Mark Kennedy

At the federal level, we must help, not hinder, local school boards, parents, teachers and administrators as they make decisions about educating our children.

A recent survey conducted by the University of Minnesota concluded that meth was involved in as many as 81 percent of child protection cases in the state.

Too many vital education dollars that should be spent in the classroom are bouncing around in the federal bureaucracy.

As a Member of Congress, I've continued my family's tradition of focusing on education.

But the best thing Washington can do for education is realize that our role is limited. Washington must keep its promises, but let those who know our childrens' names- parents, teachers and school board members- make education decisions.

Overseas, America's fighting men and women have been waging war against those who would attack America and plunge the world into a period of darkness, and their success can easily be seen.

Asian countries produce eight times as many engineering bachelors as the United States, and the number of U.S. students graduating at the masters and PhD levels in these areas is declining.

Our enemy of international terrorism respects no laws of warfare or morality, and its individual members take innocent lives, just to create chaos for news cameras.

We must continue to work hard on the federal level, to make sure that our local law enforcement and communities have the tools and resources they need to fight this war against methamphetamine, and keep our kids safe.

The United States armed forces and coalition troops deserve recognition and support for their work to remove Saddam Hussein from power, and ensure the safety and security of the American people, civilians abroad, and the people of Iraq.

Few things are more important to each individual's future success or to our nation's prosperity than education.