Remember shovel-ready infrastructure jobs and how they were going to lift the country out of the economic doldrums? They have not fared well, thanks to partisan politics. The Amtrak crash that took at least six lives last night makes it more obvious than ever that we need them now.

The Federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour is far too low. A full-time worker -- 40 hours per week for 52 weeks -- earning the minimum wage is guaranteed to live at the poverty level. Raising the minimum wage is good economics, good policy, and good for workers.

Now more than ever it is imperative that Republicans and Democrats work together to focus our vast national resources on new and better ways to grow our economy that are more sustainable and inclusive for Americans of all backgrounds and political persuasions.

At this juncture, Liberia must address the factors that made it possible for Ebola to spread so quickly -- including the deep mistrust among Liberians, weakly-functioning social services, poor accountability and an overly centralized government.

Entrepreneurs not only provide us with critical innovation and keep us at the forefront of global markets, they also create ways to gain financial independence. So why has the percentage of start-ups in the U.S. dropped significantly in the last 35 years?