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"We need to refocus on assuring security at home by supporting our nation,s first responders, improving our homeland security, and reforming FEMA."

Peter believes we need to renew our focus on assuring our national security at home. To do so, we must fund essential programs that support our first responders, improve our homeland security by protecting our borders and ports, and make FEMA an independent agency to assure it can respond to our citizen in need. Peter also argues that we need to reenergize U.S. diplomacy and reinvigorate our involvement in international institutions, allowing us to forge alliances for achieving peaceful resolutions to future conflicts. Unfortunately, the Republicans in Congress have failed to act on a number of 9-11 Commission recommendations, have failed to adequately support our critical first responders, and have rejected cooperation with our world allies. In addition, due to the eroded strength of our ground military forces because of the war in Iraq, we must also rebuild these forces and assure they have adequate equipment to preserve the strength of our military.

"We are long over-due for a national energy policy that reduces our reliance on foreign oil and encourages the development and use of alternative energy. It is time to focus our energy policy on the goal of energy independence."

Peter Welch believes it is both a moral imperative and a practical necessity that Vermont and our nation reduce our reliance on fossil fuels by improving our energy efficiency and making an aggressive transition to renewable energy sources. He understands that we can reduce the energy costs for families and business and better protect our environment if we focus our policies on encouraging efficiency and alternative forms of energy.

"For over three years, our nation has struggled with the war in Iraq. It is increasingly clear that Congress must do what the Bush Administration has failed to do - advocate a plan for the peace in Iraq that includes the withdrawal of U.S. troops in 2007."

Peter Welch believes that it is the duty of the President to provide Americans with a plan for returning responsibility of Iraq to the Iraqis and to bring our troops home and that plan must include a timetable. It is Congress,s duty to hold the President accountable to do so, and to stop being a rubber stamp for his policy of drift and indecision.

Peter believes that without a timetable, there is no pressure on the Iraqis to do what only they can do: make the political decisions required to establish stability and create a civil society.

"We must restore fiscal responsibility to Washington. It is time to balance our budgets, reduce the deficit and create tax policies that help ALL Americans."

Peter Welch has a long record of fighting for fiscal discipline and fair tax policy. He will take to Washington the same fiscal responsibility he has shown in Vermont.

Peter believes that the economic policies of the Bush Administration and the Republican-led Congress are both radical and irresponsible. In just ten months, they turned an inherited record surplus into a record deficit. They gave tax cuts we can't afford to those who don't need them. The Republican Congress passed legislation cutting student aid, Medicaid, and funding for food stamps only to pave the way for more cut taxes for the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans. Peter believes their assault on the middle class must be stopped.

"I will take to Washington what I have advocated in Vermont - the common sense principle that everyone deserves access to health care and everyone should contribute to its costs."

Peter Welch believes every citizen in the United States should have access to affordable health care. The U.S. is the only industrialized country in the world without universal health care - and this must change. Not only do other countries assure their citizens have access to doctor when they are sick, but they have also successfully controlled costs.

Rather than tackle the challenge of improving access to health services and controlling the skyrocketing costs, Republicans in Washington have both idly watched as more Americans go without the care they need and chosen to passed the burden onto the states. For too long, Congress has been a part of the problem. This Congress made it illegal for the federal government to negotiate lower prices when purchasing prescription drugs for Medicare and has cut Medicaid reimbursements to the states. Their priorities are wrong.

"We have a moral responsibility to do our absolute best to leave our environment cleaner than we found it. It is also a pragmatic necessity that we care for the water, air, and land that we rely on."

Like his fellow Vermonters, Peter Welch has always taken great pride in our environmental treasurers from Lake Champlain to the Green Mountains. He understands both the moral and economic necessity of protecting our environment.

Republicans in Washington have a shameful environmental record. Despite their deceitful titles, the "Clear Skies Initiative" allowed for increased air pollution and the "Healthy Forests Initiative" gave logging companies virtually free-range of our National Forests. In addition, the Bush Administration,s global leadership on the environment has been non-existent. Instead of being a partner with our world allies on the Kyoto Protocol to reduce green house gas emissions, Washington Republicans have reject much needed international cooperation. In addition, President Bush has even tried to block individual states from adopting their own environmental protections by joining in a lawsuit with auto-manufactures against the state of California over mileage standards and emissions legislation.

"I am committed to helping provide educational opportunities for all our children. The federal role must preserve the tradition of local control, complement the leadership of state and local government and not impose unfunded mandates."

Peter Welch has a long record of fighting for improving educational opportunities for Vermont,s students. He believes that one of government,s greatest responsibilities is to assure that all children, regardless of wealth or where they live, have access to high quality public education from kindergarten through college.

From refusing to fully fund special education programs and the No Child Left Behind Act to cutting student aid for college, the Republican Congress has failed to provide the support needed to educate our children.

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