Rebuilding a Strong Economy
The Bush Administration has done an astoundingly bad job of managing the economy. Since Mr. Bush took office, the budget has gone from a $135 billion surplus to a $165 billion deficit; the stock market has lost close to $7 trillion in value; and 1.8 million manufacturing jobs have been lost. We need a House of Representatives that will provide a check on the excesses of this administration, which has done everything in its power to enrich corporate executives at the expense of middle-income people.
Stopping Corporate Abuse of Workers and Investors
Beginning with the so-called "Contract with America", Republicans in Congress, and now in the White House, have systematically dismantled many of the safeguards that protected investors and workers from the dishonest acts of corporate executives. The consequence is that we now have a legal and regulatory climate that has resulted in thousands of Americans losing their hard earned savings and caused a crisis of confidence in our markets. Our task now is to undo the harm done since 1995, to protect workers' pensions and to restore investor confidence in our markets. Congress has taken a modest step in the right direction on this issue, but there is much more to be done.
Learning the Lessons of September 11
The tragedy was a devastating blow to all of us. We have been forced to accept the fact that we are not immune to foreign attack. While we cannot live our lives in fear, we need to be better prepared. That's true at the local level as well as nationally. I arranged meetings across the District to try to assess the emergency preparedness capabilities of our local governments and agencies. I also circulated a survey, the results of which confirmed my belief that the federal government should be doing much more to help local communities prepare for and respond to emergencies. That's why I introduced legislation to provide $1.5 billion to help local fire and police departments, emergency medical teams and health professionals. I also introduced a bill to give a $1,000 federal income tax credit to volunteer firefighters and emergency medical responders.
Making Prescription Drugs Affordable for Everyone
Too many senior citizens have no insurance for the prescription drugs they need. The president's policies have not left enough money in the budget to fund seniors’ highest priority: a guaranteed and comprehensive prescription drug benefit for all Medicare beneficiaries. That has made this fight an uphill battle, but it’s one that I am committed to waging. I am supporting a plan that would provide a voluntary, comprehensive benefit for seniors with a monthly premium of $24 and low co-payments. I also support legislation that would reduce the cost of prescription drugs for all Americans by reining in prescription prices.
Protecting Our Environment
As a member of the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, I have been an outspoken advocate for higher funding levels to protect our nation's natural heritage. Since taking office, President Bush has waged war on the environment, rolling back important protections at every turn. I have fought hard to block the passage of damaging anti-environmental riders to appropriations bills and will continue doing everything I can to oppose the administration's anti-environment assault.
Keeping Social Security Secure
President Bush and his allies want to invest portions of our Social Security funds in the stock market, either indirectly through individual accounts or directly through the trust fund. We need only look at the stock market to see how risky this idea is. A new study examines what would have happened if we privatized Social Security three years ago. If just two percent had been carved out for individual accounts and half of that had been invested in the stock market, $29 billion would have been lost since 1999. While we need to take steps to preserve and strengthen Social Security in the long-term, privatizing the system will require that current and future retirees’ benefits are cut. Social Security must continue to provide what it has since its inception: a risk-free, progressive monthly benefit that lasts a lifetime and is guaranteed to increase every year with the rate of inflation.
Improving Access to Health Care
There are now 46 million Americans who don't have health insurance and many more whose insurance is inadequate. Incremental steps have been taken to address the problem, but significant improvement has not resulted. We still need universal health care, but the Republicans have succeeded in taking it off the table for now. I have fought for the passage of an enforceable "Patients' Bill of Rights" law, which protects Americans against the unfair policies of the managed care industry. I pledge to continue fighting for health care for everyone and an end to the abuses of managed care.
Making Education a Real Priority
When children go to school and find that the paint on the walls is peeling, their textbooks are obsolete and their classrooms are overcrowded, they often reach the logical conclusion that no one cares about them. The federal government needs to make a larger investment in our elementary schools. Not only will this improve our children's education, it will alleviate the demand for high property taxes. For all his talk about education, President Bush has done nothing to improve things. He and his allies in Congress won't even provide adequate funding for his so-called "No Child Left Behind" initiative. I'm working to give our school children the resources they need.
Increasing Energy Efficiency and Conservation
It seems that lawmakers of all political persuasions have come around to an idea that I've been touting for years: the need for a comprehensive national energy policy. But our communities will not benefit from the plan promoted by the Bush Administration. America's energy plan will only be successful if it focuses on reducing the demand for oil and promoting technologies for renewable energy and energy efficiency. We must also continue to assist low-income families and pay special attention to the Northeast region.