is a progressive Democrat who has worked to establish and further Democratic principles in his advocacy, creation and representation of issues related to the environment and energy, national defense and veteran's issues, corporate and governmental oversight and accountability, health and quality of life, civil rights and minority issues, education, crime, as well as to ecomonic issues and jobs.
EnvironmentCriticizing what he called the Bush administration's "lasting damage" to the environment, Democratic Sen. John Kerry promised to "make environmental justice the law of the land" and to create a new enforcement office within the Environmental Protection Agency if he's elected president in 2004.
Under his administration, Kerry said, every community would have more power to fight back against polluters. As president, he would support cuts in mercury, sulfur, nitrogen and carbon emissions; clean up more toxic waste sites and reduce the harmful chemicals being released to the air, water and land; and reduce greenhouse gases that cause global warming.
He would also create a program to ensure that the federal government considers environmental justice in its decisions affecting communities, create a new office within the EPA dedicated to addressing issues of environmental injustice, and establish a national system for tracking chronic diseases and environmental health hazards.
"For too long, poor and minority communities have been overlooked when it came to the environment," said Kerry, who spoke to a largely black community group in Boston yesterday but to a mostly white crowd in Concord. "For too long, they didn't have the power to fight back, and for too long, polluters thought they could get away with breaking the law as long as it was in someone else's back yard."
http://www.cmonitor.com/stories/news/local2003/earthday_2003.shtmlDefenseAs President, I will chart a new course rooted in our enduring values. I will replace the Bush years of isolation with a new era of alliances - because while the Cold War has ended, our need for allies to confront and overcome a different array of dangers and challenges is as great or greater than ever.
As President, I will not cede our security to any nation or institution - and adversaries will have no doubt of my resolve to use force if necessary - but I will always understand that even the only superpower on earth cannot succeed without co-operation and compromise with our friends and allies.
Instead of demeaning diplomacy, I will restore diplomacy as a tool of the strong - and enlist expert and thoughtful Americans of both parties as envoys to carry a new American message around the world.
I will carry that message to the world myself in my first hundred days in office. I will go to the United Nations and travel to our traditional allies to affirm that the United States has rejoined the community of nations. I will make it clear that when the Secretary of State speaks, he or she speaks for America - not for the losing cause of internationalism inside an Administration obsessed with its own hubris and swagger.
http://www.vote-smart.org/speech_detail.php?speech_id=M000025549&keyword=defense&phrase=&contain=Military and VeteransInstead of gratitude, members of the Guard and Reserve find the Bush administration's military agenda leaving them behind. In addition, earlier this year, the Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives sought to cut reservist pay by 40 percent for normal peacetime training requirements. The Republican majority in the U.S. Senate blocked efforts to extend health care benefits to Guard and Reserve members. Just this month, the Republican majority in Congress voted against legislation by Senator DURBIN that would have provided supplemental income for Federal employees who are called up to active duty. These efforts are wrong and demonstrate the misplaced priorities of the Republican Party.
To make matters worse, the Bush administration recently announced that it would require thousands of National Guard and Army Reserve troops to extend their tours of duty up for an additional six months. This extension will cause significant economic difficulties for the reservists, their families, their employers, and our national economy.
Beyond the hardship of leaving their families, their homes and their regular employment, more than one-third of military reservists and National Guard members face a pay cut when they're called for active duty. Many of these reservists have families who depend upon that paycheck and can least afford a substantial reduction in pay.
That is why I have proposed creating a Small Business Military Reservist Tax Credit, which does two things. First, it provides an immediate Federal income tax credit to any small business to help with the cost of temporarily replacing a reservist employee that has been called up to active duty. Second, it provides a tax credit to small businesses that pay any difference in salary for an employee who is called up. This tax credit is worth up to $12,000 to any small business and up to $20,000 for small manufacturers.
http://www.vote-smart.org/speech_detail.php?speech_id=M000025024&keyword=defense&phrase=&contain=
The issue here is simple and fundamental: It is about the character of our country. I believe it is wrong to put the needs of our troops and the claims of our veterans behind a massive tax giveaway for the wealthy that is unwarranted, unaffordable, and unfair. Never in its history has the United States passed a big tax cut in a time of war. We have always believed in shared sacrifice. And it is wrong to pad the pockets of special interests before we fulfill our solemn obligations to those that have served.
Indeed, I believe we have a special duty to all vets with disabilities. Today, there are 280,000 veterans awaiting their disability rating. And 108,000 veterans are waiting on appeals of rating decisions. This is just not acceptable. We deserve leadership that will streamline the VA so veterans hear back about their status and receive their benefits when they need them.
So for us, the fight continues. Every advancement, every recognition of veterans' valor, every time obligations have been kept, it has been because veterans pushed for it. Agent Orange, outreach centers, extension of the GI Bill, increased funding for Veterans Affairs. All these happened because veterans remembered their brothers and sisters and never stopped fighting to keep faith with the promise to veterans. I believe our veterans have fought enough – and we shouldn't have to fight, year after year, for the benefits we have already earned. Our veterans health care shouldn't depend on the yearly whims of budget cutters. They've earned their benefits. Those benefits ought to be there. And if I am President, they will be.
http://www.vote-smart.org/speech_detail.php?speech_id=M000018417&keyword=veterans&phrase=&contain=Corporations and OversightQ: Should there be more legal oversight of the stock exchange or of the way corporate boards are put together?
KERRY: We need to democratize the process. Clearly, boards of directors need to be represented better with respect to shareholders. There are many things we can do. The reason to be concerned about it is not as a matter of targeting CEOs or being angry at business. It's because it's a matter of fundamental fairness of how we hold ourselves together as a country.
It goes to the core of how Americans ought to have a relationship between worker and those they work for. And that workplace has been abused. When you have misconduct in the boardroom, it's as bad as a mugging in the streets, except that in many ways it's broader because more people are hurt. And many Americans are feeling mugged by what is happening in this country today, the fundamental unfairness.
Source: Debate at Pace University in Lower Manhattan Sep 25, 2003
http://issues2002.org/2004/John_Kerry_Corporations.htmIn early 1986, Senator John Kerry began an investigation of allegations that elements of the supply network supporting the Contras were linked to drug traffickers.
In April 1986, Senator Kerry took the information he had developed to the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC), Richard Lugar, who agreed to conduct a staff inquiry into these allegations. In February 1987, the SFRC expanded the focus of the inquiry to include the impact of drug trafficking from the Caribbean and Central and South America on U.S. foreign policy interests. In April, the responsibility for this broader investigation was given to the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Narcotics and International Operations, chaired by Senator Kerry.
The Subcommittee's report, "Drugs, Law Enforcement and Foreign Policy" ("the Kerry Report"), was published in December 1988 and identified six companies that had been owned and operated by convicted or suspected drug traffickers and were linked to the Contras.
http://www.uhuh.com/bbks/ciacontras/pilots.htmHealthKERRY'S HEALTH CARE PLAN
Have the federal government take over states' Medicaid costs for poor and disabled children. In exchange, states would cover the overwhelming majority of uninsured children and their low-income parents.
Require states to offer coverage to poor adults without children, when the economy improves.
Allow businesses and individuals access to the health insurance program that covers the president and members of Congress. Tax credits would be available, based on income, to make it more affordable.
Create a system that helps businesses manage the catastrophic costs of a few individuals through a new insurance pool. In exchange, the savings would be passed on to workers through lowered premiums.
Make it easier for cheaper, generic drugs to get to market. Require more public disclosure in pharmaceutical purchases.
Require medical malpractice lawsuits to be reviewed by state panels, to block frivolous lawsuits; bar punitive damages except in the most egregious cases.
Encourage technological innovation to reduce medical errors.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/2003-05-13-kerry-usat_x.htmOn May 16 Senators Kerry and Frist introduced their long-awaited global AIDS bill. Drawn up in close consultation with non-governmental groups working on global HIV/AIDS, the bill authorizes very large increases in US spending for global HIV/AIDS, including a total of $2.132 billion for fiscal year 2003 and $2.506 billion for fiscal year 2004. Those funds include both bilateral assistance as well as a significant contribution ($1 billion in 2003 and $1.2 billion in 2004) to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. This is a large step towards the Health Action AIDS campaign's ultimate goal of 2.5 billion dollars annually in U.S. contributions towards the Global Fund. Funds for infectious disease prevention and treatment programs through the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) will be authorized in a separate bill; when those expected totals are added, Senate staff anticipate that the combined total for global infectious disease for fiscal year 2003 will be more than $2.6 billion.
The authors of the initiative have worked with Senators across the political spectrum to build strong bipartisan support for the measure. As a consequence, the Kerry-Frist bill stands a good chance of passing, representing a real triumph for US policy on HIV/AIDS. Sums such as those in the Kerry-Frist bill of well over $2 billion per year for the global AIDS pandemic were something activists could only dream of just a year ago.
Health Action AIDS, while continuing to push for $2.5 billion annually in US contributions to the Global Fund, at the same time strongly supports the Kerry-Frist legislation, welcomes its introduction, and urges health professionals to contact their Senators in support of the bill's enactment. The challenge now is building the political support to authorize and appropriate funding to sustain comprehensive prevention, care, and treatment programs in every AIDS and TB, and Malaria-afflicted country. Billions of dollars for both bilateral and multilateral assistance are needed, as are modalities for developing health infrastructure in poor countries so that large sums can be absorbed effectively.
http://www.phrusa.org/campaigns/aids/news0520.htmlI believe we must take bold action to address the fact that Congress has not provided adequate funding for the health care of Medicare beneficiaries who select HMOs and other private sector health plans. In many parts of Massachusetts, and in other parts of the country, funding for Medicare+Choice plans has been limited to annual increases of only 2 percent in most years since 1998. These increase are inadequate at a time when health care costs are rising by 8 to 10 percent annually. This level of inadequate funding is unfair to the 170,000 Medicare beneficiaries in Massachusetts who have selected private health plan options. I am a strong supporter of the wonderful health plans we have in Massachusetts--Harvard, Tufts, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, and Fallon Community Health Plan. We must step up to the plate to help these plans--nonprofit plans in my State--in their time of need.
Seniors in Massachusetts have come to rely on the high-quality health care they receive through their Medicare+Choice plans. Prescription drugs coverage, disease management services, physician exams, vision benefits, and hearing aids are examples of the additional benefits that are routinely offered by their Medicare+Choice plans.
As the Medicare debate moves forward, it is important for Congress to remember that Medicare+Choice serves as a vital safety net for many of our Nation's most vulnerable seniors. For millions of beneficiaries who cannot afford to purchase a Medigap policy, Medicare+Choice is their only hope for obtaining comprehensive health coverage.
http://www.medicarechoices.org/Kerry8112003.htmCivil RightsEvery American should have the opportunity to succeed and to live the American dream. Discrimination has no place in a nation founded on the principles of freedom from persecution. While America has made great strides toward true equality, much remains to be done and too often the progress we've made comes under attack. John Kerry voted for every major piece of Civil Rights legislation to come before Congress since 1985, including the Civil Rights Act of 1991, the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987, and the Americans with Disabilities Act. He voted for the Equal Rights Amendment, and supports the Employment Nondiscrimination Act.
Here is some of what John Kerry has done and will do to make America a better place:
Judicial Nominations That Will Uphold Our Rights: As lifetime appointments, judicial nominees will shape fundamental issues such as civil rights, religious freedom, privacy rights and freedom of speech for decades to come. Conservative judges bent on enforcing ideology rather than interpreting the law have recently undermined landmark achievements such as the Violence Against Women Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. John Kerry believes that individuals appointed to all of our federal courts must be committed to interpreting the law and preserving constitutional and civil rights.
Preserve Affirmative Action: John Kerry believes in an America where we take common sense steps to ensure that our schools and workplaces reflect the full face of America. He has consistently opposed efforts in the Senate to undermine or eliminate affirmative action programs and supports programs that seek to enhance diversity, for example, by fostering the growth of minority small businesses.
http://www.independentsforkerry.com/uploads/media/civil-rights.pdfIn the case of Sen. Kerry's comments on affirmative action, however, the spin of some coverage approaches distortion. In his speech at Yale, Kerry did say that affirmative action should not be the overriding focus of a civil rights agenda, because workplace gains do not necessarily touch the lives of those most in need.
But he also said, "I want to be clear here. I do support affirmative action, not rhetorically but really." The "negative side" of the policy was, for Kerry, the "perception" it engendered in many whites: He cited a poll by People for the American Way that indicated white people believe they are more discriminated against than minorities. Congress, Kerry said, has an obligation "to correct whatever false data or preconceptions have fed the belief that is evidenced in this poll."
Affirmative action, Kerry said, has "made our country a better, fairer place to live," but public misunderstanding of the policy --which Kerry acknowledged has been "exaggerated and exploited by politicians eager to use it" --has created an "obstacle" to interracial communication.
http://www.fair.org/extra/best-of-extra/new-candor.htmlEducationKerry sponsored the Senate New Democrat Coalition Press Release:
The Public Education Reinvestment, Reinvention and Responsibility Act (Three R's)
the common ground from which bipartisan compromise on education reform will be successfully achieved. The Three R’s would provide public schools with significantly increased funding and flexibility, increasing federal investment in education by $35 billion over the next 5 years, and targeting most of those new dollars toward closing the persistent achievement gap between poor and more affluent students. State & local officials would be given broader latitude to decide how to allocate federal funding in order to meet the specific needs of their communities. In return, states would be required to set standards for raising academic achievement, and improve the quality of their teachers.
The “Three R’s” bill is based on the policy recommendations by the Progressive Policy Institute:
Streamline our national education priorities into five goal-oriented titles, focused on: closing the achievement gap between poor and more affluent children; helping to improve teacher quality; helping immigrant students master English and meet high standards in all subjects; promoting public school choice; and stimulating innovative local initiatives
Create a tough new accountability system that pegs program funding to academic performance standards set by the states, and require “report cards” so that parents know how their school is performing;
Reward states that exceed their standards with more flexibility and bonus funding, and for the first time ever, sanction those states that chronically fail to show improvements, by cutting administrative funds;
Increase funding for disadvantaged students by 50%;
Increase funding for teacher and principal professional development by more than 100%;
Increase funding for immigrant students by $1 billion annually to improve English proficiency;Continue to reduce class size in the early grades.
http://www.issues2000.org/2004/John_Kerry_Education.htm
Crime:
If we are truly to honor those that fell on September 11th - and all the others who have fallen in the line of duty - then let's give all our local defenders the tools and training to protect us - and the respect and rewards that you deserve.
That starts with providing our police officers with the support they need to protect our public safety. Nothing George Bush has done made it harder for communities to fight crime than his ending our commitment to put 100,000 cops on the beat. I led the fight to put these police officers into our nation's communities where they can make an impact and stop crimes before they happen. And it worked. We saw record drops in violent crime all over America. We got drugs off the streets. Criminals were on the run and communities were able to live in peace because of these brave officers. We owe them our thanks and our support.
But George Bush has slashed funding for these police officers. Our police officers are fighting a two-front war - battling common criminals on one hand and making our homeland secure from attack on the other. Taking cops off the beat is exactly the wrong thing to do. We need to restore funding to the COPS program instead of retreating from the war on crime.
Economy and Jobs
Kerry Says Bush Plan Wrong for Our Workers, Wrong for Our Economy
Tuesday January 7, 2003
Washington, D.C.: Statement of Senator Kerry
"Today's speech by the President is just more evidence that he doesn't understand what ails our slumping economy and refuses to do the things that will put Americans back to work. While largely ignoring the needs of the middle class, the President is practicing bad economics and even worse ideological class warfare. He's speaking the rhetoric working Americans are so eager to hear, but offering only words to distract from his big, new tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans. Why is the President afraid to provide real relief for the workers and consumers who have kept our economy going during tough times and can help jolt the economy back to recovery? Why does the President have so little faith in the workers and small businesspeople who make America strong?
If we are serious about stimulating the economy and providing middle-class tax relief, we need a tax cut that puts money in the hands of Americans who will spend it quickly. Without dipping into Social Security, we should provide payroll tax relief because that is where most working Americans pay the bulk of their taxes. Last month, I outlined a fiscally-responsible plan for jump-starting our nation's economy and laying the foundation for long-term growth. My plan includes a payroll tax holiday for an employee's first $10,000 of wages, an idea that would save the average worker $765 this year - $1,530 for a two-earner family. My plan also includes a number of other elements: a one-year job creation tax credit; increases to the minimum wage and earned-income tax credit; relief targeted to critical investments and dividend payments to encourage measuring the real value of companies; and tax deferral for fast-growing small businesses the reinvest the money to create new jobs. With the economy slumping, the Bush Administration needs to join the effort to provide middle class and low income tax relief and get this economy moving again."
http://johnkerry.convio.com/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=6211&JServSessionIdr002=p2e9zjiuj1.app20a&security=1&news_iv_ctrl=-1
August 4, 2003 - John Kerry Joins Iowa Labor Leaders to Urge Bush to End Plans to Gut Overtime Law
Monday August 4, 2003
Des Moines, IA Democratic Presidential candidate John Kerry today joined with Des Moines labor leaders workers to call on President Bush to stop his attempts to jeopardize overtime payments to millions of American workers. John Kerry also announced the circulation of an online petition on the Bush overtime proposal.
"If President Bush has his way, as many as eight million Americans - including fire fighters, police officers, paramedics, nurses, and store supervisors - will be denied the pay their families count on to put food on the table or save for college and a home."
John Kerry also launched a national online petition to stop George W Bush's proposal to gut our nation's overtime law. "Today, I am beginning a national petition drive to demand that President Bush abandon his plan to gut our nation's overtime law. With this petition, Americans will speak up. And we will say that we want an America that works for all its workers and an America where an honest day's pay and a normal work week aren't favors we're given, but rights we have earned."
"Let's remind George Bush that here in America we treat workers with respect and reward their hard work and honest labor. It's time we had a President who fought on the side of American workers instead of one who has turned his back on them."
http://johnkerry.convio.com/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=7156&JServSessionIdr007=jszs3qclg1.app1a&security=1&news_iv_ctrl=-1
The Kerry overtime petition can be found at www.johnkerry.com
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