NEWBURGH – Congresswoman Nan Hayworth (NY-18) today launched her campaign for reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives, promoting job creation, economic growth, lower taxes, controlled spending and the prevention of government takeover of health care. Hayworth also pledged to support balanced budgets that preserve the safety net and health benefits for the elderly. She also highlighted her continue efforts to help the Hudson Valley region recover from losses sustained following Hurricane Irene.

“We are a nation that has lifted more men and women and children from poverty and despair to prosperity and dignity than any other. We are a nation that has given more gifts of innovation and advancement to humanity than any other,” Hayworth said. “We are a nation that has sacrificed more to assure the peace of freedom-loving peoples than any other. Together we can resolve the challenges that face our Hudson Valley and our magnificent, extraordinary, and irreplaceable United States.”

Standing before a crowd of 250 supporters at Billy Joe’s Ribworks on the banks of the Hudson River, Hayworth was joined by Duchess County Executive Marc Molinaro, Orange County Executive Edward Diana, Putnam County Executive MaryEllen Odell and Sheriff Carl DuBois of Orange County.

Hayworth decried looming tax increases and massive government spending that combine to threaten the fiscal health and economic expansion. She promised to work to improve economic conditions and help foster an improved environment for job creation.

“I've had the privilege of talking with women and men in small businesses, across the full spectrum of industry and services, throughout our Hudson Valley. We have a manufacturer of specialized industrial equipment in eastern Putnam County. The company's founder told me how every aspect of what his business does is made more difficult and more costly by regulations that go beyond common sense--rigid rules governing hiring, trade, workplace conditions, lending and credit, energy costs, use of materials, waste management, workforce education, and employee benefits, including health insurance. He's also painfully aware of the opportunities he's missing to invest and hire because his taxes are already too heavy, and they're going to get even higher next year,” Hayworth said.

“That's why I'm proud to have voted, each year I've been in Congress, for a balanced federal budget that responsibly provides for our defense, supports our troops and veterans, sustains and improves our infrastructure, protects our environment, funds medical and scientific research, and secures the safety net for our elderly and our most vulnerable,” she continued.

A physician, Hayworth said she is keenly aware of the concerns of the elderly and other Americans about the continuing status of their health care coverage. She said she opposes the federal takeover of health care.

“I've visited seniors throughout our District and they tell me they're worried about Social Security and Medicare. And they have good reason to worry, because what they contributed over the years to Social Security and Medicare is running out fast,” Hayworth said. “So I'm pledging to our seniors yet again, here, today, that I will do all I can to make sure that the benefits they rely on will be there for them.”

“We need to preserve the relationship between our doctors and patients, we need to honor the choice and competition that improve the quality of care for everyone, and we need to foster the innovation that saves and prolongs healthy lives. We can't afford, and we don’t need, a massive federal takeover of health care to do that,” she said.

Hayworth also highlight her work in helping the region recover from damage and financial losses resulting from Hurricane Irene.

“I'm also co-chair of the Hurricane Irene Recovery Coalition, working with Democratic and Republican Members of Congress to help our communities rebuild after last year's devastating storms,” she said. “I'm not just talking about reaching across the aisle. I'm making it happen, and, with your help, I'm going to continue to make it happen.”