It's never easy to send our sons and daughters into harm's way, but sometimes we are called to sacrifice for the greater good of our nation. I support the president's efforts to complete our mission, which is to ensure that the Iraqi people have developed a secure constitutional government. If our nation sets an artificial deadline for the removal of our forces, as some have suggested, all our adversaries need to do is husband their resources until that date and then emerge, possibly destroying all of the accomplishments to date.

5. Should Democrats take control of the U.S. Senate after the November elections, predict three things that will happen over the next two years because of the power shift.

I don't expect the Senate to turn over to the Democrats because Americans can still remember what they experienced the last time they had control. You'd see efforts to increase taxes, provide government-run universal health care, and weaken our foreign policy in a way that would threaten the security of our nation.

6. Considering that the U.S. budget will be in deficit again, do you favor or oppose making the current tax cuts permanent?

I support making the tax cuts permanent. As our economy continues to grow and people become more prosperous, tax revenue increases. Thanks in large part to the tax cuts, the budget deficit for 2006 will be only $260 billion. That number is still too high, but it's about 40 percent lower than 2005's deficit. That's a huge accomplishment. And this year's deficit is less than 2 percent of Gross Domestic Product — a lower rate than deficits from 1980 to 1995.

Some have criticized Congress for lowering taxes while our nation has to pay for emergencies like two wars and hurricane recovery. But many critics miss the fact that the president's tax cuts have boosted productivity, which ultimately increases household income as well as the amount of money flowing into the government's coffers. These numbers show that Congress's pro-growth policies have kept the economy on the right track.

7. Please give your specific stands on the following issues, which some term as moral issues:

— Stem cell research. I support all forms of stem cell research, including adult and embryonic research guided by appropriate moral and ethical safeguards. I have been at the forefront of promoting stem cell research using cord blood and excess in vitro fertilization embryos that would be discarded as hospital waste. Scientists say this research holds tremendous promise for finding therapies and cures for millions of Americans.