U.S. House District 7 Election: Karla Romero on the issues

JOBS/ECONOMY:

Romero believes the high cost of doing business in Massachusetts remains a barrier to market access and believes with the right policies we can reduce the barriers to market entry and ensure health growth and job opportunities.

EDUCATION:

Romero believes it is essential to improve early childhood education to prepare children to reach higher levels of education. Furthermore, she wants to restore funding for Action for Boston Community Development, strengthen Head Start and expand the Reach Out and Read program. She also wants to offer an enhanced Pell Grant, make all student earned income tax free and extend the collection period for social security survivor benefits.

HEALTH CARE:

Romero said she wants to promote policies that put consumers in the driver’s seat in order to put downward pressure on health care costs. Romero believes all Americans should be empowered with all pertinent information needed to access to affordable, quality health care. As a member of Congress she will work to address the root causes of rising health care costs, rather than shifting the costs to taxpayers or forcing Americans into an inflexible, one-size-fits-all bureaucratic system.

ENERGY:

Romero wants to promote affordable, reliable, and environmentally safe and secure energy supplies by increasing conservation, investing in new technologies, and exploring for new domestic sources of energy. At the same time, Romero will continue to make clear to foreign oil producers our mutual interest in maintaining adequate and secure supplies of foreign oil to meet our energy needs and to ensure the continuation of global economic growth.

FOREIGN POLICY:

Romero believes it is wrong to interfere in the affairs of other sovereign nations and believes America’s men and women should not be used to police or bully other counties to do things the way we desire. Romero believes we must work to end our military presence overseas. After eleven years in Afghanistan and nine years in Iraq, we have done all we can in those nations. Karla will work with her colleagues in Congress to responsibly end the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Reducing troop levels in both countries from 60,000 to 30,000 by 2013 will save $86 billion by 2015 and $169 billion by 2030.

VETERANS:

Romero believes we must do whatever it takes to take care of those who have put their lives on the line to defend our liberty. Romero will fight to increase funding for more case managers and vouchers through the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program to meet rising demand and extend a lifeline to homeless veterans.