President Bush and his administration have tried to pull the wool over our eyes and distract the public from this possibly illegal domestic spying scandal.

After working for 14 years on Wall Street and growing up in a family with strong roots in small business, I know how important the entrepreneurial spirit is to attaining the American dream.

Getting our military back on stable footing won’t happen overnight. We must start this process now, since future engagements are likely and allies are scarce.

An overstretched military undermines homeland security and our ability to meet threats around the world.

Preemption is the right of any nation in order to preserve its National Security; however, preemptive war is a tactic, not a strategy. When used as a strategy preemption dilutes diplomacy, creates an atmosphere of distrust, and promotes regional instability.

President Bush and his administration have tried to pull the wool over our eyes and distract the public from this possibly illegal domestic spying scandal.

My heart goes out to victims and survivors of the Hurricane Katrina tragedy and to their families. This disaster will go down in history books as one of the largest natural disasters in U.S. history.

Hurricane Katrina, coupled with Hurricane Rita, which came promptly on Katrina’s heels, claimed more than 1,200 American lives. Together, they caused more than $200 billion in damage.

Our brave men and women are fighting around the world and they deserve relief.

The government’s Small Business Administration reports that small businesses represent 99% of all employers in the U.S. and are responsible for generating well over half of new jobs created.

Today’s tax cuts provide yet another illustration of the Republicans’ fiscally irresponsible economic policies that ignore the needs of America’s middle class, students, and working families.

We know we cannot underestimate the importance of emergency planning in our region, nor can we assume we’ll have ample warning time. If an earthquake or terrorist attack hits, we won’t necessarily have advance alerts or opportunities to double- and triple-check our plans.

Small businesses are the backbone of our economy.

If a budget is designed to show our values, it’s clear where the majority stands: against opportunity, against education, and against America’s hard-working, tax-paying middle class.

As co-chair of the Iraqi Women’s Caucus in the House, I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to collaborate with and hear from Iraqi women elected to serve in the new National Assembly.

At a time when we are facing threats from nations such as North Korea and Iran, and attempting to convince others such as India and Pakistan to become responsible nuclear powers, it is vital that America reclaims the leadership we once had on arms control.

I also believe our country made a promise to veterans and their families. Veterans have kept their end of the bargain, and now, the VA is looking to pull out the rug.

Rather than showing themselves to be an ally to the middle class by ending the AMT or repealing it for years to come, my Republican colleagues refused to include it in today’s legislation and America’s middle class will surely suffer that choice greatly.

The President today once again took the opportunity to reiterate his old, failed national security strategies and present them to the American people as new, dynamic ideas intended to better protect the American people.