After voting against pulling troops from Iraq in May 2007, Wilson reversed his position in July 2007, calling for troops to be pulled out by April 2008. His opposition to the war has increased since, and he has criticized then-Commanding General in Iraq David Petraeus in April 2008 for the cost and indefinite length of the war.

Energy

Wilson has supported increasing American energy independence, with an emphasis on promoting production of available fuel sources, particularly coal, which has a huge presence in his district.

Following a March 2009 Science and Technology hearing, Wilson voiced concern over the future of the coal industry, saying, "While I am supportive of all the alternative energy initiatives the Obama Administration is exploring, I am particularly concerned that the coal industry gets a fair shake."

In a June 2009 vote, Wilson voted against the House cap-and-trade bill that sought to lower greenhouse gas emissions. Wilson said it would hurt Ohio where 86 percent of electricity is coal-based.

In 2008, Wilson backed legislation that sought to require oil companies to tap into 68 million acres, both offshore and on land, which have already been leased for energy exploration.

Wilson has promoted his eastern Ohio district as a potential center for clean-coal technology, saying in 2007, "we have the water, the coal and the workforce."

Health-Care Reform

Though he is part of the Blue Dog Coalition that has balked at some 2009 portions of health-care reform because of its costs, Wilson has been supportive of proposed measures. "However, if we do nothing and costs continue to rise, more employers will be forced to drop coverage," Wilson said in August 2009.

Wilson has supported a public option, saying it could serve consumers well by promoting competition. Wilson told the Columbus Dispatch in August 2009 "stripping the public option out of the bill, however, is not enough on its own to turn me completely against the bill."

Wilson joined several Ohio lawmakers in taking credit for a bill passed in September 2007 that delayed by six months requiring doctors to write prescriptions on tamper-proof pads in order to combat fraud.

The Economy

In April 2008, Wilson, along with Rep. Steven LaTourette (R-Ohio) and then-Rep. Deborah Pryce (R-Ohio), helped devise a revised allocation formula to divvy $15 billion in proposed federal grants and loans for buying and rehabilitating foreclosed homes. The new formula upped the amount designated for hard-hit states like Ohio, which say its funding rise $150 million to $586 million.

Wilson backed the $787-billion economic stimulus plan that was enacted in February 2009, saying he was "proud to have supported one of the biggest tax cuts ever."

Wilson has been a strong proponent of "Buy American" provisions in economic bills. He introduced legislation he sought to incorporate into the February 2009 stimulus that would've required renewable-energy projects such as windmills to use solely American-made steel in order to receive 100 percent of available tax credits. The measure was watered down in the stimulus package, but Wilson reintroduced the credit in legislation he proposed in June 2009.

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