Issues
Economic Recovery
Health Care and Medicare
Environment
Energy Security
Honoring Our Troops
Equal Rights
Mortgage Crisis
Social Security
Medical Research
Workers Rights
Promoting Responsible Gun Laws
Protecting a Woman's Right to Choose
Transportation
Strong and Smart National Security and Foreign Policy
Security and Peace for Israel
Economic Recovery
Palm Beach and Broward Counties have been hit extremely hard by this recession. With Florida’s unemployment levels unacceptably high and record foreclosures devastating home values, continued federal action is needed to get our economy moving again.
Congress must take bold action to bring about a real economic recovery that delivers jobs to our community and guarantees stability in the financial markets. Although our debt and deficit must be reduced in a balanced and responsible manner, we must also stimulate our economy by investing in green energy, new technologies and an infrastructure bank that will reinvest in our communities and give a needed boost the economy. Education and employment training assistance is vital in order to help re-train workers and help transform Florida into a leader in the green energy economy.
This devastating economic downturn has hit seniors and those on fixed incomes especially hard. It is unacceptable that Medicare costs and drug prices are increasing at the same time that there have been years without an increase in the Social Security cost of living adjustment (COLA), and I have written legislation to ensure COLAs go up when costs go up for seniors. It is unacceptable that even when the COLA finally does go up the increase is entirely eaten up by rising medical costs for the majority of seniors.
In addition, the financial crisis and recession have further devastated our community through plummeting home prices and a record number of foreclosures. Mortgage reform is needed to ensure that families are given every opportunity to stay in their homes and avoid foreclosure, and unemployment insurance benefits must be extended instead of cut. As a Member of Congress, I have supported legislation to help hardworking families stay in their homes. The federal government must empower lenders to make loan modifications for eligible homeowners in order to prevent continued defaults that hurt not just the individual family but also the community and condominium homeowners associations.
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Education
All of our children deserve access to top-quality education in the public school system. Education is fundamental to the growth and development of our children and the long-term success of Florida and our nation. As the proud father of three children who attend public school in Palm Beach County, I see firsthand what is working and what we need to improve in our educational system.
I strongly support increased funding for early childhood education including Head Start, pre-K, and after school programs. We must also develop better ways of evaluating our schools to encourage a focus on knowledge and learning rather than evaluation based only on standardized tests. The overemphasis on testing has taken root here in Florida, and I will continue to push for a more balanced approach that better serves our students.
Washington can no longer impose mandates, like No Child Left Behind, on local schools without providing proper funding. Further, we need to keep federal and state funds invested in our public schools in order to help educate our next generation and pay our teachers a salary commensurate with the contribution they make to our society.
Great teaching is the cornerstone to great public education. We need to recruit the best teachers possible to teach in our schools. In the Florida Senate, I sponsored legislation to provide incentives for new teacher recruitment, and I plan to continue these efforts in Washington. Teachers play an invaluable role in the lives of our children, and we must pay them accordingly.
Finally, a college education must be available and affordable for every student who wants to attend. I support federal efforts to increase Pell Grants, making college loans cheaper and more widely available to students. We must also prioritize vocational and lifelong skills training to ensure that all American workers – regardless of age – remain competitive in the global economy.
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Health Care and Medicare
Every American deserves access to affordable health care and the ability to see a doctor when they are ill without risking financial ruin. I strongly support the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which was signed into law last year, because it will fundamentally reform our health care system, by reducing insurance costs while increasing stability and the rights of consumers. These reforms improve Medicare by delivering cheaper prescription drugs, lowering co-pays for seniors among many other important changes.
There is no excuse for the fact that in the richest nation on earth, more than 47 million Americans go without insurance each year. This lack of insurance coverage not only leads to the death of over 44,000 Americans every year, but it also raises insurance costs because uninsured Americans are treated in hospitals and emergency rooms that pass along the costs to you and me. Having this health care reform law means that health care costs will now actually go down for all Americans. Although I strongly supported the ‘public option’ as the best way to ensure costs come down, there is no doubt that health care reform as enacted will increase competition and drive down private insurance company premiums.
I will never support any health care reform or budget agreement that fundamentally jeopardizes the guarantees of care to seniors under Medicare. I strongly oppose the proposals put forward by Congressman Paul Ryan and Speaker Boehner that would end Medicare. On the contrary, we can make changes to reduce health care costs that will strengthen Medicare, including allowing the government to negotiate lower drug prices through Medicare. In addition, I oppose any changes to Medicaid that will hurt the ability of seniors to get the nursing home care they need.
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Environment
South Florida is blessed with a unique and beautiful natural environment, including our beaches and the national treasure of the Everglades, which are vital to our ecosystem and to the tourism that is essential to our local economy. For these reasons, proper environmental stewardship should be considered in every policy decision that our government makes.
Throughout my tenure in Congress, I have strongly advocated in favor of green environmental policies that will both help our economy and allow us to confront global climate change. The warming of our atmosphere is a national security issue, an economic issue, and a moral issue. As a global economic and political power, the United States has a responsibility to provide real leadership to reduce the threat of climate change. We must value and protect our environment. The BP oil spill in the Gulf has shown us the danger of offshore drilling, and I will continue to stand with Florida’s Congressional leaders in opposition to efforts to open Florida’s waters to oil drilling and protect Florida’s vital coastline.
Clean air and water, and the development and use of clean energy sources, are essential to our economy and our future. As a Member of Congress, I have fought to protect the Everglades, and I understand that we must ensure that federal funding continues to implement the Everglades restoration plan.
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Energy Security
America’s security, our climate, and our economic competitiveness demand that we break our dependence on fossil fuels during this generation. Making these changes is an environmental necessity as well as a vital national security issue. America’s addiction to foreign oil strengthens oil-producing nations around the world that do not support our national security goals. America will be strengthened by embracing green energy technology.
I am thrilled that in recent years we have made real investments in green energy technologies that will create jobs and stimulate our economy. I will continue my push for federal investments in wind, solar, and ocean energy proposals.
Amazing successes are being made right here at home, including cutting edge ocean tide programs at Florida Atlantic University. It is essential that Florida become a genuine leader in the green energy revolution. I want to ensure that the local scientists, businesses, and consumers of Palm Beach and Broward County have the tools and the incentives to lead America through this energy revolution that will produce both energy independence for America and millions of green jobs for our citizens.
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Honoring Our Troops and Veterans
I am grateful for the opportunity to represent a congressional district that contains such a large number of veterans. I feel a tremendous debt of gratitude to the brave veterans of World War II, Korea, and Vietnam, and to the new generation of veterans from the Gulf War, and the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. My motivation to serve in Congress comes from the example of service provided to me by my father who volunteered for World War II as a teenager and earned a Purple Heart at the Battle of the Bulge. I see my father’s sacrifices in every veteran that I meet, and it is essential that we go above and beyond in meeting our obligations to these heroes.
In that respect, I sponsored legislation that will assist homeless veterans, who have sacrificed so much on behalf on our nation and now need our assistance here at home. The large numbers of homeless veterans and the high unemployment rate for those recently returning from Iraq and Afghanistan demonstrate that we are not doing enough to help these American heroes during this difficult extraordinary economic period. I was proud to see that a majority of provisions of my bill were included in a larger veterans bill that passed the House.
We owe it to our brave men and women in the armed forces to ensure that our troops are provided with a strategy for victory, protected in battle, and supported as veterans. I am strongly supportive of recent efforts in Congress to increase funding for the VA and disabled veterans. Long waits and substandard care for veterans is simply unacceptable. We must ensure that veteran patients are provided with timely and excellent care including specialty care in areas including prosthetics and aging. Our nation makes a promise to service members who risk their lives in defense of our freedoms, and I will always stand strong to fulfill that promise.
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Equal Rights
Equality and human rights must be guaranteed to every American citizen – no matter their race, sex, national origin, sexual orientation or gender identity.
Ensuring equal rights for women both in this country and abroad is essential to the continued development of our nation and well being of people throughout the world. Despite much progress over the last century, women still do not get paid as much as men for the same jobs, they are too often victims of domestic and sexual violence, and women are not guaranteed equal rights even in our Constitution. Across the world, there are too many places where women are denied the right to vote, mothers are not permitted to work, and girls are barred from the classroom. Here at home, our criminal justice system must do more to end the epidemic of violence against women. As a Member of Congress and father of two daughters, I work hard to ensure that women are provided equality of pay and opportunity.
I have also long been an outspoken supporter of equal rights for lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgendered Americans. I strongly believe that all citizens have the right to live their daily lives free from unwarranted government intrusion. LGBT Americans should have the same rights as all American citizens including the rights to have committed same-sex relationships with the right of marriage and adoption, to share partner health care benefits, to serve openly as a member of our armed forces, and to be protected against hate crimes based on sexual orientation or gender identity. I am so proud that President Obama ended Don’t Ask – Don’t Tell and that New York State recently legalized gay marriage. We have a long way to go in this fight for equality, but we have recently made important strides forward.
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Mortgage Crisis
The financial crisis and recession have devastated our community. Home prices throughout South Florida have plummeted, and we are experiencing record number of foreclosures that are devastating families and further damaging home prices throughout entire neighborhoods.
I am committed to passing legislation to help hard working families stay in their homes. The federal government must empower lenders to make loan modifications for eligible homeowners in order to prevent continued defaults that hurt not just the individual family but also the community and condominium homeowners associations.
Much of our current housing crisis was caused by predatory mortgage lenders who made loans to Americans who could not afford them. We must pass federal legislation that holds lenders accountable for truly irresponsible lending practices. The Administration has taken first steps by offering some mortgage refinancing assistance, but these efforts have not gone far enough and we must do much more to assist the families of South Florida who are upside down on their loans and worried about foreclosure.
The creation of affordable housing is also an essential component of federal housing policy. Affordable rental units and homes are needed for singles, families, and seniors throughout Palm Beach and Broward Counties. I am working in Congress to do more to establish and preserve affordable housing by expanding existing successful programs and finding new ways to ensure an adequate supply of affordable housing.
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Social Security and Medicare
Preserving Social Security and Medicare for America's seniors and for future generations is of paramount importance. For 70 years, Social Security has been the safety net for America’s seniors. Unfortunately, many of our seniors struggle to make ends meet on the current benefit system. I will never support any proposal that privatizes Social Security or erodes retirement benefits that workers have earned through a lifetime of hard work.
At least one in five seniors depend on Social Security as their sole source of income, but for years, the buying power of these checks has dwindled in the face of skyrocketing health care and prescription drug costs. The costs of prescription drugs are skyrocketing, but cost of living adjustments (COLAs) are not keeping up with these astronomical cost increases. Because of the general deflation due to the economic recession, the Social Security Administration announced seniors would not receive any COLA in 2010 or 2011. Even though there will be a 2012 COLA, it will be completely used up by rising medical costs for the majority of seniors. This is unacceptable, and it is clear that the formula the Social Security Administration uses to calculate COLAs must change. I have sponsored legislation to change this injustice and to ensure that Social Security remains solvent and strong for the next seventy-five years.
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Medical Research
I am a strong supporter of increased funding for the National Institute of Health and for federal funding of stem cell research. Too many of our parents and friends suffer from tragic illnesses such as ALS, Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s, and other diseases where stem cell research offers the hope of new treatments and even cures.
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Workers Rights
With high levels of unemployment and a continuing recession, it is more important than ever to protect the rights of working men and women. As a Member of Congress, I strongly support fairness in the workplace through providing America’s workers with the ability to bargain for better wages, benefits and working conditions. I also believe that trade should ensure that American workers are receiving a fair deal.
I am a strong advocate of increasing the minimum wage and believe that working men and women should earn enough to support themselves and their families in a dignified and productive manner.
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Promoting Responsible Gun Laws
Too often in this country guns find their way into the hands of criminals or the mentally disturbed. There is no legitimate reason for civilians to have access to military-style automatic weapons that serve the purpose of furthering criminal activity. However, the ban on these assault weapons was allowed to expire five years ago, letting dangerous weapons fall into the hands of violent criminals, including gang members, drug dealers and terrorists. I agree with virtually every federal, state and local law enforcement agency that the ban on assault weapons needs to be renewed as soon as possible.
It is shocking that an individual who is on the terrorist watch list can still purchase firearms and explosives in this country. This is unacceptable, and I continue to support efforts to end this threat to our safety. In addition, we must also close the gun show loophole that allows criminals to buy weapons without any background check. I strongly support other common sense laws, including banning the importation of large capacity ammunition clips, requiring semiautomatic pistols to have micro-stamped identifiers, and requiring child safety locks to be sold with every gun.
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Protecting a Woman's Right to Choose
I believe that a woman’s right to choose must be kept free from governmental intrusion. For years, this basic freedom has been under consistent attack by anti-choice extremists. I have consistently spoken out against efforts in Congress to infringe on women’s rights. The U.S. Supreme Court’s 1973 landmark ruling in Roe v. Wade recognized the rights of a woman to make medical decisions about her own body and has established the basis for subsequent protections of this right. Everyone agrees that we need to work to provide the needed health and support services to minimize the number of unintended pregnancies in this country, but the decision to have an abortion must remain in the hands of a woman in consultation with her doctor, clergy, and family.
In addition, schools must educate older children about contraception, the prevention of pregnancy, and avoiding sexually transmitted diseases, including the benefits of choosing abstinence. However, abstinence-only education has been a failure, and I continue to oppose such efforts in Congress as I did at the state level through my ‘Healthy Teens’ legislation. In Congress, I have strongly supported both domestic and international family planning efforts to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies and abortions worldwide. Women, both in the United States and abroad, must have the power to make their own reproductive choices.
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Transportation
Transportation infrastructure is vital for the long-term growth of South Florida. I believe that reinvesting in needed repairs and modernizing our transportation planning are critical steps necessary to keep Florida’s economy strong in the face of its dense population and ever-increasing traffic congestion. The demand on Florida’s roads is continuing to strain our area’s aging infrastructure. We must continue to make sure our ports, roads and railways can meet the demands of commerce, while we reduce our country’s dependence on oil and protect the quality of life for South Floridians.
Because many areas are already built to near-capacity, we need to focus on smarter, more efficient transportation models. High gas prices and airfares and increased traffic congestion are hurting travelers and commuters, which is why reliable train and bus service is critical to continued development in South Florida. I strongly opposed Governor Rick Scott's decision to reject $2.4 billion in capital for a high-speed rail project in Florida that, in addition to easing travel throughout Florida, would have created thousands of new jobs.
I have long been a supporter of Tri-Rail and have worked hard to ensure that Tri-Rail receives federal funding to remain an important public transportation option in South Florida.
In addition, although major improvements have been made since the 1970s, more than 40,000 people die on the nation's roads each year and many more are injured; tragically, many of these deaths are completely preventable. We must take the necessary precautions to protect our drivers, which is why I consistently introduced legislation in the state legislature that would curb deadly driving distractions, such as text messaging.
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Strong and Smart National Security and Foreign Policy
In order to keep American citizens and American interests safe both at home and abroad, we must engage in a smart outward looking foreign policy that encourages diplomacy and international cooperation, with the understanding that military force is always an essential option to keep our nation safe. We must rebuild alliances with Europe, Russia and China and reinvigorate our efforts to destroy and dismantle al Qaeda’s terrorist network and thwart Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
The Threat of a Nuclear Iran
There is no greater danger to the security of America, Israel, and our allies than a nuclear-armed Iran. The U.S. and the international community cannot allow Iran, the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism, and its depraved, Holocaust-denying leader, who has called for Israel’s destruction, to possess nuclear weapons. Given the advanced nature of Iran’s nuclear program, including the announcement that Iran will increase production of highly enriched uranium, and its growing threat to American and Israeli security, Congress and the Obama Administration must continue to impose tough sanctions. We must also take new, necessary steps to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
Unfortunately, direct engagement with a bellicose Iranian regime has not proved sufficient to end Tehran’s nuclear threat. The United States and our international partners in the EU and the UN have created a robust, targeted sanctions framework aimed at ending Iran’s illicit quest for nuclear weapons. I was proud to have supported the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability and Divestment Act of 2010, which strengthened sanctions on companies doing business with Iran’s energy sector and drastically limit Iran’s ability to import and produce refined petroleum products.
As a Member of the Florida Senate, I led the effort and passed legislation that allowed Florida to do its part to help weaken Iran’s ability to proceed with its nuclear program. During my first year in the Florida Senate, I sponsored legislation to divest Florida’s pension funds from companies engaging in business with Iran and Sudan. With the unanimous support from the Legislature, Florida became the first state in the country to divest, making it clear that our state workers would not aid in Iran’s quest for nuclear weapons. I was proud to testify before Congress in support of the Iran Sanctions Enabling Act, legislation that would encourage all states to divest from Iran. In Florida, I also led efforts in the State trying to leverage public opinion to persuade a Swiss company, Vitol, to stop selling refined petroleum to Iran.
In Congress, I have continued these efforts by authoring legislation that would require companies doing business in Iran to disclose its activity on SEC filings. This self-disclosure shortens the time frame for investigations into sanctions violations and creates a public listing of all companies engaged in business with Iran. I also authored legislation to increase sanctions on the Iranian regime’s most egregious human rights abusers and help give the opposition movement a voice. In the 112th Congress, both pieces of my legislation were incorporated into a larger, bipartisan package of new sanctions.
Iranian leaders must know there are far-reaching economic and security consequences for their failure to fully comply with global demands, including the failure to meet their legal obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The Iranian government, which has been offered substantial carrots to end its uranium enrichment program, must also know that American and international patience is not endless. While use of force should always be the last resort, the Obama Administration must keep this option on the table in the event Iran fails to meet the demands of the international community.
Al Qaeda, Afghanistan and Iraq
While I opposed President Bush’s invasion of Iraq, our troops have served heroically, and now it is time to finalize our withdrawal of U.S. forces on the ground by the end of 2011. The Iraqi government must now take responsibility and stand up for its own national security. In addition to the tragic deaths and injuries of thousands of U.S. soldiers, the war in Iraq has endangered America’s security efforts throughout the Middle East.
With the killing of Osama bin Laden, our efforts in Afghanistan must now fundamentally be based on rooting out and destroying the remaining al Qaeda terrorist network that attacked our nation on September 11th, 2001. We must focus on training Afghan national troops to build a strong, central government to act as a bulwark against any resurgence of the Taliban and al Qaeda.
As a Member of Congress, I closely monitor U.S. efforts to destroy the worldwide network of al Qaeda and ensure we do not take our eye off the ball in Afghanistan. I support a significant and rapid drawdown of troops so that all of our men and women can come home and we can recommit to our own nation building in our own communities.
We also need a smart anti-terrorism policy where we continue to encourage communication between the C.I.A., F.B.I. and local law enforcement to foil domestic plots like the one unraveled this fall to assassinate the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia right here on U.S. soil and bomb embassies in Washington D.C.. We also need to continue to support countries that aid our counterterrorism efforts in the region. President Obama must insist on full cooperation in counterterrorism efforts from Pakistan. This is a job we cannot do alone. I continue to support the Obama Administration’s efforts to strengthen our international alliances in order to encourage other nations to share counter-terrorism intelligence and cooperation.
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Security and Peace for Israel
There is no more important strategic partnership for the United States in the Middle East and globally than that with our long-standing democratic ally, Israel. Given the grave threats of radical extremism, terrorism and deadly rocket attacks, a nuclear Iran, and hostile neighbors, the United States must unequivocally support the Jewish state of Israel. As a Member of Congress, I strongly advocate for even greater bilateral cooperation between Washington and Jerusalem militarily, economically, and politically.
The United States must stand firmly with the Israeli people, at the United Nations and elsewhere internationally, in their right of self-defense against terrorism perpetrated by Hamas and Hezbollah, as well as leading state sponsors of terrorism, Iran and Syria. The United States should continue to combat the delegitimization of Israel at the United Nations, including the rejection of anti-Israel resolutions like the one-sided, inaccurate, and prejudicial Goldstone Report on the Gaza War that fails to hold Hamas and its patron Iran responsible for killing innocent Israelis and using Palestinian women and children as human shields.
I strongly oppose any efforts by the Palestinians to use the United Nations as a forum for unilateral action. Lasting peace with the Palestinians and surrounding nations can only be achieved through direct negotiations. The Israeli government’s outstretched hand has too often been met by Palestinian and Arab leaders with a clenched fist, violence, and anti-Semitic rhetoric. While it is vital for the U.S. to support peace efforts in the Middle East, America must be clear with the Palestinian Authority that they have an obligation to end incitement, violence, and terrorism. For true peace to be reached, the Palestinian Authority must return to the negotiating table without preconditions and finally end anti-Israeli incitement and attacks.
The U.S. must also continue to isolate Hamas until this terrorist organization rejects violence, recognizes Israel, and abides by previous Israel-Palestinian peace agreements. Should the Palestinian Authority follow through on reconciliation with Hamas, the United States must act accordingly to ensure that no U.S. dollars support Hamas.
Arab states that have claimed they want a peaceful Middle East must take steps, as stressed by the current American Administration, to recognize Israel’s right to exist, normalize diplomatic relations, and end their illegal economic embargo of Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and previous Israeli governments have taken bold steps for peace, including unilaterally disengaging from Gaza, and the onus is now on the Palestinians and Arab countries to meet Israel’s outstretched hand.
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