Hillary Rodham Clinton, Democrat:


HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
Date of Birth: October 26, 1947 (Chicago, IL. )
Hometown: Park Ridge, IL.
Spouse: Bill Clinton
Children: Chelsea Clinton
Religion: United Methodist

Education: Yale Law School, J.D., 1973, Wellesley College, B.A., 1969, Maine South High School
Public Service / Elected Offices: Senator, United States Senate, 2001-present, First Lady of the United States, 1993-2001, First Lady of Arkansas, 1979-1981, 1983-1993, House Judiciary Committee, 1974

On the Issues
Iraq
Clinton opposes President Bush's plan to escalate the war and proposed legislation to end authority for the war in Iraq. The legislation will propose the five year anniversary of the original resolution authorizing the use of force in Iraq as the expiration date for that resolution. The President would be required to come to Congress to seek new authority. Following de-authorization, Senator Clinton would not support any new legislation that did not start to remove our troops from the middle of this sectarian civil war.

She has also proposed a cap on troop levels to January 1, 2007 levels and put forth a comprehensive roadmap for ending the war. If it is followed, Hillary's bill, the Iraq Troop Protection and Reduction Act of 2007, will end the war before the next President takes the oath of office. But she has also been clear: if George Bush refuses to end the war, when she is President, she will.

Clinton opposes permanent bases in Iraq. She believes we may need a vastly reduced residual force to train Iraqi troops, provide logistical support, and conduct counter-terrorism operations. But that is not a permanent force, and she has been clear that she does not plan a permanent occupation.

Immigration
"I'm in favor of comprehensive immigration reform, which includes tightening our border security, sanctioning employers to employ undocumented immigrants, getting the 12 million or so immigrants out of the shadows. That's very important to me. After 9/11, we've got to know who's in this country. And then giving them a chance to pay a fine, pay back taxes, learn English & stand in line to be eligible for a legal status in this country."

Healthcare
"The American Health Choices Plan preserves existing health insurance and offers new choices to those with insurance and to the 47 million people in the United States without insurance. It ensures portability so that Americans do not lose coverage when they change or lose their jobs. Americans will have three options:

1) Keep Current Health Care Coverage: Americans who are satisfied with the coverage they have today can keep it. Nothing would interfere with their insurance or their relationship with their health care provider. The only significant change they will see will be lower costs and higher quality health care as the modernization initiatives to improve value in our health care system take effect and as the achievement of seamless coverage reduces the hidden tax on premiums that comes from current cost-shifting.

2) A Choice of Health Plan Options: Businesses, employees, and the uninsured will have the option of buying group insurance through a new Health Choices Menu. This Menu will give all Americans the same set of insurance options that their Member of Congress has. Without creating new bureaucracy, the Menu will be part of the Federal Employee Health Benefit Program (FEHBP), which includes numerous, high-quality private health insurance options. The Health Choices Menu will have the purchasing power of millions of Americans in securing high-quality and affordable insurance. States will also have the option of banding together to offer the same type of choices in a region of the country if they wish. The benefits will be as good as those offered to Members of Congress. Such coverage includes mental health parity, and many plans offer dental coverage. In addition, as a condition of doing business with the federal government, insurers must cover high priority preventive services that experts agree are proven and effective. This focus on prevention will improve health and lower costs in the long run.

3) A Choice of a Public Plan Option: In addition to the array of private insurance choices offered, the Health Choices Menu will also provide Americans with a choice of a public plan option, which could be modeled on the traditional Medicare program, but would cover the same benefits as guaranteed in private plan options in the Health Choices Menu without creating a new bureaucracy. The alternative will compete on a level playing field with traditional private insurance plans. It will provide a more affordable option, in part through greater administrative savings. It will not be funded through the Medicare trust fund.

The plan creates rules that all insurers must follow, ensuring that no American is denied coverage, refused renewal of an insurance policy, unfairly priced out of the market, or charged excessive insurance premiums. Health plans will compete on cost and quality rather than avoiding patients who need insurance the most.

Energy
Clinton has championed policies that encourage development of alternative energy technologies and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. She has proposed an Apollo Project-like program dedicated to achieving energy independence. Hillary recognizes that global climate change is one of the most pressing moral issues of our time. She supports policies to reduce carbon emissions and other pollution that contribute to global warming.

In the White House, Clinton has said she would lead the charge to stop global warming by investing in clean energy technologies, establishing a national market-based program to reduce global warming pollution, increasing our fuel efficiency, and restoring the United States' rightful place as a leader in international efforts to address the problem of climate change.

Clinton introduced a plan to Congress to create a Strategic Energy Fund that would inject $50 billion into research, development, and deployment of renewable energy, energy efficiency, clean coal technology, ethanol and other homegrown biofuels, and more. We can create the fund without raising taxes by giving oil companies a choice: invest in renewable energy themselves or pay into the fund. She would also eliminate oil companies' tax breaks and make sure they pay their fair share for drilling on public lands.