Calongne for Congress

Tax Reform/Economy
Congress must make the Bush tax cuts permanent. We must permanently end the death tax and the marriage penalty tax, keep the increase in the child tax credit, and maintain the 10% tax bracket for hardworking Americans that the Bush tax cuts created. Every dollar the federal government does not take out of the checks of hardworking Louisianans is a dollar more in their pockets.

We must put a stop to tax increases and out-of-control Washington spending and put money back where it belongs: with families and local business owners. We must allow the economy to grow by giving economic freedom to our citizens and encouraging entrepreneurship.

Immigration
There is a clear right and wrong way to enter our country. While I support legal immigration, illegal immigrants have put a strain on our health and education systems, and our lax border security has created a major national security risk.

We must reject all forms of amnesty and enforce the immigration laws already on the books. It is critical that we secure our borders first. We can do this by increasing the number of border agents, ensuring the border fence becomes a reality, and taking advantage of modern surveillance capabilities to monitor the border. We must also crackdown on employers who continue to hire illegal immigrants.

Family Values
I am proudly pro-life. In Congress, I will work to protect the right to life from conception until natural death. I believe in standing up for Louisiana’s strong sense of family and community. I vow to protect Louisiana against the social liberals’ agenda and their assault on the family values of our citizens. As an ardent supporter of the Second Amendment, I believe that we all have a right to protect ourselves and our families.

National Security
We must maintain a strong military that is able to confront conventional and unconventional threats. Our troops must have all the equipment and tools necessary to win the War on Terror and any other conflict they may be called to face: We must fully fund our troops. We must also make sure they have the health care and benefits they deserve when they return home from battle.

The surge in Iraq is working. We must complete our mission by giving Iraqis the chance to regain control of their country. In Congress, I will oppose efforts to “cut and run” in Iraq. A free Iraq is critical to our security. Leaving before victory is attained would only embolden the terrorists. The brave men and women who have given their lives in Iraq and those serving there now deserve nothing less than victory. We need to give them our full support.

Education
Every child deserves a first rate education, and I believe that parents, not Washington bureaucrats, are best suited to make education choices on their children’s behalf. We must support education tax credits and the expansion of charter schools so that parents, regardless of income, can give their children the quality education they deserve.

Louisiana has a great tradition of higher education at Louisiana State University. As we continue to expand and develop our university system, we need to maintain LSU as our flagship university with continued funding and support.

Health Care
As we work to address the problems that face our nation’s health care system, we need to focus on finding free market solutions to affordability, access, and overall quality of care. We need to focus on affordable health care for small business owners and the self-employed, and individuals need to be given a greater voice in their health care options.

We need to work on allowing insurance companies to operate nationwide so health insurance is portable. Once we introduce genuine competition into the health care industry, we will see cheaper prescription drugs for seniors and more coverage options in rural areas.

We also need to focus more intently on preventative practices. Preventative care treats people before they develop dangerous diseases or conditions. This is not only better for the individual patient, but it also saves everyone money in the long run, as the emergency room visits and drug costs associated with certain conditions are often abated.