Paul Gillmor

More than seven months ago, our country learned that the horrors portrayed in Hollywood’s make-believe world could actually come to life before our very eyes.

The American economy has always been driven by the entrepreneurial nature of its citizens, and blocking access to affordable health care will only suffocate growth within the small business sector of our economy.

The Declaration is a magnificent document.

We are putting more and more power into a system which is less and less able to carry it reliably.

I represent the views and the values of the people of the district.

Spending on programs such as national defense and funding the operating budgets of all federal agencies represent only 39 percent of our yearly budget, an all-time low.

The fact is, almost every year since the founding of these United States, our government has lived beyond its means.

Specifically, the growing threat that sexual predators pose to our Nation’s children and their families represents an area where our criminal justice system has failed the American people.

In addition, each barrel of oil we save through conservation further decreases our dangerous reliance on unstable Middle East oil.

In order to effectively protect our loved ones, we must provide the American public with unfettered access to know who these dangerous criminals are and where they are living.

I believe it is incumbent upon Congress to act aggressively to ameliorate fear and help our country take the essential steps that will make our communities and lives safer.

The Declaration of Independence is a sacred part of American history.

The beliefs expressed in the Declaration of Independence remain a standard for our nation today. They also remain a standard for those nations across the globe striving to achieve democracy.

In the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, our nation has been put under considerable fiscal pressure.

While not widely reported, our victories in Iraq are plentiful. National elections, a democratic parliament and the drafting of a constitution are just some of the victories throughout this embattled country.

Following the devastation of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, $3 per gallon gasoline became common and our nation has come under considerable strain.

Enrolling in the Medicare Prescription Drug Program will be a great savings for most senior citizens.

It does seem fair to give them the option of a better return.

America’s health care system provides some of the finest doctors and more access to vital medications than any country in the world. And yet, our system has been faltering for many years with the increased cost of health care.

As the cost of gasoline rises and our dependence on foreign oil continues to increase, the effect of sending over $100 billion each year to OPEC nations hurts every American.

We haven’t had a good energy policy in this country for decades and we’re trying to get one.

Among the many important provisions in the energy bill are the creation of an estimated half million new jobs, increased oil production, blackout protection, controlling fertilizer costs by stabilizing natural gas prices and enacting new efficiency benchmarks.

We should not forget, no matter how we quantify it: ‘Freedom is not free.’ It is a painful lesson, but one from which we have learned in the past and one we should never forget.

To date, every American citizen has nearly $27,000 in public debt riding on our backs.

While there are many influences on gas prices in America, I believe the passage of a national energy bill will help relieve this burden on our country.

The current system punishes communities which make the investment in creating landfills, only to have them filled by states which refuse to adequately address their waste issues.

We must have a relentless commitment to producing a meaningful, comprehensive energy package aimed at conservation, alleviating the burden of energy prices on consumers, decreasing our country’s dependency on foreign oil, and increasing electricity grid reliability.

It has been a top priority of Congress to reduce the drug costs of all seniors.

The lack of health care coverage has remained very important to me during my time in Congress and as a member of the House Subcommittee on Health, I am working hard with my colleagues to correct these inequalities.

Americans in all places and levels of government have begun to consider the areas where we need to prepare ourselves from future threats, including the latest weapon: bio-terror.

In this life and death case, I felt Mrs. Schiavo should receive the fullest due process from our legal system.

Insurgents throughout Iraq continue to threaten our efforts and pose a danger to stability in the region. They fight not for their country, but rather against ours.