One of my most important priorities is to improve the relationship citizens have with their government. In many ways, government has gotten too big, too burdensome, and is not efficient and responsive enough to the needs of the people.

I believe that a dynamic, progressive government can and should constantly be changing with the times to meet people=s needs. We cannot solve the problems of today with the bureaucracies of yesterday. I support serious examination of existing programs and agencies, and phasing out programs that are no longer useful and eliminating waste and inefficiencies.

We must restore people=s trust in government if it is to be a tool to improve people=s lives. Our federal government brought us the interstate highway system, a retirement safety net through Social Security and Medicare, and spurred critically important developments through research in health care and technology. We still have challenges and problems left to solve: our crumbling and patchwork health care system, our dependence on fossil fuels and foreign sources of oil, and an outdated national infrastructure. I believe that if America comes together, we can solve these problems.

I also believe we need to utilize technology to bring government closer to people, make federal agencies more user-friendly, and improve the communication between elected officials and their constituents. On a personal level, nothing is more important to me than listening to the people I represent, giving them straight answers about what I'm doing and where I'm coming from, and taking their opinions into consideration. While I won't agree with each and every one of the over-600,000 people I represent on every issue, I can promise that I'll always listen and always be straightforward with you.