2008 has been an incredibly exciting year to be a Democrat. With such a stellar field of Presidential candidates, it has been particularly difficult deciding who to vote for in this primary. Senators Biden and Dodd and Governor Richardson have political experience and talent that would do honor to our White House. Former Senator John Edwards brings a populist message back to the Party not seen since the days of LBJ. Senator Clinton vigorously pursues issues that all Democrats hold dear. The Democratic Party is enjoying an embarrassment of riches.
Despite the depth of the field, the decision to support Illinois Senator Barack Obama on March 4th has become undeniable clear. First, I support Senator Obama for his public policy priorities. Second, I support Senator Obama because of the manner in which he conducts himself. Third, I support Senator Obama because he embodies a sea change in the way we view ourselves and (hopefully) in the way the world views the U.S.
Senate Legislative Accomplishments:
1. 2007, Sponsored and passed Obama/Feingold Ethics Reform Law: provided enhanced restrictions and transparency into the relationship between politicians and lobbyists. (S.230 from the 110th Congress, became law 9/14/07
2. 2006, Sponsored and passed legislation with Senator Coburn (R-OK), which would provide transparency in the federal budget process. A google-like search engine which will enable people to find out what the government is spending money on and who sponsored it. (S. 2590, became law 9/7/06)
3. 2007, Sponsored and passed legislation with Senator Hagel (R-NE) and Representative Schiff (D-CA), which would require that the President develop and implement a strategy for “ensuring that all nuclear weapons and weapons-usable material at vulnerable sites around the world are secure by 2012”.
4. 2005, Sponsored and passed an amendment to the Department of the Interior appropriations bill that forced the U.S. EPA to outline strategies for dealing with lead-based paint (SA 1061) as required by a law passed seven years earlier. 9 months after passage of this amendment, Obama was successful in forcing EPA to publish their report. He did this by leading an effort to block EPA nominees until the agency complied with the law.
5. 2005, Sponsored and passed legislation creating a tax credit for the installation of E-85 fuel pumps. Inserted an amendment into the Energy Policy Act to fund research for Hybrid and Flex Fuel Vehicles.
6. 2006, Sponsored and passed legislation which began to address the abysmal care provided to wounded veterans at Walter Reed Military Hospital and VA centers around the nation.
7. 2006, Sponsored and passed legislation with Senator Coburn (R-OK) prohibiting the Dept. of Homeland Security from entering into open-ended no-bid contracts for emergency response activities.
8. 2006, Sponsored and passed an amendment to the Homeland Security appropriations bill creating a national family locator system for the aftermath of a disaster.
Illinois Senate Legislative Accomplishments:
1. 1998, Sponsored and passed bi-partisan Ethics reform legislation that enabled making campaign finance reform possible.
2. 1998, Sponsored and passed campaign finance legislation known as the Illinois Gift Ban that prohibited public officials from soliciting or receiving gifts (over $50 in value) from anyone doing business affected by government
3. 2003, Sponsored and passed a bill to assist health care consumers by creating a hospital report card system to rank quality of care.
4. 2004, Sponsored Illinois’ KidCare program raising eligibility level for participation from 185% to 200% of FPL adding 20,000 new eligible kids and 65,000 new eligible adults. By 2007, because of this legislation there were 70,000 new kids and 84,000 new adults enrolled as a result of this legislation.
5. 2003, Sponsored and passed a death penalty overhaul package. Bill created the Capital Punishment Reform Study Committee.
· Empowered judges to rule out a death sentence for people convicted solely on the testimony of a jailhouse informant, accomplice or single witness.
· Empowered Illinois Supreme Court to overturn death sentence that was “fundamentally unjust.”
· Reduced the crimes eligible for death penalty by focusing on “inherently violent” crimes.
· Expanded defendants’ access to genetic evidence used against them.
· Requires juries to consider defendant’s history of abuse or mental illness.
6. 2003, Sponsored and passed legislation requiring law enforcement to videotape interrogations in capital cases.
7. 2003, Sponsored and passed a bill requiring law enforcement to record the race, age and gender of all drivers stopped for traffic violations to analyze for evidence of racial profiling.
9. 2000, Part of a bi-partisan effort to amend the Illinois Tax Act to create an EITC.
10. 2001, Sponsored and passed legislation which would require companies in Illinois to provide 60-days notice before mass layoffs.
11. 2003, Sponsored and passed legislation which created Whistle-Blower Protections in Illinois, which protects employees that cooperate with law enforcement in the investigation of state and federal law.
12. 2003, Sponsored and passed Equal Pay Act in Illinois to give 330,000 more women protection from pay discrimination.
Key components of Obama’s Presidential Platform:
1. Opposed the war in Iraq. Will pursue a foreign policy which allows the United States to re-focus on credible threats and will pursue a strategy which relies on diplomacy as much as military strength.
2. Continue the efforts to secure nuclear stockpiles in former-Soviet republics and continue to work stave off the proliferation of nuclear weapons.
3. Pursue a strategy of diplomacy where we are willing to meet with adversarial nations without pre-condition.
4. Address the gaps in No Child Left Behind to ensure that public education focuses on results, as per the intent of the law, but is also adequately funded to help local districts succeed. In the process address growing drop out rates, expand head-start and early childhood education programs, expand after-school programs, and strengthen teacher retention.
5. Pursue a Cap and Trade system to reduce climate changing greenhouse gas emissions. Reduce CO2 emissions by 80% by 2050.
6. Invest $150 billion over 10 years in clean energy technology research and implementation.
7. Middle class tax relief
8. Renegotiate NAFTA to fight for fair and equal environmental and labor standards.
9. Ensure that the right to organize is never infringed upon. Ensure that striking workers are protected according to the law. Raise the minimum wage and index it so it keeps pace with inflation.
10. Regulate finance industry to ensure that the predatory credit industry doesn’t destroy the livelihood of working Americans.
11. Address pro-credit corporate changes in credit, bankruptcy and other laws during the Bush administration. Ensure that these industries are truly competitive and transparent.
12. Balance the budget, adopt PAYGO and reform tax code to stop rewards to companies that hurt the American economy by exporting jobs.
13. Cut pork-barrel spending and create greater transparency in the federal budget process.
14. Work for comprehensive immigration reform along the lines of the McCain (before he disavowed it)/Kennedy legislation from 2007.
15. Expand health care coverage, mandate for children’s health insurance, focus on Health IT efforts to increase efficiency and quality of care, pursue mental health parity, expand Medicaid and SCHIP.