Iraq and Our Military
We must end the Iraq War now and bring our soldiers home as quickly and safely as possible. We must also continue to provide our soldiers, wounded soldiers, and veterans with the benefits and services they deserve.
I voted against the Joint Congressional Resolution authorizing the war on October 11, 2002. I have supported legislation to end the war and to stop the war's funding and I will continue to do so. With the strain on our military, it is more important than ever to assist our soldiers and veterans. I voted for legislation that included the largest increase in funding for health care and in Veterans Administration history. I worked to pass the Defense authorization and appropriations legislation to give our troops pay and educational benefits increases and make sure they have better equipment and more safeguards to reduce the dangers they face in combat.
In Congress, I am committed to a responsible, phased withdrawal of our troops from Iraq and increasing the benefits and pay of every service member and their family.
The Economy
Our economy is facing hard times. I have worked with my democratic colleagues to pass an economic stimulus, to extend and expand tax incentives for renewable energy, retain and create hundreds of thousands of green jobs, spur American innovation and business investment, cut taxes for millions of Americans.
With high energy prices continuing to squeeze American families, I have supported legislation to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and promote energy efficiency, and to close loopholes allowing corporations and executives to avoid U.S. taxes by shipping jobs and investment overseas -- it is time to focus on creating jobs and encouraging business investment here at home.
Housing
Access to affordable housing is one of my legislative priorities in Congress. With the weakening economy and rising food and gas prices, it is more important now than ever that people have access to housing that they can afford.
This year, I passed legislation in Congress to preserve the affordability of Starrett City, the nation's largest affordable housing development. I have actively supported full funding of the Section 8 housing voucher program and signed on to legislation to increase the number of Section 811 units available to disabled low-income Americans.
Furthermore, I believe we must take action to prevent the unfair practices of predatory lending which have forced so many individuals and families in Brooklyn to lose their homes. I am a proud cosponsor of several bills designed to prevent unfair lending practices and support those being negatively impacted by the mortgage foreclosure crisis through neighborhood stabilization efforts.
Health Care
I am a major proponent of both traditional and alternative medical approaches. I support innovation, medical research, health information technology and universal healthcare.
In my capacity as a senior Member of the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee and its Health Subcommittee, I have worked to ensure access to affordable and quality healthcare, especially targeting vulnerable and underserved populations. I am very sensitive to the health care needs of seniors, children, persons with disabilities and those with a severe or disabling chronic condition.
As a legislator and as a social worker, I believe it is imperative to tackle the issue of health disparities. I continue to fight to have research dollars targeted toward breast cancer, prostate cancer, mental health, renal disease, diabetes, glaucoma, asthma, obesity, HIV/AIDs, cardiovascular conditions, cerebrovascular conditions, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Alzheimer's disease and many other conditions. I also support increasing the amount of health professionals, especially nurses, dentists and primary care doctors. Improving our system of health care in our nation is one of my highest priorities as a Member of Congress.
Technology
Access to the internet is critical for both our children and our community, because universal broadband would expand markets, improve efficiency, and allow for critical access to all the educational and health care rewards that the internet has to offer. This is why I have sponsored several bills to guarantee that inner cities across America have equal access to high speed internet services.
I have also sponsored and passed legislation that would make it easier to offer loans to small high tech and telecom firms in underserved areas. This is intended to create the same kind of start up companies that have dominated other cities such as Seattle, San Jose and suburban Washington, DC.We as a nation must ensure that opportunities provided by advancements in technology are accessible to all citizens.
In addition, in my role on the Consumer Protection subcommittee I have worked to make sure the internet is safe for children and that there are strong protections for identity theft. We must protect internet consumers from abuse.
Government Contractors
You pay your taxes, so should the corporate world, especially those with federal contracts. I recently introduced legislation that says if your company owes taxes, you can't get any more federal contracts until you pay them.
Another bill I'm supporting states that if 80% of a corporation's revenue comes from federal funds, we have the right to know how much you are paying your top executives. With the help of my colleagues, I got both these bills passed.
Education
Our inner cities face a great challenge in providing a quality education. I have introduced and supported bills that increase teacher salaries, reduce class size, and provide the latest technology to our students.
We need to ensure that our children have access to the best education possible. My “Student Right to Know Act” requires schools receiving federal dollars to reveal the graduation statistics for student athletes. This ensures that families know what kind of an education a scholarship athlete can expect.
I have advocated for the full funding of programs like Teach for America and NYC Teaching Fellows, which bring highly qualified graduates of elite colleges and universities into urban classrooms. I am also presently developing legislation that will increase the number of school guidance counselors, social workers and psychologists in underserved school districts. By increasing the support services provided in our public schools, we can ensure that our students have the tools to succeed both socially and academically.