The people who do not get jobs are often the most vulnerable in our society, and joblessness is a terrible plight for anyone who suffers from it.

In my district, the budget scales back and eliminates several long-term shore protection projects important to the safety and economic security of Long Island.

The residents and elected officials of Long Island have fought vigorously for many years and spent millions of dollars to preserve the quality of life that the Long Island Sound offers.

However, this President sees no problem eliminating funding for Perkins Loans in his budget, even though the cost of tuition is rising and will continue to rise as the administration's policies force inflation.

In this time of budget cuts, we cannot forget that basic science is a building block for scientific innovation and economic growth in the information age.

Our government should do everything it can to ensure the successful prosecution of those responsible for the murders of U.S. citizens abroad. It should provide resources as needed, and it should make it clear to the authorities in Belgrade that inaction does have repercussions on bilateral relations.

The Long Island Sound is an environmentally unique estuary that needs to be protected.