Who can you trust to fight for you? CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE JASON RITTEREISER.

David,   Politicians in Washington D.C. are full of promises, and sometimes it’s hard to tell what their real priorities are until they show us. This week, President Trump made his priorities crystal clear.   On the campaign trail, Trump swore he would protect Medicare. But his new budget would slash funding for Medicare, along with gutting funding for nutrition assistance for children in need and eliminating loan forgiveness for students who go into public service professions like teaching, nursing, and law enforcement.   We’ve seen this before. Our Republican opponent Dino Rossi is campaigning on his record of balancing the state budget. But his budget raised taxes on seniors in nursing homes, eliminated Medicaid coverage for 46,000 kids, and raised tuition at our public colleges and universities.   The state budget that Dino Rossi can’t stop bragging about makes it obvious that he shares the president’s priorities - gutting the programs that help people who need it most.   Make no mistake - taking away funding for these programs is dangerous. By taking away funding for school lunch and for healthcare people need to survive, Dino Rossi and President Trump are choosing to harm our children and future generations.    Every day on the campaign trail, I hear from parents who are struggling to pay for college tuition, from recent graduates who are being crushed by their student loan debt, and from small businesses who haven’t seen the gains in the economy that Trump brags about.   It’s time for a new generation of leaders to take on our greatest challenges. It’s time we governed for people, not against them. My experience demonstrates my priorities and what I’ll do in Congress - be a voice for the middle class, small businesses, and working families, and fight for future generations, not against them.    -- Jason

Common Heartbreak and Common Ground. CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE KEN HARBAUGH.

David -- My heart is broken for families in Parkland, Florida. As a country, I know we stand united in this grief. We know that every American -- Every. Single. One. -- wants our children to be safe. But the moment we begin to talk about solutions, we tear one another apart. For a lot of people -- for many of our elected representatives -- that means we simply don’t talk about solutions. We don’t have conversations. We don’t say the word gun. We offer thoughts and prayers and then look the other way. But our children are dying at school. Our children are dying at school. We must talk about guns. We must wrap our thoughts and prayers in courage, action, and love. Voters have asked me this week, “Ken, where do we even begin?” 1.) We start by acknowledging that we are not as divided as our politics suggest. I am a hunter, a gun owner, and a veteran of the United States military. I am also a Christian, a father, and a neighbor. I want to be able to protect my family. I want my wife to feel safe in our place of worship, and I want my children to feel safe in their schools. Regardless of party, I believe every father feels the same. So when we have these difficult conversations, remember our shared values. 2.) We speak with authority and act with courage. I have fought for this country. My friends have died for this country. So I speak with some authority when I say that fully automatic weapons are for killing terrorists and background checks are for protecting families. I have fought terrorism overseas and sat across the table from Afghan warlords. So I speak with some authority when I say that we must prevent dangerous weapons from falling into the hands of dangerous people -- people who seek to bring death, despair, and destruction on our families here at home. We must prevent potential terrorists and people on no-fly lists from obtaining firearms.   I have put my life on the line to defend this country. So I speak with some authority when I say that I do not need a bump stock to defend my family. And if a 19-year-old boy is not old enough to buy a beer in the state of Florida, then we should come together as a nation and say that he is not old enough to buy an assault rifle either.  Each of these solutions has overwhelming bipartisan support. The question is: how do we turn these ideas into policy? 3.) We elect representatives who will lead. We must drain the swamp of Congressmen whose silence can be bought with donations from special interests. My opponent, Bob Gibbs, has taken $24,550 from the gun lobby. That has been the price of his silence. I have been asked this week, “Ken, will you take money from the NRA?” My answer is no. I believe in the Second Amendment. But I will not be beholden to any Washington special interest group that demands silence in the wake of tragedy and inaction in the face of national crisis. That is not leadership. That is not courage. That is not the democracy I fought to defend. Our children are dying. This is a time for patriots, not politicians. As a nation, we need to come together in common heartbreak and common purpose -- and find common ground. In service, Ken. Meet Ken

TWO STORIES TO CONTRAST: REMEMBERING A HERO, AND THE REPUBLICANS STILL WORSHIPPING AT THE ALTARS OF INDIFFERENCE , HATE , AND THE NRA...

U.S. CONGRESSMAN DAVID CICILLINE. Dear David, 17 innocent people were gunned down earlier this week at a high school in Florida. Their deaths are but the most recent in a long line of Americans whose lives were ended with the pull of a trigger. Over the past 50 years, more Americans have died from guns than in all the wars our country has ever fought. I cannot comprehend what would compel someone to take the life of another person. But I do know that we have to do something about it. There are dozens of bills pending in Congress today that would reduce gun violence in our communities. I've authored and co-sponsored legislation to keep guns out of the hands of criminals, children, and individuals with serious mental illness such that possessing a gun would pose a threat to themselves or others. None of these bills have moved forward, however, because the Republicans who control Congress refuse to consider any legislation opposed by the gun lobby. I’m not going to give up. In the days and weeks to come, I will continue fighting to advance these important bills and propose some more. We are the only advanced country on earth where this level of violence persists. All of us who serve in Congress, Republican and Democrat alike, owe it to the American people to end this carnage and the pain it inflicts on communities across our nation. Sergeant McKenna  In December, I introduced legislation in the House to rename the U.S. Post Office located at 515 Hope Street in Bristol, Rhode Island, as the “First Sergeant P. Andrew McKenna Jr. Post Office.” An Army Green Beret and lifelong Bristol resident, U.S. Army Special Forces 1st Sergeant P. Andrew McKenna Jr., died August 7, 2015, during a Taliban attack on Camp Integrity, a NATO facility in Kabul, Afghanistan. During his 17 years of service, Sergeant McKenna earned the Bronze Star with V device and the Meritorious Service Medal. He completed five tours of duty in Afghanistan and one in Iraq. Throughout his life, Sergeant McKenna represented the very highest examples of service, duty, and sacrifice. That’s why I’m pleased that the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee approved passage of this legislation last week. The bill is now headed to the House floor for a full vote. Senator Reed has introduced a companion measure in the Senate. I am hopeful that we will soon have a permanent tribute to the values that Sergeant McKenna embodied and the ultimate sacrifice he made in defense of our country.

This just in: MA Senate passes the PATCH bill

Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund of Massachusetts, Inc.

Dear SEARCHINGFORREASON.NET, Exciting news – moments ago, An Act to Protect Access to Confidential Health Care, otherwise known as the PATCH bill, passed the Massachusetts Senate! Because of your activism, a dangerous loophole in patient privacy may soon be closed.  Thank your state senator for taking action to protect patient privacy.  Currently in Massachusetts, young adults on their parent's health insurance or spouses on their partner's health insurance often pay out-of-pocket or forgo the care they need because their insurance plan will routinely inform their family members of the services they received. In my 20+ years as a primary care physician, I've seen firsthand how confidentiality concerns can negatively impact the health and well-being of so many. The PATCH bill will help close this insurance privacy loophole and improve health care access for residents across the state.  Everyone deserves access to confidential care. Thank your state senator for passing the PATCH bill. Thanks to the Massachusetts Senate, we're now one step closer towards ensuring patient confidentiality. Today's progress proves that Massachusetts can and should continue to lead on health care access. Sincerely,