Opinion Pieces

Please, please, please fill out your census questionnaire By KATHLEEN RICE and JULIE MENIN NEW YORK DAILY NEWS As of today, nearly 40% of New Yorkers have not yet self-responded to the census. This is alarming — especially since we are no longer sure when the deadline to fill out the census will be. Recently, a federal judge issued a ruling preventing the Trump administration from ending the count by Sept. 30, a month before the scheduled, COVID-19-extended completion date of Oct. 31. On Sept. ... Read more

How law enforcement needs to change: A former prosecutor speaks to her ex-colleagues By KATHLEEN RICE NEW YORK DAILY NEWS We have a policing crisis in this country. And I don’t just say that as a member of Congress, or as a concerned citizen. I say that as a career prosecutor. For black and brown Americans, this comes as nothing new. In fact, many of those who have been most adversely affected by our nation’s policing practices are probably tired of hearing people like me point out the obvious. ... Read more

One of my top priorities in Congress is to do everything that I can to strengthen the bonds between the United States and Israel, and to ensure that the United States never wavers in our support for the State of Israel and the Israeli people. This is a priority for me because of the unique bonds that our district shares with Israel. I recognize and value the historical, cultural, and religious bonds that have tied our countries and our people together for so long. And I believe our partnership w... Read more

In just the first five months of this year, 15 states have passed legislation restricting access to abortions in what can only be described as the most egregious attack on women’s rights in 50 years. But let’s be clear: Every woman in this country is still entitled to make her own choices about her body. If she is pregnant and, for whatever reason, cannot bring the pregnancy to term, that is her decision to make, in consultation with her family and medical professionals. She doesn’t owe anybody ... Read more

By U.S. Rep. Kathleen Rice Just before noon on June 22, I finished a meeting in my office and turned on the TV to see the breaking news that would soon reach millions of people across the country: a group of my House Democratic colleagues, led by civil rights hero Rep. John Lewis, were staging a sit-in on the House floor, demanding a vote on legislation to help prevent gun violence in America. Ten days earlier, a man claiming allegiance to radical terrorists had carried out a horrific mass shoo... Read more

By U.S. Rep. Kathleen Rice and MADD Executive Director Richard Mallow When you look at data on drunken driving over the past 30-plus years, it’s clear that we’re making real progress. Drunken driving-related deaths have been cut in half since 1980, down to just under 10,000 in 2014. But it’s equally clear that bringing that number down to zero will require a lot of hard work, creative thinking and new ideas. New York has been a leader in the fight against drunken driving. We were the first stat... Read more

By U.S. Representatives Kathleen Rice (D-NY) and Will Hurd (R-TX) After the Paris and Brussels attacks, Americans are rightfully worried about ISIS operatives infiltrating the United States to plot attacks. Since 2014, more than 80 ISIS-linked individuals have been arrested in 24 states. ISIS is remotely recruiting people within our communities—online and across borders—and encouraging them to carry out attacks. They are also providing “hit lists” of military, law enforcement, and government off... Read more

By Representative Kathleen Rice (NY-04) Ahora que los candidatos presidenciales republicanos están en plena campaña en sus elecciones primarias, hemos escuchado mucho sobre cómo ellos supuestamente arreglarían nuestro sistema migratorio roto. Escuchamos promesas para gastar cientos de miles de millones de dólares para deportaciones, miles de millones de dólares para construir un muro en la frontera y hasta revocar la ciudadanía de niños que nacieron aquí en los Estados Unidos. Y ahora han inici... Read more

By U.S. Representative Kathleen Rice (NY-04) The recent mass shooting at a community college in Oregon has sparked a renewed debate about whether Congress can and should take action to help prevent gun violence. It’s a debate we’re all familiar with, one that has raged on for years, gaining heightened attention in the aftermath of particularly horrific shootings like those at Umpqua Community College in Oregon, Emanuel A.M.E. Church in Charleston, Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, and so many o... Read more

By U.S. Representative Kathleen Rice In the nearly three years since superstorm Sandy, life has changed for all of us on Long Island. Sandy destroyed many of our homes and small businesses, wreaked havoc on our infrastructure, and robbed us of millions of dollars in economic activity. And as we continue to recover, it should be clear to anyone that climate change is a real and destructive threat to our communities. This week President Barack Obama and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (E... Read more