The War in Iraq has cost us more than 3,500 of the lives America’s finest women and men. Over 20,000 more remain maimed and disfigured for life, and an untold number of veterans will face unknown trauma from brain injuries and post traumatic stress disorder. In maintaining the defense of our country, we must maintain the care for our nation’s veterans.
The War in Iraq costs all Americans $10 billion per month. This is money that our cities and counties desperately need to fund programs and facilities that would improve our quality of life. Part of the defense of our nation involves taking care of those who have volunteered to put themselves in harm’s way in defense of our Constitution. We must fully fund our nation’s veteran’s hospitals, provide a pay raise and expanded health care and improved death benefits for the women and men who serve in our military. America’s families want access to well-paying jobs, affordable health care, and quality education. The War in Iraq presents a threat to our military readiness and the development of communities across our country. We must reinvest in programs that address the priorities of America’s families to preserve the safety, security and stability of Americans everywhere.
I was against the War in Iraq from the beginning; I will continue to stand strong for the citizens of the 13th Congressional District of Michigan and America.
Like you, I read about the repeated stories of military personnel and veterans being unintentionally misled through the government health care bureaucracy; denied treatment; languishing while waiting for treatment; the downgrading of diagnosis; or just getting appropriate treatment. In spite of Congress’ best efforts, we still don’t know where we are in terms of appropriately or adequately responding to the needs of prior generation of veterans and those who are returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. We have the airplane, we don’t have the flight plan. That is why I introduced the Veterans and Families Mental Health Act of 2007 to fill this void.
Michigan has lost over 300,000 jobs due to the decline in the automotive industry. Add to this the individual economic calamities caused by the staggering number of foreclosures and less federal support of our cities and counties sums up to a tough economic environment. I have supported strong reform of our mortgage industry, have worked hard with our automotive industry to bring forth new and innovative ideas that will get us away from fossil fuels to alternative fuels, fight for more access for women and minorities to capital to start their own businesses, and will work to bring more high-tech innovation and diversity to the 13th Congressional District and to Michigan.
As a former teacher and mother to a former teacher, I know and appreciate the value of education. Historically, education has been the fundamental rung of the ladder that has enabled million of Americans, especially ethnic minorities, to lift themselves from economic or social challenges. For millions of others, education has enriched their lives and strengthened our shared values of being Americans.
Education is the key to economic and intellectual freedom. Our children and grand children are no longer competing against other children from Indiana, Iowa or Illinois; they are competing against children from China, Japan and India. Given today’s global economy and daily change in technology, education is as vital as our military in protecting America’s interests domestically and internationally. Our government must not only ensure access to education for all, our government must be ever vigilant to ensure that every student has access to a quality education, starting at the elementary school level.
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Environment |
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The news on our environment gets worse and worse every day. The United Nations recently issued a report stating that we have to do something radical in the next decade in order to save the earth. It is possible to be environmentally smart and to preserve our economy and quality of life. It is going to take all of our effort to make this happen for our children and grand children.
The environment is second only to the war in importance to the people of the 13th Congressional District. We must ensure that all Americans, especially ethnic minorities, are included as part of this important discussion about alternative fuel, the use of beans, corn, sugar cane and other non-fossil fuels as options to reduce our dependence on foreign oil imports; and we must support renewable energy resources as solutions to global warming.
We must also ensure that the decades of environmental justice issues, matters that have disproportionately affected ethnic minorities, are tackled by reducing the number of sites with hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants in the United States, and to support the research, education and training of ethnic minorities in renewable energy solutions.
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Health Care |
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All hard working, tax paying Americans should have access to preventive health care. As a diabetic, I know the value of eating right, exercise, and how taking care of yourself adds to your quality of life.
While a war rages in the Middle East, costing the American people $10 billion per month; while private security contractors in Iraq make more money than the women and men in our military and have gotten a billion dollars from a war that has now lasted longer than World War II, while the Republican-led Congress and White House successfully eradicated the first surplus in more than half a century to a sky-rocketing deficit through a combination of tax cuts for the rich, out of control spending, and a war that has cost $651 billion with the President requesting another $200 billion, the President cannot spend $35 billion on the health care of the children of working families. This is inexcusable, intolerable and inconsiderate of America’s children and their hard working mothers and fathers.
This bill, which would have provided health care to those children whose parents work hard, pay taxes but either cannot afford or whose employers do not provide health care, is literally the difference between life and death for many Americans. Even at $35 billion, only sixty-eight percent of all eligible children would be covered.
Access to primary care providers in health care – family physicians, pediatricians, and the like – is a matter of literally life and death for too many Americans who live in medically underserved areas. Too many Americans – the vast majority of them in rural areas – do not have access to a primary health care provider. This shortage prevents too many hard working people from getting preventive health care, keeps our children from getting well child check-ups and examinations, and hinders our senior citizens from living the balance of their lives with the highest quality of care.
That is why I introduced the Health Care Access Act of 2007, a bill that provides a tax break of five years to those primary care doctors who are willing to locate in a medically underserved area. This bill will go a long way to ensuring that all Americans have access to primary physical and mental health care providers – pediatricians, OB/GYNs, nurse practitioners, psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers.
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Transportation and Infrastructure |
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Energy efficiency and independence will be strongly dictated by the transportation system that we have for our nation. Public transportation will be a key aspect of our approach to comprehensive energy reform.
The safety of our nation’s bridges, roads and water systems, all of which are deteriorating at record rates, is vital. As a legislator, I have made the roads, bridges, water, gas and electrical systems one of my top priorities as we move toward a city and nation that uses less energy and preserves our environment.
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