The Economy & Our Tax Dollars

Government cannot continue to raise our taxes and increase spending at a rate far in excess of the rate of inflation. High taxes discourage hard work, individual initiative, and inhibit job-creating small businesses. We must keep businesses and jobs from moving out of the United States, and provide incentives for new job creation and foreign trade.

Here in Illinois, I voted NO on the proposal to increase your state income tax by 50%, which would have been both an unnecessary job-killer and a terrible alternative to needed fiscal restraint. During my tenure in the State Legislature, I sponsored numerous pieces of legislation, such as the Edge Tax Credit, to encourage job creation and demand balanced budgets.

In Washington, I will similarly work to advance policies that encourage and reward hard work and the American entrepreneurial spirit.

If elected, my policy agenda will include:

• Extend the income tax relief of 2001 and 2003

• Eliminate the federal estate tax

• Oppose any new income or payroll tax increases

• Oppose inflationary policies to protect our prosperity

• Advance policies that encourage entrepreneurship and reward hard work and investment

• Oppose the cap-and-trade energy tax and advance plans that make the U.S. more energy independent

Expanding Access to Health Care

My education and background as a health care provider for over 20 years has enabled me to take a leading role in Springfield on many critical health care issues. I have visited over 100 countries, studying and evaluating their health care systems. Utilizing these experiences, I authored the Illinois Patient’s Bill of Rights, which has become a national model. I built a coalition to establish the Circuit Breaker Program, reducing prescription drug costs for seniors. Additionally, I fought to expand top-notch health care services for children and the disabled.

As your Representative in Washington, I will work to maintain a system that best reflects the values of patient choice, personal privacy, access to affordable quality care and portability of coverage.

The majority of Americans say that they are satisfied with their health care. We need to expand access to care for those in need, without damaging the broader population. There is an opportunity to do this, without making everyone dependent on a government bureaucracy.

If elected, my policy agenda will include:

• Opposing tax increases on businesses or taxing of health care benefits

• Protecting Medicare funding for seniors and the disabled

• Advancing market reforms such as allowing people to purchase health care plans across state lines at lower premiums

• Crafting innovative solutions to improve health insurance coverage for the uninsured and those with preexisting conditions

• Expanding health care research and development to keep us on the forefront of medical breakthroughs

• Bringing health care providers to the discussion table so policy is made by professionals, not Washington bureaucrats

• Creating new health care jobs to keep costs down

Education: Our Children's Future

In order to compete in our global world, a solid foundation in the form of a quality education is a necessity for our children to succeed as adults. As an educator, I've seen the remarkable accomplishments students can achieve when empowered with a passion for learning. To ensure the vitality of our nation's long-term success in the international community and in the global market, we must properly invest in our children's future.

Here in Illinois, I've fought for smaller classroom sizes to ensure that students receive the attention they need. We've established college savings programs thate aid parents in saving and paying for their child's higher education. I co-sponsored the creation of teacher scholarship programs, creating incentives for students to become teachers and share the joy of learning with others. I've pushed for increased funding for special education programs, including continued education for children with disabilities, so we can keep our commitment to provide for those among us with the greatest needs.

In Congress, I'll continue to bring people together to ensure that our schools and our teachers have the funding they need to succeed. We must empower states with local control so that the most important education decisions are made close to home. But, we must also ensure that we assist all states in implementing models for success and make certain that all states have the resources necessary to provide a level of education that allows America to continue to be the world's leading intellectual light.

National Security

The most important function of the federal government is to defend our shores. The United States must continue unashamedly to serve as a beacon of liberty to the world. Vigilance against international terrorism cannot be relaxed. We must never waver in our support for steadfast allies such as Israel, and must speak with moral clarity for freedom-loving nations everywhere. We can never appease tyranny.

Ensuring our safety in a dangerous world means investing in our military. This means listening to our commanders on the ground and providing them with the tools they need to fulfill their missions. It means providing the tools to detect and prevent acts of terror, and not just treating terrorism as a law enforcement issue.

Investing in our military means keeping our promises to our military families and our veterans. As a physical therapist, I have worked at VA hospitals in the District, and have seen both the best and the worst of our military care. It must improve.

Protecting Our Environment

Protecting the health of our environment is of the utmost importance to ensuring the health and prosperity of our children and our children’s children. This begins with reducing our dependence on foreign oil and encouraging and incentivizing cleaner and more environmentally friendly energy.

In Illinois I pushed for reinstituting the Structural Pest Control Act to protect people from dangerous chemicals. I have co-sponsored legislation to eliminate mercury in our drinking water, to promote recycling programs, to better protect our wetlands, and to better educate our children to become environmental stewards.

As your Representative in Washington, I will employ the same common-sense principles to safeguard and improve our environment, continuing to work with community organizations and business groups to get this done right!

Ensuring Our Public Safety

I’ve called the 10th Congressional District home my entire adult life. It’s a community I love and treasure for the remarkable sense of unity and compassion that I see exhibited all around us. We’ve worked together to protect our neighbors and make certain that our children grown up in a safe community.

I’m honored to have worked closely with many local community organizations to implement a variety of programs that have increased the level of public safety in our community.

I built a coalition to pass legislation that created the first Abandoned Baby Safe Haven Law, allowing for safe harbor for unwanted newborn infants who might have otherwise been abandoned. To date, over 50 children have been saved by this measure. I’ve sponsored legislation to mandate the reduction of lead in toys and other items accessible to small children. I’ve built alliances to advance legislation to implement Internet safety in school curricula to protect children from pervasive elements online and to require GPS tracking of criminal offenders who violate orders of protection. I’ve pushed for the reinstituting of the Structural Pest Control Act to regulate restricted pesticides to protect of health and safety of both children and adults.

As your representative in Washington, I will employ the same principles that have guided my experience to advance the cause of public safety for all Americans.