V-J Day, or Victory in Japan Day, marks the date of the Japanese surrender that ended fighting in the Pacific.

Those who committed these cowardly acts may believe that they have shaken our resolve to defeat terrorism. They could not be more wrong.

We owe our World War II veterans - and all our veterans - a debt we can never fully repay.

Eliminating the death tax is particularly important for the many small business owners and family farmers that call Central Washington home.

The most basic obligation we have to our veterans is that we keep the promises that were made to them. That is what makes the recent failures of the Veterans Administration so shameful.

We know we must win the war on terror to protect innocent people and the freedoms that define our way of life.

I am confident that in the end freedom and democracy will prevail over terror and tyranny. We will win this war on terror - and when we do Americans, the British, Iraqis, and people around the world will be more secure.