On the Issues

As a small business owner for almost 30 years, I am very aware of the need to pay-as-you-go and to provide a balanced budget. During my time in the Florida Legislature, I was a strong voice in balancing our state's budget every year. In Congress, I will work to rein in wasteful spending and ensure accountability so we can get back to a balanced budget

The ongoing national mortgage crisis is taking a toll on American homeownership and our economy as a whole. Floridians have the added burden of struggling with high property taxes, skyrocketing insurance premiums and cancelled policies. I am committed to providing homeowners with much-needed relief and would work to lower the cost of homeowners' insurance, supporting a national catastrophic plan, and increase consumer protection in the lending process.

The current strategy in Iraq has failed -- we are in our sixth year of the war with no plan to win the peace and bring our brave troops home. Congress must work with the generals on the ground to pursue a responsible redeployment strategy, with benchmarks for success that force the Iraqis to stand on their own. In Congress, I will ensure that we have both the strategy and the accountability to bring our troops home as soon as possible and to honor them for their service.

America must retain our leadership position in space exploration and manned space flight. I will always fight to ensure that the Kennedy Space Center is given what it needs to remain strong and continue its spirit of exploration and excellence and will also fight to fully fund NASA's requests in our national budget. Finally, I will work to make the transition from Space Shuttle Program to the Constellation Program as safe and seamless as possible, and address the needs of our talented shuttle workers.

Members of Congress have forgotten why they were sent to Washington. Some have become part of a broken system that is more concerned with rewarding lobbyists and special interests than working for every day people.  Voters are sick of the dishonesty, lack of transparency, and corruption that has become too much the norm.  Suzanne Kosmas will go to Washington and fight for ethical reforms that put her constituents, not special interests, first. Kosmas will lead by example and encourage more openness and transparency in Congress.

There is nothing more important to the strength and future of America than the strength of our education system -- and in order to strengthen that system, we must have a partnership with federal and local governments. In the state legislature, I successfully fought for more money for local schools. Accountability in our schools is critical, but we must give our schools and teachers the funding they need to meet the requirements and the flexibility to prepare our children for the jobs of the future.

Middle-class Floridians deserve tax cuts that make sense for them. I will work to end the giveaways for corporations that ship our jobs overseas and support tax relief for middle class families and small business owners that work hard and deserve the opportunity to save for their futures.

Energy independence is critical to our national security and to job creation here in Florida and around the country. While President Bush handed out billions of dollars in subsidies and tax giveaways to Big Oil and Big Gas companies, Floridians are struggling with high prices at the pump. I would fight for sustained investment in research and development to create cutting-edge, sustainable energy alternatives that capitalize on America's vast renewable natural resources, ingenuity, and workforce.

Social Security is a trust between our government and the generations of workers who provide the resources to make it stable and sustainable. People who have spent a lifetime of hard work, providing for their families and saving for their retirement, deserve a sense of security that this safety will be there for them. I do not support the privatization of Social Security and would vigorously oppose any plan to do so.

The costs of health insurance and prescription drugs are out of control. We have a health care crisis and we need leaders who will work together for common-sense solutions. In the Florida House, I fought for improved health care for senior citizens working families and their children. In Congress, I will fight for all Americans to have access to quality, affordable health care, significantly investing in children's heath care, creating a prescription drug plan that works, and developing innovative solutions to bring down costs.

Suzanne Kosmas is dedicated to helping our brave men and women in uniform. Throughout her career, Kosmas has supported efforts to relieve the burden of service on our troops and veterans. Kosmas knows that one of our greatest patriotic duties is to only send troops into harm's way when absolutely necessary and to do everything possible to support them upon their return. Too often we hear about troops who return to inadequate medical care, dire financial circumstances, and a difficulty readjusting to civilian life.