In 2004, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stood up to outside pressures and rejected a petition by Barr Pharmaceuticals to allow the morning-after pill to be sold over-the-counter.  At the time, the FDA cited concerns about the lack of research on the potential effects of the drug on the health of adolescent girls.

The fact that those concerns remain unanswered makes it hard to understand the agency’s about face yesterday.  Instead of answering the questions raised by the 2004 petition, the FDA decided to disregard them completely and create a dual-marketing scheme that puts Barr’s profits above the safety of our children. The plan approved by the FDA creates a two-tier system that allows adults to purchase the drug over-the-counter, but requires minors to have a doctor’s prescription.  This is an entirely new type of approval that has not been authorized by Congress and has not undergone a formal rule-making process.

This scheme puts the health of adolescent girls at risk. Despite claims by the FDA and Barr laboratories that this policy protects children, under this approval the drug can be easily obtained and redistributed to kids while research about its dangers remains inconclusive.

Yesterday's decision by the FDA is misguided to say the least. Approving the sale of a controversial drug under this strange arrangement, without Congressional input, and without clear guidelines for enforcement sets a dangerous precedent.  In essence, the FDA has fashioned new complicated and unclear standards for prescription drug approval based on one individual drug application.

The Republican war on science suffered a defeat today when the Food and Drug Administration finally approved Plan B for over-the-counter purchase. The President's appointees to the agency and his allies in Congress have been stonewalling this women's health issue for more than three years, despite overwhelming support from the scientific and medical community, as well as from women's health groups. The FDA went so far as to ignore the findings of its own scientific staff, ignoring the facts and distorting public health concerns for political gain.

Former Assistant FDA Commissioner Susan F. Wood resigned in protest, saying she could "no longer serve as staff when scientific and clinical evidence, fully evaluated and recommended for approval by the professional staff here, has been overruled." Her courageous stand brought much needed attention to the issue, and today we see it was not in vain. Senators Hillary Clinton and Patty Murray have held the Administration's feet to the fire, providing necessary oversight by preventing Bush crony Andrew von Eschenbach from serving as FDA Director.

Sadly, the furor over Plan B is just one struggle in the Bush Administration's attempts to put politics over science. As Rep. Henry Waxman extensively documented last month, federal support for "abstinence-only" education programs has expanded rapidly under the Bush Administration. The federal government will spend approximately $170 million on abstinence-only education initiatives during the current fiscal year, more than twice the amount spent in fiscal year 2001. As a result, millions of children and adolescents each year receive abstinence-only education, which promotes abstinence from sexual activity while failing to teach basic facts about contraception. You can read Waxman's report here.

The news on Plan B sends a loud and clear message - science can not be trumped by the Republicans' ideology. Reproductive rights, family planning, and contraception are personal medical issues that should be discussed between families and their doctors - not turned into political fodder to appease far right extremists. American women have waited far too long for this crucial victory that it is a step in the right direction.

For the vast majority of beneficiaries, the program has been working as intended.  If this problem is the result of a system flaw, we need to fix that flaw so that we don’t see more errors down the road.  It is also important that the refunds erroneously given out to the 230,000 beneficiaries be recovered in a way that is most unproblematic for them.

In my campaign for Congress in New York's 21st district, I hope to bring voter attention to the various ways our government wastes money.

The most striking waste of money is the $200B we spend each year defending Europe, Japan and South Korea. These are wealthy countries who can take care of themselves. We've been doing this for over 50 years (over 60 for Europe and Japan).

Everyone's talking about an exit strategy for Iraq. We need an exit strategy for Europe, Japan and South Korea. Voters responded well to this message in my 2004 campaign, even with minimal campaign spending. Better financed challengers could make a lot of headway with voters if they talk about this issue.

From San Diego, California:

The US/Mexico border in southern California is a study in contrasts. Part of the border is a single, rusted wall of corrugated steel. There are clear signs that illegals have climbed over or dug under this barrier. With more than two million residents of Tijuana, Mexico, just a few hundred yards away, this doesn't appear to be much of a national border. Farther to the east, we got a glimpse of the future: A two-layer border fence with video surveillance towers and a patrol road in the middle. It is an imposing sight and, while not completely secure, the new neighborhoods being built just inside the U.S. border attest to the fact that this border is largely secure.

We spent the day touring border areas, detention centers and the largest port of entry in the United States: southern California's San Diego sector. Different from many other areas of the US/Mexico border, this is an area that has seen real progress in border security over the past ten years. In 1995, more than 500,000 arrests were processed in this sector and, after extensive border and personnel changes, that number has dropped to around 125,000 in 2005.

The success of what CBP called "Operation Gatekeeper" is especially important since San Diego is considered the number one point of entry for criminal aliens on the U.S. border. The terrain, population density and numerous transportation options have made this the most attractive arrival point for aliens with criminal intent. Progress here should mean that our families are safer from criminal aliens but, unfortunately, the U.S. border is more than just San Diego.

The discouraging news is that there is evidence that success here has only driven many of the drug and human traffic activities to less secure areas of the border. Read more...

This week I accepted a request from AARP to participate in a joint debate with my opponent. Unfortunately, this is the 5th debate she has turned down in the district. It appears that her handler's will not allow her to debate me in front of a group which represents seniors, a very important constituency in this district.

For the past year and a half I have been walking my district, going door-to-door to listen to the hopes and dreams of the residents of Illinois 6th Congressional District.  I have learned in my 13 years in the state legislature that the best way to find out what people care about is, well – to ask them. We are running for the branch of the federal government that is closest and most responsive to the people. As a candidate, one of your duties is to participate in these types of forums.
Several media outlets have been critical of her political strategy. Recently, one media outlet noted that this “ducking

It is time for the United States and the United Nations to call Iran's bluff and impose strict economic sanctions if Iran refuses to meet an August 31 deadline for suspending its nuclear enrichment program. After 11 weeks of delay, Iran formally responded Tuesday to a United Nations incentives package aimed at persuading Tehran to suspend uranium enrichment.  Iranian officials offered what they called a "new formula" to resolve the dispute, but they repeatedly vowed to push ahead with their nuclear program.

I have closely monitored developments in Iran as a member of the International Relations Committee and the ranking member of the Terrorism and Nonproliferation Subcommittee. It is clear that the Iranian government has no intention of suspending enrichment by August 31, as required by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1696.

The Iranian tactic is always to offer a glimmer of hope that some settlement can be achieved, and threaten all kinds of counter-measures if sanctions are imposed.  For the past four years, Iran has played that game.  It is high time the Security Council and other concerned countries call their bluff unless Iran verifiably suspends enrichment efforts.

It is time for the Security Council to ready a package of tough economic sanctions should Iran fail to do anything short of a full suspension by August 31.  It also is time for the Bush administration to start using the tools at its disposal.  It is time for the United States to impose an embargo on all Iranian goods, punish any American companies with subsidiaries operating in Iran, and actually enforce the Iran Libya Sanctions Act by imposing sanctions on foreign firms which invest in Iran's energy sector.

The U.S. should remain ready to negotiate with the Iranian government, and we should be willing to offer improved relations with Iran should Tehran agree to abandon its nuclear weapons program and its support for terrorists.
At this point, however, Iran must be forced to take such discussions seriously.  Right now, it is just a game for them.  We should stop playing.

From the Peppermill Steakhouse in Valentine, NE:

Over the past few days I have traveled across the state of Nebraska visiting with community leaders to discuss ways to enhance our rural communities and preserve our rural way of life.

Yesterday in Ogallala I visited Lake McConaughy for a briefing on drought conditions in the area and water conservation efforts. The drought in Nebraska is in its 6th or 7th year and continues to inflict damage on our agriculture industry. A couple of years ago I named the drought "David" in order to raise awareness that it is a natural disaster, just like a hurricane. Since then Congress has fallen woefully short in addressing the economic losses of the drought. Along with many of my colleagues, I hope that the $4 billion disaster assistance package approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee will be considered and passed by the Senate.

This morning I met with hospital officials in Scottsbluff to discuss Washington's failure to understand rural health care. I have a bill that would prevent damaging new rules on rehabilitational care proposed by CMS from being implemented. If they are, many rural areas will see greatly diminished health care options or may even see their hospitals close their doors. I've often said when it comes to rural life, Washington just doesn't get it. This is a perfect example. Read more...

My priority will be revisiting Medicare Part D in terms of reopening the enrollment period for seniors.  My second priority would be raising the minimum wage.  And my third priority would be tackling the gasoline price hike by putting in place measures to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and to save people at the pump.