October 8, 2004

I spend a lot of time traveling around the 6th District holding town meetings and citizen hours and meeting with people individually and in groups. The main issues on people's minds will not surprise you. Here are a few comments on two of the topics which come up repeatedly:

Iraq: Our troops have performed heroically and they are making the world safer, but I don't want to leave them in harm's way and away from their families one second longer than necessary.

The stakes are high. Now that Saddam Hussein is in prison and his regime is history, we need to be certain that we leave behind a secure government that will not provide a haven or support for terrorists.

We need to speed the training of Iraqi forces so they can secure their own country. We need to support moderate sectors in Iraqi society as they try to build a stable and peaceful democracy. We need to help them establish enough security so that reconstruction can proceed, strengthening Iraq's economy and providing jobs for those who might otherwise join the insurgency.

We need to make sure that the Iraqi majority can justifiably believe that they are the masters of their own country, with the United States playing a supporting role. Most Iraqis want peace and democracy and are glad that Saddam Hussein is gone, but they don't like to have a foreign army on their soil. Some consider it an unpleasant necessity while others want us out right away. In any case, time is not our friend here.

The Administration is working feverishly to turn responsibilities and authority over to a stabilized Iraqi government. It has taken far too long to get organized, but that's in the past and now we are doing the right things as fast as possible.

The Economy: International competition is intense, and rapid technological change is unavoidable. We have no choice other than to focus our attention on creating and maintaining a business climate that allows U.S. businesses to compete while expanding their payrolls at home.

This means working diligently to streamline regulations as much as possible while protecting workers and the environment. It means finding ways to restrain health care costs, reform our legal system, and enact tax policies which encourage investment in the U.S.

I have long supported proposals to increase incentives for manufacturing and for small businesses, aware that manufacturing is a major part of our state's economy and that three-quarters of all new jobs are created by small businesses.

There are clear indications that the economy is recovering, and the unemployment rate is already as low as it was in 1996. But if you are one of those who has lost a job, you may not see these encouraging signs. I have worked actively for increases in the Trade Adjustment Assistance program so that those who do lose their jobs can have access to retraining programs.

Taking a wider view, more than ever, the good-paying jobs of the future will require both a quality education and specialized training. We can't afford to relax in these areas.