Women are the greatest rising force in American politics today. Thirty years ago, women held a mere 4 percent of all state legislative seats in the country; today they hold 22 percent. Latinas, in particular, are making inroads in the American political landscape, graduating faster and in higher numbers than their male Latino counterparts and increasingly choosing a career in politics. Between 1996 and 2006, the number of Latina candidates elected to office nationally and locally increased by 73 percent, compared to a 26 percent increase among Latino male elected officials.

Yet, Latinas are also facing significant challenges: they are twice as likely as non-Hispanic women to live in poverty, one out of every three does not have health insurance, one third of Hispanic girls drop out of high school, and nearly 90 percent never complete college.

To shed some light on the trends of this population and to discuss their promise and challenges, please join the Center for American Progress Action Fund for an in-depth discussion on the opportunities and obstacles for Latinas today.

The Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies, the Center for American Progress Action Fund, and the Kennedy Political Union will host a conference on the upcoming presidential transition. This conference will bring together academics and practitioners to discuss success and failures in past presidential transitions. There will be a special focus on the promise made by both 2008 presidential candidates to "change the way Washington works." Can it be changed? Should it be changed? What advice can be given to improve the way the next president will work with Congress? Please join us for a discussion with the experts.

Since 9/11, the federal government has communicated with the public about homeland security in confusing and often inconsistent ways, from requests to purchase duct tape to color-coded threat levels. A new administration will offer the opportunity for a change in direction. Rep. Jane Harman, chair of the Intelligence and Terrorism Risk Subcommittee of the House Homeland Security Committee; Frances Fragos Townsend, former Homeland Security Advisor to President George W. Bush; and Jerome Hauer, former Director of the Office of Emergency Management in New York City, will address the critical question of how the public can better be incorporated into the homeland security mission. The Homeland Security Presidential Transition Initiative is a joint project of the Center for American Progress Action Fund and Third Way.

Representative Chet Edwards, as Chairman of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee, has led the fight to provide a historic increase in funding to veterans' programs, providing larger increases in the two years of his chairmanship than the previous majority had in the last 12. He will discuss efforts to reach out to and prioritize veterans over the last several years, an effort that was accelerated by Nancy Pelosi when she became Minority Whip. Her promotion to Speaker of the House translated into huge increases in veterans healthcare and benefits funding.

***This event has been postponed due to circumstances beyond our control. We apologize for any inconvenience.***

The American health care system is in crisis. The costs of health care are skyrocketing. And too often, quality of care is inconsistent. Forty-six million Americans lack health insurance, and millions more have coverage that is inadequate and unaffordable. The current system is a strain on patients, doctors, nurses, hospitals, business owners, and the broader economy. The economic crisis on Wall Street and Main Street makes reform even more urgent, and demands that health care reform be at the top of the agenda.

A national leader and expert on health care, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) will discuss what is at stake this election year, the stark difference in the progressive and conservative approaches to health care reform, and the critical importance of ensuring that every American has health care coverage as we make the system more efficient and affordable.