Important Issues

   Important Issues in NY D5...

• Respect For Traditional Values
  I believe that Congress should show greater respect for traditional values ... I believe that Americans have a right to expect that their representatives will exhibit the same common sense and respect for their values as they do for others. That is why I have pledged to uphold traditional marriage - between a man and a woman - to support legislation that would curtail the excesses of courts that threaten to unwind this fundamental institution.  This in no way precludes us from being tolerant of others and respectful of their special needs.  Survivorship issues, healthcare obstacles and other problems demand solutions and should be met with compassion and tolerance, not red tape.
   
• Death Penalty
  I believe that there are some crimes that truly deserve that a criminal pay the ultimate price.  I also believe that anyone convicted and sentenced to death should receive an automatic appeal and DNA testing should be mandatory.  Today's testing methods and requiring a unanimous sentencing verdict should ensure that only the guilty are punished.
  
  
   
• Small Business
  I will work to lessen taxes and needless regulations on small businesses so that they can thrive and can hire more people.  More than 90% of all jobs in our district are provided by hardworking small businesses.  I want to make sure that government makes it easier for them to direct more of their capital at hiring more people and keep people working.
  
  
   
• INS Reform
  I will labor diligently to see immigration procedures reformed so that applicants can get speedy responses.  There is no reason that people who have often sacrificed so much to legally get here should be held up waiting for years for even basic answers.  My local office will have a section that will be ready to assist any immigration attorney or constituent who has a problem and needs help.  At the same time, we absolutely MUST make sure that our borders are secure and that we do not continue to reward illegal behavior as we have done in the past.  This will require significant increase in enforcement efforts, including physical barriers, increased penalties for businesses who knowingly hire illegals and a no nonsense approach to streamlining the INS court system to ensure that decisions are made quickly and accurately, increasing fairness and deporting those who do not obey our laws.
   
• Healthcare Reform
  I believe in getting healthcare costs to decline by focusing on preventative services so people don't have to wait till they are sick to get care.  I also consider it vital to controlling unnecessary costs so that more New Yorkers can afford to be covered by insurance plans.  I also believe that health plans should cover prescription drugs purchased in Canada, UK, South Africa or other places who often have far cheaper prices of generic drugs.  I am tired of the ridiculous drug prices needed to cover a $1 billion price tag to get a drug to market - all because of an antiquated, bloated beaurocracy that exists at the FDA.
   
• Retirement Benefits Reform
  I will work to make sure employees can secure their future retirements by having a choice to place a portion of their funds in private investment accounts while continuing to safeguard current retiree social security benefits.  There is no need to disrupt benefits to current or soon to be retirees but we must do something to secure the future for tomorrow's generation and I believe that this is best done by giving younger workers more choice in how their moneys are allocated and invested.
  
  
   
• Foreign Affairs
  As the worlds sole super power, I believe that the US has a continuing role to play in the world to safeguard its own interests and that of our allies.  My experiences working with a number of foreign political leaders has helped me to understand how to work together with them to find ways in which they can benefit while promoting American vital interests.  As Congressmen, I would keep the US actively engaged in many of the regions that interest communities in the 5th District, like the Middle East, Asia and South Asia.
  
  
   
• Veterans Affairs
  
  
  
  
  
   
• Education