• Create High Paying, Family-Sustaining Jobs
• Restore Fiscal Discipline & Require Pay-as-You-Go
• Ensure Access to Affordable, High-Quality Health Care
• Safeguard Social Security & Care for Our Seniors
• Strengthen Education as the Foundation for Economic Prosperity
• Focus on Energy Conservation & Energy Independence
• Support Our Troops & Veterans
• Renew Confidence in Our Leaders
• Protect Our Homeland & Forge Global Alliances
• Secure Our Borders & Reform Immigration Laws
• Uphold the Second Amendment
• Promote Human Life
• Support Unions and Working Families

Create High Paying, Family-Sustaining Jobs

My top priority will be to encourage the creation of high-paying, family-sustaining jobs to secure a future for the next generation right here in our region.  As part of my Regional Plan for Progress, I have proposed Project Main Street to spur the creation of family-sustaining jobs, reward small business owners, rebuild aging infrastructure and restore community pride. In addition, I support:

• Expanding workforce training programs to prepare displaced workers and others for 21st century job opportunities;
• Strengthening existing small businesses through the sharing and coordinating of regional resources and strong internship programs designed to help them grow; and
• Encouraging the creation of Centers of Innovation Excellence to create jobs from start-up ancillary businesses around The Commonwealth Medical College, the future Wilkes University law school and Marywood University’s new architectural school.

Restore Fiscal Discipline and Require Pay-as-You-Go

We need to restore fiscal responsibility in Washington so that we don't bury our children under a pile of debt. We must insist that government is smarter, leaner and more effective and that is why I support “pay as you go,” which requires that new spending measures and tax changes not add to the federal deficit. New proposals must be either "budget neutral" or offset with savings derived from existing funds. This is not free money. The federal deficit is a serious problem that will lead to long-term economic hardship if not addressed. We all have to live within our means and the federal government should do the same.

That's why I supported the 2010 Lackawanna County budget, which passed unanimously and with bi-partisan support. For the third straight year, my fellow commissioners and I were able to balance the budget without raising taxes. Balancing a budget in this economic climate is never easy, but I believe that we must ensure that our government does not spend above its means.

Ensure Access to Affordable, High-Quality Health Care

Healthcare costs are out of control, and we need serious reform to make sure that everyone has access to affordable, high-quality healthcare.  Whether reform includes a public option, co-ops, or trigger a federal option that kicks in after a certain number of years, I think we must find a way to pool our collective buying power to foster competition in the marketplace.  Competition leads to lower prices, and insurance companies know this, which is why they have spent millions of dollars to fight reform, keep prices high and protect their profits.  But I would carefully evaluate any proposal to make sure that it would actually increase competition and reduce costs, not drive private insurers out of business and create huge liabilities for the federal government.  And, regardless of what Congress decides, I would not support taxing an individual’s health benefits as income. 

Access to quality health care is a right for all Americans and that is why I will:

• Support legislation that funds preventative health care services so that children can grow-up healthy and we can reduce costly, preventable emergency room visits;
• Support legislation that provides health insurance options for those individuals unable to secure insurance due to pre-existing conditions;
• Back measures allowing everyone to access the same quality health care available to Members of Congress and require the health care industry to control costs; and
• Invest in research to battle and cure disease by creating centers of excellence in conjunction with The Commonwealth Medical College to study disease in our region and work to discover cures.

Safeguard Social Security & Care for Our Seniors

I will fight to make sure that Social Security is always there to support retirees, and to prevent it from being put at risk by reckless schemes like privatization. 

“As someone who spent 10 years monitoring Wall Street as a securities and financial services attorney, I know how risky the privatization of Social Security would be.  Anyone who watched the markets’ collapse would never want their retirement subjected to that sort of risk. Social Security is a promise that we make to each other that no one who has worked hard will be left out in the cold.  Many of our seniors rely on their Social Security to maintain a decent standard of living.” - Corey D. O’Brien

I believe that we must find ways to promote retirement savings alongside the basic promise of Social Security. 

“By raising our national savings rate, we will build retirement security for American workers while putting our economy on a surer foundation.  I strongly believe that these investments should be made in addition to, rather than instead of, the stable bedrock of Social Security income.” - Corey D. O’Brien

Medicare is a critical and successful program, but I believe that we can improve upon the Medicare prescription drug benefit by making it more cost-effective for seniors and for the government. 

First, the government should negotiate directly with drug companies for the lowest prescription drug prices. Second, we should give seniors the option of choosing a prescription drug plan administered directly by Medicare, easing confusion among seniors, lowering prices, and increasing administrative efficiency.  Third, we must fill in the coverage gap or “donut hole” that currently limits many seniors’ access to vital medicines.

For many people in need of long-term care, living at home is a far better option than living in a nursing home.  I will work to make this kind of home-based care feasible for more of our seniors by increasing government support for family caregivers.  For example, I will call on Congress to expand the National Family Caregiver Support Program, which funds local organizations that help family caregivers manage the burdens they face.

In addition, we have a societal obligation to ensure that no senior’s health is unwittingly entrusted to an inadequate provider.  I will demand transparency and accountability in the long-term care industry by voting to publicly disclose the identities of the nursing homes on the government’s list of poorly performing facilities.

Strengthen Education as the Foundation for Economic Prosperity

We must stop teaching to tests and start providing greater individual learning opportunities in our schools. In order to provide these opportunities, we must recognize that one of the most important professions in our country is teaching. We must reward our good teachers and provide them with the resources necessary to equip our children with the knowledge they will need to compete in 21st century global economy.

We can do this by:  

• Investing in our teachers and providing them with incentives to continually strive to advance their own educations;
• Focusing on early childhood development to increase verbal, math and science aptitude; and
• Making attending college or a trade school a right and not a privilege by allowing everyone access to education without regard to their financial condition in life.

Focus on Energy Conservation & Energy Independence

Energy conservation and energy independence must continue to be national priorities so that we can protect our environment, reduce energy costs and safeguard our national security.

I support finding innovative ways to reduce our carbon emissions footprint and embrace green technologies.  We must also ensure, however, that we are not exporting jobs overseas and hurting our small businesses here at home. By taking a comprehensive approach that not only calls for domestic reductions in global warming pollution, including carbon dioxide, but also puts pressure on other countries to reduce their emissions, we can have a positive impact on our planet.

Support Our Troops & Veterans

Our democracy and freedom are defended everyday by our troops overseas who are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to keep us safe and preserve our liberty. I am committed to ensuring that our troops have access to all the resources they need to accomplish their missions and keep them safe.

Our country is only as strong as our continued commitment to our veterans. I support the expansion of education benefits for veterans who have served on active duty. I also support lower cost mortgages and high quality health care for veterans.

Renew Confidence in Our Leaders

Corruption allegations have undermined the fabric of our communities and our trust and confidence in our leaders. Whether it is leaders directing federal dollars to family members, taking bribes for court decisions or lining their pockets with cash in exchange for contracts, these misdeeds have shaken our trust and confidence.

Since entering office, I have worked to make government more open, transparent and accountable.

• On my first day in office, I helped create and implement a Code of Ethics, which bars county vendors from giving gifts to me or any other county employee.
• After years of no bid contracts and nepotism in Lackawanna County, I helped open the doors to county government by posting jobs and bidding contracts online.
• I have pledged to never support an earmark or grant for any member of my family.

With the ongoing revelations of widespread corruption in our area, we need new leadership. That’s why I want to clean up corruption in government and restore confidence in elected officials by working hard and delivering results.

Protect Our Homeland & Forge Global Alliances

Diplomacy & Global Leadership. By nature, the greatest challenges we face - from climate change and genocide to terrorism and nuclear proliferation - require global solutions.  I will support rebuilding our soft power and restoring our fractured alliances around the world.

“Our greatest foreign policy challenges will continue to be removing ourselves from the Iraq and Afghanistan War theatres, reducing the proliferation of nuclear weapons, eliminating the growing drug trade in impoverished countries, strengthening our diplomatic efforts and defending Israel.” – Corey D. O’Brien

Iraq.  The Bush Administration’s war in Iraq must end as soon as it is practicable to remove our troops. The Bush Administration’s foreign policy approach of isolating our enemies did not work. Those wishing us harm did not crumble but searched for alternative ways to fund their efforts. Afghanistan built a robust drug trade, Russia and North Korea sold nuclear technology and Pakistan joined the race for a nuclear weapon.

Afghanistan.  On December 1, 2009, President Obama announced a new roadmap for Afghanistan, which included an increase of 30,000 troops and a timetable for troop withdrawal.  Prior to this announcement, I stated that any increase in troop levels in Afghanistan had to be accompanied by a renewed call for a bilateral relationship between the United States and Pakistan and for the Afghan government to root out corruption within its ranks. Corruption within Afghanistan has led to weakened popular support for the government, and a flourishing drug trade that has turned Afghanistan into the world’s largest narco-state.  I believed and continue to believe that taking these actions will be critical to making real progress in Afghanistan, reducing the proliferation of nuclear weapons, and fighting global terrorism, a growing drug trade, and international corruption.

Defend Israel. I recognize that Israel is our most reliable ally in the Middle East, as well as the only established democracy in the region.  Israel’s history, politics, and thriving economy create a special relationship between the U.S. and its people.  In Congress, I will work to ensure that protecting Israel’s peace and security remains a critical U.S. policy objective. 

True security for Israel will be achieved through American leadership and engagement, aimed at a comprehensive peace agreement between Israel and Palestine. The entire world has a vital stake in achieving a two-state solution, where Israel is fully recognized by all of its neighbors and the Israeli people live free from the threat of military or terrorist attack.

Global Terrorism.  Beyond Afghanistan and Pakistan, we must work to forge an international response to terrorism so that there are no safe havens for terrorists.  This response should not be limited to our military power, but must also include promoting anti-corruption programs, targeting terrorist financing sources, and spreading the American values of peace, tolerance and democratization.

But to promote our values, we must also live up to them.  The United States must ensure that we are respecting civil liberties, rejecting torture, and leading by example.  By providing countries with access to education that promotes tolerance, not extremism, and by engaging in programs to secure food and water supplies, health care and investment, we can provide the building blocks for democratic institutions and societies that uphold basic human rights and build respect for the rule of law.

Secure Our Borders and Reform Immigration Laws

While we must secure our borders so that we can monitor and control who is coming into our country, I realize that stemming the tide of illegal immigration will take more than increased vigilance at our borders. 

I believe that we must crack down on employers who violate our immigration and employment laws and undermine working conditions for all Americans.  These employers fuel illegal immigration by encouraging people seeking economic opportunity to enter our country illegally.  

In addition, comprehensive immigration reform must include a practical and humane approach to the 12 million undocumented immigrants who either entered our country illegally or who overstayed their visas.  The most viable way to encourage undocumented workers to come out of the shadows is to offer an earned path to citizenship.  Specifically, I believe that law-abiding, hardworking, and tax-paying immigrants should be assessed a meaningful penalty for breaking our immigration laws, and should then be allowed to go to the "back of the line" for citizenship.

Uphold the Second Amendment

The right to bear arms is protected and guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution. I support the right of law-abiding citizens to bear arms. 

“I believe strongly that law-abiding citizens have the right to bear arms. I also believe that it is important to reduce the illegal trafficking of fire arms by and between convicted felons and drug dealers.” – Corey D. O’Brien

Promote Human Life

As a Roman Catholic father of two (soon to be three) young children, I oppose abortion.  After decades of divisiveness, I believe that if everyone can agree that abortion is a tragic choice for many women, both sides can find common ground and work together to implement policies that will one day eliminate the need to have abortions.

To achieve that goal, I favor adoption, responsible education and access to comprehensive reproductive health care, including contraception. I do not support policies that would restrict the ability of women to receive abortions in cases of rape, incest or where the life of the mother is in danger.