The Budget

We need to work back to a balanced budget, which helps the economy, helps keep interest rates down, and reflects our area's financial values.

Defense

We need to redeploy our troops from Iraq because our military is now caught in the middle of a civil war, and it is time for the Iraqis to take control of their own country, their own destiny. Our military deserves to come home as heroes, because that is what they are. They have accomplished their mission and done their duty. We are spending $8 billion a month in Iraq. We have lost more than 2,300 American lives and more than 18,000 have been wounded. In the only poll taken of U.S. troops in Iraq, 72% believe our military should exit within the year and 42% say their mission in Iraq is not clear to them. The war is depleting our resources, human and financial. The American public knows that the sooner we bring the troops home, the sooner we can rebuild our military, the sooner we can address our unmet homeland security needs and the stronger we will be as a nation.

Environment

We need to continue our programs to clean up abandoned mine drainage and sewage; support park and recreational opportunities such as rail-trails, which provide habitat and buffers along streams; and restore and protect our National Parks, many of which have suffered major deterioration from budget cuts.

Veterans

For the first time in our nation's history, veterans benefits are being denied to some veterans based on their incomes. Benefits are earned in service to this great nation and should not be subject to a means test. I have fought and will continue to fight to restore funding to the programs on which our veterans depend, especially the veterans health-care programs.