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We Reap What We Sow
by James Glaser November 5, 2008 Galatians 6:7-8: "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." Related to sowing and reaping, Madame Chiang Kai-shek once wrote: "If the past has taught us anything it is that every cause brings its effect, every action has a consequence. We Chinese have a saying: "If a man plants melons he will reap melons; if he sows beans, he will reap beans." And this is true of everyone's life; good begets good, and evil leads to evil. True enough, the sun shines on the saint and the sinner alike, and too often it seems that the wicked prosper. But we can say with certainty that, with the individual as with the nation, the flourishing of the wicked is an illusion, for, unceasingly, life keeps books on us all. In the end, we are all the sum total of our actions. Character cannot be counterfeited, nor can it put on and cast off as if it were a garment to meet the whim of the moment. Like the markings on wood which are ingrained in the very heart of the tree, character requires time and nurturing for growth and development. Thus also, day by day, we write our own destiny; for inexorably...we become what we do." For the last eight years we as a country have had to tell the world, yes, we elected George Bush to be our President. Now for the next four years we will have to say the same about Barack Obama. Just like with George Bush, we don’t really know what President Obama will do, but we do know what he said he would do. Below is a list of Barack Obama’s Campaign promises. This list was compiled by the National Journal. Make a copy and keep it around and during the next four years you can check off each promise as President Obama fulfills each one. Post Script: You might want to fill the paper in your printer, as there are 25 pages of promises here.
ABORTION Support abortion rights "Obama has been a consistent champion of reproductive choice and will make preserving… women's right to choose under Roe v. Wade a priority as president."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Work to reduced unintended pregnancies "Obama will work to reduce unintended pregnancy by guaranteeing equity in contraceptive coverage, providing sex education and offering rape victims accurate information about emergency contraception."—Obama's Blueprint for Change ADMINISTRATION Hire based on merit "When it comes to hiring people in my administration, the litmus test that will apply will not be based on party or ideology or who's traded the most favors, but on qualifications and experience. We're going to have experienced, competent people in the White House."—05/19/08 Billings, Mont. Require new hires to deny cronyism "Obama will issue an executive order asking all new hires at the agencies to sign a form affirming that no political appointee offered them the job solely on the basis of political affiliation or contribution."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Deliver fireside chats online "He will personally deliver occasional fireside chats via webcast."—Obama's Blueprint for Change AGRICULTURE Improve rural schools and availability of doctors "He will improve rural schools and attract more doctors to rural areas."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Try to toughen rules on animal feeding operations "Barack Obama will work for tougher regulations on concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) to prevent air and water pollution."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Implement payment limitation to help family farmers "Obama will implement a $250,000 [farm commodity] payment limitation so that we help family farmers, not large corporate agribusiness. Obama will close the loopholes that allow megafarms to get around the limits by subdividing their operations into multiple paper corporations."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Strengthen anti-monopoly laws "Obama will strengthen anti-monopoly laws and strengthen producer protections to ensure independent farmers have fair access to markets, control over their production decisions, and fair prices for their goods."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Help organic farmers and promote regional food systems "Obama will help organic farmers afford to certify their crops and reform crop insurance to not penalize organic farmers. He also will promote regional food systems."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Give new farmers tax incentives "[Obama] will also provide tax incentives to make it easier for new farmers to afford their first farm. Obama will increase incentives for farmers and private landowners to conduct sustainable agriculture and protect wetlands, grasslands and forests."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Provide farmers capital and help rural small businesses "Obama will provide capital for farmers to create value-added enterprises, like cooperative marketing initiatives and farmer-owned processing plants. He also will establish a small-business and micro-enterprise initiative for rural America."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Create rural revitalization program "Obama will create a rural revitalization program to attract and retain young people to rural America."—Obama's Blueprint for Change CIVIL RIGHTS Clean up the Justice Department "I will rid the department of ideologues and political cronies…the Civil Rights Division will actually be staffed with civil rights lawyers who prosecute civil rights violations, and employment discrimination, and hate crimes."—09/28/07, Washington, D.C. Toughen hate crime laws "Obama will strengthen federal hate crimes legislation and reinvigorate enforcement at the Department of Justice's Criminal Section."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Work to lift ban on gays serving openly in the military "Obama will work with military leaders to repeal the current [Don't Ask, Don't Tell] policy and ensure we accomplish our national defense goals."—Barackobama.com Push to outlaw job discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity "I will place the weight of my administration behind the enactment of the Matthew Shepard Act to outlaw hate crimes and a fully inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act to outlaw workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity."—02/28/08, Obama letter to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Americans Advocate equal treatment of same sex couples "As your president, I will use the bully pulpit to urge states to treat same-sex couples with full equality in their family and adoption laws."—02/28/08, Obama letter to LGBT Americans Keep commitment to gay rights "I will never compromise on my commitment to equal rights for all LGBT Americans."—02/28/08, Obama letter to LGBT Americans Remove discriminatory obstacles to voting "Obama will remove discriminatory barriers to the right to vote."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Penalize vote fraud "Obama will sign into law his legislation that establishes harsh penalties for those who have engaged in voter fraud and provides voters who have been misinformed with accurate and full information so they can vote."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Work to overturn Supreme Court's ruling in Ledbetter v. Goodyear "Obama will work to overturn the Supreme Court's recent ruling that curtails racial minorities' and women's ability to challenge pay discrimination."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Fight age discrimination "Obama will fight job discrimination for aging employees by strengthening the Age Discrimination in Employment Act and empowering the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to prevent all forms of discrimination."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Ensure equal pay for women "Obama will also pass the Fair Pay Act to ensure that women receive equal pay for equal work."—Obama's Blueprint for Change CRIMINAL JUSTICE Create prison-to-work program "I will create a prison-to-work incentive program modeled on the successful Welfare-to-Work program."—6/5/07, Hampton, Va. Make criminal justice system trustworthy "As president, I will also work every day to ensure that this country has a criminal justice system that inspires trust and confidence in every American, regardless of race or background."—9/28/07, Washington, D.C. Forgive school loans of public defenders "We'll recruit more public defenders to the profession by forgiving college and law school loans."—9/28/07, Washington, D.C. End disparity in crack versus powdered cocaine sentencing "That will end when I am president."—9/28/07, Washington, D.C. Steer nonviolent offenders into rehab "We will give first-time, nonviolent drug offenders a chance to serve their sentence, where appropriate, in the type of drug-rehabilitation programs that have proven to work better than a prison term in changing bad behavior."—9/28/07, Washington, D.C. Not pardon real estate developer Tony Rezko Attributed to Obama spokesman Ben LaBolt,—6/5/08, Chicago Sun-Times Fully fund community policing and development programs "That's why I'll fully fund the COPS [Community Oriented Policing Services] program, restore funding for the Community Development Block Grant program, and recruit more teachers to our cities, pay them more, and give them more support."—6/21/08, Miami Combat methamphetamine use "As president, he will continue the fight to rid our communities of meth and offer support to help addicts heal."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Ban racial profiling "Obama will ban racial profiling by federal law enforcement agencies and provide federal incentives to state and local police departments to prohibit the practice."—Obama's Blueprint for Change DEFENSE Safeguard all nuclear material within four years "I will lead a global effort to secure all nuclear weapons and material at vulnerable sites within four years."—4/23/07, Chicago Keep nonproliferation commitment "We will not pursue unilateral disarmament. As long as nuclear weapons exist, we'll retain a strong nuclear deterrent. But we'll keep our commitment under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty on the long road towards eliminating nuclear weapons."—10/2/07, Chicago Strengthen nonproliferation treaty "Obama will crack down on nuclear proliferation by strengthening the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty so that countries like North Korea and Iran that break the rules will automatically face strong international sanctions."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Stop development of new nuclear weapons "He will stop the development of new nuclear weapons; work with Russia to take U.S. and Russian ballistic missiles off hair-trigger alert; seek dramatic reductions in U.S. and Russian stockpiles of nuclear weapons and material; and set a goal to expand the U.S.-Russian ban on intermediate-range missiles so that the agreement is global."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Open "America Houses" in Islamic countries "We will open 'America Houses' in cities across the Islamic world, with Internet, libraries, English lessons, stories of America's Muslims and the strength they add to our country, and vocational programs."—8/1/07, Washington, D.C. Support a global education fund "I will support a $2 billion global education fund to counter the radical madrassas."—8/1/07, Washington, D.C. Ban torture "When I am president, America will reject torture, without exception."—8/1/07, Washington, D.C. Close Guantanamo Bay detention center "As president, I will close Guantanamo, reject the Military Commissions Act and adhere to the Geneva Conventions."—8/10/07, Washington, D.C. Establish quadrennial review of homeland security threats "I will establish a Quadrennial Review at the Department of Homeland Security—just like at the Pentagon—to undertake a top-to-bottom review of the threats we face and our ability to confront them."—8/10/07, Washington, D.C. Increase funding to train police to gather intelligence "I will increase funding to help train police to gather information and connect it to the intelligence they receive from the federal government."—8/1/07, Washington, D.C. Address al Qaeda prison recruitment efforts "I will address the problem in our prisons, where the most disaffected and disconnected Americans are being explicitly targeted for conversion by al Qaeda and its ideological allies."—8/1/07, Washington, D.C. Expand Army and Marine Corps "I will add 65,000 soldiers and 27,000 Marines to relieve the strain on our ground forces."—8/21/07, Kansas City, Mo. Provide soldiers with necessary equipment "As president, I will ensure that every service member has what they need to do the job safely and successfully."—8/21/07, Kansas City, Mo. "Obama will give our troops new equipment, armor, training, and skills like language training."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Set fixed term for director of national intelligence "I will make the director of national intelligence an official with a fixed term, like the chairman of the Federal Reserve."—10/2/07, Chicago Consult national security experts in Congress "I will call for a standing, bipartisan consultative group of congressional leaders on national security. I will meet with this consultative group every month and consult with them before taking major military action."—10/2/07, Chicago Consult military commanders "When I am commander in chief, I will seek out, listen to and respect the views of military commanders."—3/12/08, Chicago Target every source of fear in the Americas "That is why there will never be true security unless we focus our efforts on targeting every source of fear in the Americas. That's what I'll do as president of the United States."—5/23/08, Miami Create information declassification center "He will institute a national declassification center to make declassification secure but routine, efficient and cost-effective."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Ensure military has enough training "Obama will rebuild trust with those who serve by ensuring that soldiers and Marines have sufficient training time before they are sent into battle."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Strengthen civilian agencies "He will also strengthen our civilian capacity, so that our civilian agencies have the critical skills and equipment they need to integrate their efforts with our military."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Give National Guard appropriate equipment, rest "He will permit them adequate time to train and rest between deployments and provide the National Guard with the equipment they need for foreign and domestic emergencies."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Add National Guard chief to Joint Chiefs "[Obama] will also give the Guard a seat at the table by making the chief of the National Guard a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Combat terrorism "Obama will fight terrorism and protect America with a comprehensive strategy that finishes the fight in Afghanistan, cracks down on the al Qaeda safe haven in Pakistan, develops new capabilities and international partnerships, engages the world to dry up support for extremism and reaffirms American values."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Require national security officials to hold broadband town halls "Obama will bring foreign policy decisions directly to the people by requiring his national security officials to have periodic national broadband town hall meetings to discuss foreign policy."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Create international anti-terrorism network "As president, I will launch an effort across our government to stay ahead of this threat [bio-terrorism].… I've proposed a Shared Security Partnership that invests $5 billion over three years to forge an international intelligence and law enforcement infrastructure to take down terrorist networks." —7/16/08 West Lafayette, Ind. Make cyber-security a federal priority "As president, I'll make cyber-security the top priority that it should be in the 21st century. I'll declare our cyber-infrastructure a strategic asset, and appoint a National Cyber Advisor who will report directly to me." —7/16/08 West Lafayette, Ind. DIVERSITY Have a senior Native American policy adviser "I'll appoint an American Indian policy adviser to my senior White House staff to work with tribes. I'll host an annual summit at the White House with tribal leaders to come up with an agenda that works for tribal communities." —5/19/08, Crow Agency, Mont. ECONOMY Increase regulation of financial industry "I'll put in place the common-sense regulations and rules of the road I've been calling for since March -- rules that will keep our market free, fair, and honest; rules that will restore accountability and responsibility in our corporate boardrooms."—10/9/08, Dayton, Ohio Advocate free market "I will always be a strong advocate for a market that is free and open."—9/17/07, New York City Add consumer credit protections "I'll institute a five-star rating system to inform consumers about the level of risk involved in every credit card. And we'll establish a credit card bill of rights that will ban unilateral changes to a credit card agreement, ban rate changes to debt that's already incurred and ban interest fees on late fees."—11/7/07, Bettendorf, Iowa Reform bankruptcy laws "Obama will reform our bankruptcy laws to protect working people, ban executive bonuses for bankrupt companies and require disclosure of all pension investments."—Obama's Blueprint for Change "We'll make sure that if you can demonstrate that you went bankrupt because of medical expenses, then you can relieve that debt and get back on your feet."—2/13/07, Janesville, Wis. "Obama will work to eliminate the provision that prevents bankruptcy courts from modifying an individual's mortgage payments."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Ensure economy works for everyone Obama promised to "make sure our economy is working for everybody."—6/2/08, Droy, Mich., Associated Press Help community and small business development agencies "Obama will provide additional resources to the federal Community Development Financial Institution Fund, the Small Business Administration and other federal agencies, especially to their local branch offices, to address community needs."—Obama's Blueprint for Change EDUCATION Improve high school graduation rates "When I'm president, we'll fight to make sure we're once again first in the world when it comes to high school graduation rates."—9/9/08, Dayton, Ohio Double the number of high school students taking college level courses "And we'll also set a goal of increasing the number of high school students taking college-level or AP courses by 50 percent in the coming years."—9/9/08, Dayton, Ohio Double charter school funding "That is why as president, I'll double the funding for responsible charter schools."—9/9/08, Dayton, Ohio Issue annual education progress report "I will lead a new era of accountability in education. But I don't just want to hold our teachers accountable. I want you to hold our government accountable. I want you to hold me accountable. That's why every year I'm president, I will report back to you on the progress our schools are making."—9/9/08, Dayton, Ohio Create online report cards for parents to view "That's why I'll create a parent report card that will show you whether your kid is on the path to college."—9/9/08, Dayton, Ohio Support programs that work; improve those that don't "When I'm president, programs that work will get more money. Programs that don't will get less. And we'll send a team to fix bad programs by replacing bad managers."—9/9/08, Dayton, Ohio Include more technology in public schools "We'll help schools integrate technology into their curriculum so we can make sure public school students are fluent in the digital language of the 21st-century economy."—9/9/08, Dayton, Ohio Provide tuition assistance to students who perform community service "And we will keep our promise to every young American -- if you commit to serving your community or your country, we will make sure you can afford a college education."—8/28/08, Denver Recruit teachers and principals "As president, I will recruit hundreds of thousands of new teachers and principals."—5/5/07, Baton Rouge, La. Recruit science and technology teachers "As president, I will recruit a new generation of science and technology leaders to teach our children the skills they will need to be competitive."—5/5/07, Baton Rouge, La. Provide pay raises for teachers and principals "Let's make a promise right now that if you're a teacher or a principal doing the hard work of educating our children, we will reward that work with the salary increase that you deserve."—7/5/07, Philadelphia Pay tuition for students going into teaching "I will make this pledge as president: If you commit your life to teaching, America will commit to paying for your college education."—11/20/07, Manchester, Iowa Require schools of education to be accredited "To prepare our new teachers, we'll require that all schools of education are accredited, and we'll evaluate their outcomes so that we know which ones are doing the best job at preparing new teachers."—11/20/07, Manchester, Iowa Create voluntary teacher performance gauge "We'll also create a voluntary national performance assessment that actually looks at how prospective teachers can plan, teach, and support student learning."—11/20/07, Manchester, Iowa Boost teacher mentoring programs "To support our teachers, we will expand mentoring programs that pair experienced, successful teachers with new recruits."—11/20/07, Manchester, Iowa Boost Head Start funds; create Presidential Earning Learning Council "We'll increase Head Start funding and quadruple Early Start to include a quarter of a million at-risk children. I will create a Presidential Early Learning Council to coordinate this effort across all levels of government and ensure that we're providing these children and families with the highest-quality programs."—11/20/07, Manchester, Iowa Create Classroom Corps "To help every American receive a world-class education, I will create a new Classroom Corps."—12/5/07, Mt. Vernon, Iowa Encourage community service by students "So when I'm president, I will set a goal for all American middle and high school students to perform 50 hours of community service a year, and for all college students to perform 100 hours of service a year."—12/5/07, Mt. Vernon, Iowa Improve education "When I'm president, we'll rally this country to the cause of world-class education."—1/30/08, Denver Coordinate with local officials to improve education "As president, I will work with our nation's governors and educators to create and use assessments that can improve achievement all across America by including the kinds of research, scientific investigation, and problem-solving that our children will need to compete in a 21st-century knowledge economy."—5/28/08, Thornton, Colo. Steer work-study funds to public service jobs "Obama will ensure that at least 25 percent of college work-study funds are used to support public service opportunities instead of jobs in dining halls and libraries."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Launch childhood initiative "Obama will launch a Children's First Agenda that provides care, learning and support to families with children from birth up to 5 years old."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Double funding for after-school programs "Obama will double funding for the main federal support for afterschool programs, the 21st Century Learning Centers program, to serve a million more children."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Improve No Child Left Behind "Obama will fund No Child Left Behind and improve its assessments and accountability systems."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Lower dropout rate "Obama also will reduce the high school dropout rate and close the achievement gap by investing in proven intervention strategies in the middle grades and in summer learning and after-school opportunities."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Provide incentives for rural teachers "Obama will provide incentives for talented individuals to enter the teaching profession, including increased pay for teachers who work in rural areas."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Increase assistance to land-grant colleges "Obama will increase research and educational funding for land-grant colleges."—Obama's Blueprint for Change EDUCATION Improve high school graduation rates "When I'm president, we'll fight to make sure we're once again first in the world when it comes to high school graduation rates."—9/9/08, Dayton, Ohio Double the number of high school students taking college level courses "And we'll also set a goal of increasing the number of high school students taking college-level or AP courses by 50 percent in the coming years."—9/9/08, Dayton, Ohio Double charter school funding "That is why as president, I'll double the funding for responsible charter schools."—9/9/08, Dayton, Ohio Issue annual education progress report "I will lead a new era of accountability in education. But I don't just want to hold our teachers accountable. I want you to hold our government accountable. I want you to hold me accountable. That's why every year I'm president, I will report back to you on the progress our schools are making."—9/9/08, Dayton, Ohio Create online report cards for parents to view "That's why I'll create a parent report card that will show you whether your kid is on the path to college."—9/9/08, Dayton, Ohio Support programs that work; improve those that don't "When I'm president, programs that work will get more money. Programs that don't will get less. And we'll send a team to fix bad programs by replacing bad managers."—9/9/08, Dayton, Ohio Include more technology in public schools "We'll help schools integrate technology into their curriculum so we can make sure public school students are fluent in the digital language of the 21st-century economy."—9/9/08, Dayton, Ohio Provide tuition assistance to students who perform community service "And we will keep our promise to every young American -- if you commit to serving your community or your country, we will make sure you can afford a college education."—8/28/08, Denver Recruit teachers and principals "As president, I will recruit hundreds of thousands of new teachers and principals."—5/5/07, Baton Rouge, La. Recruit science and technology teachers "As president, I will recruit a new generation of science and technology leaders to teach our children the skills they will need to be competitive."—5/5/07, Baton Rouge, La. Provide pay raises for teachers and principals "Let's make a promise right now that if you're a teacher or a principal doing the hard work of educating our children, we will reward that work with the salary increase that you deserve."—7/5/07, Philadelphia Pay tuition for students going into teaching "I will make this pledge as president: If you commit your life to teaching, America will commit to paying for your college education."—11/20/07, Manchester, Iowa Require schools of education to be accredited "To prepare our new teachers, we'll require that all schools of education are accredited, and we'll evaluate their outcomes so that we know which ones are doing the best job at preparing new teachers."—11/20/07, Manchester, Iowa Create voluntary teacher performance gauge "We'll also create a voluntary national performance assessment that actually looks at how prospective teachers can plan, teach, and support student learning."—11/20/07, Manchester, Iowa Boost teacher mentoring programs "To support our teachers, we will expand mentoring programs that pair experienced, successful teachers with new recruits."—11/20/07, Manchester, Iowa Boost Head Start funds; create Presidential Earning Learning Council "We'll increase Head Start funding and quadruple Early Start to include a quarter of a million at-risk children. I will create a Presidential Early Learning Council to coordinate this effort across all levels of government and ensure that we're providing these children and families with the highest-quality programs."—11/20/07, Manchester, Iowa Create Classroom Corps "To help every American receive a world-class education, I will create a new Classroom Corps."—12/5/07, Mt. Vernon, Iowa Encourage community service by students "So when I'm president, I will set a goal for all American middle and high school students to perform 50 hours of community service a year, and for all college students to perform 100 hours of service a year."—12/5/07, Mt. Vernon, Iowa Improve education "When I'm president, we'll rally this country to the cause of world-class education."—1/30/08, Denver Coordinate with local officials to improve education "As president, I will work with our nation's governors and educators to create and use assessments that can improve achievement all across America by including the kinds of research, scientific investigation, and problem-solving that our children will need to compete in a 21st-century knowledge economy."—5/28/08, Thornton, Colo. Steer work-study funds to public service jobs "Obama will ensure that at least 25 percent of college work-study funds are used to support public service opportunities instead of jobs in dining halls and libraries."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Launch childhood initiative "Obama will launch a Children's First Agenda that provides care, learning and support to families with children from birth up to 5 years old."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Double funding for after-school programs "Obama will double funding for the main federal support for afterschool programs, the 21st Century Learning Centers program, to serve a million more children."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Improve No Child Left Behind "Obama will fund No Child Left Behind and improve its assessments and accountability systems."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Lower dropout rate "Obama also will reduce the high school dropout rate and close the achievement gap by investing in proven intervention strategies in the middle grades and in summer learning and after-school opportunities."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Provide incentives for rural teachers "Obama will provide incentives for talented individuals to enter the teaching profession, including increased pay for teachers who work in rural areas."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Increase assistance to land-grant colleges "Obama will increase research and educational funding for land-grant colleges."—Obama's Blueprint for Change ENERGY/ENVIRONMENT End American dependence on foreign oil in ten years "And that's why if I am president, I will put the full resources of the federal government and the full energy of the private sector behind a single, overarching goal -- in ten years, we will eliminate the need for oil from the entire Middle East and Venezuela."—8/6/08, Elkhart, Ind. Increase number of plug-in hybrid cars "First, we'll commit ourselves to getting one million 150 mile-per-gallon plug-in hybrid cars on our roads within six years."—8/6/08, Elkhart, Ind. Double renewable energy within four years "Second, we'll double the amount of energy that comes from renewable sources by the end of my first term."—8/6/08, Elkhart, Ind. Reduce electricity demand by 15 percent in ten years "Third, I will call on businesses, government, and the American people to meet the goal of reducing our demand for electricity by 15 percent by the end of the next decade."—8/6/08, Elkhart, Ind. Cap carbon emissions "As president, I will set a hard cap on all carbon emissions at a level that scientists say is necessary to curb global warming -- an 80 percent reduction by 2050."—10/8/07, Portsmouth, N.H. Require government vehicles to have flexible-fuel tanks "When I'm president, I will make sure that every vehicle purchased by the federal government does [have a flexible-fuel tank]."—5/7/07, Detroit Give annual energy speech "I will report to the American people every year on the state of our energy future."—10/8/07, Portsmouth, N.H. Sign law to phase out incandescent light bulbs "I will immediately sign a law that begins to phase out all incandescent light bulbs."—10/8/07, Portsmouth, N.H. Create new green-collar jobs "My energy plan will put $150 billion over 10 years into establishing a green energy sector that will create up to 5 million new jobs over the next two decades, including jobs right here in Ohio that pay well and can't be outsourced. We'll also provide funding to help manufacturers convert to green technology and help workers learn the skills they need for these jobs."—2/24/08, Lorain, Ohio Consider Al Gore for Cabinet-level climate change position "Not
only will I, but I will make a commitment that Al Gore will be at the
table and play a central part in us figuring out how we solve this
problem."—4/2/08, Philadelphia Take steps to lower oil prices "We'll also take steps to reduce the price of oil and increase transparency in how prices are set so we can ensure that energy companies aren't bending the rules."—4/25/08, Indianapolis Work to solve energy crisis "As president, I'll work to solve this energy crisis once and for all." —4/25/08, Indianapolis Help U.S. automaker adapt "I'll be a president who finally keeps the promise that's made year after year after year by providing domestic automakers with the funding they need to retool their factories and make fuel-efficient and alternative fuel cars."—5/14/08, Warren, Mich. Foster international relationships to protect the environment "We'll establish a program for the Department of Energy and our laboratories to share technology with countries across the region."—5/23/08, Miami Reduce oil consumption "Obama will reduce oil consumption overall by at least 35 percent, or 10 million barrels of oil, by 2030."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Help manufacturers go green "Obama will establish a federal investment program to help manufacturing centers modernize and Americans learn the new skills they need to produce green products."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Double clean-energy funding "Obama will double science and research funding for clean-energy projects, including those that make use of our biomass, solar and wind resources."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Create Green Jobs Corps "Obama will also create an energy-focused Green Jobs Corps to connect disconnected and disadvantaged youth with job skills for a high-growth industry."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Invest $10 billion per year in clean technologies fund "Obama will create a Clean Technologies Venture Capital Fund to fill a critical gap in U.S. technology development. Obama will invest $10 billion per year into this fund for five years."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Require 25 percent of electricity to come from renewable resources "Obama will establish a 25 percent federal renewable portfolio standard (RPS) to require that 25 percent of electricity consumed in the U.S. is derived from clean, sustainable energy sources, like solar, wind and geothermal by 2025."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Increase money for low-carbon coal technologies "Obama will significantly increase the resources devoted to the commercialization and deployment of low-carbon coal technologies."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Push cellulosic ethanol "Obama will invest federal resources, including tax incentives, cash prizes and government contracts into developing the most promising technologies with the goal of getting the first 2 billion gallons of cellulosic ethanol into the system by 2013."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Boost renewable fuel requirements "Obama will require 36 billion gallons of renewable fuels to be included in the fuel supply by 2022 and will increase that to at least 60 billion gallons of advanced biofuels like cellulosic ethanol by 2030."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Double fuel economy standards "Obama will double fuel economy standards within 18 years."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Set goal of making new buildings carbon neutral "Barack Obama will establish a goal of making all new buildings carbon neutral (that is, producing zero emissions) by 2030."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Create energy-efficiency grant program "Obama will create a competitive grant program to award those states and localities that take the first steps to implement new building codes that prioritize energy efficiency."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Create Global Energy Forum "Obama will create a Global Energy Forum that includes all G-8 members, plus Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa."—Obama's Blueprint for Change ETHICS REFORM Stop misuse of no-bid contracts "I will end the abuse of no-bid contracts in my administration."—6/22/07, Manchester, N.H. Be open with American people "But I can promise you this: I will always tell you what I think and where I stand."—9/3/07, Manchester, N.H. Restrict lobbyists "When you walk into my administration, you will not be able to work on regulations or contracts directly related to your former employer for two years. And when you leave, you will not be able to lobby the administration throughout the remainder of my term in office."—6/22/07, Manchester, N.H. Put agency meetings with lobbyists online "When there are meetings between lobbyists and a government agency, we won't be going to the Supreme Court to keep it secret like Dick Cheney and his energy task force. We'll be putting them up on the Internet for every American to watch. And instead of allowing lobbyists to slip big corporate tax breaks into bills during the dead of night, we will make sure every single tax break and earmark is available to every American online."—6/22/07, Manchester, N.H. Disclose contractor lobbying "Obama will create a 'contracts and influence' database that will disclose how much federal contractors spend on lobbying, and what contracts they are getting and how well they complete them."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Put federal spending information online "We'll put government data online and use technology to shine a light on spending."—6/16/08, Flint, Mich. Post bills online before signing them "When there is a bill that ends up on my desk as president, you will have five days to look online and find out what's in it before I sign it."—6/22/07, Manchester, N.H. Fight for independent oversight of congressional ethics violations "Obama will use the power of the presidency to fight for an independent watchdog agency to oversee the investigation of congressional ethics violations so that the public can be assured that ethics complaints will be investigated."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Require Cabinet members to hold broadband town hall meetings "Obama will bring democracy and public policy directly to the people by requiring his Cabinet officials to have periodic national broadband town hall meetings to discuss issues before their agencies."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Disclose regulatory conversations between officials and outsiders "Obama will amend executive orders to ensure that communications about regulatory policymaking between persons outside government and all White House staff are disclosed to the public."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Require public meetings "Obama will require his appointees who lead the executive branch departments and rulemaking agencies to conduct the significant business of the agency in public, so that any citizen can watch these debates in person or on the Internet."—Obama's Blueprint for Change FOREIGN POLICY Withdraw U.S. combat troops from Iraq "I will begin to remove our troops from Iraq immediately. I will remove one or two brigades a month and get all of our combat troops out of Iraq within 16 months. The only troops I will keep in Iraq will perform the limited missions of protecting our diplomats and carrying out targeted strikes on al-Qaida."—10/02/07, Chicago Not build permanent bases in Iraq "Obama will make it clear that we will not build any permanent bases in Iraq."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Expand Iraq refugee services "He will provide at least $2 billion to expand services to Iraqi refugees in neighboring countries, and ensure that Iraqis inside their own country can find a safe haven."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Expand U.S. forces in Afghanistan "As president, I would deploy at least two additional brigades to Afghanistan to reinforce our counterterrorism operations and support NATO's efforts against the Taliban."—8/1/07, Washington Provide more non-military aid to Afghanistan "We will start with an additional $1 billion in non-military assistance each year, aid that is focused on reaching ordinary Afghans."—3/19/08, Fayetteville, N.C. Expand diplomatic relations "I will challenge the conventional thinking that we can't conduct diplomacy with leaders we don't like."—1/13/08, Denver "Obama will set up an America's Voice Initiative to send Americans who are fluent speakers of local languages to expand our public diplomacy."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Tie strings to aid to Pakistan "As president, I would make the hundreds of millions of dollars in U.S. military aid to Pakistan conditional. And I would make our conditions clear: Pakistan must make substantial progress in closing down the training camps, evicting foreign fighters, and preventing the Taliban from using Pakistan as a staging area for attacks in Afghanistan."—8/1/07, Washington Give "State of the World" addresses "I'll give an annual 'State of the World' address to the American people in which I lay out our national security policy."—10/2/07, Chicago Boost U.S. humanitarian efforts "I will invest in our civilian capacity to operate alongside our troops in post-conflict zones and on humanitarian and stabilization missions."—3/19/08, Fayetteville, N.C. Increase aid to the Americas "I will substantially increase our aid to the Americas and embrace the Millennium Development Goals of halving global poverty by 2015. We'll target support to bottom-up growth through micro-financing, vocational training and small enterprise development."—5/23/08, Miami Reinstate special envoy for Americas "I will reinstate a special envoy for the Americas in my White House who will work with my full support."—5/23/08, Miami End restrictions on Cuban-Americans "I will immediately allow unlimited family travel and remittances to the island [of Cuba]."—5/23/08, Miami Maintain Cuban embargo "I will maintain the embargo."—5/23/08, Miami Continue anti-drug efforts abroad "When I am president, we will continue the Andean Counter-Drug Program and update it to meet evolving challenges. We will fully support Colombia's fight against the FARC. We'll work with the government to end the reign of terror from right-wing paramilitaries. We will support Colombia's right to strike terrorists who seek safe haven across its borders."—5/23/08, Miami Defend Israel "Let there be no doubt: I will always keep the threat of military action on the table to defend our security and our ally Israel."—6/4/08, Washington, D.C. Provide $30 billion to Israel "As president, I will implement a memorandum of understanding that provides $30 billion in assistance to Israel over the next decade, investments to Israel's security that will not be tied to any other nation."—6/4/08, Washington, D.C. Pursue diplomacy with Iran "He will lead tough diplomacy with the Iranian regime and offer Iran the choice of increased international pressure or incentives if it stops its disturbing behavior."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Work for two-state solution to Israeli-Palestinian conflict "He will make a sustained push -- working with Israelis and Palestinians -- to achieve the goal of two states, a Jewish state in Israel and a Palestinian state, living side by side in peace and security."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Open new consulates in challenging places "To make diplomacy a priority, Obama will stop shuttering consulates and start opening them in the tough and hopeless corners of the world, particularly in Africa. He will expand our Foreign Service and develop the capacity of our civilian aid workers to work alongside the military."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Work to halve poverty worldwide "Obama will embrace the Millennium Development Goal of cutting extreme poverty around the world in half by 2015, and he will double our foreign assistance to $50 billion to achieve that goal."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Push for NATO changes "Obama will rally NATO members to contribute troops to collective security operations, urging them to invest more in reconstruction and stabilization operations, streamlining the decision-making processes and giving NATO commanders in the field more flexibility."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Work to make China play by the rules "He will maintain strong ties with allies like Japan, South Korea and Australia; work to build an infrastructure with countries in East Asia that can promote stability and prosperity; and work to ensure that China plays by international rules."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Encourage investment relationships between American and Africa "Obama will also strengthen the African Growth and Opportunity Act to ensure that African producers can access the U.S. market and will encourage more American companies to invest on the continent."—BarackObama.com Help African countries access green technology "He will launch the Global Energy and Environment Initiative to ensure African counties have access to low carbon energy technology and can profitably participate in the new global carbon market..."—BarackObama.com Stop genocide in Darfur "As president, Obama will take immediate steps to end the genocide in Darfur by increasing pressure on the Sudanese and pressure the government to halt the killing and stop impeding the deployment of a robust international force."—BarackObama.com Launch agriculture initiative and reform the World Bank and International Monetary Fund "Obama will expand prosperity by establishing an Add Value to Agriculture Initiative, creating a fund that will extend seed capital and technical assistance to small and medium enterprises, and reforming the World Bank and International Monetary Fund."—BarackObama.com GOVERNMENT SPENDING Cut waste in federal budget "I will also go through the federal budget, line by line, eliminating programs that no longer work and making the ones we do need work better and cost less..."—8/28/08, Denver Pay for job programs by cutting spending elsewhere "I'll pay for every part of this job-creation agenda by ending this war in Iraq that's costing us billions, closing tax loopholes for corporations, putting a price on carbon pollution, and ending George Bush's tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans."—2/24/08, Lorain, Ohio Reinstate PAYGO "Obama will reinstate pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) budget rules, so that new spending or tax cuts are paid for by spending cuts or new revenue elsewhere."—Obama's Blueprint for Change HEALTH CARE Put health records online "We're going to do it by making sure that we use information technology so that medical records are actually on computers instead of you filling forms out in triplicate when you go to the hospital. That will reduce medical errors and reduce cost."—10/8/08, Nashville, Tenn. Provide universal health care "I have made a solemn pledge that I will sign a universal health care bill into law by the end of my first term as president that will cover every American and cut the cost of a typical family's premium by up to $2,500 a year."—6/23/07, Hartford, Conn. Prosecute insurance monopolies "We'll investigate and prosecute the monopolization of the insurance industry. And where we do find places where insurance companies aren't competitive, we will make them pay a reasonable share of their profits on the patients they should be caring for in the first place."—5/29/07, Iowa City, Iowa Expand nurse-family partnership program "Obama will expand the highly successful Nurse-Family Partnership to all 570,000 low-income, first-time mothers each year."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Help individuals purchase private health insurance "The Obama plan will create a National Health Insurance Exchange to help individuals who wish to purchase a private insurance plan."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Require children to be insured "Obama will require that all children have health care coverage."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Expand eligibility for Medicaid and SCHIP "Obama will expand eligibility for the Medicaid and SCHIP programs and ensure that these programs continue to serve as a critical safety net."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Address women's health issues "Obama will invest in research to examine gender and health disparities. Obama will also establish community-outreach programs in underserved areas to help make sure women have health care and maintain healthy lifestyles."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Appoint adviser to address violence against women "Obama will appoint a special adviser who will report to him regularly on issues related to violence against women. Obama will also pass legislation that provides job security to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Establish loan forgiveness program for rural doctors and nurses "He will attract providers to rural America by creating a loan forgiveness program for doctors and nurses who work in underserved rural areas."—Obama's Blueprint for Change HOUSING Crack down on mortgage fraud "We will crack down on mortgage professionals found guilty of fraud by increasing enforcement and creating new criminal penalties."—7/18/07, Washington Change bankruptcy laws "I'll close the loophole that allows investors with multiple homes to renegotiate their mortgage in bankruptcy court, but not victims of predatory lending."—2/13/08, Janesville, Wis. Make mortgage information clearer "Obama will create a Homeowner Obligations Made Explicit (HOME) score, which will provide potential borrowers with a simplified, standardized borrower metric (similar to APR) for home mortgages."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Help homeowners "Obama will create a fund to help people refinance their mortgages and provide comprehensive support to innocent homeowners."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Replicate Harlem Children's Zone "When I'm President, the first part of my plan to combat urban poverty will be to replicate the Harlem Children's Zone in 20 cities across the country."—7/18/07, Washington, D.C. Help communities encourage businesses "When I'm president, I'll make sure that every community has the access to the capital and resources it needs to create a stronger business climate."—7/18/07, Washington, D.C. Help revitalize inner cities "Obama will help local entrepreneurs revitalize inner cities."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Create an affordable-housing trust "As president, I'll create an Affordable Housing Trust Fund that would add as many as 112,000 new affordable units in mixed-income neighborhoods."—7/18/07, Washington, D.C. Appoint director of urban policy "I will also appoint a new director of urban policy, who will cut through the disorganized bureaucracy that currently exists and report directly to me on how these efforts are going."—7/18/07, Washington, D.C. IMMIGRATION Secure borders but implement process for illegal immigrants to become citizens "But we cannot deport 12 million people. Instead, we'll require them to pay a fine, learn English, and go to the back of the line for citizenship -- behind those who came here legally. At the same time, we'll secure our borders and crack down on employers who hire undocumented workers."—9/10/08, Washington, D.C. Overhaul immigration laws "When I'm president, I will put comprehensive immigration reform back on the nation's agenda. And I will not rest until it is passed once and for all."—7/22/07, Miami Crack down on employers who hire illegal immigrants "Obama will remove incentives to enter the country illegally by cracking down on employers who hire undocumented immigrants."—Obama's Blueprint for Change INFRASTRUCTURE Protect New Orleans "When I am president, we will finish building a system of levees that can withstand a 100-year storm by 2011, with the goal of expanding that protection to defend against a Category 5 storm."—2/7/08, New Orleans Hire qualified Federal Emergency Management Agency director with a fixed term "He or she will have the highest qualifications in emergency management. And I won't just tell you that I'll insulate that office from politics. I'll guarantee it by giving my FEMA director a fixed term like the director of the Federal Reserve."—2/7/08, New Orleans Require New Orleans' rebuilding coordinator to report to him "When I am president, the federal rebuilding coordinator [for the Gulf Coast] will report directly to me, and we will ensure that resources show results."—2/7/08, New Orleans Give New Orleans' residents first dibs on local contacts "When I am president, if there is a job that can be done by a New Orleans resident, the contract will go to a resident of New Orleans. And we'll provide tax incentives to businesses that choose to set up shop in the hardest hit areas."—2/7/08, New Orleans Invest $60 billion in infrastructure "I've proposed a National Infrastructure Reinvestment Bank that will invest $60 billion over 10 years. This will multiply into almost half a trillion dollars of additional infrastructure spending and generate nearly 2 million new jobs -- many of them in the construction industry that's been hard hit by the housing crisis we're facing"—2/24/08, Lorain, Ohio Invest in rural infrastructure "Obama will invest in the core infrastructure -- roads, bridges, locks, dams, water systems and essential air service -- that rural communities need."—Obama's Blueprint for Change LABOR Increase minimum wage every year "I won't wait 10 years to raise the minimum wage. I'll guarantee that it goes up every single year."—11/7/07, Bettendorf, Iowa Support unions "If American workers are being denied their right to organize when I'm in the White House, I will put on a comfortable pair of shoes and I will walk on that picket line with you as president of the United States."—11.3/07, Spartanburg, S.C. Try to ban permanent replacement of strikers "He will work to ban the permanent replacement of striking workers, so workers can stand up for themselves without worrying about losing their livelihoods."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Invest $1 billion in transitional jobs programs "I will invest $1 billion over five years in innovative transitional jobs programs that have been highly successful at placing the unemployed into temporary jobs and then training them for permanent ones."—7/18/07, Washington, D.C. Stand up for working parents "I'll be a president who stands up for working parents."—11/7/07, Bettendorf, Iowa Require automatic retirement savings plans "When I'm president, employers will be required to enroll every worker in a direct deposit retirement account that places a small percentage of every paycheck into savings."—1/29/08, El Dorado, Kan. Expand Family Medical Leave Act "I'll expand the Family Medical Leave Act to include more businesses and millions more workers"—11/7/07, Bettendorf, Iowa Won't sign trade pacts lacking labor and environmental standards "It's because of this longstanding commitment to working families that I will not sign any trade agreement as president that does not have protections for our environment and protections for American workers."—2/24/08, Lorain, Ohio Sign the Employee Free Choice Act "That [union right to organize] is why I'll fight for and why I intend to sign the Employee Free Choice Act when it lands on my desk in the White House."—4/15/08, Washington, D.C. Revise tax laws to encourage U.S. job creation "We'll pass the Patriot Employer Act that I've been fighting for ever since I ran for the Senate, so we can end tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas and give them to companies that create good jobs with decent wages right here in America.."—4/2/08, Philadelphia Enforce Equal Pay Act "Barack Obama will better enforce the Equal Pay Act, fight job discrimination, and improve child care options and family medical leave to give women equal footing in the workplace."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Help states adopt paid-leave systems "Obama will initiate a strategy to encourage all 50 states to adopt paid-leave systems. Obama will provide a $1.5 billion fund to assist states with startup costs and to help states offset the costs for employees and employers."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Promote workplace flexibility "Obama will create a program to inform businesses about the benefits of flexible work schedules; help businesses create flexible work opportunities; and increase federal incentives for telecommuting."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Require paid sick leave "Obama will require that employers provide seven paid sick days per year to their employees."—Obama's Blueprint for Change MISCELLANEOUS Encourage fathers to be responsible "I'll pass the plan I outlined last year that will provide more financial support to fathers who make the responsible choice to help raise their children and crack down on the fathers who don't."—7/18/07, Washington, D.C. PUBLIC SERVICE Create youth service corps "I am also going to create a 5-E Youth Service Corps."—6/5/07, Hampton, Va. Expand civilian service corps "Today, AmeriCorps—our nation's network of local, state and national service programs—has 75,000 slots. As president, I will increase that to 250,000." "We'll expand USA Freedom Corps to create an online network where Americans can browse opportunities to volunteer." "We will grow the Foreign Service to renew our commitment to diplomacy. We will double the size of the Peace Corps by its 50th anniversary in 2011." "Today, there are 8,000 YouthBuild slots. We'll expand that to 50,000."—12/5/07, Mt. Vernon, Iowa Expand Senior Corps "Obama will engage more interested seniors into public service opportunities by expanding and improving programs like Senior Corps to connect seniors with quality volunteer opportunities."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Nurture innovation among nonprofits "By leveraging federal dollars, Obama will foster the use of best practices of the private sector to nurture innovation in the nonprofit sector."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Encourage nonprofits "Barack Obama will a create an agency within the Corporation for National and Community Service dedicated to building the capacity and effectiveness of the nonprofit sector." —Obama's Blueprint for Change SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY Provide every American broadband access "As president, I will set a simple goal: Every American should have the highest-speed broadband access—no matter where you live or how much money you have."—6/16/08, Flint, Mich. Boost R&D funding "I'll double federal funding for basic research and make the R&D tax credit permanent."—6/16/08, Flint, Mich. Expand high-speed Internet access in rural area "Barack Obama will ensure that rural Americans have access to a modern communications infrastructure. He will modernize an FCC program that supports rural phone service so that it promotes affordable broadband coverage across rural America as well."—Obama's Blueprint for Change SOCIAL SECURITY/MEDICARE Work to lower drug costs "In addition, I will allow the government to negotiate with drug companies to lower costs for seniors, and we'll allow reimportation of drugs from other countries and ensure their safety, lowering costs for all consumers."—9/6/08, Washington, D.C. Preserve Social Security, block privatization "Obama will preserve Social Security by stopping any efforts to privatize it and working in a bipartisan way to preserve it for future generations."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Reduce Medicare waste "[Obama] will reduce waste in the Medicare system, including eliminating subsidies to the private insurance Medicare Advantage program."—Obama's Blueprint for Change TAXES Ensure taxes don't go up for families with incomes lower than $250,000 "And I can make a firm pledge: Under my plan, no family making less than $250,000 will see their taxes increase -- not your income taxes, not your payroll taxes, not your capital gains taxes, not any of your taxes."—9/12/08, Dover, N.H. Remove capital gains taxes for small businesses "I will eliminate capital gains taxes for the small businesses and the start-ups that will create the high-wage, high-tech jobs of tomorrow."—8/28/08, Denver Cut taxes for 95 percent of working families "I will cut taxes -- cut taxes -- for 95 percent of all working families."—8/28/08, Denver Provide $4,000 education tax credit "I'll create a new and refundable tax credit worth $4,000 for tuition and fees every year."—11/7/07, Bettendorf, Iowa Simplify student aid application process "I'll also simplify the financial aid application process so that we don't have a million students who aren't applying for financial aid because it's too difficult. I will start by eliminating the current student aid form altogether. We'll use tax data instead."—11/7/07, Bettendorf, Iowa Triple earned income tax credit "To make work pay, I will also triple the Earned Income Tax Credit for full-time workers making the minimum wage."—7/18/07, Washington Crack down on tax evasion "We'll create a list of countries where tax evaders hide their income and cost America untold billions of dollars every year. We'll lead the international community to new standards of information sharing. And we'll penalize companies and individuals who use those havens and illegally evade their tax obligations."—9/18/07, Washington Provide homeowners tax credit "We'll provide struggling homeowners some relief by giving them a tax credit that would cover 10 percent of a family's mortgage interest payment every year."—1/29/08, El Dorado, Kan. Tax fewer retirees "When I'm president, we'll work to see that no retiree making less than $50,000 each year has to pay income tax."—9/18/07, Washington Cut taxes on the middle class "I have not only pledged not to raise their taxes, I've been the first candidate in this race to specifically say I would cut their taxes."—4/16/08, Philadelphia "We will provide real tax relief for the middle class by cutting taxes for 150 million Americans."—6/12/08, Kaukauna, Wis. Tax windfall oil profits "I'll put a windfall profits tax on oil companies and use it to help Indiana families pay their heating and cooling bills and reduce energy costs."—4/25/08, Indianapolis Simplify income tax filing "When I'm president, we'll put in place a system where 40 million Americans with a job and a bank account who take the standard deduction can do their taxes in less than five minutes."—6/12/08, Kaukauna, Wis. Cut income taxes $1,000 for working families "Obama will cut income taxes by $1,000 for working families to offset the payroll tax they pay."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Change child tax credit "Obama will reform the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit by making it refundable and allowing low-income families to receive up to a 50 percent credit for their child care expenses."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Provide $500 tax credit to low- and middle-income workers "Obama will provide all low- and middle-income workers a $500 Making Work Pay tax credit to offset the payroll tax those workers pay in every paycheck."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Repeal Bush tax cuts for the very rich "Obama is committed to repealing the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans."—Obama's Blueprint for Change VETERANS Update Veterans Affairs hospital system "I've pledged to build a 21st-century VA as president. It means no more red tape. It's time to give every service member electronic copies of medical and service records upon discharge."—5/12/08, Charleston, W.Va. Pass VA budget on time "I'm going to work with leaders of Congress for a must-pass veterans budget."—5/26/08, Las Cruces, N.M. Ensure all veterans are covered "I think it is important for all veterans to be eligible for the VA. And that is something that I'm going to reverse when I'm president of the United States."—5/26/08, Las Cruces, N.M. Ensure adequate number of VA clinics "What we can make sure of is that there are enough clinics out there that for basic checkups, you know, problems that are outpatient situations, that people don't have to drive two or three hours. And that's something that I'm going to make sure is budgeted when I'm president of the United States."—5/26/08, Las Cruces, N.M. Increase housing assistance "I'll expand housing vouchers, and I'll launch a new supportive services housing program to prevent at-risk veterans and their families from sliding into homelessness."—8/21/07, Kansas City, Mo. Improve VA administrative systems "Obama will hire additional claims workers and improve training and accountability so that VA benefit decisions are rated fairly and consistently. He also will make the paper benefit claims process an electronic one to reduce errors and improve timeliness."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Fully fund VA "Barack Obama will fully fund the VA so it has all the resources it needs to serve the veterans who need it when they need it. Obama will establish a world-class VA planning division to avoid future budget shortfalls."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Improve military's mental health screening and care "Obama will improve mental health care at every stage of military service. He will recruit more health professionals, improve screening, offer more support to families and make PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder] benefits claims fairer."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Establish standards for caring for brain-injured veterans "Obama will establish standards of care for traumatic brain injury, the signature injury of the Iraq war."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Improve care for various injuries and women's health through VA "He will improve care for polytrauma vision impairment, prosthetics, spinal cord injury, aging and women's health."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Demand VA eases transition to civilian life "Obama will demand that the military and the VA coordinate to provide a seamless transition from active duty to civilian life."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Reverse 2003 ban on enrolling low-income veterans "One of Obama's first acts will be reversing the 2003 ban on enrolling modest-income veterans, which has denied care to a million veterans."—Obama's Blueprint for Change Fight job discrimination against guardsmen and reservists "Obama will crack down on employers who commit job discrimination against guardsmen and reservists."—Obama's Blueprint for Change
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