U.S. Military Spending - We need to provide our military with the superior support they deserve. However, much of the $513 billion budget is wasted on unnecessary programs and equipment that should be eliminated, including the bulk of the eight billion in earmarks. Reform could begin with curbing contractors’ hiring of high-level military personnel to act as lobbyists. No-bid contracts, of course, should be a prime target for decreasing gratuitous waste.

Closure of Guantanamo and "Black Site" Prisons - These absolutely should be closed. They hurt our standing in the world, and the system is not compatible with the laws of our country. Further, we must stop renditioning detainees to other countries to circumvent the law.

The Patriot Act - The licentious scope of the Patriot Act is appalling. Americans need to understand that government in the wrong hands (which we’ve had) could use these laws to basically lock up anyone who opposes them. This is a very dangerous and slippery slope. I agree with Senator Feingold that changes must be made to the Patriot Act that will provide the security protections we need without trampling on Constitutional rights. In most cases, laws already exist to meet our security needs.

The Military Commissions Act - This should be abandoned and our court system as it stands should be used, as it has in the past, to adjudicate these cases. We cannot abandon our values in the pursuit of freedom from danger. Too many have died to protect basic rights that were so callously cast aside.

Campaign Finance Reform – We must have campaign finance reform. Until we have publicly financed campaigns, the special interest groups will maintain control over our government. There are currently two bills H.R. 1826 and S. 752 addressing this reform. I support both of these bills.  Limit campaigns to no more than six months (3 months would probably be even better). That would a) reduce the cost b) reduce the amount of time for the lies and distortion to hit the airwaves and c) any politician whose already in office can actually do his/her job a lot longer before he/she hits the campaign trail and actually earn their most of their paycheck.

The Future for Social Security - Fixing Social Security is not nearly as complicated as Medicare...there simply needs to be the will in Congress to do something before it’s too late. The solution of increasing eligibility age (it’s now moved back to age 70!), should be replaced by progressive solutions.

The Use of Torture by the U.S. - Anyone who has been involved in the authorization of torture should be charged and prosecuted to the full extent of the law, no matter who they are.

The Sale and Use of Land Mines by the U.S. - The US should attend the Mine Ban Treaty Review Conference in December and sign on to this treaty. We should assist in destroying existing land mines.

Nuclear Weapons and Use of Depleted Uranium - I fully support a ban on any new nuclear weapons and a reduction of the current stock, as well as a complete ban of munitions made with depleted uranium.  The U.S. should step up and clean up any sites where these weapons were used. 

The Role of the CIA - The reputation of the CIA has suffered greatly in the last few years. They will need to work hard in the coming years to earn the faith once again of the public. Anyone determined to have had a role in illegal activities should be prosecuted for those crimes. Also, a tighter congressional watch of the CIA budget would help deter misuse of power.

World Hunger - $50 billion dollars would end world hunger, less than 10% of the 2009 defense budget. Recent reports from Action Aid reflect The World Bank has finally realized its mistake in applying free market principles to this problem. Several countries are making strides by subsidizing their farmers and providing social protection for their citizens. These principles need to be applied around the world where possible. The US ranks 21st out of 22; it is obvious we must do more and considering the climate changes expected over the next 10 years, we need to do it soon.

World Population Growth - The U.S. needs to lead the world proactively on this issue. As the current population rate increases by roughly 1 billion every 10 years, there will be pressures and conflicts involving resources, immigration, hunger, health and economic consequences, among others.

U.S. Foreign Aid, especially for AIDS and other infectious diseases - I support economic and military aid to many of the countries we currently support, however, there are instances where some of these policies (for military support) should be reviewed, particularly in our current economic situation. I fully support humanitarian aid across the board.

International Human Rights - The U.S. must always work to protect and defend the human rights of others to the extent of its ability.

Outsourcing - Much of Homeland Security appears to have been outsourced to private contractors.  See Looting Homeland Security for an excellent report regarding this outsourcing.  Congress needs to take the initiative to sort out and establish firm guidelines that confirm the cost efficacy of a contractor, establish rules for the use of those contractors, require accountability and extreme penalties (including cancellation of contracts and possible prosecution) for those who abuse the system, and confirm that security precautions are taken to protect information.  No-bid and cost-plus contracts should be rare, if not eliminated altogether.

Earmarks - All requests for earmarks should 1) be set up so the average person/business owner/community would be able to make the request without the middleman and 2) be made public BEFORE it is added to legislations so constituents in the district can comment on their merit.