There is no greater responsibility our government has to the American people than protecting our homeland. Through the right policies - and the vigilance and hard work of America's military, law enforcement agencies and the intelligence community - there has not been a domestic terrorist attack since 9/11. Republicans support their efforts to stay on offense against terrorists and disrupt terrorists' plans to launch future attacks. Republicans also know that homeland security is closely linked to border security. That's why Republicans passed a bill to create a border fence to serve as a barrier to prevent terrorists, human traffickers, gang members and lawbreakers from sneaking across an insufficiently protected border with Mexico.

Twelve years of Republican pro-growth policies have led to strong economic growth, record low unemployment and millions of new jobs for working families. We believe that the American economy is strengthened when its citizens have more control over their money and spending priorities. Republican-passed tax relief is spurring our economic expansion and allowing Americans to keep more of what they earn and save and invest for the future. The money government spends is not the government's money - it is the taxpayer's money. Republicans will protect the 2001 and 2003 tax relief laws and work to prevent tax hikes on the American people.

We believe taxpayers' money should be spent wisely and transparently, or not at all. House Republicans are committed to bringing fiscal responsibility, accountability and transparency to the $2.9 trillion federal budget. Congress has a responsibility to tighten its fiscal belt and to address the generational crisis of entitlement growth. Further, all earmark requests should be clearly disclosed in legislation before the House is asked to vote on a bill, and the people's representatives should be able to debate and challenge earmarks on the House floor. We successfully exposed and eliminated the Democrat secret earmark slush funds, and we will continue to fight any future efforts to hide earmarks from the American people.

Republicans are committed to a balanced, common sense energy security policy that makes our energy more affordable and reliable. An innovative, 21st century energy policy should make renewable and alternative fuels much more accessible to ordinary Americans, and it should apply cutting-edge technologies to the environmentally conscious exploration of traditional American energy. In expanding the supply of available energy, we must also focus on energy conservation and efficiency, and we should make the necessary long-term investments in the fuels of the future.

Republicans are committed to health care reform that is voluntary, accessible and affordable to both the taxpayers who ultimately fund the program and the beneficiaries who rely on it. We support reforms that build on proven success. Take the Medicare prescription drug law, which survey after survey shows has an 80 percent satisfaction rate: the new law is saving seniors money on the medicine they need and restructuring the program to be more effective, offering greater benefits at lower cost. This includes the Medicare Advantage program, which has brought improved preventive care services and important market reforms to the Medicare program. These reforms should be protected, not rolled back. Massive, government-controlled health care rationing, with waiting lines for common procedures and higher costs for all of us, would be a huge step backward.

For the elected representatives of our brave men and women in harm's way, war is a solemn matter of conscience. We are firmly committed to fighting and winning the Global War on Terror. We will stay on the offense against terrorist networks, using military, intelligence, financial and diplomatic tools to destroy them. Our troops fighting in Iraq deserve the confidence of the Congress, the prayers of the American people, and the opportunity to succeed in their difficult mission. Precipitous withdrawal from Iraq would not make the threat of terrorism miraculously disappear and would hold catastrophic consequences for our safety at home as well as for the people of Iraq and our allies in the region.

We stand ready to work with Democrats on immigration reform, but true reform begins with real border control and law enforcement to ensure our nation's security. Until we secure the border and effectively enforce the immigration laws on the books, illegal immigration will continue. Amnesty is not the answer. Amnesty rewards illegal behavior and passes on huge public costs to the American people, who are already struggling with taxes, record gas prices and rising tuition costs.