIn 1955, I enrolled at Fordham University to study journalism. My studies began in the wake of Senator Joseph McCarthy’s affront on free expression. Governmental suppression of dissent was fresh in the min... Read more »

Some 5.3 million Americans live with disabilities caused by a traumatic brain injury (TBI). It is a leading cause of death and disability among children and young adults. At least 1.4 million Americans suffer a TBI each year, which costs more than $56 billion. Falls, motor-vehicle crashes, sports injuries and violence are the major causes. The military is beginning to see dramatic increases. In on... Read more »

By Kate Ackley - Roll Call Staff Roll Call The federal budget may be as tight as ever, but a collection of advocates is lobbying to squeeze extra money to help U.S. soldiers who have suffered brain injuries. Scores of outside-the-Beltway proponents of funding for brain-injury treatment and research are in Washington this week. Along with their D.C.-based cohorts, they will lobby for additional Def... Read more »

As I travel throughout the twenty-one towns in the Eighth Congressional District, families of all shapes and sizes talk to me about our health care system. Whether the topic is ensuring that managed care companies cover core services and are accountable for their decisions, or advancing cutting-edge research to confront our most dreaded diseases, there is much we must do. As the Co-Chair of the Co... Read more »

Secret documents. Back room deals. Intimidation. Misinformation. Threats. Exclusion. Bribery. Propaganda. Lying. Am I referring to the KGB? The Chinese authorities? Napoleon's France? A medieval court? Imperial Rome? No. Elements of a government scandal? Maybe. All of these things played a significant role in the narrow passage of the "Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act... Read more »

In the movie "Thelma and Louise," Louise turns to Thelma and says, "You get what you settle for." How right she was. The Republican Prescription Drug bill is the worst example of accepting what you are given. The Administration is telling seniors that they should settle. They have even convinced the AARP that they are getting half a loaf, which is of course better than no bread at all. But senior... Read more »

Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-Paterson, represents the 8th Congressional District. ### Read more »

Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-Paterson, represents the 8th Congressional District. ### Read more »