Pastor on the Issues

Issue Statement: Iraq War

Representative Pastor voted against H. Res. 861 on Thursday, June 15, 2006 calling it a politically motivated effort to shift attention from the real issues behind the slow progress in the Iraq War. Pastor stated that "in this election year, just four months shy from the polls, Republicans are using this resolution as a divisive strategy rather than holding a substantive debate on Iraq." Representative Pastor went on to say that he would not support capitalizing on the sacrifices of the courageous soldiers for a political gain.

Representative Pastor further stated that there are no credible links between Iraq, 9-11 and Al Qaeda. The analogy between Iraq and the Administration's "war on terror" is a dangerous one and ends up being nothing more than a justification for maintaining the Administration's status quo Iraq agenda. Pastor went on to say that we should not be patting ourselves on the back and claiming victory when numerous terrorist cells are still active, violence is still prevalent, and our brave men and women are continuing to fight.

Representative Pastor concluded by stating that he did not vote for the resolution approving the war in Iraq. He has consistently voted to provide soldiers with much needed armor and supplies, but cautioned against confusing that with a favored continuance of occupation in Iraq. "Today the Pentagon's report confirming the overall U.S. death toll at nearly 2,500, underscores the grave and violent situation that our troops face every day. I believe it is our responsibility as Members of Congress to devise a responsible exit strategy. We must ensure that we do not lose sight of our real end goal in this debate: to bring our troops back home as quickly as possible."

Health Care
Access to basic quality health care is one of the most important domestic issues facing our nation. Attention has been diverted from rising medical costs and expensive prescription drugs. It has become very difficult for the average American to stay healthy. Health care should be affordable for everyone. Seniors should be able to pay for medications in a simple and accessible way. I will continue to support legislation that provides American families and Seniors affordable health care.

Education
As a former high school teacher, I know that investing in education is one of the most important things we can do, not only for our children, but for the benefit of our whole community. Funding and maintaining programs from Head Start to Pell Grants must be a high priority. I will continue to support programs that benefit public schools, teachers, and improve technology so that American students can compete and our community can thrive in an increasingly global economy.

Economy
Rising costs of gas, health care, and basic living essentials have put financial pressure on the average American worker. While prices of goods continue to rise, American worker's wages remain stagnant. I support raising the minimum wage. I will support legislation that benefits the American worker and prevents the outsourcing of American jobs. I will work to restore fiscal responsibility to our country's budget and to provide for a more robust economy.


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Pastor for Arizona Committee

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