Op-eds

August 24, 2016

Marin Voice: Saving America’s national parks for future generations

by Congressman Jared Huffman

Marin Independent JournalAugust 24, 2016 Venturing around Muir Woods, I am always awestruck by the vast redwoods and beauty of my surroundings, but I also have to marvel at the foresight of the American leaders who acted to protect the scenery, natural historic places and wildlife that our country possesses. One hundred years ago Thursday, Congress took the visionary step of creating the National Park Service to look after our nation's incredible natural heritage. The progressive Republican …  Continue Reading


July 02, 2016

Marin Voice: Making ‘good trouble’ to press Congress to address gun violence

by Congressman Jared Huffman

Everyone's hand went up. We were on the House floor in the June 23 "sit-in" to protest congressional inaction on gun violence, and one of my colleagues asked, "How many of you have lost a constituent, friend or family member to gun violence?" Everyone raised a hand. At that moment, it became clear that for me and dozens of House Democrats, this is no abstract issue; it's a grim reality in our own lives, for families and communities we serve, and for millions of other Americans. That's why …  Continue Reading


June 17, 2016

California’s water strategy deserves an open debate and real solutions

by Congressman Jared Huffman

Sacramento BeeJune 16, 2015 In response to the worst drought in our state's long memory, our public institutions - with one unfortunate exception - are stepping up. Gov. Jerry Brown and the Legislature passed long-overdue groundwater and sustainable water investments through last year's $7.5 billion water bond. Local governments and water districts are launching conservation plans to preserve dwindling water supplies. The Obama administration is providing millions in emergency grants to …  Continue Reading


June 04, 2016

Not Down with TPP: The Trans-Pacific Partnership is a bad deal

by Congressman Jared Huffman

North Bay BohemianJune 3, 2015 Instead of unifying the United States and Pacific Rim nations behind an aggressive greenhouse-gas-reduction plan, the proposed Trans-Pacific Parternership (TTP) trade agreement could threaten our forests, wildlife, oceans, climate, public health and middle-class jobs. It would spur natural gas exports and increase fracking, putting our water at risk and further cementing our addiction to fossil fuel. The TPP, like previous bad trade deals, allows corporations …  Continue Reading


May 14, 2016

Don't punish taxpayers for smart, water efficient choices

by Congressman Jared Huffman

The HillMay 14, 2016 As Americans across the country scrambled to get their taxes filed before the midnight deadline last month, many homeowners found themselves with a new reason to feel frustrated. Their complaint: they may have been hit with a higher tax bill just for working with their local water utility to reduce their water footprint over the last year. In recent years, as states and localities have encouraged homeowners to conserve water and manage runoff, water utilities have …  Continue Reading


March 26, 2016

Congress should stop blocking restoration of the Klamath River

by Congressman Jared Huffman and Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva

Sacramento BeeMarch 26, 2016 On the cusp of commencing one of the most significant river restoration projects in history - a project that would remove four old dams that have diminished water quality and harmed salmon migrating along the mighty Klamath River - it is disappointing that some of our Republican colleagues continue to stand in the way of progress. For years, we have supported a balanced deal to resolve conflicts on the Klamath. We have supported the efforts of the states of …  Continue Reading


September 15, 2014

Congress must reassert its authority over declaring war

by Congressman Jared Huffman

Santa Rosa Press DemocratSeptember 15, 2014 On the 13th anniversary of 9/11, our nation once again honored lives lost, gave thanks to our brave first responders and reflected on lessons learned from that terrible day. I'm proud of the unity and resolve our country demonstrated in response to 9/11 and grateful that we are better prepared to prevent terrorist attacks. I'm also mindful of mistakes we made in seeking to address security threats in the wake of 9/11 - most notably, the disastrous …  Continue Reading


September 15, 2014

Congress must reassert its authority over declaring war

by Congressman Jared Huffman

By Congressman Jared Huffman Santa Rosa Press DemocratSeptember 15, 2014 On the 13th anniversary of 9/11, our nation once again honored lives lost, gave thanks to our brave first responders and reflected on lessons learned from that terrible day. I'm proud of the unity and resolve our country demonstrated in response to 9/11 and grateful that we are better prepared to prevent terrorist attacks. I'm also mindful of mistakes we made in seeking to address security threats in …  Continue Reading


April 02, 2014

Repairing Democracy

by Congressmen Jared Huffman, Alan Lowenthal, and Beto O'Rourke

By Congressmen Jared Huffman, Alan Lowenthal, and Beto O'RourkeMarch 28, 2014The Huffington Post As freshmen members of the U.S. House of Representatives, we know the corrosive effect the out-of-control campaign finance system is having on our democracy. Every election brings new examples of special interests drowning out the voices of ordinary citizens -- and of candidates who are forced to fight back against outrageous attack ads from shadowy groups with Orwellian names. This system isn't …  Continue Reading


February 04, 2014

Our land, our legacy, our responsibility

by Reps. Chris Gibson (R-N.Y.) and Jared Huffman (D-Calif.)

February 4, 2014The Hill America's public lands are an essential part of our national heritage. The land and history we inherit defines us and we have a moral obligation to safeguard these national treasures and preserve this heritage for future generations. For well over a century, the Antiquities Act has been a critical tool for realizing this objective. Signed into law by President Theodore Roosevelt, perhaps the greatest conservationist to ever hold the Presidency, the Antiquities Act …  Continue Reading


January 31, 2014

Restoring pride in the U.S. Postal fleet

by Congressman Jared Huffman

Santa Rosa Press DemocratJanuary 31, 2014 It's no secret that the U.S. Postal Service is in a financial crisis. It lost $5 billion in fiscal year 2013, its seventh consecutive net loss. At the end of 2012, it had reached its $15 billion debt limit and defaulted on billions in payments to avert bankruptcy. Clearly, we must bring financial stability to this critical federal agency. Part of these financial woes can be blamed on Congress: in 2006, Congress passed a crippling law requiring that …  Continue Reading


January 24, 2014

Addiction programs need our support

by Letter to the Editor

Eureka Times-StandardJanuary 24, 2014 Ms. Roseann Potter's recent op-ed ("Treating addiction cheaper than policing it," Times-Standard, Jan. 15, Page A4) is absolutely right that we need innovative and community-based approaches for drug use prevention and substance abuse treatment. These efforts save lives. Many in our communities are doing incredible work to combat substance abuse. In Humboldt County, organizations like the Alcohol and Drug Care Services and United Indian Health Services …  Continue Reading


November 22, 2013

Marin Voice: Remember President Kennedy's legacy

by Congressman Jared Huffman

I appreciate more than ever President Kennedy's imprint on our country: his ambitious policy initiatives, but even more so his ability to inspire Americans to believe in a better future and to do their part in building it. Marin Independent JournalNovember 22, 2013 THREE MONTHS after John F. Kennedy's assassination, I was born into a world that was already being shaped by his legacy. From civil rights to science, space, the Peace Corps, and environmental protection, President Kennedy …  Continue Reading


June 13, 2013

Marin Voice: Oysters, wilderness and Congress: Where I stand

by Congressman Jared Huffman

June 19, 2013Marin Independent Journal AFTER SEEING MY POSITION on the Drakes Estero oyster dispute mischaracterized by others, I'm writing to let people hear where I stand - from me. Few issues have polarized our community more. One side vehemently disagrees with former Interior Secretary Ken Salazar's wilderness designation and wants the oyster farm's federal lease renewed. The other side passionately opposes renewal as incompatible with making Drakes Estero the first marine wilderness in …  Continue Reading


September 12, 2012

For Northern California rivers, luck is not a plan

by Congressman Jared Huffman

San Francisco ChronicleSeptember 12, 2013 In "Dirty Harry," Clint Eastwood memorably asked, do you "feel lucky?" It made for great theater, but it's no way to manage North Coast salmon. Unfortunately, that's been the policy of the U.S. Department of Interior toward the near-record run of chinook salmon that is migrating up the Trinity and Klamath rivers. Instead of a comprehensive strategy to fulfill its duty to protect this iconic fishery, the department is rolling the dice. So far, the …  Continue Reading

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