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Democratic Candidates: Campaign Issues Where they
stand Hillary Clinton Iraq
- Start phased redeployment within 60 days of gaining office.
- Secure stability in Iraq as we withdraw troops.
- New intensive diplomatic initiative in the region.
Energy/Environment
- Supports a cap-and-trade system to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
by 80% from 1990 levels by 2050
- Cut foreign oil imports by two-thirds from projected levels by
2030
- Reduce electricity consumption 20% from projected levels by
2020
- Double federal investment in energy research
- Create a $50 billion Strategic Energy Fund, paid for in part by oil
companies, to fund investments in alternative energy
- Move the economy toward renewable energy sources, with renewables
generating 25% of electricity by 2025 and with 60 billion gallons of
home-grown biofuels available for cars and trucks by 2030
- Increase fuel efficiency standards to 55 miles per gallon by 2030,
and establish a $20 billion of “Green Vehicle Bonds” to help
U.S. automakers retool their plants to meet the standards
Immigration
- Supports comprehensive immigration reform that offers a path to
earned legal status for those who are working legally in the U.S and
requires immigrants to learn English and pay a fine
- Supports programs to make it easier for legal immigrants to bring
their families to the U.S.
- Ensure that employers comply with the law against hiring and
exploiting undocumented workers.
- Supports new technology that will help stop the flow of undocumented
immigrants into the country
- Opposes a guest worker program
Health care
- Medical tax credits for working families.
- Same health plan for the public that is offered to members of
Congress.
- Large employers must provide insurance or contribute to cost of
coverage; tax credit to small businesses that offer coverage.
- No denial of coverage for pre-existing conditions.
- Portable coverage—the individual keeps medical plan when
changing jobs or losing a job.
Taxes
- Extend middle class cuts including the Child Tax Credit and marriage
penalty relief.
- New cuts for healthcare, college, and retirement.
- Expand the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Care Tax
Credit.
Education
- Recruit, prepare, retain, support teachers and principals.
- Increase maximum Pell Grant.
- Create new $3,500 college tax credit.
Barack Obama Iraq
- Immediately begin to remove troops.
- Remove one to two combat brigades each month; all combat brigades
out within 16 months.
- Engage representatives from all levels of Iraqi society to seek new
accord on Iraq's Constitution and governance.
- No permanent bases in Iraq.
Energy/Environment
- Supports a cap-and-trade system to reduce carbon emissions to 80%
below 1990 levels by 2050
- Develop domestic incentives that reward forest owners, farmers, and
ranchers when they plant trees, restore grasslands, or undertake farming
practices that capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
- Invest $150 billion over 10 years to advance the next generation of
biofuels and fuel infrastructure, accelerate the commercialization of
plug-in hybrids, promote development of commercial-scale renewable
energy, invest in low-emissions coal plants, and begin the transition to
a new digital electricity grid
- Establish a 25% federal Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) to
require that 25% of electricity consumed in the U.S. be derived from
clean, sustainable energy sources, like solar, wind and geothermal by
2025
- Require 36 billion gallons of renewable fuels to be included in the
fuel supply by 2022 and increase that to at least 60 billion gallons of
advanced biofuels like cellulosic ethanol by 2030
Immigration
- Supports additional personnel, infrastructure, and technology on the
border and at our ports of entry
- Increase the number of legal immigrants to keep families together
and meet the demand for jobs that employers cannot fill
- Crack down on employers who hire undocumented immigrants
- Supports a system that allows undocumented immigrants who are in
good standing to pay a fine, learn English, and go to the back of the
line for the opportunity to become citizens
Health care
- Guaranteed eligibility.
- Portability and choice.
- National Health Insurance Exchange.
- Employers who do not offer or make meaningful contributions to cost
of quality coverage are required to contribute percentage of payroll to
pay for national plan.
- Mandatory child coverage.
- Expand eligibility for Medicaid and State Children’s Health
Insurance Program.
Taxes
- Lower income limit for Child Tax Credit.
- Eliminate income tax for seniors earning less than $50,000 a
year.
- Reverse Bush tax cuts for wealthy.
- Simplify filing process.
- Universal mortgage interest credit.
- Tax credit up to $500 per person, or $1,000 per working family.
- No capital gains tax for start-up companies.
Education
- Increase funding for Head Start.
- Zero to Five plan.
- Support innovative schools.
- Recruit and reward teachers.
- Modify certification and teacher preparation process.
- Tax credit toward college.
- Streamline financial aid process.
Information Please® Database, © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
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