RON LEWIS

Our safety at home and the cause of freedom abroad is largely contingent upon our success in Iraq.

We must carefully consider card security solutions, such as adding photographs or machine-readable electronic strips, so to prevent further breaches of individual privacy that could result from changes to the design of Social Security Cards.

Financial literacy is an issue that should command our attention because many Americans are not adequately organizing finances for their education, healthcare and retirement.

The College Access and Opportunity Act addresses the important need to make higher education more affordable and easier to access for low and middle-income students.

Whether you are just entering the workforce or nearing retirement age, planning for the future is critical.

Without significant reform, the Social Security Administration will be legally and financially unable to pay full promised benefits within a generation.

The establishment of a National Methamphetamine Prevention Week will significantly increase awareness of meth and educate the public on effective ways to help prevent its use.

Since Social Security faces a large gap between what it promises younger workers and what it can afford to pay them, private savings will likely need to play a larger role in retirement planning for younger workers.

Weapons of mass destruction in the hands of Islamic extremists will be a disaster for the world.

Freedom of religion is a principle that is central to our Nation's Declaration of Independence. Congress has taken this positive step to protect our freedom to express allegiance to America's flag and the ideals it represents.

The CAFTA region currently imports $15 billion annually of U.S. agriculture and manufactured goods.

Ensuring quality higher education is one of the most important things we can do for future generations.

We must fight and win the battle against terror overseas so we never have to fight it here at home.

Increased awareness and education could be a great help toward improving spending and saving habits and increasing participation and contribution levels to retirement plans.

Employer contribution pension plans have become increasingly popular throughout the past two decades.

By encouraging conservation, increasing investments in clean, renewable sources of energy, and promoting increased domestic production of oil and gas, we can build a more secure future for our country.

Today's vote ensures that coal will continue to be an important part of our nation's energy policy, with strong parameters to make it cleaner and more efficient.

Though Congress continues to explore possible solutions to ensure social security solvency, everyone must take personal responsibility to prepare their own retirement savings accordingly.

Meth production and use is a serious problem in Kentucky and across the country. Clearly, there is a growing need for a national strategy to combat this crisis. Increasing public awareness is a significant means for prevention.

Studies indicate that most of young adults struggle to grasp even the most basic financial principles that will allow them to manage money and prepare for their future.

We have all read tragic stories in our local papers about gun accidents as a result of misuse. As lawmakers we can better promote safety and responsibility by encouraging gun owners to purchase gun safes to store firearms and keep them from falling into the wrong hands.

We must continue our fight to ensure that Federal, State, and local authorities have the resources and support necessary to combat this growing epidemic. This is a top priority for me and many of my colleagues here in Congress.

It is never too early to encourage long-term savings.

Identity theft involving these cards is a growing form of white collar crime, facilitating illegal immigration, banking and accounting fraud, tax evasion, and other nefarious activities.

It is incumbent upon each of us to improve spending and savings practices to ensure our own individual financial security and preserve the collective economic well-being of our great society.