Carly Fiorina: Why I'm running for Senate
Our most pressing problems today are too few jobs for Americans and too much spending in Washington.
By CARLY FIORINA
This is a unique time in our history. People are finding it difficult to be optimistic about the future when they’re uncertain if they’ll have a job tomorrow. Federal spending is out of control as our national debt soars. We are asking what legacy we’ll leave our kids, besides bills they can’t pay?
We are looking to our leaders in Washington for answers and action. But we get neither, and as a result we are rightfully frustrated and angry.
I look at the United States Senate and ask: does California have the representation we deserve? The clear answer is no. Barbara Boxer has been a senator for almost 18 years.
During that time, she's only gotten three laws enacted - naming a river in Virginia, a courthouse in Fresno, and bringing bridge repair money to the Bay Area, where she is from. One piece of real work in 18 years isn't much of a track record.
That’s not good enough for California.
Admittedly, I have not always been engaged in the electoral process, and I should have been. For many years I felt disconnected from the decisions made in Washington and, to be honest, really didn't think my vote mattered because I didn't have a direct line of sight from my vote to a result.
I realize that thinking was wrong. As I grew throughout my career, beginning as a secretary and eventually becoming a CEO, I saw how government impacted business. I learned more as a member of advisory boards at the State Department, the Pentagon and the CIA. I now understand, in a very real way, that the decisions made by the Senate impact every family and every business, of any size, in America.
This is what motivates me to run for the U.S. Senate. And so today I am announcing my candidacy to serve the people of California as your next U.S. senator.
Throughout my career I've brought people together, and I've solved problems. And that is what is needed in our government today. People who are willing to set aside ego and partisanship and instead work to develop solutions to our problems.
Our most pressing problems today are too few jobs for Americans and too much spending in Washington. As California's senator, economic recovery and fiscal accountability will be my priorities. I will not settle for a jobless recovery. And we can start the important work of getting our financial house back in order by demanding to know where our money is being spent. Let's put every government budget and every government bill on the Internet for every citizen to see.
Tax, spend and borrow is not a governing philosophy; it's a cycle of dependency and it is one that must be broken. Washington must show the discipline to cut spending and create policies that encourage and empower businesses to put people back to work.
For example, about 40,000 California farmers and farm workers in our Central Valley are out of work because we can't find a balance between protecting our environment and protecting the economy. We can change this terrible situation by changing our representation in the U.S. Senate.
Another issue that is center stage on Capitol Hill is health care reform. As a cancer survivor, this is an issue close to my heart. Rather than remaking the entire national health care system at the cost of higher taxes and exploding deficits, we should build on what works, such as expanding access to community clinics that will give those most in need appropriate care at a reasonable price.
Congress should reform medical malpractice to match what we have in California where frivolous lawsuits are a thing of the past. We should permit consumers to purchase health insurance from any company in the country, expanding consumer choice and driving down cost and unnecessary mandates.
People want to know that their care will stay where it belongs: in the hands of doctors and patients. Unfortunately, the path Congress is on in this debate is not giving us the confidence that it will.
I want to help solve these and our many other challenges. I believe big change is not impossible, but it does require leadership, innovative thinking, teamwork and tackling the most obvious and pressing problems first. My campaign is going to be about solutions that work for the people of California. Today, I am asking all those who expect more from our government to join me in making a change for the better. Put me to work for you. Together we can turn things around.