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Excerpts from Deborah Katz Puschel's Campaign Site...

INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS TO LIFE

One of the guiding principles of my service in the Congress will be the preservation of
life, especially the innocent unborn. I do not believe that one person should have the
right to forfeit another person's life. In those few cases where a mother's life itself is at jeopardy, the balancing of one life against another, in my view, presents the only moral exception to this rule.

I will also apply this guiding principle of life to the disabled and the elderly.

STATES' RIGHTS

Return to the States those Operations of the Federal Government which properly belong to the States according to our Constitution

MILITARY /VETERANS

America's defense has been compromised during the last decade
and needs to be strengthened.

To be returned to the level that is needed to protect our country first & utmost.

Establish viable missile defense needs.

Seek ways for the military to be more efficient as to stop the waste of duplicate services.

Protect our secrets & not be subjected to the United Nations

Request Congress to implement an educational incentives (college and technical training) for their dependants prorated according to years of military service

Request Congress to initiate a bonus for service personnel to return to active military service duty in the key positions needed to protect our country

Segregate basic training of the sexes

Assess individuals who do not fulfill their military commitment on a pro-rated basis to reimburse taxpayers the cost of their training

Maintain our service men and women above the poverty level

Provide medical and dental coverage to their families

The following is the full statement provided to the Florida Times Union, Jacksonville, Florida on July 16, 2000 concerning health car for Military Retirees to Matthew Pinsur, Political Reporter in his featured "Asked the Candidates" column....

"With so many base closures, overseas deployment, and reduction of medical personnel; health care for our armed services is crucial. It is essential that American honors our obligation and restores the pledge of life long health and dental care to our military retirees and dependants. This promise is well documented in numerous armed forces' publications including a the Blue Jacket Manual (1973) [featured in Sergeant December 1999]. This national disgrace can be partly corrected by Congress passing "Keep Our Promise to Military Retirees, HR 3572 and S2003 [S2013 sponsored by Senator John McCain.] These bills provide options including access to the Federal Employees Health Benefits programs. Funding is more than sufficient with the savings from previous downsizing; therefore, should be without any cost to the retiree..."

My husband and I are quite familiar with this plight. His father, a military retiree and WWII veteran, was forced to place his wife on Medicare into which he had to pay. His quality of life has been diminished as well. Medical care delayed is medical care denied.

It would be wonderful for all our veterans to have access to the medical care provided to our Members of Congress."

I did pledge if I was elected to sponsor or co-sponsor the following Five Points for the Veterans:

To enact the total entitlement for concurrent receipt of both VA disability pay and military retirement checks, without an offset of any for all percentage disabilities, to include those personnel who took early retirements, and those personnel medically retired through no fault of their, Regular 20 year Military retirees, Reservists and National Guards. That legislation shall include the necessary provision to ensure this entitlement will not be subject to budgetary review each year, but shall be automatic. From which fund they decide to pay it is up to the government, but it must be automatic and not subject to suspension.

To enact the necessary legislation to totally restore the no cost, earned, lifetime medical/dental care to all retired military and their spouse as long as they are married, or their widows who survive them, who were on duty prior to October 1, 1995, their legal dependents until the age of 21 - this is to include personnel who took the early retirement option, Reservists and National Guards who retired. Again, how they fund it is up to the government as long as they make it permanent and not subject to suspension.

To enact legislation to provide the necessary logistical support to enable the VA to process disability claims within six months of the time filed, and a maximum of six months for each appellate review.

To enact legislation to change the Uniform Services Former Spouses Protection Act by eliminating the provision whereby retirement divisions are calculated as of the date and rank at retirement, and replace it with the rank at the time of divorce. Also, to change the provision which allows the former spounse to continue getting the members' retirement after he/she remarries.

To enact legislation changing the effects of the Feres Doctrine, whereby active duty personnel are prevented from suing the government for medical malpractice. We do not oppose the bar on litigation involving accidental injuries suffered during wartime, or training for wartime.

American Military Honor and Valor Museum

I will support a bill for the establishment of American Military Honor and Valor Museum (AMHVM) within Our Nation's Capitol in memory for all veterans.

AHMVM would be modeled similar to the Australia Memorial Museum, or the Imperial War Museum in London, England. The AMHVM would be a time capsule for accurately preserving our military history by conveying the sacrifices and struggles of our patriots; the men and women who fought to preserve our rights from the American Revolution through the War on Terrorism.