As a leader, how will you use your leadership to improve our state and country?

Jack Reed  – (D) Senate

Growing up in Cranston, my parents constantly emphasized the importance of hard work, character and perseverance.

My father was a World War II veteran and school custodian.  My mother was a homemaker.  They didn’t have the opportunity to go to college themselves, but were determined their children would.  Their example, commitment and sacrifice led me to the United States Military Academy.  The education I received from West Point and the opportunity to command fellow paratroopers strengthened my resolve to serve others.

I believe we all have a duty to serve, not as soldiers, but as United States citizens: defending our rights, but also shouldering our responsibilities, being part of our community, using our talents and ambition to get ahead, but not ignoring those who might be left behind.

Today, I’m running for the United States Senate because I want to ensure everyone has a fair shot at building a better future.  Because if you give people a fair shot, there is no limit to what they can achieve.

That is one of the reasons I am passionate about issues like student loan fairness and investing in our schools.  Instead of the government profiting off of student loans, we need to get back to the idea that helping Americans afford a college education is fundamentally in our national interest and a smart investment in our economic future.

And I’m proud of the federal support I have delivered to accelerate economic growth, and the laws I have written to stand up for Main Street and increase accountability on Wall Street.

I have worked to strengthen our transportation network – from our roads and bridges, to expanding the runway at T.F. Green and increasing capacity at Quonset Point.  These investments will better link our state to the global economy, and help create good-paying jobs.

And after years of hard work on the Armed Services Committee, we’re building 10 new world-class submarines right here in Rhode Island, providing thousands of new jobs over the coming years and enhancing our national security.

Our better tomorrow begins with hard work and careful planning today.

Because the truth is: a stronger economy, a safer world, a better life for our children, none of it will be handed to us.  Achieving these goals takes hard work, smart investments, and strong leadership.

Mark Zaccaria – (R) Senate

The gravest present threat to the United States, in my opinion, is the terrible condition of its finances.  Perpetual deficits, spending by continuing resolution rather than by budget, and reliance on the Federal Reserve to artificially depress interest rates is no prescription for prosperity.

If I am lucky enough to be your senator next January, I expect to go to Washington as part of the majority team in the Senate.  There, I anticipate joining forces with existing senators of both parties who understand the financial crisis we face. I trust we will enforce a mandate from you that we control spending.  That means I will work to achieve consensus on creating and using an actual budget for the United States.  I will similarly work to bring about a hiring freeze in the federal workforce – including consultants, thank you.  We need to reassign existing staff to fill positions that open up in any department, rather than continuously increasing staff (Read: Expenses).  With a hard budget we can hold federal managers to the metrics of the parts of that budget under their jurisdiction.  This will permit us to enforce small but immediate reductions across the board, not just in defense.

The importance of budgeting and trimming the federal colossus is that it will cost less, thus costing you less in taxes and allowing you greater transparency in determining the value you get for your money.

The senate also has an important role in advising the administration on matters of foreign policy.  In this arena, America has recently abdicated the responsibilities it had traditionally assumed since WWII.  I mean to be part of counselling the administration to step up and reassert this country’s position as a leader in world affairs.  In the past few years we have poorly treated our allies, Israel first and foremost among them.  We must rebuild the trust we once had with all our allies by supporting them to our joint benefit.

For years we have led those who yearn for freedom, both at home and abroad.  Today we must rededicate ourselves to reassuming and continuing that position of leadership.  I hope my candidacy will be a single step on that long American march.

David Cicilline – (D) Congress | District 1

When I announced I was running for Congress, I promised to work with anyone with a good idea and to put aside partisan politics to get things done for Rhode Island. I have broken through the gridlock and worked with colleagues across the aisle.

My work has focused on rebuilding the middle class and creating jobs. I fought to protect investments in education, from Head Start to Pell Grants, and for workforce training resources. I co-sponsored the Paycheck Fairness Act because women deserve equal pay for equal work. I am fighting for an agenda to jumpstart the middle class by raising the minimum wage, rebuilding our infrastructure and reforming the tax code so the wealthiest Americans pay at least the same rate as middle-class families.

One of my top priorities in Congress has been to revitalize American manufacturing and bring good-paying jobs back home. This includes moderni   zing Buy American laws and ending tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas, while creating tax incentives for companies that create jobs here. I authored legislative language that would direct the U.S. Department of Defense to develop plans to engage American manufacturers in opportunities to secure military contracts in Afghanistan that are funded by American taxpayers.

The special relationship between the United States and Israel is critical. I am a strong supporter of Israel’s right of self-defense, an original co-sponsor of the Iron Dome Support Act, and I voted for legislation to provide additional support for the procurement and enhancement of additional Iron Dome defense systems. I signed on to a letter to the U.N., asking it to formally recognize Gaza’s rockets as barriers to regional peace, and to make their removal a top priority. I have also pushed to strengthen Iran sanctions policies, including co-sponsorship of the Nuclear Iran Prevention Act, as well as a letter to the president urging him to consult with Congress regarding nuclear negotiations with Iran.

I’ve fought to defeat proposals that would hurt Rhode Islanders. I led 116 of my House colleagues in successfully urging President Obama to abandon his plans to use chained CPI to calculate cost-of-living and inflation adjustments to Social Security.  I opposed Paul Ryan’s plan to turn Medicare into a voucher, and rejected the across-the-board budget cuts, which would have hurt Rhode Island.

I hope to continue to fight for Rhode Island.

Cormick Lynch – (R) Congress | District 1

I am a native born and bred Rhode Islander with a deep concern for the current state of our state and the future direction of our country.  From the onset of my youth, I realized that success is met with adversity far before it is met with optimism, that there will be hardships and obstacles, trials and tribulations, but the steady hand of leadership can traverse the most troubled waters. 

From my military service in a combat zone, I crafted my leadership by the notion of “Ductus Exemplo,” meaning lead by example.  You should never request anyone to do something you yourself are unwilling to do and you should be the agent of change you wish to see in the world.  It is these characteristics, cultivated by my experiences in the private and public sectors thereafter, that distinguish me from my opponents.  Over the course of these junctures, I have learned that leadership is doing things that are right but unpopular, it’s taking the path of long-term sustainability over short-term appeasement.  In order to fix our state and country, we must elect leaders who assign responsibility rather than politicians who cast blame.

Today, our great state faces serious challenges.  We have the highest unemployment rate in the country.  Rhode Island was ranked the 49th most trustworthy state government by our own Providence Journal; CNBC ranked us the least competitive state in the country for business and Forbes has also rated Rhode Island the worst state for conducting business.  America has the highest corporate tax rates in the developed world.  Red tape and high taxes have had devastating impacts on our economy, especially small businesses.  It will take leadership from both parties in Washington to enact significant reform and solve these problems, but we cannot elect the same individuals and expect a different result. 

As President Clinton said, “there is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America.”  In a day when politicians peddle problems and point fingers, we are in desperate need of leaders who can be frank with the American people, who have the courage to confront the issues of our time, the integrity to influence them and the creativity to solve them.  In conclusion, this election is about change or more or the same – the old, familiar road or the better, more honest path.  Let’s cure America, by taking the better path.

Jim Langevin – (D) Congress | District 2

Our country is facing unprecedented challenges, but regardless of the goal,   from confronting adversaries abroad to putting Rhode Islanders back to work at home – the solution will always require bipartisan collaboration and leadership. I am proud to be a Democrat, and I believe strongly in my party’s priorities, including equal pay for women, comprehensive immigration reform and access to affordable health care and education for all Americans.

But in every issue I tackle, I work hard to find a partner across the aisle with whom I can communicate and collaborate.

As co-chair of the bipartisan Career and Technical Education Caucus, I believe that workforce development is key to strengthening our economy. I work closely with my co-chair, Congressman GT Thompson (R-PA), to support programs that empower young people to pursue careers with high-growth potential. Together, we helped secure a $52 million increase for Perkins Act career training programs this year alone.

When I am working on national security, I collaborate with Chairmen Buck McKeon (R-CA) and Mike Rogers (R-MI). I am a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and a national leader in efforts to secure our technology infrastructure. I take those roles very seriously. The safety of our nation is paramount, and partisan politics should never stand in the way.

Despite the challenges we face, I am hopeful for the future. I see momentum building – momentum to change the negative attitudes about our state and to capitalize on our opportunities. If we want our state to grow stronger, we must play to our strengths. There are several areas with growth potential, including biotechnology, advanced manufacturing and the food economy. We have world-class universities here feeding those fields with highly skilled talent. I am fortunate to have the opportunity to visit often with business leaders in these growing industries, and they too see a brighter future.

Like my constituents, I have been frustrated by partisan gridlock in Washington. In order to break this cycle, we all need to be willing to work together and find common ground. No matter which side you are on, I think we can all agree that we owe our constituents a transparent debate on critical issues. This is what democracy is, and this is what I will keep fighting for in Washington and in Rhode Island.

Rhue Reis – (R) Congress | District 2

I am running for the U.S. Congress for RI’s 2nd District.  I have lost faith in government, so much so that I have decided to take on the challenge of removing from office a 25-year professional politician who is in the top 1 percent of Americans.  Well, I am soundly rooted in the 99 percent of Americans who are struggling to get by.  I can assure you that I will proudly represent the 99 percent by making decisions that solely have us in mind, not big business and special interest groups, or most of all not the professional politician who makes decisions, purely based on politics and getting re-elected.

I promise to serve not only you, but also future generations, to make decisions that will best serve the country, not a political career.  I would work to simplify the tax code by eliminating tax loopholes and instituting a flat tax so that everyone pays their fair share.  This would significantly reduce the size of the IRS, and also take the government out of the picking winners and losers game, which it fails miserably at.

I would focus on re-defining our defense initiative to align more closely with need as opposed to politics.  Taking into consideration the advancements in defense technology, I would evaluate the necessity of the many enormous defense appropriations for savings on overlapping and outdated programs.  I would determine which of the many global military bases are truly necessary, and thereafter establish a long standing presence in Iraq to better safeguard the world from developing terrorist threats.  The region is of great strategic importance, and is the ultimate breeding ground for terrorism.  If ever there was an area of the world that justifies a strong U.S. military presence, it is the middle-east.  For the world’s sake and for Israel’s, we must re-establish and maintain a long standing presence there.

The leadership I would employ to accomplish these difficult tasks, first involves establishing relationships with what promises to be a significant freshman class in Congress.  I would reach out to new members from both sides of the isle to establish a Coalition for Responsible Government.  Where we put politics aside and reach accord based on thorough analysis of the implications and ramifications of each bill and appropriation that comes across our desks.  By pooling our legislative resources we not only can accomplish this end, but we will also be a force to be reckoned with in Congress.