CASTOR: I believe we should work to reduce the number of abortions, but I am concerned about government dictating personal decisions that should be made between women, their families and their doctors. Government should not interfere in private decisions on personal matters such as abortion.
MARTINEZ: I have a deep respect for life and that respect will guide my voting in the Senate. I believe life begins at conception. I am opposed to abortion.
CASTOR: Deficits are a drag on our economy and a burden on our children. I would vote for middle-class tax cuts, but I would not vote to give even more tax cuts to the wealthy while we are facing huge deficits and struggling to pay for a war and other priorities. I would close the loopholes that let powerful corporations get away with sheltering taxes overseas and not paying their fair share. I would fight waste, fraud and abuse in government spending
MARTINEZ: Our budget should reflect this nation’s goals and purpose, and advance our three highest priorities. First, America must prevail in the war on terror. Second, we must continue to strengthen our homeland defenses. Third, we must build on the economic recovery that began in earnest in 2003 with policies that further promote growth and job creation. The government must limit discretionary spending growth, focus on the results of government programs, and cut wasteful spending.
CASTOR: I do not support gay marriage, but I oppose changing the US Constitution over this issue. We should be conservative with our Constitution, not run out and change it over contentious social issues. I do support basic legal protections for couples who make a commitment to each other, such as the right to visit each other in the hospital. No one should be denied basic human rights like that.
MARTINEZ: I believe a marriage should be only between one man and one woman and I will vote for the constitutional amendment that defines marriage as a union between a man and woman.
CASTOR: We won’t solve this problem with more drilling. I oppose drilling off Florida’s coasts, as well as in areas like the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. I support economic incentives for the production of fuel-efficient, environmentally friendly cars, trucks and SUVs. I support extending those incentives for hybrid cars, and oppose tax laws that allow companies to write off purchasing heavy trucks unnecessarily. We need to make a real investment in alternative energy sources, especially here in Florida, solar power.
MARTINEZ: I support Bush’s energy reform bill to increase our efficiency and production. Reducing our dependence on foreign oil is a multifaceted problem. We should provide the proper incentives to increase oil refining capacity and make energy production more efficient and safe. Further, we need to allow exploration in areas that support drilling. Finally, I strongly oppose drilling off the coast of Florida.
CASTOR: The new Medicare law did plenty to enrich the drug companies, but nothing to actually lower drug costs for most seniors. In fact, the new law actually tied Medicare’s hands from negotiating for lower prices and it denied our seniors the right to buy high-quality, low-cost drugs from Canada. The government should be required to negotiate for the lowest prices possible. And seniors should get help locating safe and affordable drugs in Canada, until they can get them here at home. I will fight for a meaningful prescription drug plan - one that gives seniors real savings, and doesn’t make false promises.
MARTINEZ: I support Bush’s plan to provide prescription drug benefits to millions of Americans. It is a good first step in lowering the costs of prescription drugs for seniors. I support any good idea to reduce drug costs so long as we can assure the safety of the drug supply for patients.
CASTOR: No. I support the all volunteer military and believe our active-duty and reserve forces are doing a great job. We should make the military more attractive as a career by improving pay and benefits for military service and ensuring that the government keeps its commitments to our service members and veterans. We must also stop the second-class treatment of the National Guard and Reserves to attract and retain a strong, volunteer force.
MARTINEZ: No. Every day more patriots volunteer for military service making a draft unnecessary. The US is the most prosperous and thriving nation in the world. Without strong support from our armed forces, our country could easily be defeated by terrorism.
CASTOR: America is a nation of immigrants, and we should be open to those who come here legally to pursue their dreams. I would expedite citizenship for legal immigrants who are serving on active duty in the military. We need to make the system of asylum fair and equitable for unique groups like Haitians and Cubans, who are escaping repressive regimes. We must also ensure our borders are secure. Border security is no longer just an issue of immigration, it’s crucial to our fight against terror.
MARTINEZ: Our immigration policy should first and foremost ensure the security of our nation and those individuals posing a terrorist threat should be prevented from entering our country. I strongly oppose amnesty for illegal aliens.
CASTOR: I’m all for people investing for their retirement, but the proposal to take money out of the Social Security system and put it into the stock market would endanger Social Security because investment choices would be severely limited by the federal government. Switching to a privatized system would cost money we simply do not have, given the deficit run up over the past four years. I am adamantly against spending Social Security money on other items. I oppose privatizing Social Security, raising the retirement age or cutting benefits.
MARTINEZ: Social Security is a solemn promise that must be kept and I urge Congress to preserve that sacred trust. We must not change the rules for middl -aged workers and seniors. Social Security must improve service with new business processes and use technology to become more efficient. We must work together to develop a system that will be solvent in the future. Finally, I do not support raising taxe
CASTOR: Tax cuts must reward people who work hard for a living, not just the wealthy. Tax policy must also reward businesses that create jobs in America, not those that send jobs overseas. I support tax relief for middle-class families like the child tax credit, an end to the marriage penalty and the 10% tax bracket for lower-income Americans. I support tax incentives for businesses that create jobs here at home and would impose tax penalties on companies that ship jobs overseas.
MARTINEZ: Decreasing taxes permanently will permit Americans to save more of the dollars they earn and allow them to decide how to spend their money. As Orange Co. chairman, I was able to cut property taxes by millions of dollars while managing government efficiently and increasing services like after-school care and health clinics. The most important step Congress can take to continue strong economic growth is to make Bush’s tax cuts permanent.
CASTOR: Based on the information Congress had at the time, I’d have voted for it. I’m glad we got rid of Saddam and am proud of our troops in Iraq. They must have all the equipment and resources necessary to protect themselves and restore order. To move forward, Bush should work with NATO to establish a multinational force headed by the US, as we did in Afghanistan. We need a strong alliance to restore order in Iraq and ease the burden on US troops and taxpayers.
MARTINEZ: I firmly believe the decision to use force in Iraq was necessary. In the days following 9/11, we discovered the strength of al-Qaida and the severity of the terrorist attacks. We could defeat terrorists where they live or continue to respond to their attacks on our soil. The confluences of WMD, terrorists willing to strike our homeland, and countries that harbor terrorists create the need for the US to act.
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The above quotations are from Columns and news articles distributed by the Associated Press.
Click here for other excerpts from Columns and news articles distributed by the Associated Press. Click here for other excerpts by Betty Castor. Click here for a profile of Betty Castor.
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