By Megen George
New Bern, NC – North Carolina U.S. Senator Elizabeth Dole emphasized her work on energy, the mortgage crisis, immigration and healthcare in a recent interview with Public Radio East's Megen George. Republican Dole is running for reelection against Democrat Kay Hagan.
Dole particularly emphasized the need to address the high cost of energy.
"Families and a lot of businesses are struggling today because of the high price of gasoline. My view is that you've got to have a comprehensive solution to this energy crisis," Dole said.
"Rising gas prices are driven primarily because of a supply-demand imbalance in the global markets," she added.
Dole supports energy conservation, tax credits for purchasing hybrid vehicles, and the development of clean energy sources.
"I introduced legislation last week that would roll back $17 billion in tax breaks for oil companies, and it would pour that funding into these alternative and renewable energy sources," the candidate said.
Dole also stated that she now supports lifting the federal moratorium on offshore drilling.
Speaking about immigration, Dole advocated a temporary guest worker program and increased spending on securing the border.
"I've been involved with our sheriffs with regard to the issue of identifying and apprehending and deporting illegal aliens who are committing crimes in our communities," Dole said.
Dole added that she worked with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials to develop a statewide plan for North Carolina to enforce immigration laws.
On healthcare, Dole supports accessible private insurance and medical liability reform to keep down costs for doctors.
"I'm backing legislation that provides a tax credit for individuals and families to purchase a health plan that meets their needs," Dole stated.
"The objective is to give every American the ability to not just have healthcare coverage, but to choose their healthcare coverage," she said.