| I believe with strong leadership, hard work and a | | | | clinics were put in impoverished and rural community's |
| dedication to problem solving, we can improve the lives | | | | potential medical issues could be identified early and |
| of our society and create a new vision for Northern | | | | treated. This would help to combat the high volume of |
| Virginia. | | | | patients visiting hospitals and help reduce cost. |
| The Economy | | | | Additionally, we should provide tax credits to small |
| There is an enormous need to improve the economic | | | | businesses to help healthcare become affordable care. |
| climate within our communities throughout northern | | | | To combat the high volume of patients we should |
| Virginia. Thousands of families throughout NOVA are | | | | provide more mobile clinics in impoverished |
| struggling to afford the expenses associated with life, | | | | communities. Tax credits should also be made |
| including childcare. To help families within NOVA I | | | | available to individuals and families that make below |
| support President Obama's strategy to expand the | | | | the poverty level. Lastly, waste, fraud, and abuse in the |
| child and Dependent Care Tax Credit to help provide | | | | Medicare system must be rooted out to keep the |
| relief for parents and care givers. Currently only 35 | | | | long-term stability of our Medicare system for seniors. |
| percent of the first $3,000 incurred from childcare | | | | Implementing these reforms must be done in order to |
| expenses by a family with one child and a family with | | | | meet the challenges of our nation. The costs of |
| two or more children the first $6,000. The credit is not | | | | healthcare are driving more Americans into bankruptcy |
| refundable, therefore upper-income families | | | | and making our businesses less competitive to foreign |
| unreasonably benefit while families that earn less than | | | | competitors. These reforms would reduce our deficit |
| $50,000 a year obtain less than a third of the tax | | | | and begin to get our fiscal house in order. I will be a |
| credit. I advocate reforming the Child and Dependent | | | | strong believer in healthcare reform. |
| Care Tax Credit to ensure low-income families to | | | | Education |
| receive more credit for their child care debuts. | | | | Our education system has many issues and in need |
| Additionally, it is imperative that we create training | | | | for solutions to combat challenges that Americans are |
| programs for clean technologies. | | | | faced with everyday. Our children are falling behind in |
| I advocate for additional funding to expand federal job | | | | comparison to other developing nations. To provide our |
| training programs to include green technologies training, | | | | children with a bright future the United States must be |
| like advanced manufacturing and weatherization | | | | at the forefront of innovation. First, we must support |
| training. This type of job training program will help fuel | | | | children with special needs and invest in early childhood |
| our economy and create sustainable green jobs. | | | | education, because the period before a child enters |
| I support President Obama's plan to help expand | | | | into kindergarten is the most critical to their educational |
| lending to small business through tax cuts and | | | | development. To attain this goal we must dramatically |
| assistance to community banks. The program is | | | | increase funding for Head Start and other Parent |
| designed to have $30 billion in returned cash for the | | | | Readiness programs that have proved effective in |
| Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) made | | | | getting our children ready for their education. Funds |
| available to help smaller banks lend to local businesses. | | | | must be allocated properly to ensure that classrooms |
| Small businesses are the fabric of our economy it is | | | | are managed efficiently and effectively. |
| imperative that we provide financial support to create | | | | Second, we must improve our K-12 education system. |
| jobs, ignite entrepreneurship and innovation. | | | | I talked to many parents across northern Virginia and |
| Health Care | | | | listen to their concerns about the increasing dropout |
| The Healthcare system in this country is broken and I | | | | rate and if American students are being prepared to |
| will fight to fix the system. The United States pays | | | | compete with the world. To achieve this goal, funding |
| more than any other industrialized country, yet lacks | | | | must be provided in order to bring technology and |
| national coverage for all Americans. At the same time, | | | | up-to-date textbooks into the classrooms. Additionally, |
| healthcare is inextricably linked to our future fiscal | | | | we must rebuild crumbling schools and reward |
| health. Therefore, in order to reduce costs and | | | | teachers based on merit and provide incentives to |
| improve quality for all Americans, three principles must | | | | attract quality teachers. I support the President's Race |
| be met in any legislation that passes congress: (1) | | | | To The Top Program and will advocate to reform the |
| national coverage; (2) ending insurance company | | | | No Child Left Behind Act to support schools that need |
| abuses; (3) providing choice and competition in the | | | | improvement. Additionally, I believe that our school days |
| market. | | | | and hours should be extended, so that our children are |
| To meet these principles healthcare reform must | | | | getting not only high quality education, but as much |
| contain several different provisions. First, we must find | | | | education throughout the year as our global |
| a plan to increase the number of Americans with | | | | competitors. |
| healthcare. If done properly, it would expand the | | | | Third, we must expand access to higher education. |
| insurance pool, include more Americans and reduce | | | | The high school education that gave our parents and |
| the costs of premiums. Second, Americans must be | | | | grandparents a career is simply not enough in today's |
| protected from the worst insurance company abuses | | | | fast-developing world. Today, in order to purchase a |
| by ending their practices of denying coverage due to | | | | home, support a family and retire comfortably, a |
| pre-existing conditions, capping total coverage, and | | | | college education is a necessity. Unfortunately, college |
| dropping or reducing coverage when people get sick | | | | and other advance training has become unaffordable |
| and need it the most. Additionally, reform should | | | | for many Americans that is why I support expanding |
| mandate how much of a patient's premium must go | | | | Pell grants and tax credits to families to help pay for |
| toward their care, as opposed to the marketing, profits | | | | education. |
| and salaries for insurance companies. | | | | Expanding these programs will be costly, but they are |
| To provide choice and competition into the market | | | | worth the investment. I believe that government has |
| reform should include a national exchange, whereby | | | | the responsibility to invest in its future leaders, inventors |
| individuals and small businesses can join together to | | | | and communities. We cannot compete globally if we |
| expand the insurance pool for cheaper insurance. | | | | are not developing better products and technologies. |
| Included within this exchange should be a national | | | | Failure is not an option we must improve our |
| option. A national option would be non-profit and have | | | | educational system, as a member of Congress I will |
| the ability to provide comprehensive care for the best | | | | push to refocus our Nation's effort to strengthening our |
| price. Including an American option in the exchange | | | | intellectual capital. |
| would keep private insurers costs from rising and keep | | | | I believe with the right values, dedication, leadership and |
| them honest. | | | | communication a new vision for Northern Virginia is |
| To keep health insurance affordable our system must | | | | possible. Let's make it happen. |
| shift to preventative care. For example, if more mobile | | | | |