Earlier this week, the House passed legislation I introduced in February to begin much needed repair on our nation’s aging publicly owned deficient dams. The Dam Rehabilitation and Repair Act provides $200 million in grants to states over a 5-year period, and it is a major first step to improving the safety of critical dams.

In Colorado alone, there are 340 dams classified as high hazard dams — meaning they are near people and can potentially endanger lives. Congress cannot wait for our nation to suffer a catastrophic dam failure that takes life to address this serious issue. High hazard dams owned or operated by state, local, or municipal governments or agencies that provide a significant benefit to the public will be able to compete for rehabilitation funds granted to states under this important legislation. We all stand to benefit from this critically needed funding for repairs to dams across the United States. Congress either makes the decision to repair our aging dam infrastructure today, or face the potential for catastrophic dam failures across the country in the future.

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) posted this Halloween web ad to its homepage today criticizing the Rangel tax bill.

The NRCC rates the film “T” for “Scary tax film.”

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel’s (D-N.Y.) tax bill, unveiled Oct. 18, eliminates the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) but contains offsets that have caused an uproar among Republicans.

Since our days in Arkansas, I have known Senator Clinton to be a compassionate leader, who has dedicated her life to making our country and its people strong. Last night during the debate, Senator Clinton demonstrated grace under fire by rising above negative campaign tactics and instead reaffirmed her commitment to bring positive change for our country. By promising to turn away from President Bush’s failed policies and addressing real issues like Iraq and Social Security, Clinton shows she will not be sidetracked from the mission to make our country a better place for all Americans.

It was expected that some candidates at last night’s Democratic Presidential Debate in Philadelphia were going to attack Hillary Clinton’s positions. Clinton keeps widening the gap in the polls and clearly is the candidate to beat.

Clinton expressed she would not stand idly by in dealing with Iran. She emphasized that we should not go to war but instead, attempt to use aggressive diplomatic means to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons. She wants to get our troops home as soon as possible, and has vowed to end the war when she’s elected. Both of these issues are vital to our national security, and we should stand behind the candidate who has the clear path towards keeping our country whole.

The witnesses at today’s Budget Committee hearing on the Bipartisan Task Force for Responsible Fiscal Action Act agree that now is the time to address our nation’s long-term fiscal challenges and entitlement spending. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Comptroller General David Walker, Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget Co-Chairman Leon Panetta, AARP CEO William Novelli, and Concord Coalition Executive Director Bob Bixby each contributed to a constructive dialogue on the Task Force and offered some thoughtful suggestions. I look forward to working with both sides of the aisle to advance this important legislation that is so critical to the economic well-being of future generations.

We must bring the focus of the debate about Iraq back to Iraq and deliver a strong message to Iraq’s leaders that the cycle of dependence cannot continue indefinitely.  At this critical juncture of U.S. policy toward Iraq, the Iraq policy toward the U.S. seems disjointed, disconnected and disassociated. The level of progress on the benchmarks is debatable—what is undeniable is the fact that progress is needed on some of the most urgent issues to bring peace and stability in Iraq.

The Iraqi government has failed to enact a de-Ba’athification law, the Parliament has failed to enact a law on equitable distribution of hydrocarbon resources and revenues, and they’ve failed to provide the three trained and ready brigades to support Baghdad operations, and the disarmament of the militias has not occurred. These are fundamental failures by a government that continues to expect the United States to invest in Iraq with our soldiers and our dollars and these failures are unacceptable. We can’t continue on this path and cycle of Iraqi dependence on the United States.

We can’t afford lackadaisical leadership when it comes to product safety. How many recalls do there need to be before Chairman Nord admits that her agency is floundering? It’s time for her to go.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) will begin airing this presidential campaign ad in New Hampshire Thursday night, showcasing his pivotal role in unraveling a corrupt tanker procurement deal between Boeing and the Pentagon in 2003.

Two Boeing officials went to jail and Air Force Secretary James Roche resigned as a result of the scandal.

The ad shows McCain’s involvement as evidence that the senator will fight corruption and wasteful government spending if elected president.

I think that Democratic debate served as a turning point in this campaign. There is a dead heat in Iowa and if Senator Clinton does not win in Iowa, there will be a reassessment of the race.

It was not a good night for Clinton. Not taking a clear position on the important issue of Social Security hurt her. When she was asked the question on whether or not illegal immigrants should be given drivers licenses, she was not for or against it. I think that voters will look at that.

Democratic voters want to hear policy agenda. What Clinton did last night by not having a clear position, may rub voters the wrong way.

The reality is, the nomination race is not over yet.

The American Bar Association has renewed its call for a moratorium on executions in the United States until states thoroughly review and reform their systems to assure due process and fairness, based on three years analysis of how capital cases are investigated, prosecuted and appealed in eight sample death penalty states. Key findings released Oct. 29 identify problems common among the eight studied states, and suggest they may also exist among the 30 other U.S. death penalty jurisdictions. Problems include major racial disparities, inadequate indigent defense services and irregular clemency review processes that make the death penalty systems operate unfairly. Local legal experts applied 93 protocols, based on ABA policies to assure due process and fairness, as measuring points to the death penalty systems in Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Tennessee, and found serious flaws in each of the states. Five of the local teams urged their own officials to implement a moratorium, though teams in Arizona, Florida and Pennsylvania did not. While the ABA takes no position for or against the death penalty itself, since 1997 it has urged a moratorium in each jurisdiction that provides for capital punishment until the state conducts a thorough and exhaustive study to determine whether its system meets legal standards for fairness and due process. The reviews were a first step in each of the eight states, but not a substitute for the thorough analysis supported by the ABA, because the volunteer legal teams could not obtain access to much of the information needed to assess compliance with many of the protocols.