"I voted against invading Iraq in 2002. I didn't believe that Iraq posed the "imminent threat" the President claimed. I believe that subsequent events have proven that I was correct in this regard."

"The men and women of our armed forces have done everything that could be asked of them in working to rebuild Iraq and bring a stable democratic government to that country. I believe that only the Iraqis can do what now needs to be done. Consequently, I have called for a transition of responsibility for security within Iraq from the U.S. military to Iraqi forces in the coming months and the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq by the end of the year."

"My highest priority throughout my service in Congress has been promoting economic growth and the creation of good jobs in southwestern Pennsylvania. With that goal in mind, I have worked hard to make the region a center for cutting edge research and advanced manufacturing."

"I have been successful in securing federal research funding and contracts for our outstanding local universities and world-class high tech firms, as well as working to support local federal facilities like the Supercomputing Center in Monroeville and the National Energy Technology Lab in Pittsburgh. 1have also established the Doyle Center for Manufacturing Technology to help local manufacturing firms acquire the advanced technology they need to remain competitive in the global economy."

"I have been working in Congress to enact legislation that will stimulate our flagging economy and help American families in their struggle to get by. I supported the stimulus bill enacted in February 2008 that provided recovery rebate checks to over 130 million households. I also voted to temporarily extend unemployment benefits for workers who have exhausted their regular benefits. I have voted for legislation that would help families that were victimized by sub-prime mortgage lenders stay in their homes -and which would help state and local governments get foreclosed homes back on the market quickly. Finally, I am working to enact a second economic stimulus bill that would increase federal investment in the roads, bridges, and other pubic infrastructure that creates jobs and promotes economic growth."

"I believe that the richest, most powerful country on Earth ought to be able to figure out how to guarantee all of its citizens affordable, high quality health care. Americans are justifiably proud of the remarkable medical advances our country has made, but we should be ashamed that 45 million Americans are currently uninsured and that many Americans can't afford to get the care they need."

"The new Medicare prescription drug program was designed by the drug and insurance companies to benefit themselves, not America's seniors. It does far too little to help our senior citizens with skyrocketing prescription drug costs, and what little help it does provide is provided in an unnecessarily complicated way. That's why 1opposed the legislation creating that program and supported an alternative that would have provided seniors with more financial help in a lot less complicated way. I will work to make the Medicare prescription drug program easier to use and more beneficial to our senior citizens."

"The Social Security program faces some serious financial difficulties as the "Baby Boom" generation retires and the number of retirees in this country doubles from 40 million to 80 million people in the coming decades. If nothing is done, Social Security will not be able to pay all of the benefits that future beneficiaries are currently scheduled to receive. That being said, however, even if nothing were done, Social Security would still be able to pay future beneficiaries nearly threequarters of those benefits -which would amount to more money per month than Social Security beneficiaries currently receive, even after adjusting for inflation."

"I support efforts to improve the Social Security program's future financial condition. I strongly opposed President Bush's proposal to privatize Social Security, however. After carefully considering the impact that the President's plan would have, it became clear that the Bush privatization plan would have left most of my constituents worse off than doing nothing! Instead, I supported -and continue to support -modest incremental changes in the program to balance the program's books. (18 Such changes were discussed in a lengthy report issued by the Social Security Administration)."

"I believe that Americans deserve affordable, reliable energy supplies -and that most Americans share my desire to free our nation from its current dependence on oil from unstable parts of the world. Consequently, I have been working for years to put in place a comprehensive national energy policy that would make the United States energy-independent. I believe that such a policy should include expanded conservation efforts and increased emphasis on energy-efficiency, as well as greater utilization of alternative fuels and new energy technology like fuel cells and gas-electric hybrid motors."

"I serve on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, the House committee with jurisdiction over energy issues, and that gives me a great deal of influence on the shape of the energy-related legislation that Congress approves. In recent years, for example, I have worked successfully to double funding for federal research on fuel cell technology. I also worked to establish the new federal tax incentive for consumers to bUy gas-electric hybrid-powered automobiles. I am currently working to draft legislation that will halt global warming without harming American jobs and our economy."

"The most important thing we can do to ensure that our children have a decent standard of living is provide them with a good education. And if we fail to provide a good education to all the children in this country, it's safe to say that our country will be in great danger of losing its place as the richest, most vibrant country in the world. Consequently, it's essential that we take steps to greatly improve the K-12 education system in the United States and make higher education affordable for every American."

"In order to make certain that all our young people have the educational skills they need to succeed in life, we as a nation need to dedicate substantially more resources to education, and I am deeply committed to making that kind of investment in our nation's future."

"I supported recent legislation to modernize the GI Bill so that it once again pays for most if not all of a college education for the young men and women who have served our country with such courage and dedication."