On the Issues

As a former banker, I know firsthand how the economy works. I spent forty years helping people achieve their dreams of buying a home, sending their children to college and starting businesses. Just as I was in my banking career, I will continue to be a champion for growing and protecting the middle class as District 13’s next Member of Congress.

Middle-class families are the foundation of what makes our country great, and we must enact policies that help working families grow and thrive. I will work to provide middle-class tax relief through a range of policies, including raising the estate tax exemption, making higher education more affordable and providing relief from skyrocketing homeowners' insurance rates. I will also work to promote permanent tax relief for the middle class by ending the marriage penalty and extending child and small business tax credits.

Good-paying jobs are essential to economic growth in the 13th District, Florida and our country. That is why, in addition to fighting for education, the foundation of economic opportunity, I will be a tireless advocate for bringing jobs to our district in a range of industries. In particular, I believe that the search for and implementation of alternative, renewable energy sources and other “green-collar” work will be not only a boon for our environment, but for our economy as well. I will champion the building of a Green Service Corps that will provide government funding to create good jobs in this sector and generate economic growth that will also benefit the environment.

From prices at the pump to predatory lending practices to identity theft to threats in our food and drug supply, consumers face unprecedented challenges in the marketplace every day. Consumers must be assured that pharmaceutical, food and other products are safe. We should do everything we can to protect consumers against fraud, whether at auto dealerships, through identity theft or by unscrupulous mortgage lenders. It is the role of the government to provide proper and fair regulation to protect consumers. I will be a staunch advocate for programs and funding to make sure the interests and safety of consumers come before special interests and corporate profits.

As a banker, I helped small business owners realize their vision and provide the jobs that serve as the economic backbone of our communities. I know that being a small business owner is a challenge. As our next Representative, I will ensure that Washington does what it can to help small businesses thrive. I will work to simplify the tax code for small businesses, provide real tax relief for small businesses, and ensure that important programs like the Small Business Administration are fully funded.

Our economy will never reach its potential until we balance the budget and begin to pay down the national debt of more than $9.5 trillion dollars. I will be dedicated to fighting for a balanced budget and responsible fiscal policies that ensure Medicare, Social Security and other important programs remain intact without burdening future generations. I am firmly committed to using “pay-as-you-go” budgeting policies in Washington, and to closing much-abused tax loopholes and offshore tax havens. We must also attack the waste and fraud that is too often found in government spending.

Our nation has a health care crisis that MUST be addressed – the rising costs of health care and the rising number of uninsured are unacceptable. I believe there are many options on the table that deserve examination – allowing people to buy into the Federal Employee Health Benefits plan, expanding coverage for working people whose employers do not pay, and allowing people in their fifties to buy into Medicare are all suggestions that have merit moving forward.  The main issues, however, are to expand access to affordable, high-quality health care and contain the costs of coverage, while making sure consumers have choices and people who have coverage now do not experience a loss of coverage.

I will be a leader in the fight for stem cell research, providing hope for the millions of Americans suffering from diseases such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and diabetes.

Owning a home is one of the foundations of the American Dream. For far too many people today, however, that dream is no longer reachable due to a lack of affordable housing, or has slipped away because of the mortgage crisis. Florida and the 13th Congressional District have been hit especially hard in this housing crisis, and addressing it is one of my top priorities. Efforts to provide assistance to homeowners already affected must continue. I also support legislation making grants to state and local governments to boost affordable housing and stabilize neighborhoods, giving low- and middle-income families the chance to own a home. We must continue to look at solutions that work to provide assistance to potential homeowners before they face foreclosure.

A quality public school system is the foundation of opportunity in America. I understand the importance of testing and accountability, but those should not be the only criteria by which we measure our schools. We must move away from the focus No Child Left Behind currently places on high-stakes testing and the law’s emphasis on punishment that shifts money and authority away from local and state governments to for-profit schools. Instead, we must focus on testing and accountability that rewards student success, promotes creative thinking and provides educators, schools, families and communities with the resources and flexibility they need to help children thrive. I will fight to improve the quality of our public education and ensure our schools are fully funded. I will also work to give more Americans the opportunity to attend college by increasing both scholarships and tax credits.

Social Security is a social contract with all Americans that should be honored by Congress. I oppose risky privatization schemes for Social Security and will fight to ensure that the Social Security trust fund is managed responsibly and remains solvent for current retirees and future generations. I am also committed to ensuring that Medicare stays strong.

The environment is critical to our economy, our health and our lifestyle. I am committed to supporting the Safe Climate Act, which includes important provisions to reduce emissions and lead to energy independence, along with other efforts to reduce global warming and invest in alternative energies. I will oppose any effort by the big oil companies to drill off Florida's coast and will fight for tougher environmental standards to ensure that our air and water are protected. I will also work for more funding for Red Tide research and Everglades restoration, ensuring that the natural beauty of Florida is protected.

I was against the war in Iraq from the beginning. I agree with plans to withdraw one or two brigades a month from Iraq over the course of 16 months. Ultimately, we must move quickly and responsibly to end the war in Iraq and bring our men and women in uniform home safely. We must ensure that Iraq is accountable for its own security and concentrate on formulating a plan that focuses on responsibly redeploying our brave troops. We are spending $10 billion a month in Iraq – money that should be invested here in the United States.

National security starts at home. The recommendations of the 9/11 Commission gave our nation an excellent blueprint for strengthening national security, and I strongly support efforts to fund and act upon those recommendations, including better securing our ports and borders.

The commitment of so much of our military’s resources to the extended conflict in Iraq has compromised our ability to fight terror across the globe. We must better address the situation in Afghanistan, and be more prepared to handle potential conflicts in countries like North Korea and Iran, if necessary. It is also imperative that we regain our position as the world’s international leader by restoring trust and diplomacy to our relationships across the globe. In order to achieve security, we must be smart and tough, using both our military might and our diplomatic relationships to fight terrorists abroad.

As the daughter of a disabled WWII veteran, I have long understood the importance of fulfilling the promises and repaying the debts we owe our nation's veterans. Sadly, we too often fall short. Every year, veterans have to petition Congress and fight for full funding of their health care and benefits. I will strongly support legislation to make veterans’ benefits and health care funding mandatory, including full funding for both physical and mental health programs.

I will also work to end restrictions on concurrent retirement and disability payments, to integrate benefits for active duty, Guard and Reserves forces, and to ensure there are no fee increases in earned Tri-Care medical benefits. I will fight for fair mileage reimbursements, better prescription distribution systems and other practical benefits that ensure our promises to veterans are carried out in practice. I support and applaud recent efforts to bring the G.I. Bill into the 21st century by renewing our commitment to provide robust educational benefits to our veterans.  

A smart energy policy starts with conservation – an important first step toward reducing America's dependency on oil. I support incentives for individuals, businesses and industry to encourage efficient energy consumption and increased use of alternative fuels. The U.S. must also support research to further develop alternative fuels, efficient homes and buildings, as well as electric and hybrid vehicles. At the same time, we must resist the temptation to turn to offshore oil drilling as a short-term answer to a long-term problem. It is a grave threat to Florida's environment and economy, and I strongly oppose opening up Florida's coasts to the dangers of offshore drilling, which would threaten our beaches and other environmental treasures.

A smart energy policy must also include accountability. I support the fight for Congressional review to make sure that the oil companies aren't colluding to raise prices.

By continuing to strengthen America’s historic partnership with Israel, we promote and enhance our own economic and security interests both here in the United States and abroad.  As the lone democracy in the Middle East, Israel is a beacon of hope in a region that has been plagued by religious and civil wars, violence and violations of human rights, and the United States must continue to support Israel’s efforts to achieve security and peace within the region.

Congress must not only maintain our close relationship with Israel, but also strengthen it further through a continued commitment to foreign aid, non-proliferation (especially with respect to Iran), economic development and peace. The Israeli government has repeatedly expressed its support for a two-state solution: the creation of a Palestinian state that will live in peace and security alongside its neighbor, Israel. This commitment should be applauded and actively supported by the United States, and we should do everything we can to encourage and support responsible negotiations to achieve that goal. When elected, I will be a staunch supporter of the Middle East Peace Process, and of Israel’s right to exist as a sovereign Jewish state in peace and security.

We are a nation of immigrants, but we are also a nation of laws. I believe immigration reform must start by strengthening our borders, enforcing current laws, penalizing employers that knowingly hire illegal immigrants and ensuring that immigrants pay their fair share of taxes for the social services they use. These policies should also be coupled with a program that allows immigrants who maintain employment, pay taxes, obey the law and learn English an opportunity to apply for earned citizenship.

As a member of the banking industry for 40 years, oversight, transparency, and ethics were the foundation upon which I earned my customers’ trust. I will bring those same ethics and principles to Congress. Transparency and full disclosure are imperative in restoring confidence in and credibility to Washington. This includes measures to enhance lobbying disclosure, slow the revolving door between legislating and lobbying, curb excesses in privately funded travel, and toughen enforcement and oversight. We must also continue to reform the way campaigns are financed in this country.  I support continued campaign finance reform efforts and movement toward an effective public financing system.

I believe in a woman’s right to choose. I also believe that abortion should be safe, legal and rare. Our focus should be on reducing unwanted pregnancies and increasing access to primary health care and age-appropriate education for our young people.