As Pennsylvanians, and as Americans, we have much in common. We work hard every day to support ourselves and our families and to meet our responsibilities. With demands of home, work and family, many of us don't often think about politics and how it affects our lives. But Pennsylvanians are faced right now with a serious responsibility: to help choose the Democratic nominee for president. It forces each of us to think about what matters to us, to our families, to our communities and to our nation.

In coffee shops and diners, over office cubicles and across school desks, in union halls and in grocery store lines, men and women of all ages and all backgrounds are talking about the challenges we face and who would be best to lead us. We are asking tough questions. Who will protect and defend our nation? Who will fix this troubled economy and build new jobs for ourselves and our children? Who understands the worries we have? Whom do we trust to have the right ideas and the ability to get things done? Who will stand up for us?

Few imagined the critical role that we in Pennsylvania would play in answering these questions and in deciding the 2008 Democratic presidential nominee. As a second-term member of Congress, I know what a difference it will make to have a president we can trust and who will work with Congress to get things done for America. I also know that for each of us this decision is about who we are and where we came from.

I am a first-generation American, the daughter of a Holocaust survivor who loved this country for the security and opportunity it offered her. I am the daughter of a Korean War veteran who left at home a wife and three young children to proudly serve our country at a time of conflict. I am a wife, and the mother of two sons who have found meaningful work here in Pennsylvania.

As for most of us, my family defines me and is so much a part of who I am. My family's experiences taught me a deep respect and love for our great nation. And it taught me that each of us has a responsibility beyond ourselves and our daily lives to build for our shared future.

My choice for our next president is someone who can, and will, enable us to fulfill the hopes and dreams we have for ourselves and our country: Hillary Clinton.

I have known Hillary for more than 15 years. I know her commitment to families and children. I know how tough and strong she is. I have seen the depth of her knowledge and her passion for tackling the critical issues facing us.

I know that Hillary Clinton believes in our capacity as Americans to meet the challenges ahead with vigor and vision. I know that Hillary Clinton understands fundamentally that we must reverse eight years of Bush administration failures, and that she has the ability and experience to do so.

Hillary Clinton, as president, would put all of her extraordinary talents, depth of experience and tenacity to work for all of us: to make our nation strong and secure, to rebuild opportunity and prosperity, to restore our standing in the world.

As president, Sen. Clinton would meet the economic challenges facing our nation and our families. She is committed to paying down the national debt and balancing the federal budget. She would make meaningful investments in education and a skilled workforce, rebuild our infrastructure, work towards energy independence, support trade policy that is fair to American workers, and grow jobs and businesses here at home.

Hillary Clinton knows we must reduce the tax burden on middle-income families and better enable everyday Americans to save for a home or a college education and for a secure retirement. She will ensure that our veterans and soldiers receive the benefits that they have earned for their service. She has deep respect for our seniors' lifetime of hard work, and she will protect and strengthen Medicare and Social Security. And, last, but in no way least, Hillary Clinton will ensure that each and every American has access to affordable, quality health care.

These are large goals for our country and personal goals for each and every one of us. These are the goals shared by every parent without health coverage who has a sick child, by every senior struggling to cover everyday expenses, by every young person with dreams of a college education, by every new veteran struggling to regain his or her footing here at home, and by everyone striving for the American dream.

It matters to each of us to have a president who stands up for all of us. As Pennsylvanians, we have the chance to help elect a president who shares our concerns, who is committed to finding the right solutions, who has the right experience and who knows how to get things done.

Hillary's roots in Pennsylvania run deep. Her great-grandparents, descendants of coal miners, came to Pennsylvania in the 1880s. Her grandfather labored in one of Pennsylvania's many factories. Her father, born and raised here, played football at Penn State. Hillary herself was baptized in a small church in Scranton. She learned to fish and shoot here, and she learned the values of hard work, perseverance and loyalty here.

Pennsylvania shaped who Hillary Clinton is, and she will take that grounding with her to the White House. She will take with her an understanding of our fears and uncertainties, as well as our high expectations for our families and our country.

Let us together, as Pennsylvanians, take our pride in our nation and the confidence we have in our shared values with us on April 22 and vote for the right leader for Pennsylvania and the right leader for America. Let us vote for Hillary Clinton.