Lowering Gas Prices and Increasing Energy Independence

• Don thinks we need a “do it all” approach to solving our energy crisis which includes drilling, renewable energy, increasing refining capacity, and conservation.

• Don is for increasing domestic drilling – both offshore and in Alaska . Don's opponents have been distorting his record and playing games with our energy policy but he has been consistent in his support for drilling

• In Congress, Don has:

•  Voted to increase oil supply by temporarily diverting oil shipments from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve .

•  Voted for an amendment to the Congressional Budget Resolution that would open up drilling in Alaska and the Outer Continental Shelf

•  Sponsored a bill to increase refining capacity

•  Signed a petition with 190 other Members of Congress that pledges to increase U.S. oil production to lower gas prices for Americans .

Supporting Our Seniors

• Congressman Cazayoux believes that Social Security is a trust between the generations and we should do everything we can to protect it. He is against privatizing Social Security.

• Don believes it is unfair that state workers in Louisiana are penalized by the windfall elimination provision and the government pension offset. The first bill he co-sponsored was the Social Security Fairness Act of 2007 , which seeks to eliminate the social security windfall provision that hurts Louisiana state employees and their spouses (H.R. 82).

• Don supported the passage of and override the Presidential veto for the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 . The legislation prevents a 10.6% pay-cut to doctors which would have resulted in fewer doctors accepting Medicare patients.

Health Care

• Don thinks we need commonsense solutions to this crisis and will take the lead creating and investing in solutions that would increase access to affordable, quality health care. Don thinks that every American should be able to access the same health insurance that Members of Congress use.

• Don will support expanding the State Children's Heath Insurance Program so that 80,000 more kids in Louisiana have heath care coverage.

• We need to pass a prescription drug plan for seniors that really works -- one that provides quality prescription drugs to our seniors not one that just benefits the big drug companies. He will stand up to the drug companies and do what's right for our seniors.

• Don knows that for small businesses, offering health insurance can be too expensive. That's why he co-sponsored the Small Business Health Insurance Options Program Act , or SHOP Act. The SHOP Act The bill will also lower the cost of insurance by allowing small businesses to pool their resources, which will lower their administrative costs. (H.R. 6210).

Fiscal Responsibility and Taxes

• Don believes spending in Washington is out of control. He supports the pay-go polices that the Congress enacted last year.

• Don is a member of the Blue Dog Coalition, a coalition of fiscally conservative Democrats committed to pay go policies. He c o-sponsored the Budget Enforcement and Accountability Act of 2007 , which enacts pay go policies through 2012

• Don voted against the budget blueprint for FY2009 because it did not extend many important tax breaks for the middle class (S. Con Res. 70).

• Don Voted for the AMT Relief Act of 2008 , which prevents nearly 25 million Americans- and nearly 48,000 in the 6th District- from paying more taxes through the Alternative Minimum Tax (H.R. 6275).

• Voted for tax relief included in the Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act of 2008 , which:
• Increases the child tax credit
• Provides up to 30 million homeowners with property tax relief
• Helps 4.5 million families better afford college through a tuition deduction.
• Saves 3.4 million teachers money with a deduction for classroom expenses.

Honoring our Veterans

• Don strongly supported the recent passage G.I. Bill for the 21 st Century , which increases education benefits for veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan (H.R. 2642).

• Don has assembled a Veterans' Advisory Council made up of 6 th District veterans to advise him on policy relating to veterans.

• Don believes we have a duty to ensure our veterans have the health care they deserve. Right now, one out of every eight veterans under 65 is uninsured. Others can't afford the premiums or live too far from a VA facility to get good care. Our country owes the brave men and women who sacrificed more than that.

• One step he's taken is to sponsor H.R. 6445 , which eliminates co-payments for catastrophically disabled veterans at VA hospitals. This bill also improves other aspects of veterans' health care, including pain management, counseling, and accounting services. The bill is one of three bills Don passed in his first few months.

• Don voted for the Veterans Emergency Care Fairness Act of 2008 , which requires the VA to reimburse veterans receiving emergency treatment in non-Department of Veterans Affairs facilities (H.R. 3819).

National Security and the War

• Don believes we need to change directions in Iraq and bring our troops home responsibly and with honor while continuing to focus on national security and winning the war on terror.

• Don believes we need to focus on training the Iraqis to take responsibility for their own security. He does not want to set a definite timetable for withdrawal but believes we must set goals for the Iraqis and listen to the generals on the ground.

• Don Voted for a 3.9% pay raise for soldiers, (H.R. 5658)

• Don supported the Emergency Supplemental bill , which provides troops the funding and equipment they need to maintain military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan (H.R. 2642).

• Don believes we must do a better job ensure that our ports, nuclear and chemical plants, and other sensitive facilities are secured against attack. Don supported increased funding for our first responders and will continue to work closely with all our local officials to ensure our communities are prepared for attacks.

• Don voted for the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) , which allows America to investigate terrorists both domestically and abroad while ensuring that our civil liberties are protected (H.R. 6304).

• Don sponsored the National Energy Security Intelligence Act of 2008 , which will require the director of National Intelligence to submit a report to Congress on how rising energy prices affect national security. (H.R. 6545). This is one of three bills he was able to pass in his first few months in Congress.

Education

• Don believes we owe every child a quality education.

• That's why as a state legislator, he:
• raised teacher pay in Louisiana to the Southern Regional Average
• increased funding for early childhood education for four year olds.
• supported the TOPS program and also supported adding a need based scholarship program to give low income children an opportunity to afford college.

• Don is endorsed by the Louisiana Federation of Teachers and the Louisiana Association of Educators

•  In Congress, Don will fight to increase funding for Pell Grants, Perkins Loans and other student loans so that every child has an opportunity for a college education.

• So far in Congress, Don:

• Supported the passage of the 21 st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act (H.R. 3021), which authorizes funds to facilities at schools in an environmentally friendly way. It also contains over $500 million specifically for Gulf Coast schools to rebuild after the storms.

• Co-sponsored legislation that would authorize grants for pre-kindergarten programs across the country. The Pre-K Act also improves standards by requiring that grant recipients meet class size requirements, curriculum requirements, and that pre-k teachers have at least an associate's degree in early childhood education (H.R. 3289).

Immigration

•  Don is against amnesty for illegal immigrants.

• During the August district work period, Don toured the border at El Paso and San Diego with border patrol agents. He came back with first hand knowledge of some of the challenges.

•  Don supports increased funding for more border patrol agents, surveillance technology, and tactical infrastructure including fencing. We must do everything we can to protect and control our borders.

•  Don voted in favor of HR 6633, a bill to reauthorize the E-Verify program for a period of 5 years. The E-Verify program allows businesses to determine the legal status of new hires and prevents illegal aliens from being hired, thus making the program an important tool in the Attrition through Enforcement anti-illegal immigration strategy.

Abortion

• Don is pro-life. This is a position rooted in his faith, and he will work in Congress to protect the rights of the unborn.

Gun Rights

• Don believes the Second Amendment it is a fundamental part of our Constitution. His support for gun rights in the state legislature earned him an A rating from the NRA.

• Don was an original co-sponsor of H.R. 6691, the Second Amendment Enforcement Act . This bill is backed by the NRA and is needed to enforce the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in District of Columbia v. Heller . 

Farmers

• Don was proud to support the Farm Bill, or the Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act (H.R. 2419). The Farm Bill gives farmers the support they need to keep our food prices low and food supply plentiful. It was strongly supported by the Louisiana Farm Bureau.

• Don is from a rural part of the district and has many sugar cane farmers in his family. He understands the needs of farmers and has worked closely with farmers as a state representative and a congressman.

Recovery

• In Congress, Don will put homeowners first and work to crack down on insurance companies that are engaging in cherry picking, denying claims and raising rates.

• Don's first bill in Congress was an overhaul to FEMA that sped up rebuilding by making it possible for FEMA to rebuild public housing.