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Here you find an overview of all issues. You can click on an issue to see your repsonses and responses from Hillary Clinton as well as the sources on which they are based.

Not answered by you	Gun control
Not answered by you	Environment
Not answered by you	Iraq
Not answered by you	Economy
Not answered by you	Income
Not answered by you	National security
Not answered by you	Family
Not answered by you	Immigration
Not answered by you	Health care
Not answered by you	Law and order
Not answered by you	Education
Not answered by you	Terrorism

Gun control

Proposition 1: People should have a background check and obtain a license before they can buy a gun Your opinion: You have not answered that question. Opinion Hillary Clinton: tend to agree Debate transcripts   "Senator Clinton, a question for you: Did the government -- did any role that federal government plays fail those students at Virginia Tech? Clinton: Yes. You know, I remember very well when I accompanied Bill to Columbine after that massacre and met with the family members of those who had been killed and talked with the students, and feeling that we had to do more to try to keep guns out of the hands of the criminal and of the mentally unstable. And during the Clinton administration, that was a goal -- not to, in any way, violate people's Second Amendment rights, but to try to limit access to people who should not have guns. Clinton: Unfortunately, we saw the tragedy unfold at Virginia Tech. We now know that the background check system didn't work, because certainly this shooter, as he's called, had been involuntarily committed as a threat to himself and others. And, yet, he could walk in and buy a gun. " Democratic Debate South Carolina MSNBC 26-04-2007 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18352397 Other websites and news sources   If elected to the Senate, Mrs. Clinton said she'd work with Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-California) on her bill that would require prospective gun buyers to first obtain a gun license by passing a background check and a safety course exam. The bill would also establish a national registry to record all gun sales. http://archives.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/05/09/hrc.guns/index.html

Proposition 2: Stricter gun control will not reduce crime Your opinion: You have not answered that question. Opinion Hillary Clinton: tend to disagree Other websites and news sources   ''The senators need to hear from all of us,'' Mrs. Clinton said. She urged voters ''to give them the encouragement to do what they know is right and to remind them that there are many, many millions of American voters and citizens who will stand behind political leaders who are brave enough to buck the gun lobby, wherever that may take us, so that they will vote for the measures that we know will save lives.'' http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C04E7D9173FF93AA35756C0A96F958260 Website candidate's former or current post / roll call behaviour   Hillary Clinton was one of 16 Senators who voted against the 2006 Vitter Amendment, which prohibits the funding of the confiscation of lawfully-held firearms during a disaster. (http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=2&vote=00202#position) "The vote reauthorizing the assault weapons ban is a vote in support of a public safety initiative that works. According to a report issued by the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, the assault weapons ban passed ten years ago has resulted in a substantial decline in the use of those weapons in crimes http://clinton.senate.gov/~clinton/news/2004/2004302B06.html "Keeping guns out of the hands of criminals is a goal we all share," Senator Clinton said. "Closing the gun show loophole will help protect our children and families from the crimes that result when criminals acquire firearms from gun shows in the thirty-two states that do not require this common sense safety measure." http://clinton.senate.gov/~clinton/news/2001/04/2001424652.html

Proposition 3: All semi-automatic weapons should be banned Your opinion: You have not answered that question. Opinion Hillary Clinton: tend to agree Debate transcripts   Henderson: "What about the assault weapons ban or restrictions on bullets?" Clinton: "Well, there is evidence that I've read about that the killer had ammunition that would have been illegal under the assault weapons ban. You know, look, I think the balancing act is clear here to everybody. You have to balance Second Amendment rights against keeping guns out of the hands of criminals and people who are unstable and that has always been what everyone I know has been seeking to accomplish and maybe this tragic incident will get us to think about how to get back to that balance." http://learfield.typepad.com/radioiowa/2007/04/clinton_edwards.html Website candidate's former or current post / roll call behaviour   (Supported by Hillary Clinton in 109th congress S. 645: Semi-auto ban plus a ban on some youth sportshooting competitions. http://losttarget.blogspot.com/2007/10/hillary-clinton-guns.html )

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Environment

Proposition 1: The effects of global warming are grossly exaggerated Your opinion: You have not answered that question. Opinion Hillary Clinton: completely disagree Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website   "Our planet is warming, with potentially cataclysmic results: The scientific community has established beyond doubt that global warming is occurring; the 20th century's last two decades were the hottest in 400 years. The IPCC has further predicted that the average temperature will rise by three to nine degrees by the end of the century, and as a result sea levels will rise between 7 and 23 inches, dramatically affecting the one hundred million people who live within 3 feet of  the mean sea level. Security experts believe that these impacts will pose a serious national security threat by increasing instability in some of the world’s most volatile regions."   http://www.hillaryclinton.com/files/pdf/poweringamericasfuture.pdf

Proposition 2: An additional carbon tax on fuel will effectively reduce pollution Your opinion: You have not answered that question. Opinion Hillary Clinton: tend to disagree Other websites and news sources   Do you believe we need a carbon tax in addition to a cap-and-trade system? There is a lot of interest now in figuring out what the most efficient and effective means of controlling and decreasing greenhouse gases would be. I'm looking for what will work and produce results. A cap-and-trade [program] can be designed and implemented in a number of ways. I would strongly favor using an auction for the allocation of the permits -- an auction that would [sell] as close to 100 percent of the permits as possible [rather than giving a percentage of them away for free]. But I think that there are a number of other serious proposals. I will entertain what I think are the best proposals that are politically viable. We still face tremendous opposition from the Republicans. Whatever we do, we have to do it soon. We can't keep talking about it. If we can't get to the end point soon with a comprehensive proposal, then let's make as much progress as possible while we have a Republican president who is beholden to the oil companies and who is uninterested in taking action. http://www.grist.org/feature/2007/08/09/clinton/index.html

Proposition 3: The US should never sign international treaties on climate change that limit economic growth Your opinion: You have not answered that question. Opinion Hillary Clinton: completely disagree Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website   "Leading the Development of a Post-Kyoto Treaty: The Kyoto treaty is set to expire in 2012, and Hillary would act quickly in 2009 to restore U.S. leadership in the global warming arena by playing an active role in developing the post-Kyoto treaty.As a guide to the treaty, Hillary would propose a science-based goal to limit global warming to levels needed to avoid the most catastrophic consequences of climate change. She would re-engage in negotiations, work to bring rapidly developing nations like China and India along, and convene high-level meetings every three months with the goal of getting a new deal in place by 2010, two years ahead of Kyoto’s expiration." "Establishing an “E8” to Speed Global Action to Address Climate Change: Hillary would invite the G8 nations and key developing countries to join the United States in establishing an “E8.” This group would be comprised of the world’s major carbon-emitting nations, and would hold an annual summit devoted to international ecological and resource issues – global warming foremost among them. The E8 would not be a substitute for the United Nations effort to forge a global climate agreement, but rather would streamline negotiations among major emitters and would serve as a catalyst for the larger effort. The group would include the United States, Canada, Mexico, the European Union, China, Russia, Japan, India, South Africa, and Brazil." Energy Plan Clinton http://www.hillaryclinton.com/files/pdf/poweringamericasfuture.pdf

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Iraq

Proposition 1: The US had every right to invade Iraq Your opinion: You have not answered that question. Opinion Hillary Clinton: tend to agree Debate transcripts   (Videotape, October 10, 2002) SEN. CLINTON: Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapons stock, his missile delivery capability and his nuclear program. He has also given aid, comfort and sanctuary to terrorists, including al-Qaeda members. Any vote that might lead to war should be hard, but I cast it with conviction. So it is with conviction that I support this resolution as being in the best interests of our nation. (End videotape) MR. RUSSERT: As we sit here this morning, Saddam rebuilding a nuclear weapons program, just not true; giving aid and sanctuary to al-Qaeda, debatable. Your vote in the best interests of the nation. Do you believe that your vote was in the best interest of the nation? SEN. CLINTON: Well, I cast a sincere vote based on my assessment at the time, and I take responsibility for that vote. I also said on the floor that day that this was not a vote for preemptive war. I thought it made sense to put inspectors back in. As you recall, Saddam had driven out the UN inspectors in 1998 and the situation in Iraq was opaque, hard to determine, and I thought that it made sense to put inspectors back in. Now, obviously, if I had known then what I know now about what the president would do with the authority that was given him, I would not have voted the way that I did. NBC News MEET THE PRESS Sunday, September 23, 2007 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20941413/

Proposition 2: The US is safer because of the invasion of Iraq Your opinion: You have not answered that question. Opinion Hillary Clinton: completely disagree Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website   Senator Clinton takes very seriously the threats we face from terrorism. She believes President Bush's singular focus on Iraq has distracted him from waging the war on terror effectively and emboldened our enemies. As president, she will be tough and smart in combating terrorism. http://www.hillaryclinton.com/issues/security/

Proposition 3: The new president should begin to bring home all US troops from Iraq immediately Your opinion: You have not answered that question. Opinion Hillary Clinton: completely agree Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website   "Our message to the president is clear. It is time to begin ending this war -- not next year, not next month -- but today. "Well, the right strategy before the surge and post-escalation is the same: start bringing home America's troops now." "If President Bush does not end the war, when Hillary Clinton is president, she will. Her three-step plan would bring our troops home, work to bring stability to the region, and replace military force with a new diplomatic initiative to engage countries around the world in securing Iraq's future. " http://www.hillaryclinton.com/issues/iraq/ Other websites and news sources   "I do not believe it is in a crisis," she said of the retirement program. On Iraq, Clinton continued to avoid being pinned down on how quickly she would withdraw U.S. troops, saying she would begin moving the military out if elected but refusing to give what she described as "the satisfying answer" -- a date when those forces would be gone entirely. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/09/AR2007100902284.html

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Economy

Proposition 1: The best way to reduce the federal deficit is to raise taxes Your opinion: You have not answered that question. Opinion Hillary Clinton: tend to agree Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website   "Restoring fiscal responsibility to government. That means balancing the budget; saving Social Security; reducing our dependence on foreign creditors (e.g. China); returning high-income tax rates to the 1990s levels; reforming the AMT; and ensuring that corporations pay their fair share of taxes." http://www.hillaryclinton.com/feature/inequality/

Proposition 2: The tax cuts for people with a higher income should be reversed Your opinion: You have not answered that question. Opinion Hillary Clinton: tend to agree Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website   "Discontinue Bush Tax Cuts for Top Two Income Tax Brackets and Bush Increases in Tax Exemptions (PEP/Pease) for Households over $250,000 (Calculations based on Tax Policy Center, 2/19/04, 11/2/04; CBO Budget Options, 2/07): $52 billion" http://www.hillaryclinton.com/feature/healthcareplan/americanhealthchoicesplan.pdf American Health Choices Plan: 11-12 Other websites and news sources   Clinton proposed several specific measures to pay for her plan, including an end to some of the Bush-era tax cuts for people making more than $250,000 (euro180,000) per year. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20819827/

Proposition 3: The government has no responsibility to provide retirement funds Your opinion: You have not answered that question. Opinion Hillary Clinton: completely disagree Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website   • Reward savings, protect pensions, and provide greater retirement security. http://www.hillaryclinton.com/issues/middleclass/ Other websites and news sources   WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on Tuesday proposed a retirement savings plan for lower- and middle-class families that would include tax credits as incentives for saving. The plan, estimated to cost about $20 billion to $25 billion a year, would be paid for out of the revenues from estate taxes on wealthy Americans. Clinton, a senator from New York and the Democratic front-runner in the race for the White House, said in a speech in Iowa the savings plan would help rebuild a "strong and prosperous middle class." "Many Americans have worked hard their entire lives ... but when it came time to retire they fell short," Clinton said as she unveiled her "plan to help a new generation of Americans save and build wealth." http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSHO01360620071010

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Income

Proposition 1: Mortgage lenders should be more tightly controlled Your opinion: You have not answered that question. Opinion Hillary Clinton: tend to agree Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website   As President, she will also work with the states to develop strong licensing standards to ensure that mortgage brokers are qualified and properly screened. [...] Eliminate prepayment penalties on mortgage products. http://www.hillaryclinton.com/feature/mortgage/

Proposition 2: People with higher incomes should receive less Medicare benefits Your opinion: You have not answered that question. Opinion Hillary Clinton: completely agree Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website   Premiums have skyrocketed over the last several years – nearly double since 2000. The American Health Choices Plan helps working families afford coverage through refundable, income-related tax credits to ensure that accessible, high-quality health coverage is affordable to all. (http://www.hillaryclinton.com/feature/healthcareplan/americanhealthchoicesplan.pdf ) Other websites and news sources   For individuals and families who are not covered by employers or whose employer-based coverage is inadequate, Clinton would offer expanded versions of two existing government programs: Medicare, and the health insurance plan currently offered to federal employees. Consumers could choose between either government-run program, but aides stress that no new federal bureaucracy would be created under the Clinton plan. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20819827/

Proposition 3: The federal government should reduce income inequality Your opinion: You have not answered that question. Opinion Hillary Clinton: completely agree Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website   Restoring fiscal responsibility to government. That means balancing the budget; saving Social Security; reducing our dependence on foreign creditors (e.g. China); returning high-income tax rates to the 1990s levels; reforming the AMT; and ensuring that corporations pay their fair share of taxes. Help working people earn enough to support their families and help them save for the future. That means simplifying and expanding the EITC; overhauling the unemployment insurance system; and making it easier for workers to join unions. Ensure that every American has quality, affordable health care. It is intolerable that 45 million Americans are without health insurance, particularly considering that we are spending nearly $500 billion on the war in Iraq. (http://www.hillaryclinton.com/feature/inequality/) Speech transcripts   In 2005, the last year I could find the numbers for, all income gains went to the top 10 percent of households .... That is not the America that I grew up in. (...) The wealthiest 1 percent of Americans held 22 percent of America’s income. That’s an astonishing figure, and it is the highest level of income inequality since the beginning of the Great Depression in 1929. Speech Clinton Nov. 19, 2007 in Knoxville, Iowa.

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National security

Proposition 1: The US should reduce its financial contribution to the UN Your opinion: You have not answered that question. Opinion Hillary Clinton: completely disagree Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website   America is stronger when we lead the world through alliances and build our foreign policy on a strong foundation of bipartisan consensus. As president, Hillary will lead by the words of the Declaration of Independence, which pledged "a decent respect to the opinions of mankind." Hillary knows that America must remain a preeminent leader for peace and freedom, willing to work in concert with other nations and institutions to reach common goals. Hillary has put forth an aggressive plan to support public schools in developing countries in an effort to achieve universal primary education for the 77 million children around the world who aren't in school because they are too poor. http://www.hillaryclinton.com/issues/security/ Speech transcripts   Finally, I want to close by emphasizing my core point: we need a better U.N., not a weaker one. America must take the lead, or else this will not be possible. But all of the other nations at this great conference have roles to play. Our main speaker today, who has devoted his life to the organization, who is our friend as well as a world figure of great stature, cannot do it alone. The lofty ideals of the 1945 founders may not have yet been realized but they are still valid, and we owe it to the world to redouble our efforts to achieve them. February 13, 2005 The Future Role of the United Nations Within the Framework of Global Security Munich Conference on Security Policy http://clinton.senate.gov/news/statements/details.cfm?id=236353&&

Proposition 2: Iran is not an imminent threat to world peace Your opinion: You have not answered that question. Opinion Hillary Clinton: tend to disagree Debate transcripts   30/10/2007 Democratic debate transcript Philadelphia, Pennsylvania presidential candidate forum at Drexel http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21528787/ Well, first of all, I am against a rush to war. I was the first person on this stage and one of the very first in the Congress to go to the floor of the Senate back in February and say George Bush had no authority to take any military action in Iran. Secondly, I am not in favor of this rush for war, but I'm also not in favor of doing nothing. Iran is seeking nuclear weapons. And the Iranian Revolutionary Guard is in the forefront of that, as they are in the sponsorship of terrorism. So some may want a false choice between rushing to war, which is the way the Republicans sound -- it's not even a question of whether, it's a question of when and what weapons to use -- and doing nothing. I prefer vigorous diplomacy. And I happen to think economic sanctions are part of vigorous diplomacy. We used them with respect to North Korea. We used them with respect to Libya. 30/10/2007 Democratic debate transcript Philadelphia, Pennsylvania presidential candidate forum at Drexel http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21528787/

Proposition 3: The US should decrease its spending on defense Your opinion: You have not answered that question. Opinion Hillary Clinton: tend to disagree Speech transcripts   The next president will take office at a time when the United States faces the greatest confluence of challenges in our country's recent history. We must regain our place in the world with a new security policy that serves our national interest, recaptures our moral authority, works with our allies, modernizes our military, and confidently projects our values. In short, we must rebuild our strength and widen and deepen its scope. (......) You know, despite the professed attempts at military transformation, much more needs to be done. We do need to increase the size of the Army to address the myriad threats that we still face, even after we begin withdrawing from Iraq. We need to reform the Pentagon's acquisition system to rein in the costs of weapons systems and spending on outside contractors. And we need to find the right mix between legacy systems that our service members are currently using and newer programs that will allow us to keep our technological edge. Our experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan mean that we must not just learn but incorporate the lessons of asymmetric warfare and train and equip our forces accordingly.Finally, we need to re-evaluate the entire training and education that service members need in the 21st century. http://www.hillaryclinton.com/news/speech/view/?id=3884 Other websites and news sources   An examination of contributions of $500 or more, using the Huffington Post's Fundrace website, shows that employees of the top five arms makers - Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Northrop-Grumman, Raytheon and General Dynamics -- gave Democratic presidential candidates $103,900, with only $86,800 going to Republicans. Senator Clinton took in $52,600, more than half of the total going to all Democrats, and a figure equaling 60 percent of the sum going to the entire GOP field. Her closest competitor for defense industry money is former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney (R.), who raised $32,000. The strong support for Clinton indicates that a majority of defense industry executives currently believe Clinton is a favorite to win the Democratic nomination and, in November, 2008, the general election. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/10/17/defense-industry-embraces_n_68927.html

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Family

Proposition 1: Same sex marriages should be made legal Your opinion: You have not answered that question. Opinion Hillary Clinton: neutral Debate transcripts   Q: What is at the heart of your opposition to same-sex marriage? A: Well, I prefer to think of it as being very positive about civil unions. You know, it's a personal position. How we get to full equality is the debate we're having, & I am absolutely in favor of civil unions with full equality of benefits, rights, and privileges. I want to proceed with equalizing federal benefits. And I've also been a very strong supporter of letting the states maintain their jurisdiction over marriage. I want to repeal Section 3 of DOMA, which stands in the way of the extension of benefits to people in committed, same-sex relationships. I will be very strongly in favor of doing that as president. I don't know that we could have defeated the Federal Marriage Amendment if we had not had DOMA. I mean, that is something that, you know, has provided a great protection against what was clearly the Republican strategy, to just cynically use marriage as a political tool. Source: 2007 HRC/LOGO debate on gay issues Aug 9, 2007 http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2007/08/sweet_dem_gay_forum_special_pa.html Other websites and news sources   Notably, she voted against the 2004 Federal Marriage Amendment that would have put a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. But in her pre-vote Senate floor speech, Clinton asserted, “I believe marriage is not just a bond but a sacred bond between a man and a woman.” http://www.nyblade.com/2006/2-24/news/localnews/hillary.cfm

Proposition 2: Abortion should be made completely illegal Your opinion: You have not answered that question. Opinion Hillary Clinton: completely disagree Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website   She would restore U.S. funding for UNFPA, which provides vital reproductive health services to women around the world, and rescind the Global Gag Rule, which prevents U.S. funding from assisting nongovernmental organizations in other countries that provide information about or access to abortion services. http://www.hillaryclinton.com/news/release/view/?id=4392 As we mark the 34th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, we are at a critical moment for women's health. Women's right to make choices about their reproductive health has been systematically challenged and family planning and contraception are under attack. All women must be able to make their own choices about their reproductive health. At the same time, we must work for the day when abortions are truly rare. That means preventing unwanted pregnancies and doing everything we can to ensure that all women have access to family planning, contraception and the medically accurate information they need and deserve. I was proud to help launch the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, which has helped reduce teen pregnancy by one third. Together with Senator Patty Murray, I pressed the FDA for a long overdue decision on Plan B, making emergency contraception available over-the-counter for millions of women – a real victory for women's health. I have also introduced the Prevention First Act, which increases funding for family planning services, ensures that health plans that cover prescription drugs cover contraceptives, improves education about emergency contraception, ensures that hospital emergency rooms offer emergency contraception to victims of sexual assault and strengthens Medicaid coverage of family planning services so family planning and contraception are accessible and affordable for low income women. These are common sense policies on which we can find common ground. By taking these steps, we can realize the goal of making abortion safe, legal and rare.” As we mark the 34th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, we are at a critical moment for women's health. Women's right to make choices about their reproductive health has been systematically challenged and family planning and contraception are under attack. All women must be able to make their own choices about their reproductive health. At the same time, we must work for the day when abortions are truly rare. That means preventing unwanted pregnancies and doing everything we can to ensure that all women have access to family planning, contraception and the medically accurate information they need and deserve. I was proud to help launch the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, which has helped reduce teen pregnancy by one third. Together with Senator Patty Murray, I pressed the FDA for a long overdue decision on Plan B, making emergency contraception available over-the-counter for millions of women – a real victory for women's health. I have also introduced the Prevention First Act, which increases funding for family planning services, ensures that health plans that cover prescription drugs cover contraceptives, improves education about emergency contraception, ensures that hospital emergency rooms offer emergency contraception to victims of sexual assault and strengthens Medicaid coverage of family planning services so family planning and contraception are accessible and affordable for low income women. These are common sense policies on which we can find common ground. By taking these steps, we can realize the goal of making abortion safe, legal and rare.” http://clinton.senate.gov/news/statements/details.cfm?id=267783&& Website candidate's former or current post / roll call behaviour   "This decision, which is one of the most fundamental, difficult and soul searching decisions a woman and a family can make, is also one in which the government should have no role. I believe we can all recognize that abortion in many ways represents a sad, even tragic choice to many, many women." http://clinton.senate.gov/~clinton/speeches/2005125A05.html

Proposition 3: Using embryos for stem cell research is acceptable as it enables us to find cures for diseases Your opinion: You have not answered that question. Opinion Hillary Clinton: completely agree Candidate's book, columns or other publications   Hillary will restore the federal government's commitment to science by signing an Executive Order that: o Rescinds President Bush's ban on ethical embryonic stem cell research and promotes stem cell research that complies with the highest ethical standards. http://www.hillaryclinton.com/ Hillary Clinton's Economic Blueprint for the 21st Century, Oct. 8, 2007 Other websites and news sources   If elected, would you keep the current ban on funding for embryonic stem cell research in place? Why or why not? I have pledged to lift the current ban on funding for embryonic stem research. This is because science, not narrow ideology, should drive our national research agenda. Stem cell research has the potential to transform lives, to help us find cures for illnesses including Parkinson's disease, heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, Huntington's disease, and spinal cord injury. One hundred million Americans suffer from these diseases. The ban on stem cell research prevents scientists from pursuing developments that could lead to cures for these devastating illnesses. This ban is also a problem because some of our brightest researchers and scientists are choosing to do their work elsewhere -- or deciding to go into a different field of research entirely -- because they will not be supported in the United States. As a result, we are losing our international competitive edge to countries like Singapore and the United Kingdom, which support stem cell research. We are literally losing the race toward scientific progress. When I am President, we will once again stand up for science and research, for open and free inquiry, and for the critical investments that will make us richer, safer, smarter and stronger in the years to come. I have also proposed to increase the National Institutes of Health budget by 50 percent over five years and to double it over 10 years. Since 2003, the NIH budget has been largely flat, and President Bush proposes reducing it by 1.1 percent in 2008. http://projects.washingtonpost.com/2008-presidential-candidates/issues/candidates/hillary-clinton/#stem-cell-research Website candidate's former or current post / roll call behaviour   "Remarks by Senator Clinton on the Senate Floor Calling for Passage of Stem Cell Legislation I welcome this vote on such an important piece of legislation, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act. As we have heard eloquently from my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, stem cell research holds the promise of new cures and treatments for countless diseases and millions of Americans with chronic and curable conditions. The wide range of applications for stem cells may lead to unparalleled achievements on behalf of research concerning Alzheimer's disease, as my friend and colleague, Senator Mikulski just so passionately described, with respect to her own family and her own experience; to spinal cord injuries like my dear friend, Christopher Reeve; to diabetes and other conditions." 06/18/2006 http://clinton.senate.gov/news/statements/details.cfm?id=258779 Voted YES on expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines. (Apr 2007) http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=1&vote=00127

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Immigration

Proposition 1: To prevent illegal immigration, the US should complete the fence along the entire Mexican border Your opinion: You have not answered that question. Opinion Hillary Clinton: tend to agree Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website   She believes comprehensive reform must have as essential ingredients a strengthening of our borders, greater cross-cooperation with our neighbors, strict but fair enforcement of our laws, federal assistance to our state and local governments, strict penalties for those who exploit undocumented workers, and a path to earned legal status for those who are here, working hard, paying taxes, respecting the law, and willing to meet a high bar. http://www.hillaryclinton.com/issues/immigration/ Debate transcripts   (7:27) Question: Senator Clinton, you also voted for the wall. Why on the Mexican border and not on the Canadian border? HRC: Well, actually I do favor much more border patrolling and much more technology on both of our borders and in certain areas even a physical border, because I think we’ve got to secure our border. That has to be part of comprehensive immigration reform. I have championed comprehensive immigration reform and it includes starting with securing our borders in order to give people the support they need to come over and support us when it comes to having a pathway when it comes to legalization. We all know that this has become a contentious political issue. It is being demagogue and I believe that it is being used to bash immigrants and that must stop. http://www.hillaryclinton.com/files/pdf/Univision%20HRC%20Transcript.pdf Website candidate's former or current post / roll call behaviour   Voted YES on building a fence along the Mexican border Reference: Secure Fence Act; Bill H R 6061 ; vote number 2006-262 on Sep 29, 2006 http://www.ontheissues.org/2008/Hillary_Clinton_Immigration.htm

Proposition 2: All illegal immigrants without a criminal record should be given the right to stay in the US legally Your opinion: You have not answered that question. Opinion Hillary Clinton: tend to agree Debate transcripts   Senator Clinton, if you were currently the president, would you defy the majority of American citizens and offer a form of amnesty for illegal aliens? Clinton: Well, I'm in favor of comprehensive immigration reform, which includes tightening our border security, sanctioning employers to employ undocumented immigrants, helping our communities deal with the costs that come from illegal immigration, getting the 12 million or so immigrants out of the shadows. That's very important to me. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18352397 Website candidate's former or current post / roll call behaviour   "A comprehensive solution to our immigration crisis must include strengthening our borders, greater cooperation with our neighbors, strict but fair enforcement of our laws, federal assistance to state and local governments, strict penalties for those who exploit undocumented workers, and a path to earned legal status for those who are here, working hard, paying taxes, respecting the law, and willing to meet a high bar, including learning English. The solution must also protect the sanctity of families and repair the broken, unfair bureaucratic system that forces citizens and lawful immigrants to live apart from their spouses and children." http://clinton.senate.gov/issues/immigration/

Proposition 3: Illegal immigration threatens our national security Your opinion: You have not answered that question. Opinion Hillary Clinton: completely disagree Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website   "Hillary has consistently called for comprehensive immigration reform that respects our immigrant heritage and honors the rule of law. She believes comprehensive reform must have as essential ingredients a strengthening of our borders, greater cross-cooperation with our neighbors, strict but fair enforcement of our laws, federal assistance to our state and local governments, strict penalties for those who exploit undocumented workers, and a path to earned legal status for those who are here, working hard, paying taxes, respecting the law, and willing to meet a high bar. Hillary strongly believes we need to do more to know who is in our country by securing our borders and ensuring that employers comply with the law against hiring and exploiting undocumented workers. She supports deploying new technology that can help stop the flow of undocumented immigrants into the country and an employer verification system that is universal, accurate, timely, and does not lead to discrimination and abuse by employers." Debate transcripts   "Senator Clinton, the negative tone of the immigration debate has left the country polarized and has created certain racist and discriminatory attitudes towards Hispanics, including legal residents and citizens of Hispanic origin. What would you do to curb anti- Hispanic, anti-Latino sentiment in particular? SEN. CLINTON: Well, I think this is a very serious problem, and as I said earlier, there are many in the political and frankly in the broadcast world today who take a particular aim at our Latino population. And I think it's very destructive. It undermines our unity as a country. It is unfair to so many of the millions -- hardworking Latinos that I know, that work for me. My campaign manager is a Latina. And I will do everything I can to stand against this. I'll speak out against it, as I have as a senator. I will speak out against, as I have running for the presidency. There was a particularly egregious example of that in the House- passed bill last year. When the House passed a bill, they tried to criminalize anyone who helped an illegal immigrant, anyone who gave them medical care, any church that opened up to give them food at a dinner or breakfast. And I said that I would have criminalized the Good Samaritan. It would have criminalized Jesus Christ. We have to say no, we are a nation of immigrants --" UNIVISION NETWORK DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE 09/09/2007 http://media.miamiherald.com/smedia/2007/09/09/23/English_transcript.source.prod_affiliate.56.pdf

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Health care

Proposition 1: Providing health care is not the responsibility of the government Your opinion: You have not answered that question. Opinion Hillary Clinton: completely disagree Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website   "In addition to the array of private insurance choices offered, the Health Choices Menu will also provide Americans with a choice of a public plan option, which could be modeled on the traditional Medicare program, but would cover same benefits as guaranteed in private plan options in the Health Choices Menu without creating a new bureaucracy. The alternative will compete on a level playing field with traditional private insurance plans. It will provide a more affordable option, in part through greater administrative savings. It will not be funded through the Medicare trust fund." (health care plan Clinton http://www.hillaryclinton.com/feature/healthcareplan/americanhealthchoicesplan.pdf )

Proposition 2: US law should obligate all companies to provide health care insurance for their workers Your opinion: You have not answered that question. Opinion Hillary Clinton: tend to agree Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website   "Employers: will help finance the system; large employers will be expected to provide health insurance or contribute to the cost of coverage; small businesses will receive a tax credit to continue or begin to offer coverage." (health care plan clinton http://www.hillaryclinton.com/feature/healthcareplan/americanhealthchoicesplan.pdf )

Proposition 3: The government should provide health care coverage for the millions of uninsured Americans Your opinion: You have not answered that question. Opinion Hillary Clinton: completely agree Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website   "I believe everyone every man, woman and child should have quality, affordable health care in America," the New York senator told an audience in Iowa. She vowed to accomplish the goal in her first term. Aides said Clinton believes that an individual mandate is the only way to achieve health care for all. A key component of her plan would be a federal tax subsidy to help individuals pay for coverage. For individuals and families who are not covered by employers or whose employer-based coverage is inadequate, Clinton would offer expanded versions of two existing government programs: Medicare benefits for the elderly, and the health insurance plan currently offered to federal employees. Consumers could choose between either government-run program, but aides stress that no new federal bureaucracy would be created under the Clinton plan. http://media.www.dailyillini.com/media/storage/paper736/news/2007/09/17/News/Clinton.Announces.Plan.To.Cover.The.Uninsured.And.Lower.Health.Care.Costs.For.Ot-2972874.shtml Other websites and news sources   Universal health care coverage by the end of my second term Q: Many experts project that it would cost between $90 billion and $120 billion to actually achieve universal health care for everyone in America. Is comprehensive reform achievable financially? A: We already spend more money than anybody else in the world, by about $800 billion, and we have 47 million uninsured. We're also at a competitive disadvantage because other countries either provide health care or don't, and our companies are trying to be competing in a global economy. So I want to figure out how we provide universal health care without putting billions more into the system. Let's get prescription drug prices down by negotiating with the drug companies, for example. I am going around the country, and I'm asking people's advice, then I'm going to be proposing a specific plan. You know, President Kennedy said in his inauguration that he wanted to have a man on the moon by the end of the decade. Well, I want to have universal health care coverage by the end of my second term. Source: 2007 AFSCME Democratic primary debate in Carson City Nevada Feb 21, 2007 http://www.ontheissues.org/2008/Hillary_Clinton_Health_Care.htm#2007_HillaryCare

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Law and order

Proposition 1: The death penalty helps deter crime Your opinion: You have not answered that question. Opinion Hillary Clinton: tend to agree Other websites and news sources   And she strongly lobbied liberal members of Congress to support her husband's crime bill, which expanded the federal death penalty. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/02/magazine/02hillary.html?ei=5088&en=0b3a8a88f60a41e1&ex=1285905600&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&pagewanted=print

Proposition 2: The government should spend money on keeping drugs off the streets, not on treating drug addicts Your opinion: You have not answered that question. Opinion Hillary Clinton: tend to disagree Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website   They should also seek to provide a critical mass of peer and community support to help young people make a break from gangs or drugs and get on the right path. (http://www.hillaryclinton.com/feature/youthopportunity/)

Proposition 3: For each crime there should be a fixed minimum sentence Your opinion: You have not answered that question. Opinion Hillary Clinton: tend to disagree Debate transcripts   SEN. CLINTON: In order to tackle this problem, we have to do all of these things. Number one, we do have to go after racial profiling. I’ve supported legislation to try to tackle that. Number two, we have to go after mandatory minimums. You know, mandatory sentences for certain violent crimes may be appropriate, but it has been too widely used. And it is using now a discriminatory impact. Democratic Debate Washington PBS 28-6-2007 http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/28/us/politics/29transcript.html?pagewanted=print

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Education

Proposition 1: Better teachers should be paid higher wages than their colleagues Your opinion: You have not answered that question. Opinion Hillary Clinton: tend to disagree Debate transcripts   MR. BLITZER: Well, what if there's an excellent teacher in that team and a crummy teacher in that team, a teacher who's simply riding along and not really working very hard, not really educating those young kids? Do you give just everybody the merit pay, or do you give the individual teacher? SEN. CLINTON: Wolf, you need to weed out the teachers who are not doing a good job. I mean, that's the bottom line. (Applause.) They should not be teaching our children. Democratic Debate Chicago AFL-CIO 7-8-2007 http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/08/us/politics/07demsforum.html?pagewanted=print SEN. CLINTON: Well, I support school-based merit pay for a lot of the reasons Chris was talking about. We need to get more teachers to go into hard-to-serve areas. We've got to get them into underserved urban areas, underserved rural areas. But the school is a team, and I think it's important that we reward that collaboration. You know, a child who moves from kindergarten to sixth grade, say, in the same school, every one of those teachers is going to affect that child. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/16/us/politics/16debate.html?ref=politics&pagewanted=print

Proposition 2: Creationism should be taught in science classes in school Your opinion: You have not answered that question. Opinion Hillary Clinton: completely disagree Other websites and news sources   In the telephone interview after the speech, Mrs. Clinton also tacitly criticized opponents of evolution. Some of the 2008 Republican presidential candidates have said flatly that they do not believe in evolution, while other Republican contenders have said they support teaching evolution, intelligent design and creationist ideas. “I believe in evolution, and I am shocked at some of the things that people in public life have been saying,” Mrs. Clinton said in the interview. “I believe that our founders had faith in reason and they also had faith in God, and one of our gifts from God is the ability to reason.” “I am grateful that I have the ability to look at dinosaur bones and draw my own conclusions,” she added, saying, too, that antibiotic-resistant bacteria is evidence that “evolution is going on as we speak.” The Clinton attack on White House science policy is not especially new; Mrs. Clinton has used the phrase “war on science” frequently on the campaign trail, and it has reliably drawn applause from Democratic audiences. She has also indicated before that she would reverse the financing restriction on stem cell research and, more broadly, would stand against politicizing science. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/05/us/politics/05clinton.html

Proposition 3: More government funding should go into public schools, not to education vouchers Your opinion: You have not answered that question. Opinion Hillary Clinton: completely agree Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website   Important Issues: Attracting and supporting more outstanding teachers and principals, and paying them like the professionals they are. Reforming the No Child Left Behind Act. This law represented a promise -- more resources for schools in exchange for more accountability -- and that promise has not been kept. Increasing access to high-quality early education and helping to create Early Head Start. http://www.hillaryclinton.com/issues/family/ Other websites and news sources   Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton slammed private-school voucher proposals yesterday, predicting that vouchers would eventually lead to the creation of taxpayer-financed white supremacist academies - or even a government-funded "School of the Jihad." Clinton, a longtime voucher foe who earned the backing of the city teachers union in 2000, says government financing of sectarian groups would incite ethnic and religious conflict - and encourage fringe groups to demand government cash to run their schools. 02/22/2006 http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/ny-ushill224636775feb22,0,1447657.story

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Terrorism

Proposition 1: Anti-terrorism legislation, such as the Patriot Act, unacceptably violates civil liberties Your opinion: You have not answered that question. Opinion Hillary Clinton: neutral Website candidate's former or current post / roll call behaviour   As I noted at the outset, apart from these concerns, the Patriot Act contains provisions that provide law enforcement with important tools in the War on Terror. Because we cannot afford to be without these tools, I am supporting bipartisan legislation that will extend the sunsetting provisions of the Patriot Act by three months. The conference report would give law enforcement the free-wheeling power to impose roving “John Doe” wiretaps without the safeguards needed to protect innocent Americans from unnecessary surveillance, casting aside important checks on this power that were included in the Senate bill. The report would also give the FBI the right to enter and search a home or business without providing notice to the owner of the residence of business for a month or longer after the search. And the conference report contains a provision that seriously curtails the habeas corpus rights of prisoners to challenge their convictions in court. This provision was in neither the House nor Senate bills, and there has been practically no debate on the merits of this change. http://www.senate.gov/~clinton/news/statements/details.cfm?id=249895 I’m proposing that we have a new privacy Bill of Rights that secures the interests of consumers; provides stronger, better-enforced protection for medical privacy; and a new national security consensus setting out clear rules to allow the government to use new intelligence techniques within a rule of law framework and making sure that the public knows its rights and the government’s limits. http://clinton.senate.gov/news/statements/details.cfm?id=257288

Proposition 2: Some form of torture is acceptable if it can prevent terrorist attacks Your opinion: You have not answered that question. Opinion Hillary Clinton: tend to disagree Speech transcripts   "We should not conduct or condone torture. And it is not clear yet exactly what this Administration is or isn't doing, we are getting all kinds of mixed messages. "I don't think we'll know the truth until we have a new president. I think [until] you can get in there and actually bore into what's been going on, you're not going to know. (...) No torture, abide by the Geneva Convention, abide by the laws that we have past and then try to make sure that we inplement that" Interview with Anne Kornblut of Washington Post. Audio file of the interview at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/video/2007/10/09/VI2007100901025.html Clinton speaks out against torture in the Senate. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iGEyh8n0Jo "we have to be clear that we do not conduct torture" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOtF1VDexoQ&feature=related Other websites and news sources   Clinton was similarly vague about how she would handle special interrogation methods used by the CIA. She said that while she does not condone torture, so much has been kept secret that she would not know unlesselected what other extreme measures interrogators are using, and therefore could not say whether she would change or continue existing policies. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/09/AR2007100902284.html

Proposition 3: Iraq is just one front in a broader fight against Islamic terrorism Your opinion: You have not answered that question. Opinion Hillary Clinton: tend to agree Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website   Senator Clinton takes very seriously the threats we face from terrorism. She believes President Bush's singular focus on Iraq has distracted him from waging the war on terror effectively and emboldened our enemies. As president, she will be tough and smart in combating terrorism. http://www.hillaryclinton.com/issues/security/

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• Go to the website of Hillary Clinton