BARACK OBAMA

DEMOCRAT

STUDENT LOANS
Barack Obama has proposed a $4,000 refundable tax credit for college that students receive in exchange for service. He will simplify the application process for financial aid.

ECONOMY
Obama has said that improving the economy is job No. 1. He has advocated creating an Emergency Economic Plan to jumpstart the economy. He will provide $1,000 emergency energy rebates, which would be delivered to working families Over a five-year period, these rebates would be paid for by a windfall profits tax on the excess profits of oil companies. He has called for an additional $50 billion in stimulus, with funding for state and local government services and for infrastructure projects.

IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN
Obama plans to bring end the war in Iraq responsibly and ensure our efforts in Afghanistan have the troops they need. He will increase our troop levels in Afghanistan, press our allies in NATO to do the same, and revitalize Afghanistan’s economic development.

HEALTH CARE
Obama will provide affordable, accessible health care for all Americans, building on and reforming the existing health care system. Under the plan, if you like your current health insurance, nothing changes.

ENERGY
Obama will reduce dependence on foreign oil by working with our automakers to develop cars that get better milage and make fewer emissions. He will make a $15 billion a year investment in alternative energy to create millions of new jobs and ensure we are producing energy here, rather than spending billions of dollars in the Middle East.

JOHN MCCAIN

REPUBLICAN

STUDENT LOANS
John McCain wants to simplify the student loan process and expand the federal system’s lender-of-last resort capability, which helps make loan funds available to eligible students who cannot find a lender.

ECONOMY
As part of his pro-growth tax policy, McCain plans to keep tax rates low and provide a tax credit toward businesses that invest in research and development.
He also wants to increase spending controls on the federal budget, reduce barriers to trade and allow families to trade a hefty mortgage for a loan that reflects the home’s market value.

IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN
McCain wants to continue the counterinsurgency strategy in Iraq that began in 2007. He wants to bolster Iraq’s economy through microfinance programs and urges that Iraq’s neighbors should invest in Iraq’s oil exports.

HEALTH CARE
McCain does not plan to tax family or individual premiums, medical expenses, insurance claims or employers providing health coverage. He also wants to create savings through Medicare by advocating payment reform and allowing more use of generic drugs.

ENERGY
McCain wants to promote research and invest in alternative sources of energy, such as nuclear, coal, wind, hydro and solar power. He wants to expand domestic production by lifting federal restrictions on drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf, which includes regions in Alaska, the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.