Pam Keith for Congress

Pam Keith

For Florida

This isn’t about Right and Left.
It’s about Right and Wrong.

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Why I'm Running

Growing up, my father taught me about the importance of service to country and service to others.

I felt the call to service that millions of Americans have experienced and ended up following in my father’s footsteps by joining the Navy. Service isn’t about personal ambitions or profits, it’s about putting others first, giving back to your community, and taking the steps necessary to improve the lives of others.

The truth is, our country is in a moment of crisis: a healthcare crisis, where millions of Americans cannot afford to refill a prescription or see a doctor at a time when our nation is grappling with a pandemic. A climate crisis, where irreversible damage is being done to our planet and coastal communities are in jeopardy. An economic crisis, where millions of Americans are crushed beneath student loan debt and stagnating wages.

And a crisis of leadership. Donald Trump is undermining the very foundation of our democracy, even going so far as to invite foreign adversaries to interfere in our elections. And Republicans like Brian Mast continue to endlessly enable him to further their own political ambitions.

Let’s face it. This isn’t about Right and Left. It’s about Right and Wrong.

For the past four years, I have been reaching out to, speaking to and advocating for people in this community. That effort has given me lifelong friendships and a deep commitment to serving Florida’s 18th District. I can no longer comfortably sit on the sidelines when there’s so much at stake. Right now, I feel that same call to service, to my country and my community, that I did when I chose to join the Navy.

Pam: On the Issues

HONORING OUR VETERANS

If we can’t afford to care for warriors once the battle is over, we can’t afford to go to war. It is a disgrace that we have so many veterans who are homeless and/or suffering from untreated illnesses. Many have benefit claims that have languished for years, while others wait months for needed medical care. The answer is NOT privatization, which I strongly oppose, but rather to respect our veterans by properly funding the VA. I will champion legislation that mandates funding to the VA for each person who enters into the military that cannot be cut, offset or diverted.

QUALITY AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE

The freedoms and rights afforded to us in the Constitution mean little if we do not enjoy good health. No American should have to choose between paying rent and paying for life-saving medication or treatment. No one should have to use a hospital emergency room as a primary care facility. Moreover, there is no logic in a system in which nearly every employer has to waste energy and resources finding and providing health coverage for their employees. We can do better than that.

CARING FOR OLDER AMERICANS

Do not believe for a second that we cannot afford to honor our obligations to seniors who rely on Social Security and Medicare. America does not suffer from a shortage of wealth, it suffers from a moral bankruptcy in the distribution of wealth. Our government took cash that you paid into the Social Security Trust Fund and treated it as a slush fund. It then wrote IOUs back to the Fund. Now that those IOUs are coming due, Republicans have dramatically cut the revenue needed to pay them off.

COMMIT TO PUBLIC EDUCATION

In a world of rapid technological advances and global competition, America MUST rededicate itself to a public education system that is accessible to all and nurtures the vast talent and ingenuity of our youth. Our public school system should be upgraded to address the needs of a modern economy, and to reward curiosity and learning rather than mere test-taking ability. The foundation of our public school system is the legion of educators and administrators who serve our kids every day, and who deserve to be paid and respected as the professionals they truly are.

PROTECTING OUR ENVIRONMENT

America is beautiful because of its people and its land, the bounty of open spaces, beaches, rivers, streams and mountain vistas. These resources have been placed in our safekeeping for our progeny. Protecting our environment is not just a moral imperative, it’s basic self-preservation. Because of our beautiful beaches and waterways, Florida is the most dependent on tourism for its economic well-being of any state in the Union. Plundering and abusing our protected spaces and resources for short-term gain is economically foolish and morally unsound.