John M. McHugh

The Army's always had a special place in my heart.

Since far fewer people are recruited to serve in a voluntary military, the connection between America and its military is increasingly tenuous and less personal.

The bottom line is, winter navigation on the Seaway is a bad idea.

One in seven Americans lives without health insurance, and that's a truly staggering figure.

Last month, the Iraqi people went to the polls, voting in their first free election in more than 50 years.

In providing this $5,000 tax credit for those purchasing rural homes, we're offering an important incentive to encourage people to live in smaller communities - and perhaps even stay in a community they might be considering leaving.

For the freedoms our founding fathers not only dreamed about, but made into reality. It is that same pursuit of freedom today that is helping to make our world a safer place.

As one of the voices of rural New Yorkers in Congress, I am committed to supporting efforts such as these that will make a real impact in people's lives.

Aquatic invasive species are destroying the environment, damaging fisheries, and costing American taxpayers billions of dollars annually.

We are particularly interested in the mental health programs and policies that support our troops and their families before, during, and after deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan.

We also very importantly recommend continued growth in the Army and the Marine Corps end strength.

The study also included the disturbing revelation that most of the troops who reported having mental health problems also reported that they did not seek or did not receive care for their problems.

As long as we're dependent on those fossil fuels, we're dependent on the Middle East. If we are not victims, we're certainly captives.

The men and women of our armed forces played an instrumental role in the election process - securing polling sites and providing security - that allowed so many Iraqis the opportunity to vote freely for the first time ever.

We have already seen evidence that, notwithstanding the addition of substantial resources, we are experiencing great stress in recruiting and not inconsequential retention problems.

In the Armed Services Committee, we endeavored to put forth proposals that would help alleviate some of that stress, both for the troops and for their families.

Postal service of today is far removed from that of 30 years ago when reform was last enacted.

The more we focus on using renewable fuels, the less we are dependent upon foreign oil.

We have closely monitored the ups and downs of recruiting and retention trends for many years and have been quick to sound the alarm when challenges came into view.

This election is a critical step in that overall plan - transforming the Iraqi government into a fully constitutional one, able to secure its own borders and ensure the safety of its citizens.