| The Behrend Beacon Five significant achievements Iltaraft* iaxcut packages m 2UOI and 2005 reduced the tax buidcn an virtually every American tcxinumiste pneml ly agree that the lax c«s aba helped >4i mutate a faltering economy. Critics contend that any benefit was more than offset by the tong-term cent at enwvtn* budget ddicitaandirexput raintkctn^itm Pmeriptton ia Huy On Dec. H, Utah signed legislation tint odded prererip- Uon-drag coverage to Medicare. Be ginning tn 2MJh, seimics wilt he able magnipfoiaKcr agc. atcoslofUbuui lillannlli,ttatii expected to cU the average prcsenp bon-dmg hill m half t he new benefitis expected to curt the icdcrul Buvcmnxnt at lead $544 btUkn am the next ID yearn 0 War an In response to the Sept i | attacks, Bush launched a war on tenunsm that drah a signifi cant blow tu the nl~Qaida temmst network and toppled the iahhun regime in AfehanutHi. Working with C ongresK, the ndmi lustration also created the Home land Seewity I tepartment in the largest reorganiza tion of government since World War 0. 4 War In Iraq. The war was contmvcrsual, as many people around the wedd believed that LIN. inspec tions were urilicrcnt to contain the thrert. hut w ith war Budi Mjemeedad in remov ing and litimatch capturing Iraqi leader Saddbm llunctn. Bush (idenddieunH) on Match 19,2003. Just three weeks bier, U.S. boapa stormed into Baghdad As it turned out. the war wus the easy part. More traopn have died since Hush declared motor cany bat over an May 1, 3XB than in the war ilsdf. No wanna of mans cfeabuctinn have been found Hush vdws to devd op stable democracy in Iraq. 5 No Child UM MiMl Ihc education tow thui Bush mode a tap legislative poor ity requires annual ninth and trading tests tor elementary school student* and seeks to hold holing schools accountable. I ’meals w ith children in paar-pcifanning schools hove the option of transfer ring to another school. Critics say the federal govern ment has failed to fntkiw through with funding to carry uU me new taw. Hutcheson Bush on the President George W. Bush will battle Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts on the campaign trail, where they will face off on issues from Iraq to the economy. Here, we look at where Bush stands on the major issues facing the nation. ABORTION Bush opposes abortion, but says the country is net ready In outlaw the procedure He says his final ia to promote “a culture of btc“ that would help change public opinion. Meantime, he supports new restrictions an abortion, including the recently enacted bon on the proce dure often called "partial-birth abortion." He said during the 2000 campaign that he would not make abortion a litmus-trot issue for any Supreme Court nominee. "Durian the past three sears uc'ic made real (uogress touard building a cul ture of life inAmerka. ... Working mill the Congress, n e have refused to sfiend tax- payers'money m international programs that promote abortion m erseas. Hi 're opposed to the desirmtitm of embryos for stem-cell research. And last Nos ember, it mis my honor to sign into last a ban on the hrultd procedure of partial-birth abortion." (Telephone catl to "March for Life" in Washington. D.C. Jan. 22. 2(MM> DEATH PENALTY Bush favors the death penalty and autho rized mare than 150 executions w hen he was governor of Texas He believes that it deters future crimes. He supported expanding tlx; federal death penalty' to include terrorism related crimes. "l suftport the death penalty because I believe, if administered swiftly ami justk. capital punishment is a deterrent against future violettee and still save other inno cent Uses. ... The threat of being put to death might deter someone from taking another life." (From "A Charge to Keep," Bush's IkWJautttbiogntphyf DEFICIT Bush inherited a $217 hiltion ietfcral budget surplus that has turned into a record $52! bif- Bon deficit, thanks to an economic recession, the aftershocks brum Sept. 11, the war with Iraq, the stock market tumble, increased gov ernment spewing and tax cuts. He promises to cut the deficit in half within five years with a plan that relies heavily on his belief that the improving economy will bring a big increase in tax revenues He also wants to impose spending limits on Congress Bush and his advisers downplay risk from the deficit by arguing that it w not so large as a proportion ot the economy. "The reason we art where >•< are. in terms of the defk'it. is because tec went through a rec ession, nv; were attacked, and we'w fighting a war. And these are high hunllesfor a budget and for a rountrv to cnenome. and yet tce’se overcome diem. ... And as the eeorutmy gets belter, it enables us to send up a budget to the Congress that does cut the deficit in half.” (The White House hie 2. 20041 EDUCATION Bush’s No Child l eft Behind law seeks to improve cducutsm by imposing new slandirds oo schouls and holding them accountable for failure 'llk low requires annual testing ut modi and leading fur grades three through eight, and at least once during high school, hirentscan transfer then children out of schools w ith coo sistantly km scares. Critics sny that the federal pwcmmcnl has tailed to provide adequate fund mg to help slates meet the law ’s goals, flush say s that todcral spending ha educatr n has increased by nearly hO pereert hetwoen 3XIO and 3XIV He has also increased iederal funding far charter sc hoots, pdhlic mstitiSsms that oper ate independently Iran ptihltc school systems "If the idea is to make sure not one child is left behind, vr*i belter test. ... He Vr giu ta Mop this business about just \huf ftinft kids through the schools in .Ameiini. Hi> vt got to stuff social (Nonunion and fot us on whether or mu each child is get ting the insrrut tirm he or she needs." f.V. Louts Jan. 5. 2004) ENVIRONMENT Bush favors market-based approaches to environmental protection and has sought to ease government regulation id business lie aban doned the KyvXo treaty on global warming because of concerns that it would damage the l IS. economy. hut has pledged to find other ways to reduce emissions that contribute to the problem. His C Hear Slues initiative gives power pbiu operators more flexibility in meeting cmisMons targets Hint are supposed to redixe cmisjaons of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and mercury by 70 ncrecnl. lie favors opening 1.5 million acres of the 19 million-acre Arctic National Wildlife ftefuge to cul and gas explo ration. He has pledged hi spend $l2 billion on a hvdragcn-fuci initiative that seeks to make hvxirogctvpowered cars widely available and affordable by 3)31. IHHHMni mber 'One way lo make sure that the job supply is steads and growing in the Icmg lerm is to hare o realistic energy (sober. c oupled with realistic eminmmental prdk v ... People in this country must umiersumd dun lee- i an bin e a pro-gmu th agenda, a pro-job agenda and a pm-envirottmem agemhi at the sonic time " i 'Thc W hite House. Se/u lb. 200.1) GAY MARRIAGE Hush initially resisted the idea of a constitu tional amendment hanning gay marriages. bid changed his position in l-chmary. 1 Ic said a court ruling in Massachusetts raid gay mar riages by kx'ul officials in (ahlornia and New Mexico lef t turn no choice W hite I Inuse aides say Bush favors an amendment that would bun gay marriages but let states decide whether to allow cn if lotions or other arrangements that stop short of traditional marriage. "Marriage cannot he severed fmm its culturul, religious and natural nuns without weakening the goad influence ttfst* iety. Cuvtrmiu m. by recognizing and prone ting marriage, serves the interests of oil ... The ameminuni should fttlh protect marriage, white leaving the shite legislamn's free to make their own choices in defining legal urnmgements other than marriage." (The While House. Teh. 24, 2004) HEALTH CARE Hush advocates new tax credits of up lo $1 .UH) lev uxhvidttuls and St,(XK) lor latuilics to help uninsured Americans pay for health insurance lie would also let small businesses hand together to negotiate group rates from health-insurance companies. Another proposal seeks to Ixikl dow n medical costs by limiting damage aw ards in lawsuits against doctors raid other health-care providers. l ie would cap rnw ccononuc damages for issues such as "pain and sutlcnng at S2SH,IXXI and put what he calls “reasonable" limits on punitive damages. < hit goal is to ensure that .kmericuns i an i hoose amt afford private hetthh-care i merage that less fits their uutrvidmil metis. ... A govenmtem-rttn health t ate system is the w rong pres* rijMion. Hyketpmg nests under < otmvl. cxfkmding access, anti helping more Amcrimns ttffoni irnvmge. ire will preserve the system of private medicine, that makes America's health can■ the best in the world. iStait if the l/nion sjteeth. Jan. 20. 2004) IMMIGRATION Hush has urged < empress to create a new tem porary-worker program that would let nncsfißKit cd ft nullum foreigners who ate in (he country illegally gum legal slants fix' program. open to immigrants I mm any country. would let tempo rary workers stay fix u|)to three years, with the IHRMHIMR BUSH ON THE ISSUES KNIGHT RIDDER/TRIBUNE possibility «t extensions. Linployers would hove to certify fist no Americans were available for jobs filled by temjxirary workers. "lists next temporary-worker program will suengdien both the American and Mexican economies. The United Slates will benefit fhmt the• labor of hard-working immi grants. Mexico will benefit as productive citi zens are aide at return home with mimes to invest and spend in their nation 's economy" /Crawford. 7Late March 6. 2004). IRAQ thish contend thot the war m Iraq was ncccs sary because Saddim 1 tusscuis regime was "a grave and gathering danger' to the Untied States, even il l s liuufw believe that all people in the Middle Fast Arab and Israeli alike - deserve to the in dignity, under free and honest governments." (The White House. March 14. 2003) JOBS the economy has suffered a net loss of about 1 nullum jobs since Hush look oDfkc. Administration officials express confidence that modest recent job gams ~ about 1.7 million over die past year w ilt increase as the econo my improves. Uvcnsu. the White House hacked away from its prediction that the economy would issues Friday, October 29,2004 gain 26 million jobs das year Budi contends Sat job growth is a direct rcsidt of his tan cuts. llc has released a six-point plan to encourage asmcnt, implementing a nroduccr-Mcndty ener gy policy, expanding lade, rcstncting lawsuits ngahwt buamess and ckvclcrs, reducing govern ment rrgulatKin and cutting health aMi "We’llkeep this garemmenr tm the side of growth and job creatiott, so American businesses can compete ami prosper. Well (th us tm job training anti education, so Americans can improve their skills and impnne their lives. Well get the policies right, and the American people will da the rest." (Cleveland. Match 111, 2004) SOCIAL SECURITY Overhauling Social Security is near the top of Bush's second-term agendo. Ilk plan would let younger workeis unrest a small part of their Social Security tames in the stock market or other private investments. Older wxbn would he allowed to stay in the current system. Under the currraH system, younger workers pny for benefits to aider retirees l ndcr Bash's phm, workers would set aside money for their own retirement Bush has nut ssid how he wadd deal with huge transition casts to make sure retirees get their benefits while younger work ers sock away cash for their own retirements. "Today, young workers who pay into Socitd Security might as well he saving their money in their mattresses. ... Personal savings (mounts will transfixin Social Security ,fmm a government IOV into per sonal property and real assets: property that workers will men in their own names and that they can pass along to their chil dren." (The White House. May 2, 2001) Bush contends that the tax cuts he purihed through Congress putted the economy out of recession and started a new giowth cycle Now he wants Congress to permanently extend the tax cuts before they expire in 2011. According to White House budget officials, the lost rev enue from Bush's lax cuts accounts for about one-fourth of die record $521 billion deficit, but Bush contend, that the loss will be more than offset by increased revenue as the ocooomy strengthens- Ik also has more tax cuts in mind for his second term, including expanded lax breaks for certain savings accounts. 'With the largest tax relief since Ranald Reagan was president. Vc leji more money in the hands that earned it. By spending and investing and helping create neve jobs, the American peoftle have used their money jar better than the government would tune " (Los Angeles. Manh J, 2004) TRADE Bush is an outspoken advocate of free bade who has pushed for trade agreements with coun tries around the world His second-tesrm goals include a proposal to link the entire Western Hemisphere in a pad similar In the North American free Trade Agreement. But Bush has sometimes deviated from his free-trade princi ples In a move that critics considered blatantly political, he imposed lands on foreign steel in 3X12 to protect the I S steel industry. He lifted them late last year lo avoid a trade war with liurape and sanctions from the Worldlrade Organization, which ruled the tariffs illegal " Instead of building barriers to mute, ivc must break down those barriers so that gttod products, American produets, are wel comed and sold an every continent.... One in five factory jobs in thh ettumry directly depends on trade. The surest may to threat en those jobs is a polity of etnnomU isokt tion.” (Cleveland. Manh iO, 2004) VETERANS Hush says that his administration has cut the average lime for processing veterans’ disability claims tw JO pcrecnL He hopes to eliminate the waiting list for veterans' health-care services by this summer. Although Bush says health-care funding for veterans has also increased by JO percent since he took office, the funding has not satisfied veterans groups. Hath the Veterans af foreign Wats and the American Ixgtan called Bush's proposed 2005 health-care budget of $29.5 billion inadequate. "Many veterans have observed dial the government seemed to work a lot more ejfi ciemly when it warned iomcitung from them. When the Draft Board gin your file, it worked efficiently. But now . when you need health eure.fiirms get lost and answers come late. That is no way to treat Anterica's veterans, and that is going to change ” (Milwaukee. Aug. 20, 2001) •- Ron Hutcheson, Knight Bidder Washington correspondent