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| President Barack Obama speaks during a campaign event at The Ohio State
University Oval Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2012, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP
Photo/Tony Dejak) |
FROM WASHINGTON (AP) — A look at where Democratic President Barack Obama and Republican presidential rival Mitt Romney stand on a selection of issues, in brief:
ABORTION and BIRTH CONTROL:
Obama: Supports access to abortion. Health care law requires contraceptives to be available for free for women enrolled in workplace health plans.
Romney:
Opposes access to abortion. Previously supported that. Says state law
should guide abortion rights, and Roe v. Wade should be reversed by a
future Supreme Court ruling. Said he would end federal aid to Planned
Parenthood.
___
DEBT:
Obama: Promises to cut projected deficits by $4 trillion over 10 years, a goal that will require Congress
to raise the capital gains tax, boost taxes on households earning over
$250,000 a year, impose a minimum 30 percent tax on incomes above $1
million, and more. First-term pledge to cut deficit he inherited by half
will fall well-short.
Romney:
Promises to cut $500 billion per year from the federal budget by 2016
to bring spending below 20 percent of the U.S. economy and to balance it
by 2020, but vital specifics are lacking. At same time would increase
military spending, reverse $716 billion in Medicare cuts and cut taxes. Favors constitutional balanced budget amendment.
___
ECONOMY:
Obama:
Term marked by high unemployment, a deep recession that began in
previous administration and officially ended within six months and
gradual recovery with persistently high jobless rates of over 8 percent,
until the rate dropped to 7.8 in September, the same as it was in
February 2009, Obama's first full month in office. Businesses have added
jobs for more than two years straight while public sector jobs have
lagged. Responded to recession with a roughly $800 billion stimulus
plan, expanded auto industry bailout begun under George W. Bush, inherited and carried forward Wall Street bailout.
Romney:
Lower taxes, less regulation, balanced budget, more trade deals to spur
growth. Replace jobless benefits with unemployment savings accounts.
Proposes replacing certain provisions of the law toughening
financial-industry regulations after the meltdown in that sector.
Proposes changing the law tightening accounting corporate regulations to
ease requirements for mid-sized companies.
___
EDUCATION:
Obama:
Has approved waivers freeing states from the most onerous requirements
of the Bush-era No Child Left Behind law. "Race to the Top" competition
has rewarded winning states with billions of dollars for pursuing
education policies Obama supports. Won approval from Congress for a
$10,000 college tax credit over four years and increases in Pell grants
and other financial aid.
___
Romney: Supported the federal
accountability standards of No Child Left Behind law. Has said the
student testing, charter-school incentives and teacher evaluation
standards of Obama's "Race to the Top" competition "make sense" although
the federal government should have less control of education. Says
increases in federal student aid encourage tuition to go up, too. Wants
to see private lenders return to the federal student loan program.
___
ENERGY and ENVIRONMENT:
Obama:
Ordered temporary moratorium on deep-water drilling after the massive
BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, but U.S. produced more oil in 2010
than it has since 2003 and all forms of energy production have increased
under Obama. Achieved historic increases in fuel economy standards that
will save money at the pump while raising the cost of new vehicles.
Achieved first-ever regulations on heat-trapping gases blamed for global
warming and on toxic mercury pollution from power plants. Spent heavily
on green energy and has embraced nuclear power as a clean source.
Failed to persuade a Democratic Congress to pass limits he promised on
carbon emissions. Set goal of cutting oil imports by half by 2020.
Romney:
Pledges U.S. will become independent of energy sources outside of North
America by 2020, through more aggressive exploitation of domestic oil,
gas, coal and other resources and quick approval of Keystone XL pipeline
from Canada. Supports opening Atlantic and Pacific outer continental
shelves to drilling, as well as Western lands, Arctic National Wildlife
Refuge and offshore Alaska. Says green power has yet to become viable
and causes of climate change are unproved.
___
FOREIGN POLICY:
Obama:
Opposes near-term military strike on Iran but holds that option open if
it proves the only way to stop Iran from getting nuclear weapons.
Declined to repeat the Libya air power commitment for Syrian opposition,
instead seeks international pressure against Syrian government.
Chastised Israel for continuing to build housing settlements in disputed
areas and pressed both sides to begin a new round of peace talks based
on land borders established after 1967 Arab-Israeli conflict. Signed law
to expand military and civilian cooperation with Israel. Sought
penalties against China for unfair trade but opposes branding China a
currency manipulator.
Romney: Appears to present a clearer U.S.
military threat to Iran and has spoken in more permissive terms about
Israel's right to act against Iran's nuclear facilities, without
explicitly approving of such a step. Would identify those in Syrian
opposition who share U.S. values, then work with U.S. allies to "ensure
they obtain the arms they need to defeat" Syrian government. But has not
proposed direct U.S. arms supplies to rebels. Associates himself more
closely with hardline Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, pledges
more military assistance to Israel. Branded Russia the "No. 1
geopolitical foe" of the U.S. and threatened to label China a currency
manipulator in a move that could lead to broad trade sanctions.
___
GAY RIGHTS:
Obama:
Supports legal recognition of same-sex marriage, a matter decided by
states. Opposed that recognition in 2008 presidential campaign and in
2004 Senate campaign, while supporting the extension of legal rights and
benefits to same-sex couples in civil unions. Achieved repeal of the
military ban on openly gay members. Has not achieved repeal of the
Defense of Marriage Act, which denies federal recognition of same-sex
marriages and affirms the right of states to refuse to recognize such
marriages. Administration has ceased defending the law in court but it
remains on the books.
Romney: Opposes legal recognition of
same-sex marriage and says it should be banned with a constitutional
amendment, not left to states. "Marriage is not an activity that goes on
within the walls of a state." Also opposes civil unions "if they are
identical to marriage other than by name," but says states should be
left to decide what rights and benefits should be allowed under those
unions. Says certain domestic partnership benefits — largely unspecified
— as well as hospital visitation rights are appropriate but "others are
not." Says he would not seek to restore the ban on openly gay military
members.
___
GUNS:
Obama: Has not pushed for stricter
gun laws as president. Signed laws letting people carry concealed
weapons in national parks and in checked bags on Amtrak trains. Favors
"robust steps, within existing law" to address gun issues, White House
says. Voices support for renewed ban on assault-type weapons but has not
tried to get that done. Previously backed stronger gun controls.
Romney:
Opposes stricter gun control laws. Suggested after the Colorado theater
shooting that he favors tougher enforcement of existing gun laws. As
Massachusetts governor, vowed in 2002 to protect the state's "tough gun
laws," and in 2004 signed a Massachusetts ban on assault weapons.
___
HEALTH CARE:
Obama:
Achieved landmark overhaul putting U.S. on path to universal coverage
now that Supreme Court has upheld the law's mandate for almost everyone
to obtain insurance. Under the law, insurers will be banned from
denying coverage to people with pre-existing illness, tax credits will
subsidize premiums, people without work-based insurance will have access
to new markets, small business gets help for offering insurance and
Medicaid will expand.
Romney: Promises to work for repeal of the
law modeled largely after his universal health care achievement in
Massachusetts because he says states, not Washington, should drive
policy on the uninsured. Says he would protect people with pre-existing
conditions, though his plan only does so for those who maintain
continuous coverage, not a major change from federal protections in
effect before Obama's health care overhaul. Would expand individual
tax-advantaged medical savings accounts and let savings be used for
insurance premiums as well as personal medical costs.
___
IMMIGRATION:
Obama:
Issued directive in June that immigrants brought illegally to the
United States as children be exempted from deportation and granted work
permits if they apply. Took the temporary step after failing to deliver
on promised immigration overhaul, with the defeat of legislation that
would have created a path to citizenship for young illegal immigrants
enrolled in college or enlisted in the armed forces. Says he is still
committed to it. Government has deported a record number of illegal
immigrants under Obama.
Romney: Favors U.S.-Mexico border fence,
opposes education benefits to illegal immigrants. Opposes offering legal
status to illegal immigrants who attend college, but would do so for
those who serve in the armed forces. Would establish a national
immigration-status verification system for employers and punish them if
they hire noncitizens who do not prove their authorized status. Would
end visa caps for spouses and minor children of legal immigrants. Would
honor work permits for immigrants who benefit from Obama's new policy
and promises to put a comprehensive immigration plan into place before
those permits expire.
___
MEDICARE:
Obama: His health care law
improves coverage for beneficiaries with high prescription costs and
removes co-pays for a set of preventive benefits. It also cuts Medicare
spending for hospitals and other providers by more than $700 billion
over a decade. Those cuts are being used to provide health insurance to
more working-age Americans, and the government also counts them as
extending the life of the program's giant trust fund. But he hasn't
ruled out increasing costs for middle-class and upper-income Medicare
recipients or raising the eligibility age to 67 from 65.
Romney:
Introduce "generous" but undetermined subsidies to help future retirees
buy private insurance or join a government plan modeled on traditional
Medicare. Gradually increase eligibility age to 67. Repealing Obama's
health care law would roll back improved benefits for seniors unless
Congress acts to protect them. It also would reverse Obama's Medicare
cuts to hospitals and other providers, which could hasten insolvency of
Medicare's trust fund.
___
SOCIAL SECURITY:
Obama: Has
not proposed a comprehensive plan to address Social Security's
long-term financial problems. In 2011, proposed a new measure of
inflation that would reduce annual increases in Social Security
benefits. The proposal would reduce the long-term financing shortfall by
about 25 percent, according to the Social Security actuaries.
Romney:
Protect the status quo for people 55 and over but, for the next
generation of retirees, raise the retirement age for full benefits by
one or two years and reduce inflation increases in benefits for
wealthier recipients.
___
TAXES:
Obama: Wants to raise
taxes on the wealthy and ensure they pay 30 percent of their income at
minimum. Supports extending Bush-era tax cuts for everyone making under
$200,000, or $250,000 for couples. But in 2010, agreed to a two-year
extension of the lower rates for all. Wants to let the top two tax rates
go back up 3 to 4 percentage points to 39.6 percent and 36 percent, and
raise rates on capital gains and dividends for the wealthy. Health care
law provides for tax on highest-value health insurance plans. Together
with Congress, built a first-term record of significant tax cuts, some
temporary.
Romney: Keep
Bush-era tax cuts for all incomes and drop all tax rates further, by 20
percent, bringing the top rate, for example, down to 28 percent from 35
percent and the lowest rate to 8 percent instead of 10 percent. Curtail
deductions, credits and exemptions for the wealthiest. End Alternative
Minimum Tax for individuals, eliminate capital gains tax
for families making below $200,000 and cut corporate tax to 25 percent
from 35 percent. Does not specify which tax breaks or programs he would
curtail to help cover costs.
___
TERRORISM:
Obama:
Approved the raid that found and killed Osama bin Laden, set policy
that U.S. would no longer use harsh interrogation techniques, a practice
that had essentially ended late in George W. Bush's presidency. Largely
carried forward Bush's key anti-terrorism policies, including detention
of suspects at Guantanamo Bay despite promise to close the prison.
Expanded use of unmanned drone strikes against terrorist targets in
Pakistan and Yemen.
Romney: No
constitutional rights for foreign terrorism suspects. In 2007, refused
to rule out use of waterboarding to interrogate terrorist suspects. In
2011, his campaign said he does not consider waterboarding to be
torture.
___
WAR:
Obama:
Ended the Iraq war, increased U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan then
began drawing down the force with a plan to have all out by the end of
2014. Approved U.S. air power in NATO-led campaign that helped Libyan
opposition topple government. Major cuts coming in the size of the Army
and Marine Corps as part of agreement with congressional Republicans to
cut military spending over a decade.
Romney:
Proposes increase in military spending. Endorses 2014 end to U.S.
combat in Afghanistan, subject to conditions at the time. Would increase
strength of armed forces, including number of troops and warships,
adding almost $100 billion to the Pentagon budget in 2016. In addition,
criticized congressional Republicans for negotiating a deficit-cutting
deal with the White House that will mean automatic and massive cuts in
Pentagon spending next year if federal budget deal is not reached in
time.
___
Associated
Press writers Ben Feller, Matt Apuzzo, Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Stephen
Ohlemacher, Alan Fram, Dina Cappiello, Ken Thomas, Jim Kuhnhenn and
Christopher S. Rugaber contributed to this report.
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