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Where Kay Stands

The following is some information on where Kay stands on some of the issues affecting North Carolina families. Please check back frequently as we will continue to add issues, as well as expand on the following. If there is an issue or policy that you would like Kay to address, or would like to give feedback on Kay’s stand on an issue, please send an email to: MyVoice@KayHagan.com.

Washington is broken, and the special interests have too much power in Congress. We need to send a proven, North Carolina problem solver like Kay Hagan to Washington to be a voice for working North Carolina families and get our country back on track.

Budget and Economy

The budget in Washington is broken. Every family in North Carolina pays $1,500 in taxes each year just to pay the interest on our national debt. As a budget expert in the state Senate, Kay has balanced the North Carolina budget and pushed reform measures to open the budgeting process to the public. In the U.S. Senate, she will work towards a balanced budget and fiscal constraints, and she will demand we follow pay-as-you-go rules. She will be a diligent steward of taxpayers’ money by fighting against wasteful federal contracts and finding ways to reduce our national debt.

Kay supports tax cuts for middle class families instead of borrowing billions from China to pay for reckless tax cuts for the extremely wealthy who never asked for them. She favors closing loopholes for big, multinational corporations so we can make sure small businesses and entrepreneurs can thrive. Kay will also continue the work she has started in the state Senate by supporting economic programs to create and keep good jobs right here in North Carolina.

Combating Crime and Gang Violence: Safer Streets and Schools

Over the past eight years, the Republican Administration – enabled by Elizabeth Dole – has worked to reduce and eliminate federal crime-fighting programs that have benefited North Carolina’s law enforcement and communities. At the same time, police forces nationwide are tasked not only with fighting crime, but also with preventing threats of terrorism and the burden of illegal immigration – a federal issue that has been woefully unaddressed by the Republican federal government. North Carolina has felt the consequences of increased demands on law enforcement and decreased federal support. The result of these failed policies is that crime rates have once again begun to rise.

Kay’s plan involves a comprehensive approach. She will create a strategic plan for fighting crime, disseminate the best ideas, fund the most effective programs and ensure law enforcement has the tools it needs. She will creatively fund the critical ideas in this plan without imposing undue burdens on the American public. Each year there are approximately $350 billion in taxes which are not paid voluntarily and timely. Kay will seek to close this “tax gap” by increasing enforcement before we look to new revenue sources.

> Read Kay’s Safer Streets and Schools Plan | Download the Plan PDF | Download the Comparison PDF

Education

Educational opportunity is central to economic opportunity. But America, once the envy of the world, is no longer the best educated country on Earth. Our education system now produces too many students who struggle in key subjects such as science and math, too few who graduate from high school, and serious gaps in achievement and opportunity based on class and race.

Kay knows that America can recapture its economic preeminence by reforming our education system for the 21st Century and making sure students have the chance to pursue higher education and advanced training. The combination of high expectations, effective teaching, a rich and rigorous curriculum, and ample access to higher education has repeatedly proven to be the most effective recipe for improvements in student achievement and economic dynamism. Under Kay’s leadership, North Carolina has implemented many of these solutions and, as a result, our attention to preparing students at all levels of learning is a model for the rest of the country to follow, though there is still progress to be made. In the Senate, Kay will work hard to make sure that parents can be confident that their children will have the chance to pursue their dreams just as far as their talents and hard work will take them.

> Read Kay’s Stronger Schools, Successful Students Plan | Download the Plan PDF | Download the Comparison PDF

Energy and the Environment

Kay knows our country is at a crisis point and we need an energy policy that reduces our dependence on foreign oil, creates new jobs, and dramatically reduces the effects of global climate change. When it comes to our economy, our environment, and our national security, energy is one of the most important issues we face as a nation and as a community.

Kay supports the so-called “Gang of 10” bipartisan proposal, written by Southern senators, which includes an expansion of offshore drilling. This plan is balanced and provides a number of comprehensive approaches that lower energy costs and reduce dependence on foreign oil. Kay has repeatedly called for repealing the $17 billion in tax breaks currently being given to Big Oil and Gas by Elizabeth Dole and President Bush. Kay would use those funds to invest in renewable energy and create jobs that can’t be exported. This bipartisan plan adopts that strategy, and also calls for expanding energy production in America. Kay would also like to see more done to crack down on speculators who are artificially driving up the price of oil while reaping record profits.

Kay was part of the effort to make North Carolina a leader in requiring power companies to use renewable energy sources. In the U.S. Senate, she will fight to reduce home heating fuel prices, push for higher fuel economy standards and replace tax breaks for Big Oil companies with new incentives for clean energy entrepreneurs. She will increase funding for research and development of energy sources such as wind, hydro, solar and biofuels. In order to help North Carolina and nearby states alleviate their water shortage and minimize the impact of future droughts, Kay will push for increased water conservation efforts, and she will encourage states and communities to work with each other.

> Read Kay’s Energy Plan | Download the Plan PDF

Equal Opportunity for All: Empowering Minorities

Our country has made valiant strides over the past 50 years in combating discrimination, strengthening civil rights, and lifting historical minority groups out of poverty. Nevertheless, gaps in opportunity and discrimination remain prevalent in our society. Members of minority groups still lag behind in income, graduation rates, and other indicators of economic prosperity. Moreover, discrimination in schools and the workplace persist despite monumental progress in recent years.

Kay Hagan believes that all Americans deserve an equal opportunity to attend a good school, earn a solid living, and be treated with dignity and respect. Her plan to lift minorities is consistent with these core ideals of the American Dream. As a U.S. senator, Kay will work hard to ensure that North Carolina’s diverse citizenry has equal opportunities by reforming our education system to ensure access to first class education for all americans; providing access to affordable, quality, and non-discriminatory health care; protecting civil rights; restoring access to affordable housing by preventing predatory lending and allocating adequate resources to public housing developments; improving the economy and providing avenues for minority entrepreneurship; and ensuring the fair administration of justice and the reduction of crime.

> Read Kay’s Minority Empowerment Plan | Download the Plan PDF

Ethics and Accountability

Kay Hagan has a record of pushing for more accountability in government and ensuring responsible use of taxpayer money. She pushed for more accountability and auditing requirements when state funds were being given to nonprofits, and she supported a budget process to evaluate public services and ensure that only effective programs and departments received funding. Kay has said, “Anytime we use [taxpayer dollars] for any program, there must be accountability and the agencies must know how that money was spent.” As a United States senator, Kay will deliver the same approach by fighting to restore fiscal order to a federal government riddled with budget deficits, earmarks and tax loopholes designed to benefit powerful special interests. Kay believes, as Justice Brandeis has said, that sunlight is the greatest disinfectant to government activity, and she will publicly disclose all of the federal project funds she requests on behalf of North Carolina. She will also push for other members to ensure that her Senate office is open and accountable to the public.

Health Care: Affordable Solutions for Healthy Families

Across our country, ordinary Americans are struggling to maintain their health care coverage as premiums rise, insurance covers less, drug prices escalate, and health plans discriminate against those with chronic conditions. All the while, the climbing unemployment rate and the increasing number of baby boomers entering retirement means that fewer Americans will have access to health coverage because they are no longer eligible for an employer-based health plan. Every year these problems get worse, and they’ll keep getting worse until we reverse this downward spiral and make sure all Americans have access to affordable health care.

Kay Hagan has been a strong supporter of health care reform in the state Senate. Under her leadership, North Carolina extended health insurance to uninsured children, expanded preventive and primary care for uninsured patients in rural North Carolina, and fought to end insurance discrimination against mental health care. Kay believes that by investing in higher quality and more efficient care, focusing on keeping people healthy instead of treating them when they are sick, and streamlining the system to cut down on costs and waste, we can make health care more affordable and accessible for families and businesses.

> Read Kay’s Health Care Plan | Download the Plan PDF | Download the Comparison PDF

Immigration

Illegal immigration is a threat to national security and our economy. During the last seven years, the current administration in Washington has failed. The rule of law has been eroded as the number of illegal immigrants in the U.S. nearly doubled and enforcement activity fell. In the Senate, Kay will work towards a practical solution that is fair to taxpayers and addresses the problem at its roots: by strengthening the borders, enforcing and upgrading laws that crack down on employers who knowingly hire illegal workers, and eliminating the shadow economy that drives down wages and working conditions. If North Carolina’s farmers and seasonal businesses are having trouble finding the help they need, Kay would support the reform of guest-worker programs to ensure farmers and businesses are able to meet their needs legally and stay competitive while protecting American workers’ jobs.

Making Sense for North Carolina’s Middle Class

America’s middle class is the engine of our national economy. When the middle class prospers, the whole country prospers. Unfortunately, under the Bush Administration, the middle class has been the victim of a reckless fiscal policy, corporate greed, and a Washington culture that rewards the special interests instead of hard working Americans’ best interests. Middle class families are feeling an economic pinch that makes it more difficult to balance work and family, send children to college, purchase a home, and handle skyrocketing energy costs.

Kay Hagan believes that Washington should act with middle class priorities in mind. When she is elected to the U.S. Senate, Kay will work tirelessly to enact policies that make the tax code work for middle class families; encourage affordable homeownership; promote entrepreneurship and innovation; and lift the debt burden on the next generation.

> Read Kay’s Plan to Make Sense for the Middle Class | Download the Plan PDF | Download the Comparison PDF

Military and Veterans

The government needs to protect the American people with a strong, well-funded military. Kay has consistently been a strong supporter of the military and has been a leader in making sure that North Carolina remains the most military-friendly state in the country. When Washington came up short, Kay helped members of the National Guard get the living and travel expenses they were owed, and she has supported efforts to make sure that the National Guard was getting all the training and equipment they needed to do their jobs and to come home safely. She will support better pay for our brave service members and she will oppose extended deployments that prohibit necessary rest and training. Kay also opposes the proposed Navy outlying landing field and will push for a solution that works for the military and for North Carolinians.

As the wife of a Vietnam veteran and the aunt of two young men currently serving in the military, it’s personal to Kay when it comes to taking care of our veterans and rewarding their service and sacrifice. With over a million service members having served in Afghanistan and Iraq, the country needs to improve its commitment to our veterans. Kay will continue to support increased funding for veterans’ health care and providing benefits for our veterans so we are not leaving them homeless and out in the cold. She will insist on passing a new GI Bill so returning veterans can go to college, and she favors a major investment in mental health resources for the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs to make sure this generation of veterans gets appropriate treatment for the invisible casualties of combat.

> Read Kay’s Plan to Protect our Promises to our Military and Veterans | Download the Plan PDF | Download the Comparison PDF

National Security and Iraq

Kay believes that the first job of government is keeping the American people safe, and ensuring that we have strong intelligence and homeland security agencies. Kay believes the decision to invade Iraq without a plan, without the proper number of troops, and without proper equipment to keep our troops safe was mismanagement of the highest order. She supports a responsible withdrawal so that we can re-focus our national security efforts on defeating al Qaeda, improving our country’s reputation around the world and rebuilding our military strength.

Since the beginning of the Iraq war, our intelligence agencies have reported, the terrorists who attacked us on 9/11 have regained their strength and safe haven, the Taliban has rebounded, and our military is stretched dangerously thin and unable to adequately respond to needs in Afghanistan and other threats. We need to insist on accountability from the Iraqi people and push for more diplomacy with other countries in the region and around the world. America needs cooperation to defeat terrorism, keep nuclear weapons out of our enemies’ hands, and combat other security threats.

Kay also knows we need to make sure North Carolina is prepared to respond to emergencies and natural disasters. We need more funding so first responders will have the equipment and training they need to do their jobs. She will also fight to bring the National Guard home from Iraq so they are ready to meet North Carolina’s needs.

Reinvesting in Rural North Carolina

The United States has a wealth of resources, and in rural North Carolina, we must recognize the role of the agricultural, forestry and fiber industries, which are worth $70.8 billion and contribute $375 billion to the state’s gross product. Kay Hagan knows our rural communities have been a vibrant, important part of North Carolina’s history, and should increasingly fill a role as part of our future. We can take advantage of the diverse resources available in our rural communities to feed the world, provide clean energy throughout the country, contribute to the state’s economy and offer a high quality of life to North Carolinians throughout the state. Kay Hagan will provide the kind of leadership North Carolina needs to strengthen its rural communities and ensure that these industries remain a mainstay in our state’s agricultural, energy and technology futures.

> Read Kay’s Reinvesting in Rural North Carolina Plan | Download the PDF | Download the Comparison PDF

Seniors: Promoting a Secure and Healthy Retirement

America’s seniors deserve a full life and a happy retirement. Unfortunately, deficiencies in our health care system, few meaningful incentives to promote saving, frequent instances of abuse, and turmoil in the stock market leave many seniors with tough choices as they reach retirement. Kay Hagan believes we need to honor our seniors by ensuring they have the means to retire with dignity and the access to services that provide high quality care.

In the U.S. Senate, Kay will fight everyday for the rights of North Carolina’s 1.1 million seniors. Specifically, she will work vigorously to implement policies that ensure security in retirement, provide quality care for seniors, and protect the well-being of seniors.

> Read Kay’s Promoting a Secure and Healthy Retirement for our Seniors Plan | Download the Plan PDF | Download the Comparison PDF

Trade and Jobs

Kay will work hard to support and create a trade policy framework built on two principal platforms. First, our trade policy needs to be not just fair, but accountable to the American people, and must be designed to raise Americans’ living standards, not just American companies’ share prices. Second, to make trade work for America and North Carolina, our businesses and our institutions must create a competitive environment to ensure that no one will be more innovative than America. Kay will ensure our government creates a fair and accountable trade policy framework that works for all Americans and all North Carolinians.

When done right, trade opens up nations to new products, new opportunities, and new ideas. It is one of the ways in which the democratic ideals and values that serve as the foundation of our great nation are transmitted across the world. Trade also encourages healthy competition in our economy, which prevents our businesses from becoming complacent and increases the drive for more efficient and innovative products. For too many years, however, trade deals have been written to pull down wages and working conditions in the U.S. and other developed countries, instead of pulling up wages in the developing world. As corporate profits and CEO pay have soared, the incomes of ordinary North Carolinians have stagnated. It is the job of our government to create opportunities for growth and prosperity for middle class families and not just the well-connected special interests. That means writing trade deals that serve the best interests of the employees on the shop floor as well as the executives in the corner offices.

> Read Kay’s Trade and Jobs Plan | Download the PDF | Download the Comparison PDF

Women: Ensuring Equity for All Women

Women have made great advances in our society over the past century. Women now enjoy several safeguards against discrimination, a higher level of economic security, and substantial protections against violence and exploitation. State Senator Kay Hagan, a working professional, dedicated mother and effective legislator, is a product of these important reforms.

Despite this significant progress, our country must continue to ensure that women enjoy opportunities for equality, safety and career development. It is a particular travesty that women performing the same job as men are paid only three-fourths what men are paid. Kay will work to end these inequities and ensure that women have the economic, educational, and physical security they deserve.

> Read Kay’s Women’s Policy | Download the PDF | Download the Comparison PDF

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