Rep. Louise Slaughter

Each week, the cast of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit appears on screen to solve some of the most violent cases of sexual assault in New York City. Unfortunately, as we all know, the trauma of sexual assault isn't limited to what we see on TV -- and in...

"The American People Want a Fair Shot, Not a Rigged Game"

In the chaotic twelve months since Republicans assumed control of the House of Representatives, the American people have watched Congress grind to a halt. Much of this dysfunction was caused by a tangled...

Before you sit down to your holiday ham this season, think on this -- nearly half of pigs on U.S. farms carry MRSA, a "super bug" that causes all kinds of tough-to-treat infections. It's not just pork putting you and your family at risk -- nearly half of...

I want to help explain what is happening on the floor of the House of Representatives. We should be voting to extend middle class tax cuts, but through some legislative acrobatics, the Republican Majority has designed a vote that will guarantee that a tax break for the middle class will...

This week we stand on the cusp of an exciting milestone for women's health as the FDA evaluates whether or not to allow the Plan B One-Step emergency contraception to be brought from behind the pharmacist's counter, onto the shelves with other contraceptive methods. If they approve this move, as...

Thomas Friedman recently wrote a wonderful column about the many foreign policy accomplishments of President Obama. From deposing Muammar Gaddafi in Libya to finally capturing Osama bin Laden, President Obama has been very successful in promoting stability, democracy, and freedom around the world.

Yet it was when...

Earlier today, Jared Loughner, a troubled young man who is accused of shooting 20 innocent people, including my colleague, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, was found unfit to stand trial for his actions.

Mr. Loughner's mental and emotional troubles have been well documented and were well known among classmates,...

The Republican Party would like you to think that the debate over their proposed anti-choice legislation (HR 3 and HR 358) is a debate about whether or not we should value life. Rest assured it is not; we all value life.

The debate is about a bedrock principle of...

On Wednesday, the Republican majority will vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act. By voting for repeal, the Republican majority is taking away valuable health care protections and benefits provided for women.

The truth is that women have the most to gain from the Affordable Care Act. Prior to...

What if I told you that you were going to trial on Monday, but that what you said in the court room didn't matter?

What if I told you the presiding judge had spent 20 years working against your beliefs?

What if I told you that he cared...

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...