Teresa Sue Bratton for Congress

Your Choice on Nov. 4

With Election Day in sight and record numbers of voters having already cast ballots, few people need to be reminded how important their vote is this year. Global financial markets are feeling the effects of years of failed leadership in Washington. Even though the US Treasury has already begun to distribute part of the money appropriated by the Emergency Economic Relief Act to ailing banks, they are not yet making loans to the homeowners and small businesses that desperately need it. The only way to revive the world’s economy and bring renewed confidence to the middle class is for us to elect new leaders. The Republicans, including my opponent, offer more of the same-old deregulation and tax breaks for big corporations that have led us to this point. It has taken a crisis for the current Administration to agree to anything even remotely benefiting the working families and small businesses being hit the hardest. I and other Democrats understand that with policies that keep the American dream alive for the middle class, foster job creation through small business growth and entrepreneurship, and encourage the development of the renewable energy and energy-efficient infrastructure of the future, our economy will rebound and grow from the bottom up.

My concern for children, like the ones I help every day as a pediatrician, and my frustration with Washington’s failure to expand health care coverage and bolster environmental protections, were my calling to pursue public service by running for Congress. Over the course of this long campaign, I have come to understand what a critical juncture America and the world are at in this first decade of a new millennium, and I am convinced that the choice before voters on Tuesday is one of hope and progress vs. fear and stagnation. I am confident that the voters will make the right choice, and that my fellow Democrats and I, together with our colleagues across the aisle, will get to work restoring confidence, optimism and broadly-shared prosperity to this land.

Post-Debate: Clarifying Our Differences

The League of Women Voters of the Piedmont Triad hosted the final debate between my opponent and me before Election Day. I thank the League and moderator Dr. David Olson for the fine job they did putting it together. You may watch a part of the debate and read a report about it on News 14 Carolina’s website. I would like to take this opportunity to draw attention to a couple of issues on which I offer a clear alternative to the current Representative of the Sixth District.

First, on the crucial issue of energy security, which is intertwined with so many of the other problems our country faces, I offer a vision for the future. I am committed to providing tax incentives both for the development of the clean, renewable, and stable energy sources of the future and for businesses and individuals to conserve energy. Instead of continuing to rely on dirty and finite fossil fuels and nuclear power, with all its safety concerns and high water demand, we can achieve true energy independence by reducing our energy consumption and by building a robust renewable energy industry right here in America. My opponent touted his support for much more domestic oil exploration in an attempt to revive a dying industry. He only mentioned solar and wind in passing and had nothing to say about promoting conservation. Investments in these areas would bring new industries and new jobs to North Carolina.

Second, while I share my opponent’s desire to “have our troops home sooner rather than later,” only I support a plan to end the war in Iraq. We need a timetable to bring this misguided and mismanaged war to an end, and I will work with other members of Congress to get it done, whether or not the next President is in agreement.

Finally, I thought it was interesting that my opponent called the influence of money in our political system “obscene,” yet opposes public financing. Instituting a public financing system that works (unlike the one currently in place for Presidential elections) is the only way to curb the high cost of elections and level the playing field for candidates without big-money connections. Under public financing, individuals can still contribute to campaign and candidates can opt not to participate. By making elections more reliant on public forums and voter contact than advertising, the spirit of the First Amendment is better served than under the current framework.

Those in attendance at the debate came away knowing that I will make sound judgments based on the evidence, that I will not only listen to what people say but also dig deeper to understand where they are coming from, and that I will promote workable solutions to the issues that face us while taking many points of view into account. That is the commitment that I will make to you, my constituents, every day if you elect me to Congress.

No Candidate is an Island

The adage, “No person is an island,” is especially true in the world of politics. I am grateful for the tremendous amount of support I have received from people across the Sixth District who have given generously of their time, energy and talents over the course of this campaign. Whether it’s knocking on doors, staffing tables at events, making phone calls, delivering yard signs, or standing at polling places, volunteers are what makes it all possible. My heart was particularly warmed by the story of a young woman in High Point. She was a patient of mine several years back at my pediatric allergy practice, but is now married with children. She saw one of my yard signs at a busy intersection and remembered that I was her doctor. She could have simply thought, “that’s great; good for her,” and carried on with her busy schedule, but she took the time to visit this Website and learn more about my campaign. After she did so, she sent me an email asking if there were any volunteer opportunities available for her, and she agreed to work the polls at one of our key precincts in High Point on Election Day. Knowing that there are so many people like her who are giving their energy to help me get elected give me the motivation to keep going over these long months. I can assure you that my tenure in the House of Representatives, like my campaign, will be in service to the entire community.

Doing Right By Our Veterans

Having worked in the hospitals administered by the US Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA), I understand the brotherhood that exists between servicemen and women and the dedicated members of the medical corps who take care of them, both on the field of battle and back home once their service is complete. That is why I oppose any privatization of the VA system, which would benefit insurance companies at the expense of veterans. The civil servants of the military medical corps perform heroically day in and day out, and our elected officials must respect this service by investing more into the VA system while working to ease the burden of bureaucracy on our returning servicemembers.

The VA healthcare system must maintain its commitment to helping those who defend our nation today and the veterans who fought in years past. The VA currently faces a $3 billion budget shortfall which must be corrected. Veterans receiving physical therapy and rehabilitation services at military hospitals for more than 90 days should not be required to pay for their own meals, as is currently the case. Additionally, I support the Lane Evans Veterans’ Health and Benefits Improvement Act, which would bolster transition services for members of the National Guard and Reserves when they return home from active duty in the military. We also need to end the national tragedy of homelessness among veterans by expanding federal support for the programs established under the Sheltering All Veterans Everywhere (SAVE) Act, which now serves over 100,000 veterans annually

When young men and women sign up to serve America, America commits to serving them in return. As a member of Congress, I will not shirk from my responsibility to fight for our veterans and our active duty servicemembers until all are given the help and treatment they have earned.

UNC-TV Election 2008 Profile

Check out my candidate profile at UNC-TV’s Election 2008 website.

Economic Rescue Plan: Imperfect but Necessary

These past two weeks have been topsy-turvy for all Americans, and the need to take timely action while responding to voters’ concerns has put candidates and elected officials in a very difficult position. While I am not pleased with many aspects of the Emergency Economic Recovery Act of 2008 in its current form, I am committed to doing what is necessary for the country. Since time is of the essence, it is vitally important for lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to work together towards a mutually agreeable plan. We must pass a relief bill this week or we run the risk of seeing the faltering financial markets on Wall Street threaten the economic stability of working Americans on Main Street.

While I do believe this Act is necessary, and would vote for it if I were currently a member of Congress, I do not wish to reward greed, nor am I pleased about the addition of $700 billion to the national debt. I am encouraged that the current version of the Act does contain some steps towards morgage reform that will make it easier for Americans to keep their homes, as well as funds to assist working families in covering their health care costs. I also support the increase in the dollar limit for deposits that can be insured by the FDIC.

Again, while the terms of this plan are far from ideal, $700 billion to shore up our economy is a far better investment than the $1.7 trillion that President Bush spent giving tax cuts to the wealthy or the $600 billion we have spent to date on the misguided and mismanaged war in Iraq. If I am elected, I will work to keep our spending priorities in line with what matters most to the people of the Sixth District: a sound economy that creates jobs, affordable healthcare, and energy security for the twenty-first century.

Be Informed and Cast your Vote

There are now less than 50 days until November 4th, mail-in absentee ballots are already being distributed, and early voting starts in four weeks. Now is the time to start learning more about the candidates who will appear on your ballot, from the Presidency all the way down to the school board. Some good places to begin are candidates’ Websites and blogs (you can find them by Googling a candidate’s name), your local newspaper and its Website, and nonpartisan resources such as Project Vote Smart and the League of Women Voters. You can also use the State Board of Elections’ “My Election Information” feature to check the status of your registration and (within the next few weeks) see a sample ballot.

With all the options available to North Carolina voters for casting a ballot in this election, there is no excuse not to do your civic duty. If you would find it convenient to vote by mail, you do not need an excuse to do so. Simply call or mail a request to your county Board of Elections, or use this form if you live in Guilford County or this one if you live in Randolph County. You can also vote at any one-stop early voting site in your county at any time during the two weeks leading up to November 4th. Here are the Early Voting schedules for Alamance, Davidson, Guilford, Moore, Randolph and Rowan counties. Even if you aren’t already registered to vote, or need to change your address or other information, you can do so at an early voting site. Finally, you can always vote at your local polling place on Election Day, Nov. 4th, but be prepared for long lines at the peak times. To vote on Election Day, you must be registered by October 10th and report to your assigned precinct.

Fulfill one of the most important responsibilities of American citizenship: be an informed and active voter.

Children ‘08

Our Moment, Our Movement

Listening to the speeches at my party’s National Convention this week, I am reminded of just how thrilling it is to be running for office as a Democrat this year.  Any political campaign is exciting, but to appear on the Democratic ticket at this historic moment in history adds another dimension of significance.  Having only served one term in the US Senate, Barack Obama has already changed the face of American politics by bringing more people into the process.  Now, he has brought Joe Biden into the campaign, a man who has spent 36 years working to change Washington from within.  Biden’s working-class background and extensive foreign policy experience adds magnitude to our movement for change.

The Democratic Party has always stood for the ideal of expanding democracy and giving all Americans the power to have a say in the policy decisions that affect their lives every day, but seven years of ineffective government at the hands of Republicans has bred disillusionment.  Obama and Biden are reminding Americans of our country’s highest ideals and painting a picture of a safe and prosperous future, giving us something to strive for.  It is my fervent hope that the voting public will be awakened and will turn out in droves to bring new leadership to all levels of government.  I would be honored to be part of such a wave of renewed energy as we all come together to face our common challenges.  I hope to end up on Thursday night with a refreshed sense of purpose for my campaign and the motivation to keep on sharing my forward-looking vision with Sixth District voters as the campaign enters the homestretch.

My Plan for Energy Security

With the price of gas hovering just below $4.00 per gallon and the effects of global climate change becoming more visible, energy is the hot topic in Washington and at kitchen tables, coffee shops and other gathering places across the country. Republicans in Congress are calling for expanded offshore oil drilling, and many Democrats want to have oil companies drill in areas already under lease, mainly in Alaska. Even if new domestic drilling began today, the additional oil would not hit the market until around 2020, and it would constitute barely a drop in the bucket of our current consumption. America has come to a fork in the road. One path will lead to despoiled landscapes and more oil rigs offshore, leaving our waters vulnerable to pollution and our entire economy vulnerable to hurricanes, which are likely to increase in number and strength as ocean temperatures rise. Even with all this, America would still be partially dependent on imported oil, primarily from volatile parts of the world where the money we pay for gas, electricity, and other commodities props up authoritarian regimes, giving them no incentive to make life better for their citizens. The other path would make us independent, not just from reliance on foreign powers, but also from petroleum itself, of which there is a very limited supply in the world. This is the path towards which I will help to steer us if elected to Congress.

Residents of the Sixth District are clamoring for relief from high prices for gas, as well as food and other commodities transported by carriers that are passing on their increased fuel costs to consumers. Yet we are also suffering from a lack of good-paying jobs now that the textile and furniture industries have left the country and farmers are coping with the same high fuel prices as well as the ongoing effects of drought. I have a plan that would begin to remedy this situation from both ends: providing less expensive energy and creating good jobs in the district. I will work to ramp up federal investment in energy alternatives: not just solar, wind and biofuels, but also the cheapest and most overlooked energy source, namely conservation. With the right policies in place, new industries will begin to flourish that will develop clean, renewable energy sources and generate new technologies and techniques to help people get the most bang for the buck through increased efficiency. These industries will put the Sixth District, and the rest of the country, back to work on a new Apollo project, building a secure and prosperous America for the new century.

The technology and the ready workforce exist, but the political will to move us forward is sorely lacking. The Sixth District’s current representative has missed the boat numerous times, stubbornly clinging to his party’s zeal for more drilling while failing to support real 21st-century solutions in all but the most tokenistic manner. The failure of current policy is becoming clearer by the day to North Carolinians who are feeling it in their pocketbooks. It’s time for a change in Washington. We have an opportunity to chart a new course this November by electing new leadership, and I stand ready to contribute my knowledge and passion for public service to one of the most pressing challenges of our time.