By Congressman Mike Capuano

Eighth District, MA

When I reflect upon the events of 2002 and think about the challenges we are facing in the New Year, I am struck by the similarities between the issues that dominated the agenda a year ago and the issues we face today.

We continue fighting the war on terrorism. Thousands of brave Americans have left their families to defend our freedom on foreign soil. They have earned our thanks and our respect.

Although I feel strongly that there are times and places when using military force is necessary, I am concerned about the President's seeming insistence that this is the only option for dealing with the situation in Iraq. In 1999 I voted to commit American troops to Yugoslavia and again in 2001 to Afghanistan. However, as many of you already know, I voted against a resolution authorizing the President alone to determine whether and when to use military force to end the threat posed by Iraq.

At the time, I believed that the President had not given the United Nations Security Council an opportunity (as they later did unanimously) to demand that Iraq cooperate with weapons inspectors. Furthermore, I did not believe that the United States had spent enough time seeking the support of allied nations. Building an international coalition is essential to our success in the continuing war on terror.

At this writing, I am not convinced that a unilateral military strike against Iraq is justified. I am somewhat encouraged that the President, at least for the moment, is giving United Nations weapons inspectors the opportunity to continue their work. I remain concerned, however, that the President continues to present this conflict as virtually inevitable. A time may come when I am persuaded that the United States must take action against Iraq, with or without UN support, but that time has not yet come. The world is a dangerous place: North Korea threatens to become a nuclear power; terrorists continue to strike civilian targets; AIDS is killing millions in Africa. Our foreign policy must be wiser and more effective than it has been in recent years.

On the domestic front, we are still grappling with serious fiscal difficulties, and a shortage of funds to address the many priorities requiring attention. This cash crunch is being felt on every level. Families are struggling to make ends meet. Cities and towns are draining their reserves and searching for ways to shore up their finances. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is facing a substantial budget deficit. This situation is just as bleak at the federal level. Democrats and Republicans simply do not have the same priorities.

President Bush recently presented his economic stimulus package to Congress and the American people. It is heavy on assistance to the wealthiest among us, does very little for those people who need the most help, and will do little to stimulate the economy. This approach to jump-starting the economy by giving tax cuts to those on the higher end of the economic spectrum failed in 2001 and I believe it will fail again in 2003. I am especially concerned about the President's misguided economics because the federal government is no longer operating with a surplus. In fact, there is the possibility that the FY '04 budget the President sends to Congress will include the largest budget deficit in American history. Further tax cuts will not allow us to fund important homeland security costs and the many domestic programs needing financial attention.

We just marked the first anniversary of the passage of the "No Child Left Behind" legislation. I voted against this bill because I was concerned that the President would declare public education fixed and walk away. Unfortunately, this is exactly what is happening. The legislation requires public schools to implement a number of new programs, from additional testing to tutoring. However, the President failed to fully fund the legislation. Therefore our schools are now required to do more with fewer resources. If we are going to ask our teachers to do more, we must follow through with the money they need to make it happen.

I am a member of the Committee on Financial Services, which has jurisdiction over housing issues. I am continuing the fight to make affordable housing a federal priority. Our federal government has done little to ease the affordable housing crunch in Massachusetts and elsewhere in this country. In fact, the Department of Housing and Urban Development recently announced additional cuts in the money going to local housing authorities. Our local housing officials are struggling to provide basic services during challenging fiscal times. Now more than ever, Congress and the President must give them the tools they need.

We face a growing health care crisis. Many Americans do not have health insurance and many more are losing the health care they once took for granted as the uncertain economy swells the ranks of the unemployed. I will fight in the Congress to keep affordable health care on the agenda by fighting to give our seniors prescription drug coverage, shoring up the Medicare program and supporting our nation's community health centers. We simply cannot afford to neglect these critical initiatives.

I am also a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and, despite uncertainty over available funds, I will work in 2003 to advance a number of projects important to the 8th Congressional District and to the Greater Boston area. The Urban Ring, the Fairmount/Indigo line and improvements to the Silver Line are all priorities for me. They are all projects requiring a long term funding commitment and I will fight to keep them on the agenda. It is critical to enhance public transportation options for residents, so that they may have increased access to employment and housing opportunities.

The country faces daunting challenges and no one can say with certainty what will happen over the next 12 months. However, despite the uncertainties we face, I remain hopeful that 2003 will be a year of much progress.