George W. Bush on the Issues
Other Candidates
George W. Bush (Republican) Web Site
Abortion
people have got to understand
that abortion is not a contraceptive; we should not have abortions on demand;
that partial birth abortion is dealing with a live child. And no, I don't think
you ought to hold the mother criminal. -- Larry King Live 12/16/99
Good people on both sides of this
issue can work to reduce the number of abortions. Passing parental notification.
Promoting adoption. Praising the quiet goodness of crisis pregnancy centers.
Opposing public funding of abortion. Teaching abstinence to children. Ending
partial-birth abortion. Building a culture of life, brick by brick. We are a
society with enough compassion and wealth and love to care for children both
before and after birth; to seek the promise and potential in every life. -- www.georgewbush.com
Budget/Economy
I agree with the idea of trying
to trim down budgets, John (McCain). But the best way to reduce the fat in
Washington is to send money back to the people who pay the taxes. And that's
exactly what I intend to do. -- Iowa GOP Debate 1/15/2000
Not only are my tax cuts real, they've reduced the baseline of the budget. And that's why it's important to cut taxes. It's important to cut taxes to give -- make sure the economy continues to grow. But John, it's also important to cut taxes to make sure that the federal budgets don't become bloated and don't grow. -- Iowa GOP Debate 1/15/2000
Civil Rights
Bush opposes quotas and racial
preferences, but said the private and public sector should be encouraged to
reach out to minorities. He refused to state his position on a California law
that eliminated affirmative action programs. -- Associated Press 7/14/99
Bush opposes the extension of hate crime laws to protect gays and homosexual
adoption.-- CNN.com 7/2/99
Crime
Bush created InnerChange, a
Prison Ministry Program for criminal rehabilitation. It’s a 24-hours-a-day,
Bible and value-based prerelease program, aimed at helping inmates achieve
spiritual and moral transformation. InnerChange begins 12-18 months before
release and continues for 6-12 months of post-release aftercare to re-integrate
inmates back into society. Volunteer church mentors will help inmates re-adjust
and keep on the straight and narrow by avoiding old habits and old friendships.
-- www.georgewbush.com
Defense
In the defense of our nation, a
president must be a clear-eyed realist. There are limits to the smiles and
scowls of diplomacy. Armies and missiles are not stopped by stiff notes of
condemnation. They are held in check by strength and purpose and the promise of
swift punishment. -- Reagan Library, 11/19/99
This is still a world of terror & missiles & madmen. We are challenged by aging weapons and failing intelligence. I will rebuild our military power - because a dangerous world still requires a sharpened sword. I will move quickly to defend our people and our allies against missiles and blackmail. And I will have a foreign policy with a touch of iron - driven by American values and American interests. -- Candidacy Announcement Speech 6/12/99
Drugs
"One of the interesting
questions facing baby boomers is, have we grown up? Are we willing to share the
wisdom of past mistakes? And I think the message ought to be to all children,
'Don’t use drugs. Don’t abuse alcohol.' That’s what leadership is all
about." -- Boston Globe 8/22/99
Education
If the federal government spends
money, say on the poorest of the poor children, we need to ask a simple
question: What are the results? Are the children learning? And if they are, we
ought to give bonuses to schools for the poorest of the poor. But if they’re
not, if the poorest of the poor remain in trapped schools, that money that would
go to the school should go to the parent so the parent gets to make a different
choice. -- Arizona GOP debate 12/7/99
Environment
Individuals, businesses and
governments in a new voluntary program [in Texas] have helped clean up more than
200 contaminated sites during the past three years. Texas also works with
bordering Mexican states to support air- and water-quality improvement projects.
We encourage such voluntary, innovative approaches in Texas. I appoint qualified
board members to state agencies that develop common-sense policies based on
sound science that will best protect human health and the environment. --
www.governor.state.tx.us
Families/Children
Bush has long supported sexual
abstinence for unmarried couples...announced that if he were elected president,
the federal government would channel as much money into abstinence education as
it spends on sex education. "The twin epidemics of teen pregnancy and
sexually transmitted disease are a major problem for the future of
America," Bush said. -- Atlanta Journal-Constitution 6/22/99
Foreign Policy
Peace is not ordained, it is
earned. Building a durable peace requires strong alliances, expanding trade and
confident diplomacy. It requires tough realism in our dealings with China and
Russia. It requires firmness with regimes like North Korea and Iraq, regimes
that hate our values and resent our success. And the foundation of our peace is
a strong, capable, and modern American military. -- "A Charge to Keep"
page 239 12/9/99
Free Trade
I’ll work to end tariffs and
break down barriers everywhere, entirely, so the whole world trades in freedom.
The fearful build walls. The confident demolish them. I am confident in American
workers and farmers and producers. And I am confident that America’s best is
the best in the world. -- Candidacy Announcement Speech 6/12/99
Government Reform
By trying to do too much,
government has undermined one of America’s greatest strengths: individual
potential. A government that overtaxes its workers limits the incentive to earn
and to save. A government that hands out check after check undermines the
incentive to work. Part of our legacy must be to restore government to its
proper scope and role. A government whose tax policies create incentives to
work, invest and save. A government that respects and nurtures individual
liberty and responsibility. -- Powell Lecture Series, Texas A&M University
4/6/98
Gun Control
- Supports stronger enforcement of existing gun laws, would provide more funding for aggressive gun law enforcement programs such as Project Exile in Richmond, Virginia
- Supports automatic detention for kids who commit crimes with guns
- Supports requiring instant background checks at gun shows by allowing gun show promoters to access the instant check system on behalf of vendors
- Supports law-abiding American's constitutional right to own guns to protect their families and home
- Supports the current ban on automatic weapons
- Supports banning juveniles from possession of semi-automatic "assault" weapons
- Supports increasing the minimum age for possession of a handgun from 18 to 21
- Supports banning the importation of foreign made, "high-capacity" ammunition clips
- Supports voluntary safety locks
- Opposes government mandated registration of all guns owned by law abiding citizens
From www.georgebush.com
Q: You are in favor of some gun controls? A: I’m in favor of keeping guns out of the hands of people who shouldn’t have them like felons & juveniles. I’m for enforcing the laws on the books. In Texas, we’ve armed D.A.’s with extra money to prosecute people who break the law. We need to send a signal to people, don’t be illegally selling guns and don’t be illegally using guns. The best accountability for somebody who breaks the law with a gun is called jail, certain jail. -- Iowa GOP debate 12/13/99
Health Care
Q: What about the elimination and
the phasing out of Medicare and Medicaid? A: No, I think it is a bad idea.
Medicare is the responsibility of the Federal Government; it’s a commitment
we’ve got to keep. The problem with Medicare is it’s run by a 135,000 page
document where the government decides everything. They decide how the patient
chooses things and how the doctors perform. I think we need to give patients
more choice and doctors more flexibility. I think phasing it out is a bad idea.
-- Iowa GOP debate 12/13/99
Schools
Charter schools encourage
educational entrepreneurs to try innovative methods. They break up the monopoly
of one-size-fits-all education. These diverse, creative schools are proof that
parents from all walks of life are willing to challenge the status quo if it
means a better education for their children. More competition and more choices
for parents and students will raise the bar for everyone. -- "A Charge to
Keep" page 233 12/9/99
Social Security
We need to take all the payroll
taxes aiming for Social Security and dedicate it to only Social Security. We
need personal savings accounts for younger workers. We’re going to keep our
solemn commitment to people who’ve retired regarding benefits. I definitely
wouldn’t [raise the benefit age] on people near retirement. I hope we’re
able to keep the benefits the same for younger workers, as well. But the key
thing is to have a leader to bring people together to solve the Social Security
system. -- New Hampshire GOP debate 12/3/99
Tax Reform
I’ll have a plan that reduces
marginal rates to create jobs, but a plan that also helps struggling families on
the outskirts of poverty. I believe that after we meet priorities, all that
remains must be passed back to Americans, so it will not be spent by Washington.
-- Candidacy Announcement Speech 6/12/99
Welfare/Labor
The new culture said if people
were poor, the government should feed them. If criminals are not responsible for
their acts, then the answers are not in prisons, but in social programs. People
became less interested in pulling themselves up by their bootstraps and more
interested in pulling down a monthly government check. A culture of dependency
was born. Programs that began as a temporary hand-up became a permanent handout,
regarded by many as a right. -- "A Charge to Keep" page 229 12/9/99
- Al Gore (Democrat)
- Alan Keyes (Republican)
- Bill Bradley (Democrat)
- Gary Bauer (Republican)
- Harry Browne (Libertarian)
- Howard Phillips (Constitution)
- John McCain (Republican)
- Pat Buchanan (Reform)
- Steve Forbes (Republican)
Other Candidates
For a list of the above and 17 current and former candidates from 6 political
parties, with links to their web sites, please see...
President 2000: Candidates' Web Sites
Great Sources of Voter Information
Freedom Channel
The first video-on-demand in American politics, click and see the candidates you want, on the issues you want, whenever you want them.GoVote Forum on George W. Bush
A popular moderated forum discussing the platform and campaign of this candidate.Issues2000
George W. Bush - many more statements on many more issues.League of Women Voters - Voter Information
Provides links to online information about local, state, and national candidates from all over the country.State Voter Registration Requirements
Are you eligible to vote in your state?VirtualJerusalem.com -- The Next President
A careful look at where Bush, McCain, Gore, and Bradley stand on the issues and how the election could affect Israel.VoteMatch Quiz
You enter your opinions on the issues -- VoteMatch selects the candidate that best matches your views.Project Vote Smart
This national non-partisan, non-profit effort researches, tracks and provides to the public independent factual information on over 13,000 candidates and elected officials.VIS - Voter Information Services
Using a simple and fast interface, non-partisan, non-profit VIS lets you research how likely members of Congress are to vote in support of identified advocacy groups.
Other Election 2000 Resources 
Political Parties
Links to the two major and six 3rd party web sites plus committees.Interest Groups and Organizations
Choose your issue and opinion and look here to find a PAC, think tank, or interest group that agrees with you.Candidates' Issues Web Pages
Handy links directly to the issues or platform statement pages of the candidates' web sites.US Senate Races
Incumbents include 19 Republicans and 14 Democrats. State-by-State Details.US House Races
Incumbents include 223 Republicans, 211 Democrats, and 1 Independent. State-by-State details.Governors Races
Incumbents include 4 Republicans and 7 Democrats. State-by-State details.Election 2000 Index
Links to these and other election resources on US Government Info/Resources and other About.com Guide Sites.
Express Your
Opinions
Just click on a topic to read or take part in the discussion.
