Agriculture was the first manufacturing industry in America and represents the best of all of us.

Recruitment and retention are critical to sustain our Armed Forces with the best men and women willing to stand in the gap and make huge sacrifices to ensure our freedom.

With freedom comes responsibility, and I can think of no responsibility greater than putting on a U.S military uniform and standing in the gap between an enemy threat and civilian life.

One of the greatest men to ever walk this land was Dr. Martin Luther King,Jr. His life exemplified unity by bringing people together for the good of all. In any small way I hope to someday bring people together like Dr. King.

With only 2 percent of the world's proven reserves of oil, we in the United States can pump until we are blue in the face and it will not change the fact that we need more diverse and more secure sources of energy.

We must pass a national energy policy to continue our successes in the War on Terrorism.

Don't underestimate the power of our bipartisan coalition in the House.

In many ways, we are the last line of defense against runaway government.

What some people call 'pork' may be as essential as a lock on a dam that creates hydropower, or [support for] a bridge, road, or other critical infrastructure. Sometimes we have to direct spending because the executive branch is not doing its job.