Steve Kagen for U.S. Congress Congress - Wisconsin's 8th District

PUBLIC HEALTH | PUBLIC ENERGY | PUBLIC SECURITY | RELIGIOUS CIVIL WAR IN IRAQ | PUBLIC INTEGRITY | PUBLIC EDUCATION
Problems We Face Together

TOGETHER, WE WILL…

Wisconsin Congressman Steve Kagen strongly believes, “We must begin to think differently in America, and find a better way of doing things.”

During the past decade, our government lost its way and failed to listen to ordinary people. “We must restore faith in our government, for good government can make a positive difference in people’s lives. Let’s restore our faith in each other, as we guarantee access to affordable health care for every citizen, enact effective election and lobbying reforms, secure our borders, and move towards energy independence - even as we continue to protect and conserve our environment.”

“Abroad, we need to show our allies and our enemies that conversations, not confrontations, can solve even our greatest differences.”

“Let’s rediscover the American values that made us great. I believe we have chosen positive change and a new direction, and by working together, we will build a better future for all of us.”

Steve Kagen, M.D.
Member of Congress

PUBLIC HEALTH
Let me be perfectly clear: We do not need socialized medicine – period.

I have been working hard everyday in Congress to guarantee access to affordable care for every citizen. We need to put in place the essential elements of health care all across these United States: (1) openly disclose all prices; (2) secure the same discounts for all citizens, so we all pay the same price for the same health service or product; and (3) create the largest insurance risk pool possible - 300 million strong - to reduce prices for insurance and prescription drugs for all of us, with absolutely no discrimination against any citizen due to any pre-existing conditions.

I have also been working to establish a basic health insurance policy that covers you from head-to-toe; a basic policy that all companies must offer to any and all citizens. In doing this, we will finally allow health insurance companies to compete for us and against each other.

Plainly put, if it’s in your body, it’s covered. And if you’re a citizen, you’re in.

PUBLIC ENERGY
We must become an energy independent nation by establishing four essential goals, as we begin to confront climate change: (1) emit less carbon dioxide and other pollutants; (2) invest in renewable energy resources; (3) enable existing utilities to become renewable energy sources; and (4) begin to decrease the effects of human activities upon our environment.

Becoming energy independent will require sacrifices from everyone, but a well-conceived strategy will succeed when developed openly - and especially when based upon energy conservation, energy efficiency and renewable energy.

In Congress, I helped to lead the way by sponsoring legislation to help consumers by empowering the Federal Trade Commission to crack down on price gouging refineries and oil companies.

COMPREHENSIVE ENERGY POLICY
Today’s impossible prices for oil have finally forced America to ask the essential question: “Where’s the Plan?”

We’re in a situation where every business, every homeowner, every retiree, every local and state government, and every U.S. citizen is being forced to live under ‘crisis planning’ – which is a recipe for failure.

On a national level, stumbling from crisis to crisis — from Iraq to Katrina to the current energy crisis - is not a plan to govern.

To become an energy independent nation, the first step we must take is to develop a plan. We must develop this plan together, out in the open – not behind closed doors.

A successful energy plan must include these three elements:

1. Drill for new oil in America, with any such oil obtained from within our territorial waters and national lands being sold to American citizens first. The Oil for America Act guarantees we do just that;
2. Invest in every form of renewable energy, and provide tax incentives for wind, solar, geo-thermal, biomass, cellulosic and any other form of clean, home-grown energy;
3. Prevent any price manipulation, or unfair practices in the world’s oil marketplace.

These three elements are the foundation for an independent energy future for America . Drill for new oil in America, Invest in renewable forms of energy, and Prevent energy price manipulation, everywhere in the world. And let’s make certain the more than 140 billion barrels of oil lying beneath our national boundaries and territorial waters are sold to Americans first.

PUBLIC SECURITY
As I have been saying for several years, “We must do whatever it takes to protect America and keep hostilities off our shores, for today we are all on the front lines.” I voted to implement the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission on Homeland Security, but we must also secure our borders and dramatically reduce threats from thermonuclear weapons. “Terrorism is a tactic used by violent extremists, and we must do everything possible to defend ourselves within the laws set forth in our Constitution.”

RELIGIOUS  CIVIL  WAR  IN  IRAQ
Nearly five years ago, poor judgment by our elected leaders placed our children in the middle of a centuries old religious civil war in Iraq.  In fact, our invasion of Iraq was not necessary.  And by continuing to spend millions of our hard-earned tax dollars every minute over there, we’re unable to solve our own problems here at home.

The truth is this: no weapons of mass destruction were present in Iraq, and Al-Qaeda terrorists were not based there before President Bush convinced Congress to go to war.  And contrary to what the Administration falsely claimed, Iraq was not involved in attacks against America, for there has been an ongoing religious civil war in Iraq for centuries.  Iraq did not pose a risk to our national security, and was never an imminent danger to us due to Iraq.

But our brave soldiers are in Iraq, and we must deal honestly with realities on the ground.  With 3,500 brave American heroes dead — and counting — and more than 650,000 Iraqi civilians killed, it is time to find a better way to do things.

Let’s agree we all have the same goal: to support our troops before, during, and after being in harms way as we build a safer and more secure nation.  Let’s also understand the importance of what our military leaders have taught us: there is no military solution in Iraq, only a political one.

We must, therefore, move our troops away from Iraqi backstreets, and back towards Al-Qaeda.  Our involvement in the Iraqi religious civil war was unnecessary, and prevents our nation from solving every other problem we face.

PUBLIC INTEGRITY
Public confidence in our government was at an all time low before last November’s election.  In January 2007, I was pleased to be a co-sponsor of new Rules for the House of Representatives, which restored integrity to our government.  I will continue to work hard to free our government from the influence of political insiders and corporate special interests, for our government must remain accountable only to the will of the people.  After all, I was elected to a public office, not a corporate office.  And I will continue to restore public integrity by remaining no one’s Congressman but yours.

PUBLIC EDUCATION
If we get public education right, everything else will follow.  If we get it wrong, nothing else will matter.  Let’s move up – not down.  A great public education made the difference in my life, and one of my top priorities is to improve our public schools, universities, and technical colleges so they will make a lasting difference in all our lives.

I have been quoted as saying, “Great public schools are the best tool to guarantee good health, economic development, and equal opportunity.”  I still believe it.

We need to establish higher standards, measurable outcomes and affordable tuition for all our children.  That means continuous improvement and higher expectations.  It also means heading off schemes to take our hard-earned tax dollars out of public schools and into voucher plans for private schools.  We need to invest in public education to solve the many challenges we face.  When we make a commitment for the long haul, we will re-energize our public schools.

History has confirmed that every economy to ever have been successful invested heavily in education - after all, your education really never ends.