Throwback Thursday: "We Must Not Lose Our Hope or Optimism"

Statement

With Congress's five-week legislative recess beginning at the end of this week, I've heard a lot of pessimism -- on the news, and as I've talked to voters in this district. There's a sense that now, more than at any other time in our history, Congress is dysfunctional: on track to pass a record low number of bills, and with several pieces of key legislation left unresolved going into a five week break.

I understand the frustration with Congress. I believe our government can do a much better job serving its constituents -- that's why I decided to run for office in the first place.

But criticizing government without offering solutions gets us nowhere. That's a sentiment I feel strongly about. It has propelled me to put forth comprehensive platforms like my Jobs Plan and my Women in the Workplace Agenda. And it's a belief I've held for a long time, which I articulated in an op-ed I wrote in high school that was printed in my hometown paper, the Bucks County Courier Times.

One part stands out to me in particular:

"It is true that we must recognize our problems, but we must not lose our hope or our optimism... Each of us must help solve our problems instead of spending time criticizing our institutions. We need people who want to help improve our society, not cynics who pounce at the opportunity to find fault in our system."

Every day, our volunteers are taking action by talking to their neighbors about the issues that matter most, and by believing that change is possible.

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