While I strongly support the brave American soldiers risking their lives in Iraq, I strongly opposed the manner in which President Bush led this nation to war because it weakened the strategic interests and security of the United States. President Bush stubbornly refuses to end the war in Iraq, and Congress now must step forward and bring our troops home immediately.

I do not believe the United States is more secure in a post-Saddam era, and I blame the President's lack of post-war planning for the current quagmire threatening American troops, Iraqi citizens and the stability of the Middle East. Additionally, I am deeply concerned that the Administration's unilateral, arrogant and hasty approach to war has lessened America's credibility in the eyes of the world and caused irreparable damage to our international alliances, which has in turn weakened our reconstruction efforts in Iraq and our ability to deter the spread of international terror. Finally, I am deeply disturbed by the fact that President Bush took America to war on false pretenses, on the basis of fabricated or grossly exaggerated intelligence claims.

I am proud to have been one of the few Democrats willing to take on General Petreus’ during his September 10th testimony before Congress. Unfortunately the General failed to answer my question about “how many more men and women will have to be sacrificed” in this misguided and tragic war. I will continue to vote to deny funding to President Bush for the war in Iraq unless a withdrawal in also mandated. Enough blood has been spilled in this tragically misguided war.

The cost of homeowners insurance has reached crisis proportions and action must be taken at the state and federal levels to bring these costs under control and to make the cost of living in Florida livable for working families. Although it is true that Florida faces more hurricanes than any other state, this cannot bar Floridians from affording reasonably priced homeowners insurance. Speaker Pelosi recently added me to the House Financial Services Committee, that has jurisdiction over insurance, so I can focus directly on the Florida insurance crisis. With that in mind I am working with Speaker Pelosi and Reps. Ron Klein and Tim Mahoney on federal legislation that will reduce premiums by 30 percent or more. The plan would be to establish a National Catastrophic Insurance Program that would limit the amount any one insurance company would bear after a large storm. We would essentially spread the risk of natural disasters over many states cap the insurance industry's liability. The savings produced by these changes will be passed on directly to homeowners and the costs of insurance will fall.

America faces two challenges: how to prevent terrorists from attacking, and how to minimize the loss of life in a terrorist attack. Both of these involve investing at the local level. Our police and firefighters - the true front line in our war on terrorism - have been shortchanged for years by President Bush and the previous Republican-led Congress.  Under the new leadership in Congress, Democrats are delivering much needed federal assistance to first responders and other essential personnel and infrastructure that will be required to prevent and respond to terrorist attacks.

Ensuring that our seaports are secure is one of the most pressing security challenges that we face.  Experts acknowledge that an attack from the sea is the most likely avenue of future terrorist efforts.  Democrats in Congress will provide an increase in essential port security funding to better ensure that we can prevent seaborne attacks.

From the moment George W. Bush became President; reproductive freedom has been under constant assault. More than ever before, the critical 1973 Roe v. Wade decision is vulnerable due to the recent appointments of Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Alito to the Supreme Court. Already in April of 2007, the Supreme Court significantly undermined the constitutional guarantees of Roe v. Wade in the recent Federal Abortion Ban cases. This decision has essentially given states the freedom to attack safe, legal abortions, without considering the impact on the health of the woman. I am strongly and loudly pro-choice. I am proud to have a NARAL Pro-Choice America voting record of 100 percent. I will continue to be a leader on the House Judiciary Committee in working to pass the Freedom of Choice Act, which would codify Roe v. Wade into federal law. In addition, I will speak out against any nominee to the Supreme Court who does not recognize the fundamental right of a woman to have control over her own body.

There has been nothing more shameless in modern American history than President Bush's giveaways to the very wealthy at the expense of working families. His $1.35 trillion tax cut in 2001 and $349.7 billion in 2003 have not stimulated the economy, have not created jobs and have not been any appreciable help to most Americans. However, his tax cuts have pushed the national debt beyond the astronomic level of $7 trillion, and will force our children and grandchildren to pay for the greed of this Administration's high-roller cronies. The egregious portions of the Bush tax cuts must be rolled back immediately.

The No Child Left Behind Act? What an ironic name. The Bush Administration and the previous Republican majority in Congress have repeatedly under-funded education while putting strict mandates on our schools. If the federal government is going to hold our hard-working teachers accountable for the performance of students, then Congress must give them the assistance promised in the legislation. Every child in America deserves access to a top quality education in a public school system. I will continue to press for sufficient federal funding for those programs that help our communities meet the needs of all children. Only then will future generations of Americans be able to compete in the 21st Century.

Since being elected to Congress, one of my top priorities has been to deepen and enhance the unbreakable bond between the United States and Israel. I strongly believe that the United States’ historic partnership with Israel is critical to stability in an increasingly volatile Middle East, and it is essential that Congress support “unequivocally” Israel’s right to self-defense. At this difficult time for both nations, I am committed to ensuring that America and Israel stand shoulder-to-shoulder in our common struggle against terror and in pursuit of lasting security and peace.

The United States must speak forcefully in support of Israel in the face of terrorism and rocket attacks; I was proud to be a cosponsor of House Resolution 921 that reaffirmed the support of the United States for Israel and strongly condemned Hamas and Hezbollah for engaging in their unprovoked attacks on Israel. As Chairman of the Europe Subcommittee, I recently held a hearing that advocated that Hezbollah be added to the European Union’s (EU) terrorist list. I also wrote a letter to EU High Representative Javier Solana, signed by 215 Members of Congress, calling on the EU to add Hezbollah to this list, thereby essentially ending the group's ability to function, organize, and fundraise throughout Europe. Additionally, in response to the deadly attacks on Israeli city of Sderot, I cosponsored a House Resolution 951 condemning the ongoing Palestinian rocket attacks on Israeli civilians by Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist organizations.

I believe the United States and Israel must continue to work jointly to thwart and destroy the terrorist infrastructure of Hezbollah and Hamas. We must also work hard to counter the destructive policies of the leading state sponsors of terrorism, Syrian and Iran. Last September, I introduced House Resolution 674 expressing the unequivocal support of the House of Representatives for Israel's right to self defense in the face of an imminent nuclear or military threat from Syria.

As Israel continues to face significant challenges, the United States must be prepared to support our most important ally in the Middle East. In working towards that goal, I have cosponsored House Concurrent Resolution 322 recognizing the 60th anniversary of the founding of the modern State of Israel and reaffirming the bonds of close friendship and cooperation between the United States and Israel. My commitment to the US-Israeli partnership will never waiver, and I will lead efforts from my position on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs to ensure that America stands with our closest and most vital ally.

For over five years, I have been aggressively advocating for a paper trail for every ballot cast in the state of Florida and throughout the nation. This battle led me to file suit against the State of Florida in both State and Federal Court in order to guarantee that all Floridians were treated equally under the law.

My fight to bring a paper trail has succeeded and by the 2008 Presidential election the voting systems in Florida will be a model for the nation. As you likely know, Governor Charlie Crist recently signed into law a bill that mandates that all Florida voters use optical scan machines that produce a voter verified paper trial. I am proud that Governor Crist has repeatedly cited my efforts as the primary reason for his support of a paper trail, and I am thankful that the Governor acted in the interest of all Floridians and finally delivered a paper trail for our voters.

Florida has now gone from the disastrous butterfly ballot of 2000 to standing today as a model for the nation in terms of transparency and legitimacy of our elections systems. Every citizen in Florida can now vote with confidence that their vote will be counted - and counted accurately. A paper trail was achieved in Florida through constructive cooperation between Republicans and Democrats, the Federal and State governments, citizen activists and government officials. This is an example of how government should work. On the federal level, I worked hard to provide significant resources to states, including Florida, to fund elections equipment through the Help America Vote Act. The law also enacted minimum elections standards and ensured access for disabled voters. In addition, I am a sponsor of the Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act that requires a paper trail on a national level, mandates higher standards for meeting the needs of disabled voters, and enhances the auditing requirements of voting systems and recounts. If enacted, these vital reforms will be in place before the 2008 Presidential election.

It should come as no surprise that George W. Bush is dividing Americans instead of uniting us. What is surprising is the depths to which he is sinking. I adamantly oppose his blatantly self-serving support of an amendment to the Constitution defining marriage. Discrimination should never be part of federal law, let alone our founding document. To begin classifying some citizens as more free than others is not only a dangerous precedent, but is simply un-American.

All citizens should be free to share their life with the partner of their choice, and all states should be free to determine the civil aspects of that union without interference of the federal government. I will speak loudly against any attempt in Congress to usurp these rights. In addition, I will continue to be a sponsor of legislation important to the gay and lesbian community, including the Hate Crimes Prevention Act, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and the Permanent Partners Immigration Act.