Op-Eds

To fight inflation, President Biden should repeal or reduce Trump-era tariffs. Economists across the political spectrum agree that trade lowers prices and expands choice for consumers, and trade deals open markets for American businesses. Smart trading pacts forge deeper ties with allies, and they serve as a counterweight to Beijing’s aggressive efforts to buy global influence. That’s why the Trump tariffs should go. And instead of being defensive about the decision, the Biden administration—and... Read more

Asked about the future of American democracy, Madeleine Albright called herself “an optimist who worries a lot.” I feel the same way.   Our shared outlook is likely shaped by our similar personal stories.   She was born in Czechoslovakia before World War II. Her family fled Nazism, then communism, and was given sanctuary in the United States. She rose to become the first female Secretary of State.   I was born in Vietnam after the Vietnam War. My family fled communism, was rescued... Read more

Those of us who call Central Florida home know — and the census just  confirmed —  — that our region is growing rapidly. It makes me proud that so many people want to live here. But the dramatic population increase is outpacing efforts to expand and enhance our infrastructure. As anyone who has spent hours sitting in I-4 traffic can attest, we’ve become victims of our own success. That’s why we need to make a major federal investment in Central Florida’s — and our nation’s — infrastructure.... Read more

“We’re all human.”   That’s a line from the song that opened the recent rally outside the Florida Holocaust Museum in St. Petersburg, where Floridians of every color and creed, and from every walk of life, joined forces to denounce the anti-Jewish graffiti that had been scrawled on the museum’s outer wall. The gathering reflected one of Florida’s core strengths — diversity in race, gender, religion, and political philosophy. Public officials and private citizens alike should emulate this example... Read more

As an Asian American member of Congress, I’ve watched physical and verbal assaults on individuals of Asian heritage  increase over the past year — . Some victims are U.S. citizens, others aren’t. Some were born in Asian countries; others were born in America and may never have been to Asia. Some are Chinese or Chinese American; just as often they have been of Japanese, Korean or Vietnamese descent. In many cases, the assailant’s apparent motive was anger about COVID-19. ... Read more

One of us is a member of Congress from Florida who serves on the House Armed Services Committee and used to work as a national security specialist at the Department of Defense. The other is also a former Pentagon official who now leads an organization that promotes strong U.S. defense policies, including close cooperation between the United States and Israel. One of us is a refugee from Vietnam whose family fled a communist regime that seized power after the Vietnam War. The other is an American... Read more

We are grateful to every American who volunteers to serve our country at home or abroad. Service can take many different forms. For thousands of Floridians, membership in the Florida National Guard is their patriotic contribution to their communities and to our country. As Members of Congress from Florida — of both political parties — who sit on the House Armed Services Committee, it is our duty to ensure these brave citizen-soldiers and citizen-airmen have the resources they need to complete their... Read more

As a member of Congress from Florida who used to work at the Pentagon, there is no shortage of national security threats that keep me up at night. China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, the failed state of Venezuela, nuclear weapons, and terrorism all disturb peaceful slumber.   But the most pressing global challenges I see are pandemic disease and climate change. While they may not be considered “national security threats” in the narrowest sense of the term, they pose a clear and present danger... Read more

In the last four months,  over three million  Florida workers lost their jobs and filed for unemployment, victims of the economic crisis created by COVID-19. Most struggled — and many still struggle — to obtain the benefits they are owed, victims of an unemployment system that successive leaders in Tallahassee allowed to atrophy through a combination of indifference, incompetence, and ideology.  Nevertheless, when benefits are finally paid, they are a lifeline for unemployed... Read more

The fight against coronavirus is unlike any our nation has waged in modern history. But this is not the first time we have been tested in such a sudden and devastating fashion — and Congress should draw lessons from our past experience. On Dec. 7, 1941, Imperial Japan launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, killing over 2,000 Americans, crippling the Navy’s Pacific Fleet and drawing us into World War II. On Sept. 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners,... Read more