On the Issues: Obama vs. McCain

On the Issues: Obama vs. McCain


enact a Windfall Profits Tax on oil companies making record profits.

Would also provide a $1,000 Emergency Energy Rebate to American families.

Supports releasing light oil from the United States’ Strategic Petroleum Reserve and replacing it later with heavier crude oil. Healthcare

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Would offer a direct refundable tax credit of $2,500 for individuals and $5,000 for families to offset cost of private healthcare coverage.

Though families would have the option of employee-based coverage, they would also be able to choose their insurance provider. Proposes to establish a national health plan by funding a comprehensive benefits package that covers all essential medical services including preventive, maternity and mental health care.

Wants to create a National Health Insurance Exchange that will act as a watchdog and make private insurance more affordable. Ethics

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Has continuously worked toward public disclosure of lobbyists and the prohibiting of providing gifts to elected officials.

Co-sponsored the McCain-Feingold Act in 2002, a bipartisan campaign reform act prohibiting the spending of funds not subject to federal limits. Supports creating a centralized Internet database of lobbying reports, ethics records, and campaign finance filings in a searchable, sortable, and downloadable format.

Proposes an independent watchdog agency to oversee the investigation of congressional ethics violations. Immigration

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Supports an increase in the number of border patrol agents up to 20,000 and the implementation of temporary worker programs including caps on the number of foreign workers.

Wants to work toward completing a border fencing and 200 miles of vehicle barriers, and have unmanned aerial systems, and cameras along the Mexico-U.S. border.

Wants to implement temporary worker reform to discourage illegal immigration. Would hold employers accountable for hiring undocumented workers.

Wants to allow undocumented immigrants to pay a fine, learn English and go to the back of the line for the opportunity to become citizens.

Would also strengthen the promotion of economic development in Mexico to decrease illegal immigration. Veterans

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Wants to expand retirement benefits for reservists. Would provide all military retirees, even if they are not eligible with access to VA healthcare. During a 2007 speech McCain apologized for Walter Reed conditions saying, “I will take full responsibility for being a member of the Armed Services Committee and not knowing about it” Supports an expansion of the GI bill that would provide full college scholarships for those who serve in the military for at least three years. Wants to allow all veterans back into the VA regardless of income level. . Obama discretely made a trip to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in June to visit wounded veterans. Second Amendment Rights

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Wants strict, mandatory penalties for criminals who use a firearm in the commission of a crime or illegally posses a firearm. Opposes a ban on


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