Supplementary > November 18, 2004

What issues should Democrats focus on?

By Rep. Nancy Pelosi

Throughout our nation’s history, hope and optimism have defined the American spirit. As a nation, we have always emerged from difficult times of war and economic uncertainty stronger and more unified. And every generation has struggled to leave our children a world that is stronger and more secure than the one left to us. That is our legacy, and it must also be our commitment.

Our nation faces great challenges in the days and months ahead. There is danger abroad and unfulfilled promise here at home. And as it has been for the past four years, the country is divided. But our partisan split, rather than being an excuse for inaction, must be a call to compromise and common sense. Despite our divisions, there are many places where we should be able to agree.

More than three years after the horrific attacks of 9/11, we know we are not as safe as we should be. As we came together after September 11, 2001, we must come together now to enact the urgent recommendations of the 9/11 Commission.

We must move to address our domestic priorities: creating good jobs, increasing access to healthcare, and providing the best possible education for our children. Even on these crucial issues, there is broad bipartisan consensus on concrete steps we could take right now.

To create jobs, we can begin by passing a robust transportation bill that will create 1.7 million new jobs nationwide while modernizing our infrastructure.

We also must reform the tax code and stop rewarding outsourcing. As a matter of basic fairness, no taxpayer should have to subsidize the outsourcing of his or her own job.

Congress should take up legislation to extend health insurance to more parents and children. There also is broad agreement that one of the ways to bring down the cost of healthcare is to allow the safe reimportation of drugs from Canada and elsewhere.

To improve education, we must not only keep the promise of No Child Left Behind, we must match reforms with the resources necessary to make them work for our children. And we must make college education more affordable, so that every student who has the motivation to continue his or her education beyond high school will have the means to do so.

There are places where we differ, as well, and Democrats will stand our ground. The president has proposed privatizing Social Security, which would cut the benefits that provide financial security for millions of seniors and the disabled. Democrats have always protected Social Security and will continue to do so.

The president also pledged to cut the deficit in half. But in the days after the election, he said he wants even more tax cuts and proposed yet another increase in the debt limit. Democrats will continue to fight for fiscal responsibility. And that begins with an honest discussion about how to reduce the enormous deficit.

Within the Congress itself, there must be more discourse and less discord. Democrats and Republicans are on different sides of the aisle, but we have a shared oath and a solemn obligation to serve our country together. As elected officials, our commitment must be to build a future worthy of the sacrifice of our men and women in uniform and worthy of the aspirations of our children. That is my hope for this administration and this Congress.

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• Reader Comments

  Well Ms. Pelosi I think you made a few interseting points. The first one I noticed is in one paragraph you mentioned “robust” transportation bill. With whose money? private or government (taxpayer money) funds? You go on in the next paragraph to mention fiscal responsibbility?  Almost evrything you want displays the old democratic party platform of more government programs. Social security is a major issue. It is my understanding that this “trust fund” is succeptible to being taken from for “programs”. I may be wrong on that but I don’t know . Democrats need to rely more and get used to the fact of the private sector and not government may very well be the answer to some(not all) of the problems of fiscal responsibility. I know one of the democrats main platforms is “social justice” and that is a noble persuit but it needs to encompass the rights of people who you personally or as a party do not neccesarily agree with. I think you need to think of it in terms of the stance that a lot of people take on the first ammendment-I do not agree with what you are saying but I will defend you right to say what you want with my life if neccesary.
  respectfully yours, the (semi official) troll of In These Times- Redstate

  Posted by redstate on Nov 18, 2004 at 1:26 PM

  Nancy-Here is a translation for you of what Redstate was trying to say:  He doesn’t want to pay for any of your crazy social programs like transportation, healthcare and education as they would take away from our ability to spend 100s of billions on a war based on false assertions.  I think he would be reassured to know that President W won’t let anything like trying to balance the budget get in the way of spending/corporate boondoggle bills (of which W vetoed a total of 0 in his first term) as he racks up record deficits of 400+ billion.  Wow, this is one Democrat who may have a tough time getting used to this new breed of fiscal responsibility, but if Redstate says I need to, then I’ll just have to give it a shot.

  Posted by Mattdog on Nov 18, 2004 at 5:52 PM

  No hard feelings Mattdog but I don’t need you to tranlate what I am saying. If you read my posts on ITT, exclusive of the ones that you and I have been less than civil to each other you would see that I am trying to be civil and learn something. If anything from reading and talking on these posts I am staring to realize that I am not as conservative now as when I started out. I am learning that maybe I have as much skepticism about both parties. I also said that not all social programs are bad- maybe mismanaged and that I am not so sure that I am100% for this war anymore.

  Posted by redstate on Nov 18, 2004 at 6:10 PM

  No hard feelings at all Redstate, and I must admit that I don’t really read too much of these postings.  My initial response to you was based on one or two of your postings which I found shallow and unnecessarily provocative.  As it turns out, my judgement appears to have been hasty.  I am glad to hear that you are actually open to different viewpoints.  Have a good night.

  Posted by Mattdog on Nov 18, 2004 at 7:25 PM

  likewise Mattdog-happy trails

  Posted by redstate on Nov 18, 2004 at 7:27 PM

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• What issues should Democrats focus on?