Campaign Finance
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Our opponents have applauded the Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United.... In stark contrast, we believe we must take immediate action to curb the influence of lobbyists and special interests on our political institutions. [p.12] |
We support repeal of the remaining sections of McCain-Feingold, support either raising or repealing contribution limits, and oppose passage of the DISCLOSE Act or any similar legislation designed to vitiate the Supreme Court’s recent decisions protecting political speech in Wisconsin Right to Life v. Federal Election Commission and Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. [p.19] |
Commerce: Unions
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Democrats believe that the right to organize and collectively bargain is a fundamental American value. [p.9]
We will continue to vigorously oppose “Right to Work” and “paycheck protection” efforts, and so-called “Save our Secret Ballot” measures whenever they are proposed. [p.10]
Minimum Wage : We will raise the minimum wage, and index it to inflation. [p.10]
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We will restore the rule of law to labor law by blocking “card check,” enacting the Secret Ballot Protection Act, enforcing the Hobbs Act against labor violence, and passing the Raise Act to allow all workers to receive well-earned raises without the approval of their union representative. We demand an end to the Project Labor Agreements; and we call for repeal of the Davis-Bacon Act.... [p.8]
We support the right of States to enact Right-to-Work laws.... [p.8]
We will aggressively enforce the recent decision by the Supreme Court barring the use of union dues for political purposes without the consent of the worker. [p.8]
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Education: Student Loans
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We doubled our investment in Pell Grant scholarships and created the American Opportunity Tax Credit worth up to $10,000 over four years of college, and we’re creating avenues for students to manage their federal student loans so that their payments can be only 10 percent of what they make each month. [p.5]
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The federal government should not be in the business of originating student loans; however, it should serve as an insurance guarantor for the private sector as they offer loans to students. [p.37]
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Health Care
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We believe accessible, affordable, high quality health care is part of the American promise, that Americans should have the security that comes with good health care, and that no one should go broke because they get sick. [p.3]
We will continue to stand up to Republicans working to take away the benefits and protections that are already helping millions of Americans every day. We refuse to go back to the days when health insurance companies had unchecked power to cancel your health policy, deny you coverage, or charge women more than men. [p.4] |
Congressional Republicans are committed to its [the Affordable Care Act's] repeal; and a Republican President, on the first day in office, will use his legitimate waiver authority under that law to halt its progress and then will sign its repeal. [p.32]
No healthcare professional or organization should ever be required to perform, provide for, withhold, or refer for a medical service against their conscience. [p.34]
We likewise support the right of parents to consent to medical treatment for their children.... [p.34]
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Medicare and Medicaid
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We will... oppose efforts to block grant the [Medicaid] program.... [p.4]
Democrats adamantly oppose any efforts to privatize or voucherize Medicare. [p.5]
President Obama is already leading the most successful crackdown on health care fraud ever, having already recovered $10 billion from health care scams. We will build on those reforms, not eliminate Medicare’s guarantees. The health care law is closing the gap in prescription drug coverage known as the "doughnut hole." [p.5] |
The first step is to move the two programs away from their current unsustainable defined-benefit entitlement model to a fiscally sound defined contribution model. [p.22]
While retaining the option of traditional Medicare in competition with private plans, we call for a transition to a premium- support model for Medicare, with an incomeadjusted contribution toward a health plan of the enrollee’s choice. [p.22]
The age eligibility for Medicare must be made more realistic in terms of today’s longer life span.[p.22]
We propose... block-granting the [Medicaid] program to the States....[p.22] |
Immigration
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We won’t deport deserving young people who are Americans in every way but on paper, and we will work to make it possible for foreign students earning advanced degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to stay and help create jobs here at home. [p.6]
The country urgently needs comprehensive immigration reform that brings undocumented immigrants out of the shadows and requires them to get right with the law, learn English, and pay taxes in order to get on a path to earn citizenship. [p.13] |
A policy of strategic immigration, granting more work visas to holders of advanced degrees in science, technology, engineering, and math.... [p.7]
Foreign students who graduate from an American university with an advanced degree... should be encouraged to remain here and contribute to economic prosperity and job creation. Highly skilled, English speaking, and integrated into their communities, they are too valuable a resource to lose. [p.14]
We support changing the way that the decennial census is conducted, so that citizens are distinguished from lawfully present aliens and illegal aliens. [p.19]
We oppose any form of amnesty.... [p.25]
We insist upon enforcement at the workplace through verification systems.... [p.26]
The pending Department of Justice lawsuits against Arizona, Alabama, South Carolina, and Utah must be dismissed immediately. The double-layered fencing on the border that was enacted by Congress in 2006, but never completed, must finally be built. [p.26]
Federal funding should be denied to sanctuary cities that violate federal law... and federal funding should be denied to universities that provide instate tuition rates to illegal aliens....[p.26] |
Jobs
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President Obama put forward the American Jobs Act.... We have already enacted key parts of the American Jobs Act -- payroll tax relief, tax credits for businesses that hire veterans, and an extension of unemployment insurance that also included reforms like work-sharing, a "Bridge to Work" to help the long-term unemployed reconnect with the labor force, and support for unemployed workers looking to become entrepreneurs. [p.3]
The President helped school districts save more than 400,000 educator jobs. [p.5]
Thanks to President Obama’s recovery program, American manufacturers are creating jobs for the first time since the 1990s, including more than 500,000 jobs since the beginning of 2010. [p.8]
President Obama and Democrats boldly rescued America’s auto industry, saving more than one million jobs.... [p.8]
GM and Chrysler have repaid their outstanding loans years ahead of schedule, new American cars are inspiring pride, and the auto industry added more than 200,000 jobs in the last three years. [p.8] |
To spur job creation here at home, we call for a reduction of the corporate rate to keep U.S. corporations competitive internationally, with a permanent research and development tax credit, and a repeal of the corporate alternative minimum tax. We also support the recommendation of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, as well as the current President’s Export Council, to switch to a territorial system of corporate taxation, so that profits earned and taxed abroad may be repatriated for job-creating investment here at home without additional penalty. [p.2]
Nine federal agencies currently run 47 retraining programs at a total cost of $18 billion annually.... We propose consolidation of those programs into State block grants so that training can be coordinated with local schools and employers. [p.14] |
Taxes
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We want to cut tax breaks for companies that are shipping jobs overseas and for special interests, and instead offer tax breaks to companies that are investing right here in the United States of America.... [p.8]
We Democrats support lowering the corporate tax rate while closing unnecessary loopholes, and lowering rates even further for manufacturers who create good jobs at home. [p.8]
President Obama's administration will continue its fight against the exploitative practice of employers fraudulently misclassifying workers as independent contractors or white-collar workers to evade taxes or deny them protections and overtime benefits. [p.9] |
We call for a reduction of the corporate rate to keep U.S. corporations competitive internationally, with a permanent research and development tax credit, and a repeal of the corporate alternative minimum tax. We also support the recommendation of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, as well as the current President’s Export Council, to switch to a territorial system of corporate taxation, so that profits earned and taxed abroad may be repatriated for job-creating investment here at home without additional penalty. [p.2]
Any value added tax or national sales tax must be tied to the simultaneous repeal of the Sixteenth Amendment, which established the federal income tax. [p.3]
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Taxes:
Business
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We want to cut tax breaks for companies that are shipping jobs overseas and for special interests, and instead offer tax breaks to companies that are investing right here in the United States of America.... [p.8]
We Democrats support lowering the corporate tax rate while closing unnecessary loopholes, and lowering rates even further for manufacturers who create good jobs at home. [p.8]
[President Obama's] administration will continue its fight against the exploitative practice of employers fraudulently misclassifying workers as independent contractors or white-collar workers to evade taxes or deny them protections and overtime benefits. [p.9]
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We call for a reduction of the corporate rate to keep U.S. corporations competitive internationally, with a permanent research and development tax credit, and a repeal of the corporate alternative minimum tax. We also support the recommendation of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, as well as the current President’s Export Council, to switch to a territorial system of corporate taxation, so that profits earned and taxed abroad may be repatriated for job-creating investment here at home without additional penalty. [p.2]
[A]ny value added tax or national sales tax must be tied to the simultaneous repeal of the Sixteenth Amendment, which established the federal income tax. [p.3]
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Supreme Court
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We will continue to nominate and confirm judges who are men and women of unquestionable talent and character and will always demonstrate their faithfulness to our law and our Constitution and bring with them a sense of how American society works and how the American people live. [p.20]
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We support the appointment of judges who respect traditional family values and the sanctity of innocent human life. [p.14] |
Women’s
Rights
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We are committed to ending violence against women. We support reauthorizing the bipartisan Violence Against Women Act and oppose the proposals by Republicans in the House of Representatives.... [p.20]
Abortion: The Democratic Party strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v. Wade and a woman’s right to make decisions regarding her pregnancy, including a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay. We oppose any and all efforts to weaken or undermine that right. [p.18] |
Abortion: We support a human life amendment to the Constitution and endorse legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment’s protections apply to unborn children. We oppose using public revenues to promote or perform abortion or fund organizations which perform or advocate it and will not fund or subsidize health care which includes abortion coverage. We support the appointment of judges who respect traditional family values and the sanctity of innocent human life. We oppose the nonconsensual withholding or withdrawal of care or treatment, including food and water, from people with disabilities, including newborns.... [p.14]
We oppose the FDA approval of Mifeprex, formerly known as RU-486, and similar drugs....[p.34] |
