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Motivated by the desire to reduce gun violence, House Democrats last week brought up two pieces of legislation to expand background checks required for purchase and transfer of firearms. While I share the goal of keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals and preventing mass violence, the legislation falls short of providing actual solutions to do so.

Both sides agree that government shutdowns are bad for the American people, bad for government and bad for policy making. After a painfully and unnecessarily long partial shutdown earlier this year, I am encouraged that last week Congress and President Trump worked together to avoid another lapse in funding and provide for some of the nation's pressing needs.

Last week during his State of the Union address, President Donald Trump delivered an inspiring and uplifting message that seemed quite Reaganesque. I was extraordinarily proud of what he had to say and how he chose to say it.

In stark contrast to the highly polarized and partisan political environment, the president sought to unify rather than divide the country. While he rightly pointed to several achievements realized during his administration, he also called for action and solutions on some pressing problems currently holding our nation back.