Barack Obama: The President is taking aggressive steps to put Americans back to work, and restore middle-class security for decades to come. For years before the economic crisis, middle-class security had been slipping away. Wages stagnated while health care costs soared. We’ve added back 2.6 million private sector jobs as of September 2011, but there’s more work to do.
When President Obama took office, he both addressed the immediate economic crisis and laid the foundation for a U.S. economy that can out-innovate and out-build the world.  Source: http://www.barackobama.com/record/economy

Barack Obama: When President Obama took office, the U.S. was engaged in two wars and faced terrorist threats at home and abroad. President Obama has refocused our security priorities to concentrate on the most serious threats, promote our values, and improve our standing in the world. President Obama is committed to strengthening America’s leadership by maintaining a strong military and staying true to our values and ideals. President Obama has fulfilled his promise to bring our soldiers home from Iraq responsibly and safely. Source: http://www.barackobama.com/record/national-security

Barack Obama: President Obama has made the environment a priority, moving us towards energy independence, investing in clean-energy jobs, and taking steps to improve the quality of our air and water. As of November 2010, the Obama administration's policies have helped the private sector create 1 million jobs through public investments that jump-started additional private investment—nearly a quarter of those jobs in the clean energy industry. The clean energy sector creates the jobs of today and tomorrow, helps protect our environment, and reduces our dependence on foreign oil. President Obama signed a law that provided for one of the largest expansions of federally protected wilderness in decades.  Source: http://www.barackobama.com/record/environment

Barack Obama: President Obama passed the Affordable Care Act to restore health care as a basic cornerstone of middle-class security in America. When fully implemented, the Affordable Care Act will end the worst insurance company abuses—including denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions or cancelling coverage when someone gets sick. The Affordable Care Act makes health care more affordable for families and small businesses and brings much-needed transparency to the insurance industry. Because of the new law, 32 million more Americans will be able to afford insurance for the first time. Ninety-five percent of Americans under age 65 will have insurance. Source: http://www.barackobama.com/record/health-care

Barack Obama: For the last decade, we have spent more money than we take in. In the year 2000, the government had a budget surplus. But instead of using it to pay off our debt, the money was spent on trillions of dollars in new tax cuts, while two wars and an expensive prescription drug program were simply added to our nation's credit card. As a result, the deficit was on track to top $1 trillion the year I took office. To make matters worse, the recession meant that there was less money coming in, and it required us to spend even more -- on tax cuts for middle-class families; on unemployment insurance; on aid to states so we could prevent more teachers and firefighters and police officers from being laid off. These emergency steps also added to the deficit.

Now, every family knows that a little credit card debt is manageable. But if we stay on the current path, our growing debt could cost us jobs and do serious damage to the economy. More of our tax dollars will go toward paying off the interest on our loans. Businesses will be less likely to open up shop and hire workers in a country that can't balance its books. Interest rates could climb for everyone who borrows money -- the homeowner with a mortgage, the student with a college loan, the corner store that wants to expand. And we won't have enough money to make job-creating investments in things like education and infrastructure, or pay for vital programs like Medicare and Medicaid.

Because neither party is blameless for the decisions that led to this problem, both parties have a responsibility to solve it. And over the last several months, that's what we've been trying to do. I won't bore you with the details of every plan or proposal, but basically, the debate has centered around two different approaches. The first approach says, let's live within our means by making serious, historic cuts in government spending. Let's cut domestic spending to the lowest level it's been since Dwight Eisenhower was president. Let's cut defense spending at the Pentagon by hundreds of billions of dollars. Let's cut out the waste and fraud in health care programs like Medicare -- and at the same time, let's make modest adjustments so that Medicare is still there for future generations. Finally, let's ask the wealthiest Americans and biggest corporations to give up some of their tax breaks and special deductions. This balanced approach asks everyone to give a little without requiring anyone to sacrifice too much. It would reduce the deficit by around $4 trillion and put us on a path to pay down our debt. And the cuts wouldn't happen so abruptly that they'd be a drag on our economy, or prevent us from helping small business and middle-class families get back on their feet right now...Source:  http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/07/25/address-president-nation

Ron Paul: THE TIME FOR ACTION IS NOW The severe economic crisis America has experienced over the past several years, including growing inflation, rising gas prices, trillion-dollar budget deficits, immoral bailouts, and the ever-declining value of the dollar, is just the tip of the iceberg if our nation does not immediately change course. UNHEEDED WARNINGS As the crash approached, Ron Paul was heavily criticized by the establishment media and even many of his fellow Republicans because he would not back down from his warnings about where big government policies were leading America. When those warnings came true, however, our President and leaders in Congress didn’t let the crisis “go to waste” and used it as an excuse to expand government intervention and power on an unprecedented level. Excessive spending, artificial credit, and market manipulation crashed our economy, and no one should be surprised that these same policies continue to prolong the suffering for millions of Americans. We need a President who is not afraid to make the tough decisions necessary to restore America’s economy and guarantee future prosperity. REAL SOLUTIONS As President, Ron Paul will lead the way out of this crisis by: * Vetoing any unbalanced budget Congress sends to his desk. * Refusing to further raise the debt ceiling so politicians can no longer spend recklessly. * Fighting to fully audit (and then end) the Federal Reserve System, which has enabled the over 95% reduction of what our dollar can buy and continues to create money out of thin air to finance future debt. * Legalizing sound money, so the government is forced to get serious about the dollar’s value. * Ending the corporate stranglehold on the White House. * Driving down gas prices by allowing offshore drilling, abolishing highway motor fuel taxes, increasing the mileage reimbursement rates, and offering tax credits to individuals and businesses for the use and production of natural gas vehicles. * Eliminating the income, capital gains, and death taxes to ensure you keep more of your hard-earned money and are able to pass on your legacy to your family without government interference. * Opposing all unfunded mandates and unnecessary regulations on small businesses and entrepreneurs. These are just a few of the steps we can take to put America back in place as the world’s leading economy. Taking a stand for these principles has often been a lonely fight in Congress for Ron Paul, but, now more than ever, our nation needs a President who will champion sound money, responsible spending, lower taxes, and free market enterprise. Source: http://www.ronpaul2012.com/the-issues/economy/

Ron Paul: PROVEN LEADERSHIP “Ron Paul is one of the outstanding leaders fighting for a stronger national defense. As a former Air Force officer, he knows well the needs of our armed forces, and he always puts them first. We need to keep him fighting for our country.” – Ronald Reagan A PRO-AMERICA FOREIGN POLICY As an Air Force veteran, Ron Paul believes national defense is the single most important responsibility the Constitution entrusts to the federal government. In Congress, Ron Paul voted to authorize military force to hunt down Osama bin Laden and authored legislation to specifically target terrorist leaders and bring them to justice. Today, however, hundreds of thousands of our fighting men and women have been stretched thin all across the globe in over 135 countries – often without a clear mission, any sense of what defines victory, or the knowledge of when they’ll be permanently reunited with their families. Acting as the world’s policeman and nation-building weakens our country, puts our troops in harm’s way, and sends precious resources to other nations in the midst of an historic economic crisis. Taxpayers are forced to spend billions of dollars each year to protect the borders of other countries, while Washington refuses to deal with our own border security needs. Congress has been rendered virtually irrelevant in foreign policy decisions and regularly cedes authority to an executive branch that refuses to be held accountable for its actions. Far from defeating the enemy, our current policies provide incentive for more to take up arms against us. That’s why, as Commander-in-Chief, Dr. Paul will lead the fight to: * Make securing our borders the top national security priority. * Avoid long and expensive land wars that bankrupt our country by using constitutional means to capture or kill terrorist leaders who helped attack the U.S. and continue to plot further attacks. * Guarantee our intelligence community’s efforts are directed toward legitimate threats and not spying on innocent Americans through unconstitutional power grabs like the Patriot Act. * End the nation-building that is draining troop morale, increasing our debt, and sacrificing lives with no end in sight. * Follow the Constitution by asking Congress to declare war before one is waged. * Only send our military into conflict with a clear mission and all the tools they need to complete the job – and then bring them home. * Ensure our veterans receive the care, benefits, and honors they have earned when they return. * Revitalize the military for the 21st century by eliminating waste in a trillion-dollar military budget. * Prevent the TSA from forcing Americans to either be groped or ogled just to travel on an airplane and ultimately abolish the unconstitutional agency. * Stop taking money from the middle class and the poor to give to rich dictators through foreign aid. As President, Ron Paul’s national defense policy will ensure that the greatest nation in human history is strong, secure, and respected. Source: http://www.ronpaul2012.com/the-issues/national-defense/

Ron Paul: The free market – not government – is the solution to America’s energy needs. Unfortunately, decades of misguided federal action have helped lead to skyrocketing fuel prices, making it even more difficult for hardworking families to make ends meet. Washington’s bureaucratic regulations, corporate subsidies, and excessive taxation have distorted the market and resulted in government bureaucrats picking winners and losers. In fact, much of the “pain at the pump” Americans are now feeling is due to federal policies designed by environmental alarmists to punish traditional energy production – like oil, coal, and natural gas – in hopes of making energy sources they favor more “economical.” Sadly, even with $4.00 a gallon gasoline, many are attempting to make our energy crisis even worse by working to impose job-destroying carbon taxes, or a “Cap and Tax” system. As long as we allow federal regulations and bureaucratic red tape to get in the way of energy exploration, our country will never solve its energy crisis, and Americans will continue to pay the price in high costs. A PRO-ENERGY PRESIDENT As President, Ron Paul will lead the fight to: * Remove restrictions on drilling, so companies can tap into the vast amount of oil we have here at home. * Repeal the federal tax on gasoline. Eliminating the federal gas tax would result in an 18 cents savings per gallon for American consumers. * Lift government roadblocks to the use of coal and nuclear power. * Eliminate the ineffective EPA. Polluters should answer directly to property owners in court for the damages they create – not to Washington. * Make tax credits available for the purchase and production of alternative fuel technologies. It’s time for a President that recognizes the free market’s power and innovative spirit by unleashing its full potential to produce affordable, environmentally sound, and reliable energy. Source: http://www.ronpaul2012.com/the-issues/energy/

Ron Paul: Dr. Ron Paul spent his entire career in the medical profession working to uphold this simple principle by ensuring his patients received the best care he could give them, even if they could not afford it. Dr. Paul understands the key to effective and efficient medical care is the doctor-patient relationship. Yet, federal bureaucrats continue to believe that their one-size-fits-all policies will lower costs, increase access, and cure an ailing industry. Instead, excessive regulation, immoral mandates, and short-sighted incentives have created a system where no one is happy, doctors pass quickly from one patient to the next, insurance is expensive to get and difficult to maintain, and politicians place corporate interests ahead of their constituents. FREEDOM NOT FORCE The answer to our nation’s health care crisis lies in freedom – not force. As President, Ron Paul will fight to put you back in control of your health care decisions, save you money on medical expenses, and institute reforms that will once again make America’s health care system the standard for other nations to follow. He will work with Congress to: * Repeal ObamaCare and end its unconstitutional mandate that all Americans must carry only government-approved health insurance or answer to the IRS. * Allow purchase of health insurance across state lines. * Provide tax credits and deductions for all medical expenses. * Exempt those with terminal illnesses from the employee portion of payroll taxes while they are suffering from such illnesses or are incurring significant medical costs associated with their conditions. * Give a payroll deduction to any worker who is the primary caregiver for a spouse, parent, or child with a terminal illness. * Ensure that those harmed during medical treatment receive fair compensation while reducing the burden of costly malpractice litigation on the health care system by providing a tax credit for “negative outcomes” insurance purchased before medical treatment. * Guarantee that what is taken from taxpayers to pay for Medicare and Medicaid is not raided for other purposes. * Make all Americans eligible for Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and remove government-imposed barriers to obtaining HSAs. * Stop the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) from interfering with Americans’ knowledge of and access to dietary supplements and alternative treatments. * Prevent federal bureaucrats from tracking every citizen’s medical history from cradle to grave by prohibiting the use of taxpayer funds for a national database of personal health information. Ron Paul proudly worked every day to honor the trust his patients placed in him, and he will do the same as President with the confidence of the American people, who deserve a government that “does no harm” to their health care. Source: http://www.ronpaul2012.com/the-issues/health-care/

Ron Paul: It isn’t too late to return to fiscal sanity. We could start by canceling out the debt held by the Federal Reserve, which would clear $1.6 trillion under the debt ceiling. Or we could cut trillions of dollars in spending by bringing our troops home from overseas, making gradual reforms to Social Security and Medicare, and bringing the federal government back within the limits envisioned by the Constitution. Yet no one is willing to step up to the plate and make the hard decisions that are necessary. Everyone wants to kick the can down the road and believe that deficit spending can continue unabated. Unless major changes are made today, the U.S. will default on its debt sooner or later, and it is certainly preferable that it be sooner rather than later. If the government defaults on its debt now, the consequences undoubtedly will be painful in the short term. The loss of its AAA rating will raise the cost of issuing new debt, but this is not altogether a bad thing. Higher borrowing costs will ensure that the government cannot continue the same old spending policies. Budgets will have to be brought into balance (as the cost of servicing debt will be so expensive as to preclude future debt financing of government operations), so hopefully, in the long term, the government will return to sound financial footing. Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-07-22/default-now-or-suffer-a-more-expensive-crisis-later-ron-paul.html

Mitt Romney: Mitt Romney will rebuild the foundations of the American economy on the principles of free enterprise, hard work, and innovation. His plan seeks to reduce taxes, spending, regulation, and government programs. It seeks to increase trade, energy production, human capital, and labor flexibility. It relinquishes power to the states instead of claiming to have the solution to every problem. Any American living through this economic crisis will immediately recognize the severity of the break that Mitt Romney proposes from our current course. He is calling for a fundamental change in Washington’s view of how economic growth and prosperity are achieved, how jobs are created, and how government can support these endeavors. It is at once a deeply conservative return to policies that have served our nation well and a highly ambitious departure from the policies of our current leadership. In short, it is a plan to get America back to work. Source: http://www.mittromney.com/jobs

Mitt Romney: Our country today faces a bewildering array of threats and opportunities. As president, Mitt Romney will safeguard America and secure our country’s interests and most cherished ideals. The unifying thread of his national security strategy is American strength. When America is strong, the world is safer. It is only American power—conceived in the broadest terms—that can provide the foundation for an international system that ensures the security and prosperity of the United States and our friends and allies. A Romney foreign policy will proceed with clarity and resolve. Our friends and allies will not have doubts about where we stand and what we will do to safeguard our interests and theirs. Neither will our rivals, competitors, and adversaries. The best ally world peace has ever known is a strong America. The “last best hope of earth” was what Abraham Lincoln called our country. Mitt Romney believes in fulfilling the promise of Lincoln’s words and will defend America abroad in word and in deed. Source: http://www.mittromney.com/issues/foreign-policy

Mitt Romney: As president, Mitt Romney will make every effort to safeguard the environment, but he will be mindful at every step of also protecting the jobs of American workers. This will require putting conservative principles into action. Significant Regulatory Reform The first step will be a rational and streamlined approach to regulation, which would facilitate rapid progress in the development of our domestic reserves of oil and natural gas and allow for further investment in nuclear power. • Establish fixed timetables for all resource development approvals • Create one-stop shop to streamline permitting process for approval of common activities • Implement fast-track procedures for companies with established safety records to conduct pre-approved activities in pre-approved areas • Ensure that environmental laws properly account for cost in regulatory process • Amend Clean Air Act to exclude carbon dioxide from its purview • Expand NRC capabilities for approval of additional nuclear reactor designs • Streamline NRC processes to ensure that licensing decisions for reactors on or adjacent to approved sites, using approved designs, are complete within two years Increasing Production The United States is blessed with a cornucopia of carbon-based energy resources. Developing them has been a pathway to prosperity for the nation in the past and offers similar promise for the future. • Conduct comprehensive survey of America’s energy reserves • Open America’s energy reserves for development • Expand opportunities for U.S. resource developers to forge partnerships with neighboring countries • Support construction of pipelines to bring Canadian oil to the United States • Prevent overregulation of shale gas development and extraction Research and Development Government has a role to play in innovation in the energy industry. History shows that the United States has moved forward in astonishing ways thanks to national investment in basic research and advanced technology. However, we should not be in the business of steering investment toward particular politically favored approaches. That is a recipe for both time and money wasted on projects that do not bring us dividends. The failure of windmills and solar plants to become economically viable or make a significant contribution to our energy supply is a prime example. • Concentrate alternative energy funding on basic research • Utilize long-term, apolitical funding mechanisms like ARPA-E for basic research Source: http://www.mittromney.com/jobs/energy

Mitt Romney: Mitt Romney believes that Obamacare must be repealed. On his first day in office, he will issue an executive order paving the way for waivers from Obamacare for all 50 states. Subsequently, he will call on Congress to fully repeal Obamacare, and advocate reforms that return power to the states, improve access by slowing health care cost increases, and make health insurance portable and flexible for today’s economy. The central advantage of our federalist system is that different states will experiment with and settle on the health care solutions that suit their residents best. We can empower states to expand health care access to low-income Americans by block-granting funds for Medicaid and the uninsured. Mitt Romney’s reforms also offer the states resources to help the chronically ill, to improve their access to care, and to improve the functioning of insurance markets for others. The tax code currently offers open-ended subsidies for the purchase of insurance through employers. Mitt Romney will expand the tax deduction to also include those who buy their own health insurance. This simple change creates the best of both worlds. Absolutely nothing will change for those who like their current coverage. And individuals who don't get coverage through their employers will have portable, lower-cost options. The current medical liability system encourages defensive medicine and drives up health care costs. To address these problems, Mitt Romney will cap non-economic damages in medical malpractice litigation. He also believes in providing innovation grants to states for additional medical liability reforms, such as alternative dispute resolution or health care courts. Make health care more like a market and less like a government program Mitt Romney will strengthen health savings accounts (HSAs), which help consumers save for health expenses and choose cost-effective insurance. For example, he believes that we should permit HSA funds to be used to pay for health insurance premiums. The market reforms Mitt is proposing will drive down costs, better inform consumers, and improve the quality of health care in our nation. Source: http://www.mittromney.com/issues/health-care

Mitt Romney: Exercise fiscal responsibility to restore economic opportunity. Washington is addicted to deficit spending. As President, Mitt Romney will cut spending to finally move our nation toward a balanced budget. During the Bush years, the nation’s deficit—the gap between what Washington collects and spends each year—hovered between 2 percent and 4 percent of GDP. These levels were already problematic and a cause for concern. During the Obama administration, however, the deficit exploded to 10 percent of GDP. One major problem with sky-high deficit spending is that it necessarily leads to another practice that undermines the nation’s fiscal foundation: borrowing unhealthy sums to pay for what we already cannot afford. America is on an unsustainable path that, within just a few short years, will cripple the economy and foreclose any opportunity for recovery. Mitt Romney will bring fiscal restraint to Washington by placing a hard cap on federal spending to force our government to live within its means and put an end to deficit spending. Mitt will also curb federal spending by repealing Obamacare, the federal takeover of health care that is scheduled to cost taxpayers one trillion dollars over the next ten years. He will also focus on eliminating wasteful government spending and right-sizing the federal government to save taxpayer dollars. Mitt Romney’s goal is to put the federal government on a course toward a balanced budget and true fiscal responsibility. Source: http://www.mittromney.com/issues/fiscal-responsibility