Raúl believes that the best policies address the root causes of national and international conflicts rather than exploiting fear or offering a false sense of security. He is concerned that spending hundreds of billions of dollars on unnecessary wars and unproven “security” technology will bankrupt our nation and further divide people, both at home and internationally. Our domestic and foreign policies must occupy the moral high ground and reflect the best of American values: tolerance, inclusiveness, fairness and a commitment to civil rights. Raúl does not believe in expanding the overly expensive and intrusive border fence – instead, he supports comprehensive immigration reform as a way to bring millions of undocumented residents into compliance with the law and make sure law enforcement is able to track who is living in this country.

Raúl is an original cosponsor of the following legislation in the 111th Congress, which began Jan. 6, 2009, except HR 5015, of which he is a cosponsor. He has been at the forefront of the effort to get our troops home from Iraq and Afghanistan and has pushed tirelessly for comprehensive immigration reform and increased funding and support for U. S. Customs officials along the border.

Share the Sacrifice Act – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to establish a temporary surtax to offset the costs of the Afghanistan war.

HR 2404 – Directs the Secretary of Defense to submit a report to Congress, by December 31, 2009, outlining the exit strategy for U.S. military forces in Afghanistan participating in Operation Enduring Freedom.

HR 5015 – To require a plan for the safe, orderly, and expeditious redeployment of United States Armed Forces from Afghanistan.

Military Readiness Enhancement Act – To enhance the readiness of the Armed Forces by replacing the current policy concerning homosexuality in the Armed Forces, referred to as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, with a policy of nondiscrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

Border Reinforcement and Violence Reduction Act – To authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Attorney General to increase resources to identify and eliminate illicit sources of firearms smuggled into Mexico for use by violent drug trafficking organizations and for other unlawful activities by providing for border security grants to local law enforcement agencies and reinforcing Federal resources on the border.

Tribal Government Homeland Security Coordination and Integration Act – To ensure the coordination and integration of Indian tribes in the National Homeland Security strategy and to establish an Office of Tribal Government Homeland Security within the Department of Homeland Security.

Public Health Emergency Response Act – To ensure that victims of public health emergencies have meaningful and immediate access to medically necessary health care services.

Healthy Borderlands Act – To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop and implement a mitigation plan to address the ecological impacts of border security measures and activities.

Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America’s Security and Prosperity Act – To provide for comprehensive immigration reform.