By: Rep. Terri Sewell

If there is one thing I learned in my first year in Congress, it's the importance of collaboration and working together for the good of all. As 2012 begins, it's my hope that we will put aside partisan politics and work together around the common goal of improving the lives of Americans. I am not naive to think the political gridlock in Washington will end, particularly since we're in a presidential election year. But members of Congress must be reminded that our constituents sent us here to make their lives better, not worse. It's that common thread that makes me optimistic for the new year despite the setbacks of last year. Whether we choose a path of collaboration or stagnation, the American people deserve better.

We are still recovering from one of the worst recessions most of us have ever experienced. But I am confident that we can set our country back on the right track by enacting balanced, common-sense reforms. Granted, we will have to make some very difficult decisions, but I believe we simply cannot shift our nation's financial difficulties onto the backs of the most vulnerable ? our seniors and the disadvantaged.

Alabamians are concerned about jobs, foreclosures, health care and the rising cost of living. In my 7th Congressional District alone, we have faced drastically high unemployment and foreclosures that have left many families and children homeless and desolate, looking to Congress for a lifeline. The district's largest county filed for bankruptcy last year because of a sewer funding fiasco. And now its residents are bracing for higher sewer rates with few, if any,

resources to pay them. Last April, we suffered massive devastation from a historic outbreak of storms and tornadoes. Nine of my district's 12 counties had tremendous damage. Schools, churches, businesses and whole communities were destroyed, and, sadly, many of our constituents lost friends and loved ones in one of the deadliest outbreaks of tornadoes in nearly 40 years.

As this tragedy unfolded, I witnessed the strength and fortitude of Alabamians and understood the importance of my role in helping them recover by expediting federal resources and supporting the rebuilding process through legislation. My office worked closely with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the departments of Agriculture, Transportation and Housing and Urban Development ? among other local, state and federal agencies ? to ensure those affected by the disaster had the resources to recover and rebuild. In addition, I worked with a bipartisan group of members to push the Southeastern Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2011 to provide temporary tax breaks to communities critically affected by the disasters. While this bill didn't advance in the House or the Senate, it helped expedite additional much needed emergency resources through the federal agencies. I'm committed to focusing on key areas in which we can make a meaningful difference for our constituents and people across the country.

My motto has been "constituency first," and our decisions and actions have been guided by that principle. We made it our utmost priority to meet with constituents throughout the district in one-on-one meetings, town halls and church forums to hear directly the needs in Alabama and how we can best address them in Washington.

Last year, we helped constituents receive more than $1,375,000 in benefits owed them by the federal government, and organizations in the district were awarded more than $20 million in federal grants.  In my district, in the state and throughout the country, the No. 1 issue is jobs. In Alabama, unemployment and poverty rates have increased dramatically since the start of the recession. In parts of the district, unemployment rates are as high as 19 percent, demonstrating the need for legislation and tax incentives that help create jobs, grow local economies and help

communities secure resources to rebuild and grow. During our town hall meetings, we heard from countless constituents who lost their jobs and homes and from many who are just struggling to pay for their medication after facing great loss from this economic crisis. They need help now. I applaud President Barack Obama's effort to put forth a comprehensive plan, the American Jobs Act, to create jobs, strengthen our economy and help struggling American's.

I believe the president's plan would initiate strategic investments to stimulate job creation and strengthen economic development. We must create incentives for businesses to hire new employees and put Americans back to work rebuilding our nation's roads, bridges and infrastructure for future generations. We must make bold and wise investments in small businesses, infrastructure, education, workforce training and green manufacturing jobs so that

we can grow our economy and expand American competitiveness in global markets. Unfortunately, the president's plan got lost in the partisan bickering of Congress, and House Republican leaders never allowed us to vote on it. It's my hope, in this new year, that both sides will come together and agree on a substantive jobs plan. It's imperative that Congress focus on legislation that promotes an entrepreneurial climate supports American businesses in this global economy and protects and aids American workers.

In my first year, we spent a great deal of time in discussions with small-business owners, local mayors and educators in my district about the challenges of job creation, worker retention and expansion. Subsequently, I introduced my first piece of legislation, the Small Business Start-Up Savings Account Act. Part of the larger Democratic "Make It in America" agenda, the bill would provide stronger incentives for aspiring entrepreneurs by allowing them to more easily save money to start a business. Small business owners create most of the jobs in this country and, in fact, employ over half our workforce. They are the engine that drives the American economy, and we must equip them with the resources and tools they need to stimulate the economy.

I look forward to continuing my important work representing the people of Alabama's 7th District. And in the spirit of collaboration ? not stagnation ? it's my New Year's resolution to start my second year in Congress, working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle on a comprehensive bipartisan jobs plan that will turn around this economy and put Americans back to work.

This year, thirty-four state legislatures introduced bills requiring photo identification in order to vote.

Last month, Dorothy Cooper, a 96-year-old African-American woman from Chattanooga, Tennessee, went to the ballot box to vote. Dorothy was born before women had the right to vote and when Jim Crow laws kept most African-Americans disenfranchised. Despite this, Dorothy has not missed a single election since 1960. Like many seniors, Dorothy has a Social Security card, a local photo ID issued by the Chattanooga Police Department -- and a voter registration card.

Dorothy also has a rent receipt, a copy of her lease, and birth certificate. But a new Tennessee law requires all voters to have a valid state issued voter ID in order to vote in the 2012 election. Because Dorothy took her husband's name at marriage, the state will not accept her birth certificate (or any of her other forms of identification). And because Dorothy doesn't have her marriage certificate, having been married decades ago, the state of Tennessee prohibits her from obtaining the ID needed to vote.

Dorothy is not alone. In Indiana, 12 nuns were denied the right to vote in the last presidential election because they didn't have "updated" identification. The facts that some of them had old passports, they were in their 80s and 90s and didn't drive -- or that they're nuns -- seemed not to be a good basis for affirming their identities. These are not isolated incidents. They are part of the largest effort to disenfranchise voters since the Jim Crow era, almost exclusively targeting youth and minority voters. A recent study by the Brennan Center for Justice estimates that the Republican effort could make it harder for more than five million eligible voters to cast ballots in 2012.

This year, thirty-four state legislatures introduced bills requiring photo identification in order to vote. This rash of legislation classifies several previously accepted IDs as unacceptable, and will affect roughly 21 million Americans if they are passed. For the first time in our nation's history, we would shrink the voting franchise instead of expanding it.

These are solutions in search of a problem. Statistics show an infinitesimal number of proven voting fraud cases occurring in the United States. And these few cases have been successfully prosecuted like any other criminal offense. Groups promoting these laws, such as the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), argue there's rampant voter fraud. Oddly enough this "fraud" seems to be occurring only within historically Democratic voting blocs like minorities and students. Yet ALEC and others have no problem squashing these groups' voting rights -- or the rights of elderly voters. Routinely issued student IDs won't be accepted in some states -- including my home state of Minnesota. The elderly, non-drivers, and millions of others will have to get identification. This sounds like a simple process, but imagine an 80-year-old grandmother, who has never driven and uses a wheelchair, going through the process of getting non-drivers ID. If her Social Security card is accepted identification for her benefits, why isn't it good enough to identify her for voting?

For these reasons, I am introducing two bills to curb voter suppression. The Same Day Registration Act would require states to provide for same day voter registration for a federal election. The Voter Access Protection Act would make sure election officials cannot require photo identification in order to cast a vote or register to vote. Eligible voters deserve access to the polls. By passing these bills, we can ensure our nation lives up to its ideals and protect the most fundamental right in our democracy.