Compare Candidates On The Issues
| See Where The Candidates Stand | |||
Issue | |||
Abortion | - Anti-abortion except in cases of rape, incest or to save woman's life - Signed ban on partial-birth abortions - Accepts FDA approval of RU-486, but concerned about overuse Source: Bush On The Issues | Whitehouse.gov | - Supports abortion rights - Opposes ban on partial-birth abortions - Voted against ban on abortions at military bases - Says he would elect pro-choice judges to federal bench Source: Kerry On The Issues | - Supports abortion rights - Says decision to take RU-486 should be left up to women, not government - Says Roe v. Wade will never be overturned Source: Nader On The Issues |
Civil Rights | - For affirmative action, but against quotas - Against gay marriage and adoptions, and hate crimes should not apply to gays - Opposes gays in Boy Scouts Supports "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Source: Bush On Civil Rights | - Supports affirmative action - Opposes same-sex marriages - Supports benefits for gay couples - Favors allowing gay military personnel to serve openly in armed forces Source: Kerry On Civil Rights | - Supports affirmative action - Supports same-sex marriages - Has supported allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in military - Has supported strengthening hate crimes legislation Source: Nader On Civil Rights |
Crime | - Supports death penalty - Supports "three-strikes" law and mandatory sentencing for repeat offenders - Supports ban on automatic weapons and background checks at gun shows - Supports Second Amendment Source: Bush On Crime | - Opposes death penalty - Voted against limiting death penalty appeals - Wants more funding for drug war, treatment - In favor of background checks at gun shows - Vows to renew funding for COPS program - Says "law-abiding adults have the right to own guns" Source: Kerry On Crime | - Says the U.S. needs to crack down on corporate crime, fraud and abuse - Believes ending drug war will reduce street crime, violence and homicides related to underground drug dealing - Says drug abuse is a health problem, with social and economic consequences - Says it is time to bring some illegal drugs within the law by regulating, taxing and controlling them Source: Nader On Corporate Crime |
Defense | - Supported war in Iraq - Ordered limited national missile defense system deployed by 2004 - Has not proposed increasing size of Army - Would increase military spending 4.2 percent to $380 billion - Budget funds military pay hikes from 2 percent to 6 percent - Strategy calls for a focus on new threats, such as terrorism Source: Bush On National Defense | - Supported war in Iraq - Opposes national missile defense - Supports increasing size of Army by 40,000 active troops on a temporary basis - Wants to invest more money in equipment, technology - Proposes better pay, benefits for military personnel - Would appoint presidential envoy to buy, destroy weapons stockpiles Source: Kerry On The Issues | - Opposes national missile defense - Critic of military "overspending" - Wants to reduce funding for "military industrial complex" - Supports Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Source: Nader On The Issues |
Economy / Taxes | - Says speeding up the 2001 tax cuts will increase the pace of economic recovery and job creation - Says providing dividend and capital gains tax relief will give small businesses incentives to grow - Wants $20 billion in aid to states for necessary services Source: Bush On The Economy | - Wants to repeal Bush tax cuts for wealthy - Would protect increases in child tax credit and reduction in marriage penalty - Would close corporate loopholes and restrain spending - Supports increase in minimum wage Source: Kerry On The Economy | - Believes federal tax code skewed in favor of the wealthy and corporations - Says "Unearned income" (dividents, interest, capital gains) should not be taxed lower than earned income (work) - Supports retention of the estate tax Source: Nader On Economy, Taxes |
Education | - Signed No Child Left Behind Act, which makes federal funding contingent on states' giving standardized tests in math and reading and publishing results for third- through eighth-graders - Says when it comes to our schools, dollars alone do not always make the difference - Calls for zero tolerance on disruption, guns, and school safety - Says federal dollars should not follow failure Source: Bush On Education | - Proposes a National Education Trust Fund to guarantee the federal government meets its obligation to fully fund education priorities - Vows to change the No Child Left Behind Act to ensure that schools focus on teaching high standards, and not become "drill and kill" test prep institutions - Says No Child Left Behind underfunds public schools by $6 billion this year - Chronically disruptive or violent students should be removed from classrooms and placed in alternative learning environments Source: Kerry On Education | - Says students "should learn, as the core curriculum, developing civic skills, learning how to practice democracy, and the arithmetic, reading and writing will be a byproduct." - Supports schoool choice within public school system - Wants commercialism out of the classroom Source: Nader On Education |
Energy | - Supports more domestic oil, natural gas, coal production - Supports drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge - Supports 1.5 mpg increase for SUVs, light trucks by 2007 - Proposed $1.7 billion to develop hydrogen-powered fuel cells Source: Bush's 6-Point Plan | - Backs incentives to reduce dependence on fossil fuels - Opposes drilling in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge - Push new gas requirements, hybrid cars, hydrogen fuel - Backs renewable energy trust fund to invest in the development of renewable energy will reduce our oil dependence Source: Kerry On Energy | - Opposes oil exploration in Arctic refuge - Supports investment in renewable energies such as wind, solar power - Supports promotion of sustainable energy and says the United States should not subsidize energy interests Source: Nader On Energy |
Environment | - Opposes stricter standards under Clean Air, Clean Water acts - Supports market-based solutions to improve air quality - Opposes Kyoto agreement - Wants to increase logging in national forests as way to prevent wildfires Source: Bush On The Environment | - Supports enforcement of Clean Air, Clean Water acts - Supports Kyoto treaty - Promotes clean, renewable fuel sources, especially ethanol - Would "reinvigorate" the Superfund cleanup program Source: Kerry On The Environment | - Wants more efficient automobiles, energy sources - Says toxic standards should be strengthened to address children, not just adults Source: Nader On Environment |
Health Care | - Opposes national health care plan - Supports adding drug benefit to Medicare - Would place limits on patient lawsuits against HMOs - Would introduce private sector competition to reduce Medicare costs Source: Bush On Health Care | - Proposes letting people buy coverage in government system - Voted to allow Canadian prescription drugs to be imported - Voted for prescription drug coverage under Medicare - Would tighten rules on drug companies to lower prescription drug costs, with an emphasis on seniors, veterans - Would allow patients to sue HMOs, collect money for damages Source: Kerry On Health Care | - Says Insurance companies should not administer health care - Supports single-payer program - Believes Universal health care addresses issues, lowers drug prices Source: Nader On Health Care |
Homeland Security | - Supports labeling of U.S. citizens as "enemy combatants" - Supports renewal of Patriot Act - Initially opposed and then supported creation of Homeland Security Department Source: Bush On The Issues | - Against labeling U.S. citizens "enemy combatants" - Wants Patriot Act to expire without congressional approval - Would restore funding to COPS program - Wants funding to hire 100,000 new firefighters - Says intelligence services need reform Source: Kerry On The Issues | - Wants to Repeal Patriot Act - Says U.S. should end secret detentions - Says civilians should not face tribunals Source: Nader On The Issues |
Immigration | - Proposed increasing budget to enforce immigration laws - Proposed temporary worker plan that would target undocumented workers by offering legal status for a three-year period, after which they would be required to return to their countries. - Says he would encourage undocumented workers to return home by expanding economic opportunities in their countries. Source: Whitehouse.gov | - Supports allowing undocumented immigrants to legalize their status if they have been in United States for certain period of time, are employed and can pass a background check - Says the naturalization process for legal permanent residents serving in armed forces should be expedited Source: Kerry On The Issues | - Says worker permits should be offered - Opposed to open borders - Wants to restore safety net Source: Nader On The Issues |
Social Security | - Supports investing some Social Security taxes in stocks - Proposed extending Social Security to include inheritable assets Source: The President's Plan | - Opposes privatizing Social Security - Says rolling back tax cuts for wealthy Americans will help preserve system Source: Kerry On The Issues | - Says no changes are needed in Social Security because the system is solid Source: Nader On Social Security |
