Issues

 

A Record of Fighting for Delawareans
Delawareans know that Mike Castle has always put them first! He brings our style of civility and independence to Washington and works to develop solutions. Across the country voters are demanding the same standards we embrace here in Delaware: integrity, open government and civility. His commitment to Delaware has always been to keep an open mind and engage voters, put people above politics and move the country forward.

Getting Delawareans Back to Work
Mike is fighting to shift the focus in Washington away from spending and on to the economy. The federal debt continues to grow out of control and threatens American financial stability and economic growth. Washington can learn from families across the nation who are spending less and saving more. Instead of double digit increases in the federal budget, Congress simply must remove the burdens on small businesses and allow them to thrive.

American Energy Independence
Mike believes that in order to break our dependence on foreign oil, the United States has to pursue all forms of domestic energy sources. With our scientific and technological capability, the U.S. has the opportunity to be the world leader in innovative ways to expand renewable energy such as wind and solar, further develop nuclear energy, and immediately boost our energy efficiency.

Good Governance in Washington
Mike authored many of the legislative efforts recently put into effect to raise the bar in Washington: Non-Government Ethics Commission; Lobbying disclosure requirements; and Mandatory ethics training for staff and Members. He believes Congress can still do more to prevent ethical violations and clean up campaign financing. His support for the bipartisan landmark reforms to place limits on campaign contributions continues with his opposition to the Supreme Court ruling in favor of Citizens United and his leadership to prevent outside interests groups from influencing elections.

Quality Education for Every Student
Access to a quality education is every child's right. Mike has a strong record as a leader on the House Education and Labor Committee where his work has improved school nutrition standards, expanded Head Start and early education, and broadened access to higher education. Currently, Mike is engaged in the bipartisan reforms to K-12 Education Laws and feels strongly that making bold changes to our education system is the only way we can improve student success.

Supporting our Troops
Mike has unwavering support for our soldiers serving abroad and their families here at home. He has authored legislation to expand veteran's access to higher education and continues to support the veteran's health systems, TRICARE, military pay and benefits.

Access to Affordable, Quality Health Care
When Mike Castle served as Governor of Delaware, the state expanded coverage for cancer and diabetes screening, increased school-based health care, and developed community health care centers. In Congress, Castle's priority has been reducing the skyrocketing cost of health care by holding insurance companies accountable, ending Medicare fraud and abusive medical lawsuits, and making sure people with pre-existing conditions are no longer denied coverage. Mike is a long-time supporter of enrolling Delawareans who qualify for Medicaid and S-CHIP, but who are not currently enrolled, advocates for our community health centers and local medical outreach efforts, and believes prevention and chronic disease management must be an integral part of our health care system. A leader in advancing biomedical research, Mike has been recognized nationwide for his work to advance stem cell research and his support of the National Institute of Health, critical in the fight to end diabetes and cancer, among other debilitating diseases.