Congress. This is an email she sent to me.
Dear Friend:
As we begin the 110th Congress, under new Democratic leadership in both the
Senate and the House, I want to share some of my plans for the coming year. I
look forward to being part of this new, energized Congress, which stands ready
to tackle many issues that Americans care deeply about – ending the war in Iraq,
making college affordable, improving access to health care, protecting the
environment, improving the quality of life, promoting energy independence,
providing ethics reform and restoring fiscal discipline to the federal budget.
As the new Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, I
will be focusing my work on ways to address global warming, protect our
children’s health, and rebuild the nation’s infrastructure. It is our
generation’s moral obligation to leave a healthy planet to our grandchildren and
future generations.
Last year, California voters approved nearly $40 billion in bonding authority to
invest in highways, transit systems, schools, housing, and water infrastructure.
Recognizing the extraordinary public commitment Californians have made, I will
work hard in Washington to leverage additional federal dollars to invest in
California’s infrastructure.
I will work to shape a new transportation policy for California and our country
that focuses on improving our quality of life and the health and prosperity of
our communities. My goals are to reduce congestion, improve air quality, and
ensure that the US transportation system remains globally competitive and the
engine of job creation and economic growth that it has been throughout our
nation’s history.
My Committee will also focus on the nation’s disaster relief and water
infrastructure needs, especially flood damage reduction, which is vital to
California. We are planning for a field hearing in New Orleans. We have a lot
of work to do to upgrade and modernize our state’s aging system of dams, levees,
and municipal water supply and irrigation infrastructure.
I will support redeploying American troops out of Iraq and bringing US
involvement in that terrible conflict to a close. And I will continue to fight
to ensure that our soldiers, veterans and their families receive the best
possible health care, including comprehensive mental health screening and
treatment. Our nation must honor and care for our troops, who have fought so
bravely in Iraq and Afghanistan and made so many sacrifices for us all.
Another priority of mine will be the health and safety of our children and their
communities. I will work for legislation to address the growing epidemic of
childhood obesity by offering better school nutrition and physical activity
programs. I will also introduce the Violence Against Children Act to provide
enhanced federal penalties for violent crimes against children and increased
federal assistance for local law enforcement and victim services groups in
dealing with crimes against children.
Finally, I will work to ensure that California’s economy continues to grow and
that every part of our state shares in that growth. I intend to pursue an
economic development agenda for California that supports our most important
industries – agriculture, technology, entertainment, and tourism. And we
should not forget that a part of California’s tourism industry is our incredible
natural heritage. I will again be working to protect our most scenic and
ecologically sensitive public lands and our beautiful coastline.
I hope that you share my enthusiasm for the coming session of Congress and a
feeling that, finally, we can start to carry our country in the right direction.
Sincerely,
Barbara Boxer
United States Senator
She didn't mention anything about pulling Condi Rice down a peg or two again, but I sure hope that it's on her agenda too. :-)
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