Commentary by U.S. Representative Michael Honda (CA-15)
U.S. Must Take Responsibility to Lead, U.S. Representative Michael Honda (D-CA), The Hill, December 8, 2009. READ ARTICLE
English-Language Learners Deserve to Be Understood, U.S. Representative Michael Honda (D-CA), Edutopia Magazine, December 2009. READ ARTICLE
Shift Control From Utilities to Citizens, U.S. Representative Michael Honda (D-CA), The Hill, October 27, 2009. READ ARTICLE
Save a Bay Area Mountain, U.S. Representative Michael Honda (D-CA), San Francisco Chronicle, October 21, 2009. READ ARTICLE
Keep Our Families Together - Reform Immigration Laws, U.S. Representative Michael Honda (D-CA), Roll Call, October 19, 2009. READ ARTICLE
A Different Kind of Surge, U.S. Representative Michael Honda (D-CA), Washington Times, October 12, 2009. READ ARTICLE
Afghanistan Solution, U.S. Representative Michael Honda (D-CA), The Hill, October 9, 2009. READ ARTICLE
The Hill's Special Reports: A Vital Forum for Lawmakers to Shape, Debate Policy, U.S. Representative Michael Honda (D-CA), The Hill, September 29, 2009. READ ARTICLE
Baucus Should Be More Inclusive With Health Care Plan, U.S. Representative Michael Honda (D-CA), Roll Call, September 22, 2009. READ ARTICLE
Public Option Enjoys Broad Support Despite Falsehoods Spread by Critics, U.S. Representative Michael Honda (D-CA), The Hill, September 10, 2009. READ ARTICLE
Misinformation Makes Town Hall Meetings Tough, U.S. Representative Michael Honda (D-CA), San Jose Mercury News, September 9, 2009. READ ARTICLE
The Wide Wake Left by Ted Kennedy's Legacy, U.S. Representative Michael Honda (D-CA), Politico, August 27, 2009. READ ARTICLE
Minority Report, U.S. Representative Michael Honda (D-CA), The Guardian, August 23, 2009. READ ARTICLE
Development Rift Deeper, U.S. Representative Michael Honda (D-CA), Washington Times, August 16, 2009. READ ARTICLE
California Needs Health Care Reform, U.S. Representative Michael Honda (D-CA), San Francisco Chronicle, August 15, 2009. READ ARTICLE
Realignment of Education Priorities, Funding Needed in California, U.S. Representative Michael Honda (D-CA), Milpitas Post, July 17, 2009. READ ARTICLE
Regina Benjamin is a Welcome Choice for Surgeon General, U.S. Representative Michael Honda (D-CA), The Hill, July 14, 2009. READ ARTICLE
A Public Option Must Be Part of Health Care Plan, U.S. Representative Michael Honda (D-CA), Roll Call, July 10, 2009. READ ARTICLE
Federal Aid Keeps County on Course, U.S. Representative Michael Honda (D-CA), San Jose Mercury News, June 27, 2009. READ ARTICLE
Power to the People, U.S. Representative Michael Honda (D-CA), The Hill, June 24, 2009. READ ARTICLE
Congress Needs to Hear from Constituents on Climate Change, U.S. Representative Michael Honda (D-CA), San Jose Mercury News, June 10, 2009. READ ARTICLE
Let Barack Obama Accelerate Stimulus Funds, U.S. Representative Michael Honda (D-CA), Politico, June 9, 2009. READ ARTICLE
Moving US from Carbon Energy to Clean Power, U.S. Representative Michael Honda (D-CA), San Francisco Chronicle, June 7, 2009. READ ARTICLE
Reuniting Families Act Would Aid Economy, Help Clear Immigration Backlog, U.S. Representative Michael Honda (D-CA), The Hill, June 3, 2009. READ ARTICLE
Accurate 100-Day Tests Must Review Previous 100 Days, U.S. Representative Michael Honda (D-CA), Roll Call, May 21, 2009. READ ARTICLE
Global Warming Concern Wrongly Overlooks Oceans, U.S. Representative Michael Honda (D-CA), The Hill, May 21, 2009. READ ARTICLE
House Considers Supplemental Appropriations, U.S. Representative Michael Honda (D-CA), The Hill, May 20, 2009. READ ARTICLE
DREAM Act Is a Small Investment with a Large Return, U.S. Representative Michael Honda (D-CA), College Board: Connection, May 20, 2009. READ ARTICLE
Free Market Will Not Fix America's Failing Schools, U.S. Representative Michael Honda (D-CA), Financial Times, May 13, 2009. READ ARTICLE
Measure Would Create Commission to Study Classroom Disparities, U.S. Representative Michael Honda (D-CA), The Hill, May 5, 2009. READ ARTICLE
This Earth Day, Educate One Another, U.S. Representative Michael Honda (D-CA), Politico, April 22, 2009. READ ARTICLE
Honda Responds to Twitter Criticism, U.S. Representative Michael Honda (D-CA), Pacific Citizen, April 2009. READ ARTICLE
Dreaming of College: A Path to Higher Education for Undocumented Students, U.S. Representative Michael Honda (D-CA), Education Week, April 6, 2009. READ ARTICLE
Rethinking America's AfPak Strategy, U.S. Representative Michael Honda (D-CA), The Guardian, March 30, 2009. READ ARTICLE
Alternative Strategies to Obama's Afghan Agenda, U.S. Representatives Michael Honda (D-CA) and Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Chicago Tribune, March 22, 2009. READ ARTICLE
Obama Should Avoid Bush's Errors in Dealing with Afghanistan, U.S. Representatives Michael Honda (D-CA) and Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Roll Call, March 16, 2009. READ ARTICLE
Want a Better, Safer World? Volunteer. U.S. Representative Michael Honda (CA-15), Christian Science Monitor, March 6, 2009. READ ARTICLE
Nanotech Deserves Public and Private Support, U.S. Representative Michael Honda (CA-15), San Jose Mercury News, March 5, 2009. READ ARTICLE
Twitter Can Open the Gates of Civic Engagement, U.S. Representative Michael Honda (CA-15), Financial Times, March 3, 2009. READ ARTICLE
U.S. Needs to Make the Peace Corps Bigger, Better, Bolder, U.S. Representative Michael Honda (CA-15), Roll Call, March 2, 2009. READ ARTICLE
Asian-Americans Confront District Set of Challenges, U.S. Representative Michael Honda (CA-15), The Hill, February 11, 2009. READ ARTICLE
Building America's Brains, U.S. Representative Michael Honda (CA-15), The Guardian, February 10, 2009. READ ARTICLE
Nation Needs Commission to Find Solution to Deteriorating Education System, U.S. Representative Michael Honda (CA-15), Roll Call, January 30, 2009. READ ARTICLE
Latest Top (20) News
The Anti-Bullying Movement: What's Next (Huffington Post 5/17/12) As an educator of more than 30 years and a member of Congress who was bullied as a child, I am inspired to do my part. That's why I founded the Congressional Anti-Bullying Caucus. The caucus will provide a premier forum to develop legislative solutions to prevent bullying and help raise public awareness.
Thu, 17 May 2012 14:22:13 +0000 Breaking the Cycle of Violence Against Women and Children: The Domestic Violence Judicial Support Act (HuffPo 2/9/12)) Dr. Amy Castillo's three children could and should be alive today.
Dr. Castillo, a pediatrician, spent the first days of 2008 in Maryland District Court trying to get a protective order against her abusive husband Mark Castillo. Amy testified that her husband had been involuntarily admitted to a psychiatric hospital for a suicide attempt and manic-like destructive behavior. On January 10, 2008, the court, despite hearing further testimony about Mark Castillo's threats to kill his children, refused to grant a permanent protective order on the grounds of insufficient evidence.
On March 29, 2008, Mark Castillo drowned Anthony, 6, Austin, 4, and Athena, 2, in a hotel bathtub in Baltimore. The justice system tragically failed to protect Amy and her children.
Amy Castillo's tragedy -- and countless more just like it -- are an urgent call to action
Wed, 15 Feb 2012 23:31:34 +0000 Congressman Honda on the OPEN ACT (Minority Report 1/20/13) WASHINGTON, DC – Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif, officially introduced H.R. 3782, the Online Protection & Enforcement of Digital Trade Act in the U.S. House of Representatives. This bill delivers stronger intellectual property rights for American artists and innovators while protecting the open, accessible Internet Americans deserve. This bipartisan, bicameral bill protects American artists and innovators through the International Trade Commission (ITC), by applying due process to investigate intellectual property infringement claims against foreign “rogue” websites and cuts off funding to sites found to be willfully and primarily trafficking infringed material. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., has introduced the OPEN Act in the U.S. Senate.
Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:41:19 +0000 Thoughts on Martin Luther King’s Legacy - RAFU SHIMPO (1/19/12) WASHINGTON — Japanese American members of Congress observed Martin Luther King’s birthday this week with the following statements:
• Rep. Mike Honda (D-San Jose): “Today, Jan. 16, our nation honors the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a man whose tireless work for peace and freedom continues to inspire and enrich the lives of countless Americans. Dr. King’s enduring vision of bridging ethnic and social divides is an incomparable guide as we continue to fight for civil rights and equality for all.
Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:51:04 +0000 UPI NewsTrack TopNews - Congressman Honda on SOPA (1/18/12) At least four West Coast Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives -- Zoe Lofgren, Mike Honda and Anna Eshoo of California, and Earl Blumenauer of Oregon -- posted messages on their official Web sites or temporarily blacked out their sites to show support for the Internet protest, Roll Call reported.
Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:40:21 +0000 OVERNIGHT TECH: Web finds its voice in online piracy debate - The Hill's Hillicon Valley (1/18/12) THE LEDE: Wednesday's wide-ranging online protests against the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect IP Act (PIPA) saw the emergence of the Web community as a political constituency, one capable of mobilizing quickly in opposition to legislation that could potentially compromise the openness of the Internet...
“Today, thousands of websites and millions of Americans are standing up to protest the internet censorship bills currently moving through Congress, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA). These bills would set a dangerous precedent and represent a big step backwards in Washington's efforts to foster growth in the digital sector. These bills would have a profound effect on how the internet functions on a basic level, undermining the legal process and overturning long-standing practices established in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act." — Rep. Mike Honda (D-Calif.)
Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:35:08 +0000 Congressional Websites Go Dark, Too - ROLL CALL (1/18/12) Reps. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), Mike Honda(D-Calif.) and Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) showed protest messages on their House.gov sites on the same day as websites such as link aggregator Reddit and online encyclopedia Wikipedia went dark over the Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect IP Act.
Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:27:12 +0000 In California, the divide is north vs. south (on SOPA) - Politico (1/18/12) California opponents of the bill include Democratic Reps. Zoe Lofgren, Doris Matsui, Mike Thompson, Mike Honda and George Miller, all from the north. Democratic Rep. Jackie Speier — who represents a district outside San Francisco — has said she intends to sign on as an original co-sponsor of Republican Rep. Darrell Issa’s alternative to the SOPA bill.
“The bills as currently constructed, with overbroad definitions, will do much more harm than good, hurting the very people they are supposed to protect,” said Honda, who represents the 15th Congressional District in Silicon Valley. He warned that Congress is “haphazardly rewriting current digital copyright laws” without involving a diverse group of stakeholders.
Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:16:02 +0000 BART Silicon Valley Berryessa Extension Project anticipates federal grant (Tri-City Voice 1/14/12) The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) learned on January 9, 2012, that its $900M-grant request for the BART Silicon Valley Berryessa Extension Project has received all of the administrative approvals from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). VTA can expect the award of funds through a full funding grant agreement (FFGA) 60 days from the date of notification.
The execution of an FFGA with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is the final step before active construction can commence on the project, planned for Spring 2012. The FFGA is the multi-year contractual agreement between the FTA and VTA that formally defines the project scope, cost and schedule and establishes the terms of the $900M in federal financial assistance.
"The BART Silicon Valley Project has had years of design and planning and I'm proud to see this important, job-creation project become a reality," said U.S. Congressman Mike Honda. "As a current Member of the House Appropriations Committee
Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:13:47 +0000 CA: Federal Officials Recommend Full Funding for BART Extension to San Jose (Mass Transit Magazine 1/12/12) Jan. 10--The deal to extend BART to the South Bay is finally clearing its last major hurdle after a six-decade struggle.
On Tuesday the U.S. Department of Transportation will recommend to Congress that more than $900 million in federal aid be set aside for BART over the next decade -- the entire amount sought by local transportation officials for the $2.3 billion extension from Fremont to San Jose.
"This is it," said Jack d'Annibale, communications director for Rep. Mike Honda, D-San Jose. "We're on the goal line going in."
Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:12:02 +0000 PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER: Measuring the Cost of Violence (Philadelphia Inquirer 1/11/12) Homicide, other violent crimes, incarceration, policing, and guns are costing this country hundreds of billions of dollars, and millions of jobs, every year. According to conservative estimates by the Institute for Economics and Peace, if the United States were on par with Canada on all five of those fronts, it could save $361 billion a year and add 2.7 million jobs. Given America's high debt and unemployment, it could certainly benefit from both.
Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:10:08 +0000 Honda’s Statement on One-Year Anniversary of Tucson Shooting (RAFU SHIMPO 1/12/12) WASHINGTON — Rep. Mike Honda issued the following statement on Saturday:
“Exactly one year ago today, in Tucson, Ariz., a diverse group of Americans came together to meet their member of Congress and to make their voices heard in the best tradition of our beloved democracy. This great meeting of neighbors and friends, this great exchange of dialogue and discourse was shattered by a tragic act of mindless violence.
Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:09:02 +0000 Congress accomplished 'not much' last year, says Rep. Honda (The Hill 1/11/12) Congress accomplished very little during the first half of its 112th session, Rep. Mike Honda (D-Cali.) told a a crowd of Rotarians in his district on Monday.
“I understand you want to know what’s been happening in Congress the past few months,” said Honda, holding up printed pages of a speech, as reported by the Milpitas, Cali., Patch. “My speechwriter told me to mention the many things we have accomplished. But I’m just going to say it— not much has been accomplished."
Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:07:43 +0000 Rep. Honda: We are Imperfect People, with an Imperfect Government (Cupertino Patch 1/12/12) When Congressman Mike Honda (D-Milpitas) entered Brandon’s Restaurant in the Beverly Heritage Hotel Monday afternoon for his visit with the Milpitas Rotary Club, he greeted longtime members by name, was happy to answer questions and shake hands, and made no fuss by taking a seat at the table closest to him and joining everyone for lunch.
When he took the podium, however, he was all business, but talked with a refreshing, conversational nature that endeared him to the room, cracking a few jokes, making eye contact and keeping a warm smile on his face.
Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:06:38 +0000 Downtown San Jose rally-goers seek economic, political empowerment (San Jose Mercury News 1/12/12) The event was staged by Dream Menders, a grass-roots group of 60 or so residents seeking a more progressive solution to the current political, social and economic problems facing many Americans.
Among the speakers on hand were U.S. Reps. Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose) and Mike Honda (D-Campbell).