Hot topics

Senator Nelson's comments on issues making headlines:

Oil industry plan to drill off the coast of Florida

         The operative policy and law of the United States is to use much of the eastern Gulf of Mexico as the last remaining training range for our military pilots.  Give that up to the oil boys and you sacrifice national security.  Meanwhile, gas prices fluctuate wildly because speculators, who behave like condo-flippers, are allowed to buy and resell oil contracts.  Until we stop that, we’ll continue to be gouged at the pump.  Congress ought to be looking at that, and at a real alternative energy program - instead of trying to put oil rigs off the world-class tourist spots all along Florida’s coast.

Health care

Our health-care system is broken and needs to be fixed. The president has called for a public option health plan. Like everything else, the devil's in the details. And so far the White House hasn't said specifically what it wants. I haven’t decided among several versions Congress has proposed so far. As a member of the Senate finance committee, my main role will be figuring out how to pay for this.

Overseas military operations

Al Qaeda and the Taliban remain a threat to U.S. interests.  That’s why I support military and diplomatic efforts to eliminate terrorist safe havens in Afghanistan.  Our national security depends at least in part on long-term stability not only in Afghanistan, but also in Pakistan.  So I support an aggressive diplomatic approach on both sides of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, while giving the people of these war-torn countries what they need to reject extremists who seek safe haven there.   Finally, we have to wind down our operations in Iraq  - and, help steady the new government.