Presidential candidate speaks out on government responsibility and the war in Iraq
John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, has been outspoken in his support of the war in Iraq and as a conservative who believes in a smaller, more accountable government. Based on McCain’s publicly stated positions, black enterprise has compiled a cheat sheet on the Arizona senator’s position on the issues, including the economy, immigration, and national security.
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JOHN McCAIN |
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Born: Aug. 29, 1936 in Panama Canal Zone (U.S. territory) Spouse: Cindy Hensley McCain Alma mater: United States Military Academy Profession: Senior U.S. senator from Arizona (since 1987) |
Plans for Healthcare:
In a McCain administration, there will be a system of healthcare in which everyone can afford and acquire the treatment and preventative care they need. Healthcare should be available to all and not limited by where you work or how much you make. Families should be in charge of their healthcare dollars and have more control over care.
With more competition, companies will be able to offer more affordable insurance options for as many Americans as possible, leveraging the innovation and cost-effectiveness of the U.S.’s firms to put an end to existing rigid, unfriendly bureaucracies.
In addition, the McCain team has a number of initiatives that would help cut costs, including: lowering drug prices bybringing greater competition to our drug markets through safe re-importation of drugs and faster introduction of generic drugs; providing quality, cheaper care for chronic disease by focusing onearly intervention and new treatment models. McCain also wants to pass medical liability reform that ends lawsuits directed at doctors who follow clinical guidelines and adhere to safety protocols and make public more information on treatment options and doctor records more readily accessible.
Plans to strengthen the economy:
To address high gasoline prices, McCain has called on Congress to suspend the 18.4 cent federal gas tax and 24.4 cent diesel tax from Memorial Day to Labor Day. To address rising food prices, he proposes to end ethanol subsidies, tariff barriers and sugar quotas that are helping to drive up food prices and contribute to higher transportation costs.
Addressing the housing crisis:
Under McCain’s housing plan, every homeowner will be given the opportunity to trade a burdensome mortgage for a manageable loan that reflects their home’s market value. People who took out a non-conventional mortgage taken after 2005 and who live in their home, are either delinquent or otherwise demonstrate that they will be unable to continue to meet their mortgage obligations and can meet the terms
of a new 30 year fixed-rate mortgage on the existing home would be eligible. If approved, under the program, the government agency would contact the homeowners’ mortgage servicer and the mortgage servicer writes down and retires the existing loan, which is replaced by a Federal Housing Administration guaranteed loan from a lender.To investigate possible wrongdoing in the mortgage industry, McCain is calling for a task force to investigate potential criminal activity and to bring to justice any who violated the law.
Tax reform:
McCain plans to permanently repeal the Alternative Minimum Tax. According to the candidate, repealing this tax will save middle-class families nearly $60 billion in a single year. Under his plan, a middle class family with children set to pay the AMT will save an average of more than $2,700. He wants to make it harder for the federal government to raise taxes, by requiring a 3/5 majority vote in Congress.
McCain proposes reducing the federal corporate tax rate to 25% from 35%. According to McCain, the U.S. currently has the second-highest combined corporate-tax rate in the industrialized world, and it is driving many businesses and the jobs they create overseas. The Republican also has plans for small businesses. McCain plans to maintain the current income and investment tax rates as a benefit to entrepreneurs and small businesses.
War in Iraq:
The war in Iraq is just one facet of the war against Islamic extremists, McCain says. The U.S. faces an enemy that has repeatedly attacked it and remains committed to killing Americans and the destruction of our values. This election is about who is best prepared to lead and defend our nation and its global allies as Commander-in-Chief from Day 1.
A greater military commitment now is necessary if we are to achieve long-term success in Iraq. However, he also believes there must be a greater emphasis on non-military components promoting economic development and representative, accountable governance.
A renewed effort at home starts with explaining precisely what is at stake in this war to ensure that Americans fully understand the high cost of a military defeat.
Immigration debate:
McCain has always believed that the U.S. border must be secure and that the federal government has failed in its responsibility to ensure that it is secure. If we have learned anything from the recent immigration debate, it is that Americans
have little trust that their government will honor a pledge to do the things necessary to make the border secure, he says. As president, he will secure the border and restore the trust Americans should have in the basic competency of their government. A secure border is an essential element of our national security. Tight border security includes not just the entry and exit of people, but also the effective screening of cargo at our ports and other points of entry.Basic tenets of a McCain administration:
McCain plans to restore the trust that Americans have lost in their government spending their hard earned money wisely. Wasteful spending in Washington has gone from irresponsible to indefensible, he says. Special interests have too much influence in Washington. McCain believes the U.S. needs a president who will provide strong moral leadership, and says a Democrat president will appoint judges who make law with disregard for the will of the people, but to the cheers of those advancing a liberal social agenda. McCain champions a leader who he says recognizes that that the people and states should decide what’s best, not the courts.