Morning Consult A business model should not be based on profiting from customers’ misery. Yet payday and car-title loans are designed to trap borrowers in a cycle of re-borrowing and debt, often charging interest rates of more than 300 percent. Four out of five payday loans are renewed or “rolled over” within 14 days. There is an array of better credit options, including credit cards and small loans from credit unions. Taking out a payday loan makes a person more likely to delay needed medical c... Read more

I wanted to update you on the recent efforts I have made to address the problem of helicopter noise in Northern Virginia. I appreciated the thoughtful feedback I received from constituents during my Fairlington community forum in January, and I have tried to address those complaints with amendments I introduced this past week to H.R. 4, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act. While we have had an open and ongoing conversation with the FAA and the Department of Defense, the... Read more

Earlier this month, four other Members of Congress and I held a press conference on the importance of protecting our oceans and waterways. Just as it affects what happens on land, climate change can have serious impacts on the aquatic environments and the life that resides within them. The world’s oceans cover more than two-thirds of the Earth’s surface and absorb more than 90 percent of the heat trapped by greenhouse gas emissions. According to a study published earlier this month, oceans are w... Read more

We are full of grief for the 17 lives lost in Parkland, Fla., last month. As representatives of communities – Isla Vista, Calif.; Newtown, Conn.; and Alexandria, Va. – which have been the site of major mass shootings, we are keenly aware that their loss is shared by too many families across the country every year. Nationally, the epidemic of gun violence claims tens of thousands of American lives every year. But those of us who have fought in Congress for years for gun reforms – for too little p... Read more

Since the election, I have heard from many constituents who are concerned about the Trump presidency or uncertain about his policies and plans. I share many of these concerns and questions. As ever, I will listen to my colleagues from across the aisle, and will consider reasonable policy proposals, even if I do not fully agree with them. But I will not compromise on our basic values. I will forcefully oppose plans to privatize and cut Medicare, or strip healthcare coverage from millions of Ameri... Read more

The historic accord to close off Iran’s pathways to a nuclear bomb is an enormous win for U.S. national security and President Obama. In the coming weeks, I plan to vote in support of this landmark achievement and urge my colleagues to do the same. I witnessed firsthand the transformative power of diplomacy as ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein. I commend our diplomats for skillfully averting a global showdown with Iran as part of a deal that blocks its efforts to obtain a nuclear weapo... Read more

In the coming weeks, I expect to vote to support a package of four critical trade bills requested by President Obama and passed through the Senate with significant bipartisan majorities, including both of Virginia’s Democratic Senators. These bills, including Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), will establish historic multilateral negotiations with our international trade partners while securing important worker protections for American jobs and trade support to developing economies, critical to gl... Read more

Fifty years ago this week, President Lyndon Baines Johnson became the first President to speak about the dangers of climate change in an iconic environmental address to the nation. He spoke of the need for “a new conservation,” whose object was “not just man’s welfare but the dignity of man’s spirit.” And he warned of the dangers of climate change: “This generation has altered the composition of the atmosphere on a global scale through radioactive materials and a steady increase in carbon dioxid... Read more

My first two weeks in the U.S. House of Representatives have been challenging, interesting, busy, and fulfilling. Every day is different, and full of surprises. I loved my eight years presiding over the Senate of Virginia, and have been amazed at how differently the U.S. House works. For example, in Richmond, everyone is sitting at their desks, ready to work, at noon sharp. The Senators stay in the chamber, quiet, listening, orating, and voting until the day’s work is done. Electronic recorded v... Read more

January 6th What a day. Last year, Jim Moran’s retirement launched Megan and me on an incredible adventure -- capped off when I opened the doors to my office in the Cannon Building this morning. This is the start of another journey, working for and with 8th District residents, some of the most educated and engaged constituents in the country. I had my first interview, 20 minutes on CSPAN, at 0730, followed by an open house for 300 Northern Virginia friends who braved the first snow of the season... Read more