"Gould 0738" wrote in message
...
$1400 a month premiums are a result of wanting a next to nothing
deductible, and everything under the sun paid for. My insurance costs
me
$120 a month.

How much does your employer pay in addition to your $120? Do you go to a
vet?

$1400 premiums ($700 @) get you$1000 annual deductibles, $25 co-pays for
office
calls, no dental or vision coverage, $100 annual prescription deductible
and
then $25 deductible per perscription.

Looks like I am possibly coming down with MS, which might even make us
ineligible for insurance of any kind, so moot point.


Chuck, my sister was diagnosed with MS about 6 years ago. She's been
involved with some experimental treatments through a doctor at the State
University of NY-Stonybrook (Long Island) and the results have been
promising. I don't know the specifics, but if you ever get the feeling
you're not getting the best advice or treatment, let me know and I can find
out more. Perhaps her doctor knows someone out West who's following along
with the research.

Chuck, my sister was diagnosed with MS about 6 years ago.

They're still trying to figure out exactly what I've got. MS is one of the more
serious possibilities, but I'd lke to believe it is something else.

"Gould 0738" wrote in message
...
Chuck, my sister was diagnosed with MS about 6 years ago.

They're still trying to figure out exactly what I've got. MS is one of the
more
serious possibilities, but I'd lke to believe it is something else.

Hanging around this dive and arguing with putzes is enough to cause
neurological damage.

"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...
Hanging around this dive and arguing with putzes is enough to cause
neurological damage.

That must explain why I have been twitching and jerking for the last 2 days.
; )

"Taco Heaven" wrote in message news:s2C6d.138053$D%.35247@attbi_s51...
"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...
Hanging around this dive and arguing with putzes is enough to cause
neurological damage.

That must explain why I have been twitching and jerking for the last 2 days.
; )

Not to worry, most people who have read your ramblings suspect you of
having brain damage.

"JohnH" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 29 Sep 2004 00:29:43 GMT, "Doug Kanter"

wrote:

"JohnH" wrote in message
.. .


Chuck, where in the plan is there any mention of instituting a draft in
2005, or
any year for that matter?

Remember how, in the past, I told you that you should read big boy news
sources? Here we go again! If you read those sources, you'd know that the
armed forces are experiencing great difficulty in recruiting new corpses.
The "free college" ruse doesn't work any more, since it became clear that
your president needed more bodies to use as sandbags in his Great War.


Please cite a reference that shows the active forces having a difficult
time
meeting their goals. The reference should be from a source with knowledge,
not
some lying journalist.

The armed forces are meeting their recruiting goals
From the AP

"The Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force all met or exceeded their 2004
recruiting targets, although the Navy and Air Force had less ambitious goals
because their services are shrinking. The Army is the only one of the major
services that is expanding its ranks. "

"The active-duty Army exceeded its recruiting target of 77,000 soldiers by
587, and the Army Reserve exceeded its goal of 21,200 by 78, said Doug
Smith, spokesman for Army Recruiting Command. The Army's recruiting year
ended Monday; the other services finish theirs Friday. "

"The only sector of the Army that fell short was the National Guard. Its
final figures will not be calculated until Friday, but the Guard's chief,
Lt. Gen. H. Steven Blum, said last week that he would fall about 5,000
enlistees short of the Guard's recruiting target of 56,000. It was the first
time in 10 years that the National Guard missed its target. "




John H

On the 'Poco Loco' out of Deale, MD,
on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay!

There are only 10 kinds of people in the world,
those who understand binary and those
who don't!

What, pray tell, has Kerry said he would do to fix the problem?

John H

When you've got a really awful manager you fire him. HIs successor sholdn't be
asked to *prove* he can do better before he's given the chance.

When a manager is being hired to fix a problem, he normally is either asked,
or has a history of solving similar problems.

What are some of Kerry's major achievements in the senate?

"Gould 0738" wrote in message
...
What, pray tell, has Kerry said he would do to fix the problem?

John H

When you've got a really awful manager you fire him. HIs successor
sholdn't be
asked to *prove* he can do better before he's given the chance.

What are some of Kerry's major achievements in the senate?

You asked for it:

(from johnkerry.com)

John Kerry compiled an impressive record of accomplishment during his career in
the United States Senate. During his two decades of service, he fought for
fiscal discipline, expanded children's health care, fought to put 100,000 more
cops on America's streets, and worked with Senator John McCain (R-AZ) to
investigate the fate of American POW/MIAs and help soldiers suffering from
exposure to Agent Orange.
As chairman of the Senate Small Business Committee, John Kerry stood up for
Americans who own and work for small businesses and fought for a level playing
field in today's competitive global economy. In 19 years of service on the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee - including a term as chairman of the
Subcommittee on Terrorism, Narcotics and International Operations - John Kerry
distinguished himself as one of our nation's most respected experts on national
security issues and a leader in fighting terrorism and preventing the spread of
nuclear weapons.

Putting principle ahead of partisanship, John Kerry worked with his Republican
colleagues on important issues like balancing the budget and keeping government
spending under control. And with a firm dedication to expanding and
strengthening the middle class, he fought for an America that fulfills its
great promise - that gives hard-working Americans the opportunity to build a
better life for themselves and their families.


Building a Stronger Economy
Making America Safer
Expanding and Improving Health Care for All Americans
Making America More Respected in the World
Other Important Accomplishments

Building a Stronger Economy
Crossed Party Lines to Support a Balanced Budget and Cast the Decisive Vote to
Create 23 Million New Jobs. Shortly after joining the Senate, John Kerry
crossed party lines to bring fiscal discipline back to Washington.


Fought for Gramm-Rudman-Hollings, Deficit Reduction Act, Balanced Budget Act.
John Kerry cosponsored and voted for the landmark Gramm-Rudman-Hollings
balanced budget and deficit reduction bill to end runaway deficits. In 1993,
John Kerry supported the Deficit Reduction Act, which put America back on track
toward a balanced budget and fiscal discipline. John Kerry's vote reduced the
deficit and resulted in the creation of 23 million new jobs. John Kerry also
voted for the historic 1997 Balanced Budget Act, which dramatically reduced
spending and balanced the budget for the first time in a generation.
Helped Increase the Minimum Wage. John Kerry was instrumental in passing the
most recent increase in the minimum wage - to $5.15 per hour in 1997.

Fought for the Child Tax Credit. John Kerry led a successful fight for an
amendment he introduced to make sure that all working families receive a child
tax credit.

Stood Up for Small Business. As chairman of the Senate Small Business
Committee, John Kerry promoted policies to increase access to capital, open
international markets, foster innovative technology companies, reduce red tape
and increase federal contracting opportunities. He also created and improved
the MicroLoan program, expanded the successful nationwide Women's Business
Centers (WBC) and loan programs that help the small businesses of reservists
stay afloat while they are on active duty.

Making America Safer
Fought For 100,000 Additional Cops on the Street. As a former prosecutor, John
Kerry understands the importance of strong law enforcement. That's why he led
the fight to add police on our streets through his amendment to the 1993 Crime
Control bill. John Kerry's amendment provided for $150 million to hire 100,000
new police officers - a measure widely regarded as having helped to lower the
crime rate across the country.

Fought to Modernize and Strengthen America's Military. John Kerry has supported
over $4 trillion in defense funding and has supported virtually every
successful weapons system in use by today's military. In 2002, John Kerry voted
for the largest increase in defense spending since the 1980's. And because John
Kerry understands that our national security begins with the men and women who
risk their lives to protect it, he has supported pay increases, benefit
increases, and quality-of-life improvements for America's men and women in
uniform throughout his career.

Fought Global Terrorism. John Kerry introduced critical legislation for
cracking down on international laundering of terrorist funds. He was one of the
key architects of anti-money-laundering provisions in the Patriot Act designed
to deny financing for terrorists, and he has consistently used these provisions
to press the Bush administration to crack down on terrorist financing
activities by Syria and Saudi Arabia. He introduced a bill to ban arms exports
to countries that provide support for acts of international terrorism, a
proposal that was incorporated into the final 1990 State Department
Authorization Bill.

Made the Homeland More Secure. John Kerry was an original co-sponsor of the
Aviation and Transportation Security Act of 2001, which improved our nation's
airline security after September 11th. He also helped pass legislation in
response to September 11th that placed armed Coast Guard personnel on high-risk
vehicles such as oil and gas tankers as they enter port.

Worked to Prevent the Spread of Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Weapons. John
Kerry has made preventing the spread of nuclear weapons a top priority. He
fought for ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, fought
against withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, and has been a
strong and persistent advocate of programs that help secure nuclear, biological
and chemical weapons stockpiles and materials in the former Soviet Union so
they do not fall into the hands of hostile states or terrorists.

Expanding and Improving Health Care
for All Americans
A Leader in Expanding Access and Lowering the Cost of Health Care for America's
Children. John Kerry was there at the beginning of the fight to provide the
largest investment in children's health care since the creation of Medicaid.


Wrote Pre-Cursor Bill to S-CHIP, Providing Coverage for up to 5 Million
Children. John Kerry's 1996 bill, the Healthy Children, Family Assistance
Health Insurance Program, was the precursor to the successful State Children's
Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP) that became law in 1997. S-CHIP provides
funding to cover 5 million children.
Improved Coverage and Care for America's Veterans. John Kerry has been a
tireless champion of mandatory funding for veterans' health care. He fought
vigorously for full funding of Veterans Administration (VA) health care and
opposed the Bush administration's exclusion of Priority 8 veterans and its
elimination of VA outreach efforts. He sought improved prescription drug
benefits and authored legislation in 2003 to let veterans fill prescriptions
written by non-VA doctors through the VA pharmacy.

Improved Post-Natal Care. John Kerry co-sponsored an amendment that
successfully required health care plans to provide coverage for a minimum
hospital stay for a mother and child following the birth of the child.

Fought HIV/AIDS. John Kerry was among the earliest supporters of the Ryan White
Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act, which today is the largest
discretionary federal investment in treatment and support services for
individuals and families living with HIV or AIDS. Today, 533,000 Americans with
HIV/AIDS receive better treatment through this program.

Addressed America's Nursing Shortage. John Kerry wrote the Nurse Reinvestment
Act to help relieve a nationwide, crisis-level shortage of registered nurses by
encouraging more young people to choose a career in nursing. Today, enrollment
rates at undergraduate nursing programs are up by 17 percent.

Making America More Respected
in the World
Helped Spread Democracy and Human Rights Throughout the World. John Kerry was a
leading advocate for democratic elections in the Philippines, serving as an
elections monitor as part of a Senate delegation that uncovered the fraud that
led to the ouster of President Ferdinand Marcos. He was a strong proponent of
U.S. participation in the NATO intervention that put an end to the ethnic
cleansing in Kosovo. He worked with the United Nations and Cambodian government
officials to facilitate the creation of the genocide tribunal in Cambodia that
will prosecute key members of the Khmer Rouge. He sponsored the Code of Conduct
of Arms Transfers Act, which prohibited U.S. military assistance and arms
transfers to nations that do not adequately protect the human rights of their
citizens. And he co-sponsored bipartisan legislation which imposed sanctions on
Burma's military regime for detaining Aung San Suu Kyi and repressing her
National League for Democracy party.

Fought Global HIV/AIDS. John Kerry authored major elements of the Global AIDS
and Tuberculosis Relief Act of 2000, legislation which at the time provided the
most money ever for fighting AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis around the world.
He sponsored the bipartisan U.S. Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and
Malaria Act of 2002, comprehensive legislation that was unanimously approved by
the Senate and became the foundation of the global AIDS legislation that was
passed by congress and signed by President Bush.

Fought International Crime, Corruption and Drug Trafficking. John Kerry chaired
the landmark hearings that uncovered the Bank of Credit and Commerce
International (BCCI) scandal - the largest banking corruption scandal in modern
times. He led hearings which provided evidence that Haitian military officials
were involved in drug trafficking to the United States. He also led hearings on
corruption and drug trafficking by Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega, and
introduced legislation requiring the Reagan administration to cut off foreign
aid to Panama because of drug-related corruption within its government.

Uncovered Government Corruption. John Kerry went on a fact-finding mission to
Nicaragua and presented his findings to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Based in part on John Kerry's groundbreaking findings, the committee reached a
consensus decision to investigate the Contra guerillas and their connection to
drug trafficking in the United States. The resulting investigation uncovered
the Iran-Contra scandal, a scheme that diverted profits from illegal arms sales
to Iran to support the Contra guerilla fighters in Nicaragua.

Other Important Accomplishments
Took on the Task of Investigating POW/MIA Issues. John Kerry and John McCain
"doggedly investigated" an important and volatile issue which some described as
an "unglamorous task that nobody else wanted." Regarding the investigation,
John McCain said, "John Kerry handled the chairmanship of that committee with
tremendous skill." In 1994, John Kerry sponsored an amendment with McCain that
urged the American government to lift its 25-year trade embargo with Vietnam.
He then worked closely with McCain and President Clinton to facilitate full
normalization of trade and diplomatic relations with Vietnam.

Fought to Help Victims of Agent Orange. Beginning more than 15 years ago, John
Kerry introduced legislation to assist veterans in receiving medical
compensation after being exposed to the toxic chemical Agent Orange. John Kerry
even testified before Congress to force the government to care for Vietnam
veterans. John Kerry's bill, the Comprehensive Agent Orange Scientific Evidence
Review Act, sought to require that the Veterans Administration(VA) look into
the "health effects of exposure" to Agent Orange. John Kerry also voted to pass
the Agent Orange Act of 1991 and the Veterans' Agent Orange Exposure and
Vietnam Service Benefits Act of 1989.

Fought to Protect America's Environment. John Kerry has been described by the
League of Conservation Voters as an "environmental champion." He introduced
legislation to improve standards for clean air and establish a fund to finance
emissions reductions. He secured millions of dollars in funding to clean
America's waterways, harbors, and drinking water, worked to strengthen the Safe
Drinking Water Act, and introduced legislation in 1996 to ensure "protection in
the quality of our water." He sponsored legislation that extended and
strengthened laws protecting marine mammals from commercial fishing. He helped
protect America's National Parks and National Forests from pollution, excessive
logging, and overdevelopment while ensuring that endangered species are
preserved for all Americans to experience. He has opposed opening the Arctic
National Wildlife Refuge to drilling for over a decade, ensuring that future
generations can experience this national treasure. He strongly advocated for
U.S. participation in the Kyoto accords and other international environmental
initiatives, and personally participated in many major world environmental
summits, including conferences at Rio di Janiero, Kyoto and the Hague.

Fought for America's Veterans. John Kerry has been a tireless champion of
mandatory funding for veterans' health care. He fought vigorously for full
funding of VA health care and opposed the Bush administration's exclusion of
Priority 8 veterans and its elimination of VA outreach efforts. He sought
improved prescription drug benefits and authored legislation in 2003 to let
veterans fill prescriptions written by non-VA doctors through the VA pharmacy.
As chairman of the Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs, John Kerry
investigated the fate of missing American soldiers in Vietnam and brought about
the resolution of this difficult issue for their families and for the
governments of both countries. In 1994, he sponsored an amendment with Senator
McCain that urged the American government to lift its 25-year trade embargo
with Vietnam. He then worked closely with Senator McCain and President Clinton
to facilitate full normalization of trade and diplomatic relations with
Vietnam.

Stood Up for America's Children. John Kerry wrote the bill that became the
foundation for the 1997 State Children's Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP),
which provided states with federal funding to help extend health insurance
coverage to children whose families do not qualify for Medicaid. He introduced
legislation to expand state and local early childhood development efforts,
including education, child care and health care for children between birth and
six years old. At the end of 2000, a version of this bipartisan legislation was
signed into law. To address the needs of America's at-risk youth, John Kerry
led the effort to establish the YouthBuild program, which provides young people
with basic education toward a diploma and the skills training they need to get
a good-paying job. YouthBuild also teaches leadership and civic engagement
while providing students with adult mentors who help them overcome personal
problems and participate in a supportive community with positive values.

Fought for Affordable Housing. As a member of the Senate Housing Subcommittee,
John Kerry has a long record of fighting for affordable housing. He shaped the
first significant rewrite of the public housing program in over 20 years and
worked to craft and pass a bill that helped save the government billions of
dollars in rental assistance payments, preserved thousands of affordable rental
apartments, and helped finance the rehabilitation of those apartments. With
Senator Jim Jeffords (I-VT), John Kerry sponsored the Affordable Housing
Preservation Act to foster local partnerships between non-profits, state and
local governments, and private landlords in order to keep existing housing
projects available and affordable for low-income tenants. He worked to create
and implement the "mark-up to market" program and he co-authored the Affordable
Housing for Seniors and Families Act of 2000.



Really support our troops. Join "Soldiers for The Truth". http://www.sftt.org/

I'd sure like to see a resume', Chuck. Wouldn't you?

One resume' coming up:

John Kerry compiled an impressive record of accomplishment during his career in
the United States Senate. During his two decades of service, he fought for
fiscal discipline, expanded children's health care, fought to put 100,000 more
cops on America's streets, and worked with Senator John McCain (R-AZ) to
investigate the fate of American POW/MIAs and help soldiers suffering from
exposure to Agent Orange.
As chairman of the Senate Small Business Committee, John Kerry stood up for
Americans who own and work for small businesses and fought for a level playing
field in today's competitive global economy. In 19 years of service on the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee - including a term as chairman of the
Subcommittee on Terrorism, Narcotics and International Operations - John Kerry
distinguished himself as one of our nation's most respected experts on national
security issues and a leader in fighting terrorism and preventing the spread of
nuclear weapons.

Putting principle ahead of partisanship, John Kerry worked with his Republican
colleagues on important issues like balancing the budget and keeping government
spending under control. And with a firm dedication to expanding and
strengthening the middle class, he fought for an America that fulfills its
great promise - that gives hard-working Americans the opportunity to build a
better life for themselves and their families.


Building a Stronger Economy
Making America Safer
Expanding and Improving Health Care for All Americans
Making America More Respected in the World
Other Important Accomplishments

Building a Stronger Economy
Crossed Party Lines to Support a Balanced Budget and Cast the Decisive Vote to
Create 23 Million New Jobs. Shortly after joining the Senate, John Kerry
crossed party lines to bring fiscal discipline back to Washington.


Fought for Gramm-Rudman-Hollings, Deficit Reduction Act, Balanced Budget Act.
John Kerry cosponsored and voted for the landmark Gramm-Rudman-Hollings
balanced budget and deficit reduction bill to end runaway deficits. In 1993,
John Kerry supported the Deficit Reduction Act, which put America back on track
toward a balanced budget and fiscal discipline. John Kerry's vote reduced the
deficit and resulted in the creation of 23 million new jobs. John Kerry also
voted for the historic 1997 Balanced Budget Act, which dramatically reduced
spending and balanced the budget for the first time in a generation.
Helped Increase the Minimum Wage. John Kerry was instrumental in passing the
most recent increase in the minimum wage - to $5.15 per hour in 1997.

Fought for the Child Tax Credit. John Kerry led a successful fight for an
amendment he introduced to make sure that all working families receive a child
tax credit.

Stood Up for Small Business. As chairman of the Senate Small Business
Committee, John Kerry promoted policies to increase access to capital, open
international markets, foster innovative technology companies, reduce red tape
and increase federal contracting opportunities. He also created and improved
the MicroLoan program, expanded the successful nationwide Women's Business
Centers (WBC) and loan programs that help the small businesses of reservists
stay afloat while they are on active duty.

Making America Safer
Fought For 100,000 Additional Cops on the Street. As a former prosecutor, John
Kerry understands the importance of strong law enforcement. That's why he led
the fight to add police on our streets through his amendment to the 1993 Crime
Control bill. John Kerry's amendment provided for $150 million to hire 100,000
new police officers - a measure widely regarded as having helped to lower the
crime rate across the country.

Fought to Modernize and Strengthen America's Military. John Kerry has supported
over $4 trillion in defense funding and has supported virtually every
successful weapons system in use by today's military. In 2002, John Kerry voted
for the largest increase in defense spending since the 1980's. And because John
Kerry understands that our national security begins with the men and women who
risk their lives to protect it, he has supported pay increases, benefit
increases, and quality-of-life improvements for America's men and women in
uniform throughout his career.

Fought Global Terrorism. John Kerry introduced critical legislation for
cracking down on international laundering of terrorist funds. He was one of the
key architects of anti-money-laundering provisions in the Patriot Act designed
to deny financing for terrorists, and he has consistently used these provisions
to press the Bush administration to crack down on terrorist financing
activities by Syria and Saudi Arabia. He introduced a bill to ban arms exports
to countries that provide support for acts of international terrorism, a
proposal that was incorporated into the final 1990 State Department
Authorization Bill.

Made the Homeland More Secure. John Kerry was an original co-sponsor of the
Aviation and Transportation Security Act of 2001, which improved our nation's
airline security after September 11th. He also helped pass legislation in
response to September 11th that placed armed Coast Guard personnel on high-risk
vehicles such as oil and gas tankers as they enter port.

Worked to Prevent the Spread of Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Weapons. John
Kerry has made preventing the spread of nuclear weapons a top priority. He
fought for ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, fought
against withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, and has been a
strong and persistent advocate of programs that help secure nuclear, biological
and chemical weapons stockpiles and materials in the former Soviet Union so
they do not fall into the hands of hostile states or terrorists.

Expanding and Improving Health Care
for All Americans
A Leader in Expanding Access and Lowering the Cost of Health Care for America's
Children. John Kerry was there at the beginning of the fight to provide the
largest investment in children's health care since the creation of Medicaid.


Wrote Pre-Cursor Bill to S-CHIP, Providing Coverage for up to 5 Million
Children. John Kerry's 1996 bill, the Healthy Children, Family Assistance
Health Insurance Program, was the precursor to the successful State Children's
Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP) that became law in 1997. S-CHIP provides
funding to cover 5 million children.
Improved Coverage and Care for America's Veterans. John Kerry has been a
tireless champion of mandatory funding for veterans' health care. He fought
vigorously for full funding of Veterans Administration (VA) health care and
opposed the Bush administration's exclusion of Priority 8 veterans and its
elimination of VA outreach efforts. He sought improved prescription drug
benefits and authored legislation in 2003 to let veterans fill prescriptions
written by non-VA doctors through the VA pharmacy.

Improved Post-Natal Care. John Kerry co-sponsored an amendment that
successfully required health care plans to provide coverage for a minimum
hospital stay for a mother and child following the birth of the child.

Fought HIV/AIDS. John Kerry was among the earliest supporters of the Ryan White
Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act, which today is the largest
discretionary federal investment in treatment and support services for
individuals and families living with HIV or AIDS. Today, 533,000 Americans with
HIV/AIDS receive better treatment through this program.

Addressed America's Nursing Shortage. John Kerry wrote the Nurse Reinvestment
Act to help relieve a nationwide, crisis-level shortage of registered nurses by
encouraging more young people to choose a career in nursing. Today, enrollment
rates at undergraduate nursing programs are up by 17 percent.

Making America More Respected
in the World
Helped Spread Democracy and Human Rights Throughout the World. John Kerry was a
leading advocate for democratic elections in the Philippines, serving as an
elections monitor as part of a Senate delegation that uncovered the fraud that
led to the ouster of President Ferdinand Marcos. He was a strong proponent of
U.S. participation in the NATO intervention that put an end to the ethnic
cleansing in Kosovo. He worked with the United Nations and Cambodian government
officials to facilitate the creation of the genocide tribunal in Cambodia that
will prosecute key members of the Khmer Rouge. He sponsored the Code of Conduct
of Arms Transfers Act, which prohibited U.S. military assistance and arms
transfers to nations that do not adequately protect the human rights of their
citizens. And he co-sponsored bipartisan legislation which imposed sanctions on
Burma's military regime for detaining Aung San Suu Kyi and repressing her
National League for Democracy party.

Fought Global HIV/AIDS. John Kerry authored major elements of the Global AIDS
and Tuberculosis Relief Act of 2000, legislation which at the time provided the
most money ever for fighting AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis around the world.
He sponsored the bipartisan U.S. Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and
Malaria Act of 2002, comprehensive legislation that was unanimously approved by
the Senate and became the foundation of the global AIDS legislation that was
passed by congress and signed by President Bush.

Fought International Crime, Corruption and Drug Trafficking. John Kerry chaired
the landmark hearings that uncovered the Bank of Credit and Commerce
International (BCCI) scandal - the largest banking corruption scandal in modern
times. He led hearings which provided evidence that Haitian military officials
were involved in drug trafficking to the United States. He also led hearings on
corruption and drug trafficking by Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega, and
introduced legislation requiring the Reagan administration to cut off foreign
aid to Panama because of drug-related corruption within its government.

Uncovered Government Corruption. John Kerry went on a fact-finding mission to
Nicaragua and presented his findings to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Based in part on John Kerry's groundbreaking findings, the committee reached a
consensus decision to investigate the Contra guerillas and their connection to
drug trafficking in the United States. The resulting investigation uncovered
the Iran-Contra scandal, a scheme that diverted profits from illegal arms sales
to Iran to support the Contra guerilla fighters in Nicaragua.

Other Important Accomplishments
Took on the Task of Investigating POW/MIA Issues. John Kerry and John McCain
"doggedly investigated" an important and volatile issue which some described as
an "unglamorous task that nobody else wanted." Regarding the investigation,
John McCain said, "John Kerry handled the chairmanship of that committee with
tremendous skill." In 1994, John Kerry sponsored an amendment with McCain that
urged the American government to lift its 25-year trade embargo with Vietnam.
He then worked closely with McCain and President Clinton to facilitate full
normalization of trade and diplomatic relations with Vietnam.

Fought to Help Victims of Agent Orange. Beginning more than 15 years ago, John
Kerry introduced legislation to assist veterans in receiving medical
compensation after being exposed to the toxic chemical Agent Orange. John Kerry
even testified before Congress to force the government to care for Vietnam
veterans. John Kerry's bill, the Comprehensive Agent Orange Scientific Evidence
Review Act, sought to require that the Veterans Administration(VA) look into
the "health effects of exposure" to Agent Orange. John Kerry also voted to pass
the Agent Orange Act of 1991 and the Veterans' Agent Orange Exposure and
Vietnam Service Benefits Act of 1989.

Fought to Protect America's Environment. John Kerry has been described by the
League of Conservation Voters as an "environmental champion." He introduced
legislation to improve standards for clean air and establish a fund to finance
emissions reductions. He secured millions of dollars in funding to clean
America's waterways, harbors, and drinking water, worked to strengthen the Safe
Drinking Water Act, and introduced legislation in 1996 to ensure "protection in
the quality of our water." He sponsored legislation that extended and
strengthened laws protecting marine mammals from commercial fishing. He helped
protect America's National Parks and National Forests from pollution, excessive
logging, and overdevelopment while ensuring that endangered species are
preserved for all Americans to experience. He has opposed opening the Arctic
National Wildlife Refuge to drilling for over a decade, ensuring that future
generations can experience this national treasure. He strongly advocated for
U.S. participation in the Kyoto accords and other international environmental
initiatives, and personally participated in many major world environmental
summits, including conferences at Rio di Janiero, Kyoto and the Hague.

Fought for America's Veterans. John Kerry has been a tireless champion of
mandatory funding for veterans' health care. He fought vigorously for full
funding of VA health care and opposed the Bush administration's exclusion of
Priority 8 veterans and its elimination of VA outreach efforts. He sought
improved prescription drug benefits and authored legislation in 2003 to let
veterans fill prescriptions written by non-VA doctors through the VA pharmacy.
As chairman of the Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs, John Kerry
investigated the fate of missing American soldiers in Vietnam and brought about
the resolution of this difficult issue for their families and for the
governments of both countries. In 1994, he sponsored an amendment with Senator
McCain that urged the American government to lift its 25-year trade embargo
with Vietnam. He then worked closely with Senator McCain and President Clinton
to facilitate full normalization of trade and diplomatic relations with
Vietnam.

Stood Up for America's Children. John Kerry wrote the bill that became the
foundation for the 1997 State Children's Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP),
which provided states with federal funding to help extend health insurance
coverage to children whose families do not qualify for Medicaid. He introduced
legislation to expand state and local early childhood development efforts,
including education, child care and health care for children between birth and
six years old. At the end of 2000, a version of this bipartisan legislation was
signed into law. To address the needs of America's at-risk youth, John Kerry
led the effort to establish the YouthBuild program, which provides young people
with basic education toward a diploma and the skills training they need to get
a good-paying job. YouthBuild also teaches leadership and civic engagement
while providing students with adult mentors who help them overcome personal
problems and participate in a supportive community with positive values.

Fought for Affordable Housing. As a member of the Senate Housing Subcommittee,
John Kerry has a long record of fighting for affordable housing. He shaped the
first significant rewrite of the public housing program in over 20 years and
worked to craft and pass a bill that helped save the government billions of
dollars in rental assistance payments, preserved thousands of affordable rental
apartments, and helped finance the rehabilitation of those apartments. With
Senator Jim Jeffords (I-VT), John Kerry sponsored the Affordable Housing
Preservation Act to foster local partnerships between non-profits, state and
local governments, and private landlords in order to keep existing housing
projects available and affordable for low-income tenants. He worked to create
and implement the "mark-up to market" program and he co-authored the Affordable
Housing for Seniors and Families Act of 2000.



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