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Top Issues

• Iraq

  
  Hillary Clinton
  Clinton has proposed a three-step plan that would withdraw American troops from Iraq while focusing on "a new diplomatic initiative" that would engage countries from around the world interested in developing a strategy to create a stable Iraq. Clinton says, if elected, one of her first acts would be to task the Defense Department and National Security Council with writing a plan allowing for troops to begin withdrawing from Iraq within 60 days.
  
  John McCain
  McCain says the United States must accelerate its training of Iraqi forces so they will be able to play a better role in securing their country. Until Iraqi forces are ready to play that role, McCain believes that U.S. troops must stay in the country, saying that "a precipitous U.S. withdrawal would condemn Iraq to civil war” and energize al-Qaida. McCain believes that increased pressure on Syria and Iran to refrain from supporting terrorists will decrease violence in Iraq.
  
  Barack Obama
  Obama was an early critic of the Iraq war and supports withdrawing combat troops immediately at the rate of one to two brigades per month. "The best way to press Iraq's leaders to take responsibility for their future is to make it clear that we are leaving," Obama says. He also wants to work with Iraq's neighbors to discuss Iraq's security and stability. If elected, Obama says he will provide at least $2 billion to expand humanitarian aid to Iraqi refugees.

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• Security

  
  Hillary Clinton Clinton emphasizes the importance of working with allies and creating foreign policy with a bipartisan consensus. To keep the United States safe, Clinton says, the U.S. government should engage with its enemies, as it did with the Soviet Union throughout the Cold War. Clinton recently introduced legislation that would accelerate efforts to remove highly enriched uranium from nuclear facilities, a step she says will limit the risk of nuclear terrorism.
  
  John McCain McCain says that “in a dangerous world, protecting America’s national security requires a strong military.” McCain says the U.S. Army must be enlarged and modernized with more advanced weapon systems to ensure it can meet a diverse set of security challenges. He supports the development and deployment of national missile defenses and says they are essential to protect the United States from rogue regimes.
  
  Barack Obama Obama says that the “gravest danger to the American people is the threat of a terrorist attack with a nuclear weapon and the spread of nuclear weapons to dangerous regimes.” He pledges to lead a global effort to secure all nuclear weapons and nuclear material now housed at vulnerable sites within four years. Obama says the U.S. military needs to be transformed to meet today's needs and supports plans to increase the size of the U.S. Army and the U.S. Marine Corps.

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• Immigration

  
  Hillary Clinton Clinton says the United States needs immigration reform that "respects our immigrant heritage and honors the rule of law." She supports allowing illegal immigrants an opportunity to apply for legal resident status. Clinton also voted for a bill to build a fence along the U.S.-Mexico border.
  
  John McCain McCain says that a secure U.S.-Mexico border is "an essential element of our national security." He believes it is important for immigrants to learn English, American history and civics. McCain also co-sponsored a bill that would require an electronic employment-verification system so that employers can verify a person's legal status.
  
  Barack Obama Obama proposed legislation to create a new employment-eligibility system with which companies could verify that their employees are legal residents. Obama supports allowing illegal immigrants who have not committed crimes to stay in the United States if they pay a fine and learn English.

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• Climate Change

  
  Hillary Clinton
  Clinton says that climate change is "the biggest challenge we have faced in a generation" and has proposed a plan that she says will establish a "green, efficient economy and create as many as five million new jobs." Her plan calls for greater investment in renewable energy sources, reducing electricity consumption now projected for 2020 by 20 percent, and increasing the fuel-efficiency standard for passenger vehicles to 23 kilometers per liter (55 miles per gallon) by 2030. She also has called for reducing reliance on imported oil.
  
  John McCain
  McCain says that "ensuring clean air, safe and healthy water, sustainable land use, ample greenspace … is a patriotic responsibility." McCain would limit carbon dioxide emissions by harnessing market forces to bring advanced technologies like nuclear energy to market faster and reduce dependence on foreign energy supplies. He was the lead author of a Senate proposal to reduce projected carbon dioxide emissions 65 percent by 2050 and believes climate change is a national security issue.
  
  Barack Obama
  Obama says the United States is responsible for leaving the planet in better shape for future generations. Obama has proposed a plan that would invest $150 billion over 10 years to advance biofuels and promote renewable energy. He has also called for doubling science and research funding for clean-energy projects. Obama says that he would create a Global Energy Forum that would bring together the largest energy-consuming nations to discuss environmental issues.

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• International Relations

  
  Hillary Clinton
  Clinton says “the next president's most urgent task will be to restore America's standing in the world to promote our interests, ensure our security and advance our values.” She believes the United States leads best when building alliances and working on foreign policy issues with other countries. Clinton says that “global coalitions” are needed to fight problems such as climate change, poverty and AIDS.
  
  John McCain
  McCain long has been an advocate of promoting democracy in Africa and the Middle East. He has spoken out against Russia’s leader and welcomed Fidel Castro’s recent resignation in Cuba. McCain favors cooperating with Pakistan’s leader to fight al-Qaida. He is opposed to meeting with leaders of rogue groups without establishing clear preconditions.
  
  Barack Obama
  Obama says that he is “willing to meet with the leaders of all nations, friend and foe.” He says that if elected he will expand the State Department’s Foreign Service, fight global poverty, develop the capacity for civilian aid workers to work alongside the military and strengthen NATO. He also has called for improving relations with Asian countries to “ensure that China plays by international rules.”

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• Education

  
  Hillary Clinton
  Clinton has criticized President Bush’s No Child Left Behind program for its lack of funding. She says she will increase teacher recruitment and decrease the rate at which minorities drop out of high school. To make higher education more affordable, Clinton proposes providing a $3,500 tax credit for those attending college and increasing scholarships for those who commit to volunteering in the AmeriCorps program for a year after graduation.
  
  John McCain
  McCain says that “schools can and should compete” for the best teachers and reward teachers whose students do well. He believes that students should have the option of switching public schools in order to receive the best education and that “all federal financial support must be predicated on providing parents the ability to move their children, and the dollars associated with them, from failing schools.”
  
  Barack Obama
  Obama says, if elected, he would improve funding for the No Child Left Behind program. He also says he would “make math and science education a national priority” and increase recruitment of teachers in these subjects. In order to better recruit teachers, Obama proposes providing four-year scholarships to those in college who will teach for at least four years after graduation. He pledges to implement a $4,000 tax credit for those attending college.

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• The Economy

  
  Hillary Clinton
  Clinton says she will lower taxes for the middle class. To ease the U.S. mortgage crisis, Clinton has called for financial institutions to place a 90-day moratorium on foreclosures and freeze adjustable “subprime” loan rates for five years. She also has proposed a new retirement savings plan that would encourage increased saving by matching up to a certain amount of Americans’ retirement savings with tax cuts.
  
  John McCain
  McCain says “hard-working American families need lower taxes” and pledges to seek a tax repeal that would save the average American working-class family $2,700 a year. He says he will reduce the government’s wasteful spending by eliminating federal programs that do not work. McCain has called for tax credits for research and development to encourage companies to be innovative while saving money.
  
  Barack Obama
  Obama advocates tax cuts for working-class families and eliminating income taxes for certain low income families. Obama proposed a fund to help people refinance their mortgages to avoid foreclosure and provide tax credits to help pay mortgages. He has called for increased funding for job training programs that would train Americans to work in clean-energy related jobs.

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• Health Care

  
  Hillary Clinton
  Clinton’s health care plan would require all Americans to have health insurance. Clinton says her plan would let Americans keep the insurance they have or choose from other private or government options. Clinton aims to lower health care costs by improving health information technology and encouraging health care providers to focus on prevention of chronic diseases.
  
  John McCain
  For those who do not receive health insurance through their employer, McCain says he will offer $2,500 tax credits to individuals and $5,000 tax credits for families to help make health insurance more affordable. He also seeks to allow Americans to keep their health insurance when switching jobs or moving between states. McCain says health care costs can be lowered by encouraging greater competition among providers.
  
  Barack Obama
  Obama’s health care plan would require all children to have health insurance. Obama would require that employers contribute to their employees’ health insurance costs. Americans who do not have insurance provided through their employer will have the option to pick from a number of private and government options. To lower health care costs, Obama says he would require health care providers to publicly report on their expenses.

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• Trade

  
  Hillary Clinton
  Clinton says that “it is time that we assess trade agreements every five years to make sure they’re meeting their goals.” One of the agreements she would review is the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), to ensure that it protects American workers. Clinton opposed the U.S.-Dominican Republic Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) and free trade with the Andean nations. Clinton says she will expand the Trade Adjustment Assistance program that provides assistance to Americans who lose jobs when their companies move overseas.
  
  John McCain
  McCain is a supporter of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). McCain also supported the U.S.-Dominican Republic Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) and free trade with Oman, Singapore, Chile and the Andean nations. He also voted for normalizing trade with Vietnam and China and supports expanding trade to developing countries. McCain has called for improvements to job training and education programs so those Americans who lose jobs when their companies go overseas can find new jobs that “take advantage of trade and innovation.”
  
  Barack Obama
  Obama says that, if elected, he would ensure that “every [trade] agreement that we sign has the labor standards, the environmental standards and the safety standards that are going to protect not just workers, but also consumers.” Obama opposed the U.S.-Dominican Republic Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) based on labor and environmental concerns. A long opponent of North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Obama says he will act forcefully, including a potential withdrawal from the treaty, to ensure labor and environmental sidebar agreements are enforced effectively. He also supports setting labor and human rights standards for trade with China trade.

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