Susan Friedman was diagnosed with hepatitis more than three decades ago. She is now awaiting a liver transplant operation that may save her life. "If I don't get an organ transplant, I will die. I am worried about my son. He is 22-years-old and he has already lost his father. I want to continue to be there for him."

Rafael Ganem is married with a 9-year-old daughter, and has been awaiting a kidney transplant for four years. "I have minimal energy as a result of my dialysis treatments, and my mobility is limited because three times a week I need to get treatment." Rafael can work only part-time, which has resulted in a major strain "on my family, emotionally and financially. I can only dream of the change that will come," he says, "once I receive my kidney transplant."

These are our neighbors. Like so many others living in our region, Susan and Rafael are anxiously awaiting life-saving transplant surgery.

In South Florida, we are blessed with a world-class transplant center, Jackson Memorial Hospital. In 2007, more than 275 transplants were performed at Jackson, but sadly, more than 1,000 people are currently awaiting transplant surgery. Last year, more than 6,400 people died nationwide while awaiting surgery. Reducing the waiting time for such life saving surgeries should be a priority for all of us.

You and I can make that difference. How? By signing up to become an organ and tissue donor like so many unsung heroes. Ana Maria Flores, an organ donor, saved the lives of three people with her ennobling gift.

Ana's two kidneys were transplanted, one each into a 43-year-old woman and a 54-year-old man. Her heart now beats in a 52-year-old man. All three are alive today because Ana chose to become an organ donor.

Myriam Correa-Sherman received a heart transplant at UM/Jackson transplant center and is now a grandmother of three.

Because of a shortage of human tissue organs from deceased donors, the current median waiting time for transplant surgery now exceeds four years.

Why are so few people deciding to become donors? I'd like to think the primary culprit is ignorance. People don't know how to, or simply forget to do so. There are also myths about becoming an organ and tissue donor.

First, organs and tissue recovery occurs only after all efforts are made to save the life of a donor and death has been legally declared. Second, most religions endorse the practice because it represents a selfless and humanitarian act. Third, neither an organ donor nor the family incurs any costs. Fourth, organ donation does not disfigure the body, so families can continue with appropriate funeral arrangements, including a public viewing. Lastly, there is no age limit on donors. Those under the age of 18 must have consent from their parent or guardian.

I have joined with my other colleagues to create the Congressional Caucus on Organ and Tissue Donation, which I co-chair. With a mission to increase awareness of the nationwide shortage of organ donors and to enhance donation and transplantation programs, we hope to educate all Americans about the importance of committing to become organ and tissue donors.

By doing so, the life you save may be your neighbor's, your friend, or someone you love.

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Miami., is a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, 18th District.

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Ros-Lehtinen, Ros-Lehtinen, Ros-Lehtinen, Ros-Lehtinen, Ros-Lehtinen

Government-run funds from Asia and the Mideast have been scooping up billion-dollar stakes in Wall Street firms — with hardly a peep from politicians. But it is a relatively small, private investment in 3Com, the telecommunications equipment company, that seems to be striking a nerve in Washington.

The Financial Times reported late Tuesday that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States is expected to extend its inquiry into the buyout of 3Com by a group that includes Bain Capital, the private equity firm co-founded by presidential candidate Mitt Romney; and Huawei Technologies, a Chinese maker of telecom gear.

The key issue is whether Huawei's plan to take a 16.5 percent stake in 3Com as part of the $2.2 billion deal poses a threat to U.S. national security.

Cfius, as the committee is known, includes representatives from 12 agencies and departments from the White House as well as a variety of economic, law enforcement and national security offices. Its reviews, conducted largely in secret, typically last 30 days. But in rare cases, it can open an additional 45-day investigation that is more thorough.

The Financial Times said this longer review is likely for 3Com, which, among other things, supplies intrusion-detection technology to the U.S. Defense Department. The Deal's Dealscape blog, citing undisclosed sources, reported Wednesday that a 45-day extended review has already begun.

A longer investigation would suggest that Cfius is more likely to seek divestitures as part of the 3Com deal or require Huawei to take a smaller stake.

Shares of 3Com were down 2.4 percent Wednesday.

Some lawmakers have already expressed concern about the 3Com deal. In October, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, was among those who introduced a bill stating that Huawei's role in the 3Com deal "threatens the national security of the United States." Thaddeus McCotter, chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee, has described the proposed deal as a "stealth assault on America's national security."

But others have argued that a minority stake in 3Com would give Huawei little control of the company or its operations.

In addition, 3Com and Huawei were previously partners in a joint venture, and the relationship didn't seem to prompt much concern. In a regulatory filing, Bain has said the 3Com buyout "presents no risk to national security."

Huawei is a privately owned company, not an arm of the Chinese government. But as The New York Times reported in September, Huawei has long attracted suspicions over supposed links to China's military and intelligence agencies. The company's reclusive founder and president, Ren Zhengfei, is a former Chinese army engineer.

The Chinese government itself has been actively investing in some big-name U.S. firms. The country's sovereign wealth fund, China Investment Corporation, announced last month it would buy a $5 billion stake in the investment bank Morgan Stanley. Last year, it took a $3 billion stake in the private equity firm Blackstone Group.

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Ros-Lehtinen, Ros-Lehtinen, Ros-Lehtinen, Ros-Lehtinen, Ros-Lehtinen

Eighteen years in Congress, and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen still exudes the excitement and enthusiasm of a newly elected lawmaker straight off the campaign trail. A self-proclaimed "grassroots, pothole congresswoman," Ms. Ros-Lehtinen spends much of her time championing for local needs, she said, including transportation, education and the environment. Through the Omnibus Bill, passed last month, she helped secure $681,000 for the City of Miami Beach's gang and drug prevention program, $350,000 for the Miami Dade College Freedom Tower Historical Museum project and more than $5.5 million for the Miami River dredging project, among other appropriations. As 2008 begins, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen says she plans to help tackle property tax and insurance issues, as well as how to bring troops "home in a way that does them honor, that doesn't degrade their service overseas." Still a supporter of the decades-old Cuban embargo, she says her hope is that other countries will jump on board.

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Ros-Lehtinen, Ros-Lehtinen, Ros-Lehtinen, Ros-Lehtinen, Ros-Lehtinen