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"In this current atmosphere of partisanship and division, addressing the opioid epidemic is one of the few priorities that could still find bipartisan agreement in Congress." - Rep. Paul Tonko Read more »

Science 23 Jun 2017: Vol. 356, Issue 6344, pp. 1241-1242 DOI: 10.1126/science.aan6163 Read more »

Senate Republicans, by refusing to do their jobs and work to fill our current Supreme Court vacancy, have shown a fair-weather, bandwagon love for the Constitution. Read more »

On a hot day in August 2003, a stretched transmission line tripped after dipping into an overgrown tree in Ohio. Soon after, multiple transmission lines nearby also tripped beginning what would become the second largest blackout at that time in history, impacting eight Northeastern states and Southern Canada. Since this massive blackout, power generation in the United States has changed dramatical... Read more »

In recent years, we have witnessed the increasing pain and suffering inflicted by heroin and opioid addiction in communities in our districts and across the country. We, like many of our constituents, have seen firsthand how this tragic epidemic has affected our own friends and loved ones, and by sharing their stories we hope to put a face to the addiction crisis. The statistics surrounding drug a... Read more »

For years Democrats on the Energy and Commerce Committee have asked for a hearing on the effects of climate change. And for years, that simple request – that we have an honest discussion before the oldest standing committee in the House about a problem faced the world over – has been denied. So, last month, we held our own forum on climate change. Unfortunately, only Democratic members of the comm... Read more »

We too often forget that those struggling with mental illness are constantly forced to fight a battle on two fronts. Not only do they have to grapple with themselves -- with their own thoughts and mind -- but they also have to contend with the negative assumptions made about those with mental illness, which are pervasive in our society. Those stereotypes, though, are hardly a figment of their imag... Read more »

For four months, House Republican Leadership shuttered the Export-Import Bank, a federal agency that supports American exports and levels the playing field for U.S. manufacturers overseas. This ‘politics-over-people’ move led by the extreme wing of the House GOP caucus has already put hard working Americans out of work, including more than 200 in Schenectady, New York, in the district I represent.... Read more »

After careful consideration and many meetings with local and national stakeholders including President Obama, members of the Cabinet, national security officials who have served both Republican and Democratic administrations, scientists and local faith and civic groups, I agree with the majority of Americans — that the Iran deal is an important step forward in dealing with a regime that is otherwi... Read more »

As printed on Syracuse.com on May 11, 2015If you live in New York, chances are that you or someone you know was affected by our broken and aging water infrastructure last winter. I live in Amsterdam and represent the Capital Region in the House of Representatives, and during our extended cold weather season I heard countless stories of pipes bursting in Colonie, power outages in Troy, and public s... Read more »