Jonathan Safran Foer's new book, Eating Animals, has inspired a lively discussion here at HuffPo about how we produce the food we eat. One of the most important issues on that subject to me as a microbiologist is the danger of overusing antibiotics.

There is a direct correlation between the...

As August winds to a close, parents and children are getting ready to go back to school. In between buying supplies, trying on new clothes, and sorting out schedules, there is another important step to prepare -- getting every child vaccinated. Making sure that school age boys and girls are...

Today's House passage of H.R. 2749, the Food Safety Enhancement Act, marks a victory that every American should applaud. After all, we all eat, and we want confidence that we're eating the safest food possible.

From spinach to peanut butter to cookie dough, the foods that we consume everyday make...

As a Microbiologist and a Member of Congress, I have been increasingly concerned with the recent rise of antibiotic resistant bacteria, or "superbugs." Quite simply, we are losing the ability to treat human infections and diseases because we have misused one of the greatest scientific products ever created.

Last...

Thursday night we learned that a provision banning the release of prisoner abuse photos was dropped from the supplemental war spending bill. At its core, this is a major victory for democracy and open government because it means that the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) will be left intact.

Today, the House of Representatives unanimously passed my resolution condemning the murder of Dr. George Tiller who was shot to death in his church in Wichita, Kansas on May 31, 2009 and offered sincere condolences to his family.

This tragic event, during which one man with a history of animosity...

As Chair of the House Rules Committee, I must clear up untruths regarding the economic recovery package.

We've heard a lot of noise across the aisle about how partisan the development of the bill was --- that Republicans were blocked from being involved. This is entirely false. In fact, this...

Today marks the thirty-sixth anniversary of the landmark Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision which affirmed a woman's right to choose. Since being handed down, it has remained the subject of contentious debate, both sides with fierce opinions and moral convictions. I will always be a steadfast supporter of a...

I do not need to tell you that our nation is staring down the barrel of a huge energy crisis. Anyone who has filled up their gas tank, paid their home energy bill, ridden on an airplane, or bought groceries recently knows that the cost of gasoline and energy are...

Last Thursday, I gave testimony on sexual assault in the military at a House Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee oversight hearing. Kaye Whitley, director of the Department's Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office, had been subpoenaed to testify at Thursday's hearing, but apparently Department of Defense officials instructed her...

On January 6, 2006, the New York Times reported on a secret Pentagon study that found that as many as 80 percent of the Marines who had been killed in Iraq from wounds to the upper body could have survived if they had had extra body armor.

You might have caught the article in the Sunday New York Times or today's segments on CNN highlighting a serious form of discrimination, the improper use of genetic information by a person's employer or insurer.

The article in the Times and the pieces of cable news each referenced legislation...

Yesterday was truly a historic day. The United States House of Representatives stood up to those in the Bush administration who believe they are not subject to the Congressional oversight that is mandated by our nation's Constitution.

A Congress that once was asleep at the wheel has finally woken...

I attended last night's State of the Union address with hopes that President Bush would surprise me and offer some fresh new ideas on how to solve at least some of the pressing challenges that our nation faces today.

However, five minutes into the speech, all I could think was,...

Yesterday, we proudly recognized a date when over three decades ago the Supreme Court affirmed a woman's right to privacy, taking pride in the fact that thirty-five years ago our nation was fortunate enough to have a court that actually protected a women's right to make her own choices about...

This morning, under the leadership of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Senate Republicans blocked a bipartisan energy bill supported by 59 out of 100 senators, the majority of the House of Representatives, and the American people. Failing to reach the 60 votes needed to move the legislation forward...

Two weeks ago, I learned of the indictment of David H. Brooks, the founder and former CEO of Point Blank Solutions, Inc., and its COO Sandra Hatfield for insider trading, fraud, obstruction of justice, and tax evasion to the tune of nearly $200 million dollars.

Point Blank...

Last week, I came to the Huffington Post to speak about what I called "one of the most important actions of this new Congress" when the House voted with overwhelming bipartisian support to renew and improve the State Children's Health Insurance Plan (SCHIP).

Today, in a move...

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives will take one of the most important actions in this new Congress when it votes to renew and improve the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).

SCHIP currently provides health care coverage for 6.6 million children across America, and its reauthorization preserves...

Like many of you, I awoke this morning to the news that Alberto Gonzales had submitted his resignation as Attorney General.

Following in the footsteps of his close friend Karl Rove, Gonzales exits the White House under a cloud of scandal. It must be made clear, however, that their resignations...