Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton was an interesting subject because of the pseudo-offices she has held as first lady of Arkansas and of the nation. While they are not elected positions, as I did my research I realized that there was much she did within those roles that bore mentioning. So while she doesn't get any credit for anything her husband did in his capacity, I did choose to highlight the things she was able to do from her position.

I also had to analyze her senate record. In my quest to show you exactly what the senators supported while they were in office, I only had to deal with a few hundred bills each time. This was because John Edwards did not sponsor many bills, John McCain did not sponsor many for the poor, and Barack Obama has only had a little over two years to work at his breakneck pace. So how was profiling Hillary, who's had over six years in the senate sponsoring bills at Obama's pace and cosponsoring 600-700 more on top of that every Congress? Looking at 2,600 bills this week has not been fun.

That aside, Clinton's prominence over the last 15 years made her the easiest candidate to get a complete picture of. So here's what I found:

What does Hillary Clinton think about helping the poor?

Political History

Hillary Clinton was First Lady of Arkansas from 1979-1981 and 1983-1993, First Lady of the United States from 1993-2000, and the Senator representing New York from 2001 until now.

First Lady of Arkansas: 1979-1981, 1983-1993.

• Clinton chaired the Arkansas Educational Standards Committee, co-founded the Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, and served on the boards of the Arkansas Children's Hospital, Legal Services, the Children's Defense Fund, and Wal-Mart.¹
• In 1985, Clinton directed the establishment of the Home Instruction Program for Pre-School Youngsters (HIPPY), a program directed at boosting low-income children².

First Lady of the United States: 1993-2000.

• In 1993, headed the president's Task Force on Health Care reform. She put together a proposal on universal health care that was seen as too complicated by some and/or "socialist" by others and eventually abandoned by democratic leadership in the House and Senate.
• In 1997, initiated the Children's Health Insurance Program, which facilitated states to provide health insurance for low-income children.
• Initiated the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997, stating that it provided her with the "greatest satisfaction" of her time as First Lady.^{3 4} Also supported and pushed the Foster Care Independence Bill, an effort to help foster children transition to adulthood.⁵
• Helped create Vital Voices, was an active supporter of the US Agency for International Development, and helped create the Office on Violence Against Women, strongly pushing for international women's rights in all three efforts.⁶
• Supported the 1996 welfare reform bill signed by Bill Clinton⁷, although some sources cite initial misgivings over certain parts⁸.

107^th Congress: 2001-2002

• Sponsored bills to expand the number of low middle income children eligible for health care assistance⁹, provide resources for children who lose parents in the event of a disaster¹⁰, extend unemployment benefits for those affected by 9/11¹¹, providing assistance for people who become disabled in foreign countries¹², improve services for youths in foster care programs¹³, extend and expand unemployment benefits¹⁴, and increase benefits for blind veterans¹⁵. The bill extending unemployment benefits for 9/11 victims became law.
• Also sponsored an amendment to require a study on the effect of dilapidated school buildings on children¹⁶ and providing funding to assist children suffering in disasters/crises¹⁷. The amendments passed the senate.
• Cosponsored resolutions to call for a fight against drugs and crime in public housing¹⁸, state that all workers deserve fair and safe working conditions¹⁹, call on the US to combat the global AIDS pandemic²⁰ and to reaffirm a stand against genocide²¹. None of the resolutions passed.
• Also cosponsored bills to increase the minimum wage^{22 23 24}, increase the availability and affordability of early learning²⁵, improve preventive health care for women²⁶, give incentives to employers to expand health care²⁷, extend health care to the families of covered children^{28 29}, increase funding for low-income energy assistance^{30 31}, promote economic recovery in Zimbabwe³², facilitate the funding of social services³³, give American Indian children equal access to adoption and foster care³⁴, allow states to extend health insurance to certain immigrants³⁵, improve nutrition assistance for families and the elderly^{36 37}, create programs and campaigns to promote fatherhood and strong families³⁸, support broad community youth programs^{39 40}, create an international food assistance program for schools⁴¹, provide assistance for communities hurt by trade⁴², fight AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis in developing countries^{43 44}, extend the development of affordable housing⁴⁵, provide economic assistance to victims of domestic and sexual violence⁴⁶, provide education and health care assistance to Afghan women⁴⁷, forgive loans for the spouses of 9/11 victims⁴⁸, increase accessibility of enrollment in MediCare and MediCal^{49 50}, promote charitable giving⁵¹, increase the number of areas designated "renewal communities"^{52 53}, provide additional housing assistance⁵⁴, improve health care for pregnant women⁵⁵, reauthorize TANF⁵⁶, reauthorize specific homeless assistance⁵⁷, prioritize health care provision for low-income veterans⁵⁸, increase unemployment compensation^{59 60} and increase microenterprise assistance in developing countries⁶¹. The bills providing assistance to Zimbabwe and Afghanistan became law.
• Also cosponsored amendments to increase low-income energy assistance⁶², create a prescription drug benefit⁶³, extend TANF funding⁶⁴ and increase mental health benefits in health care plans⁶⁵. The amendments increasing low-income energy assistance, extending TANF, and increasing mental health benefits passed the Senate.

108^th Congress: 2003-2004

• Sponsored a resolution to express a need to expand support for children whose parents have died⁶⁶. The resolution did not pass the Senate.
• Also sponsored bills to authorize microcredit and housing assistance in Kosovo⁶⁷, fund job training and language acquisition programs⁶⁸, provide a national information service for social services⁶⁹, improve mental health services for older adults⁷⁰, fund economic development in low-income communities^{71 72}, provide aid to related foster-care providers⁷³ and provide education aid in developing countries⁷⁴. None of them became law.
• Also sponsored amendments to improve women's health⁷⁵ and provide funds to address disparities in minority health⁷⁶. The amendment addressing minority health disparities was agreed to in the Senate.
• Cosponsored resolutions directing Congress to create comprehensive health care legislation⁷⁷, declaring genocide in Darfur⁷⁸, speaking out against genocide⁷⁹ and condemning human trafficking and slavery⁸⁰. None of the resolutions passed.
• Also cosponsored bills to expand and improve health care coverage^{81 82 83 84 85 86 87}, expand an array of early child development programs^{88 89}, increase the minimum wage^{90 91}, extend unemployment aid^{92 93 94 95}, increase support for veteran's health care⁹⁶, extend child care for welfare recipients⁹⁷, promote justice for seniors⁹⁸, provide housing assistance for intergenerational families⁹⁹, expand renewal communities¹⁰⁰, address health care disparities^{101 102}, improve food assistance to seniors¹⁰³, increase mental health coverage¹⁰⁴, provide assistance to disabled individuals in foreign countries¹⁰⁵, provide grants for transitional job programs^{106 107}, promote the adoption of special-needs children¹⁰⁸, protect families affected by worldwide conflict¹⁰⁹, prioritize health care for low-income veterans¹¹⁰, provide disadvantaged children with dental services¹¹¹, expand volunteer opportunities for youths¹¹², increase development of affordable housing¹¹³, provide mentoring for children in foster care¹¹⁴, protect overtime compensation¹¹⁵, improve access to services for disabled homeless and foster children¹¹⁶, improve working conditions for migrant laborers¹¹⁷, extend adoption incentives¹¹⁸, provide support to families with severely emotionally disturbed children¹¹⁹, reduce complications and mortality resulting from premature birth¹²⁰, extend government programs to help the poor¹²¹, expand trade benefits to African countries^{122 123}, extend SSI benefits for refugees and asylum-seekers¹²⁴ and improve microenterprise programs¹²⁵. One of the bills extending unemployment compensation and different forms of one of the African trade benefits bills and the microenterprise bill became law.
• Also cosponsored amendments to increase low-income energy assistance^{126 127}, extend unemployment assistance^{128 129 130 131 132 133}, increase global AIDS funding^{134 135 136 137}, provide a prescription drug benefit¹³⁸, provide a tax credit for long-term care¹³⁹, state that nutrition aid should not be reduced¹⁴⁰, increase medical aid for veterans of current wars¹⁴¹, guarantee MediCare to all who qualify every year¹⁴², increase education aid for the disadvantaged¹⁴³, protect overtime compensation¹⁴⁴, increase funds for Head Start¹⁴⁵, express the need for all low-income housing vouchers to be utilized¹⁴⁶, expand Pell Grants¹⁴⁷, provide additional funding for childcare¹⁴⁸ and provide assistance to help those in Darfur and Chad¹⁴⁹. The amendments providing low-income energy assistance, increasing AIDS funding, stating that nutrition aid should not be reduced, protecting overtime compensation, providing additional childcare funding, and one amendment extending unemployment compensation were passed in the Senate.

109^th Congress: 2005-2006

• Sponsored a resolution to express the need to prevent child abuse and provide stable foster care¹⁵⁰. The resolution did not pass.
• Also sponsored bills to create a national infoline for social services¹⁵¹, provide more assistance for relatives caring for foster kids¹⁵², provide mental health services for seniors¹⁵³, give incentives for housing assistance¹⁵⁴, establish a congressional commission to investigate the response to Katrina¹⁵⁵, extend the child tax credit to Puerto Ricans¹⁵⁶, improve MediCare and MediCaid¹⁵⁷, help seniors get long-term care¹⁵⁸, increase the minimum wage¹⁵⁹ and assist education in developing countries¹⁶⁰ None of the bills became law.
• Also sponsored amendments to establish a commission to investigate the response to Katrina¹⁶¹ and create a national infoline for social services¹⁶². Neither amendment passed the Senate.
• Cosponsored resolutions to assess the possibility of a no-fly zone in Sudan¹⁶³, call for universal health insurance¹⁶⁴, express the importance of MediCaid^{165 166}, promote adoption¹⁶⁷, urge a commitment to earthquake victims in South Asia¹⁶⁸, call for immediate steps to help Darfur¹⁶⁹, support peace in Uganda¹⁷⁰ and urge the Sudanese government to accept peacekeeping terms¹⁷¹. The resolutions promoting adoption, calling for immediate steps in Darfur and urging the Sudanese to accept peacekeeping terms, and supporting peace in Uganda passed the Senate.
• Also cosponsored bills to improve health care for veterans^{172 173 174}, increase the minimum wage and protect wage laws^{175 176 177}, improve Medicare^{178 179 180}, extend Medicaid to the families of disabled children and low-income AIDS patients^{181 182}, improve work conditions for migrant laborers¹⁸³, support families of severely emotionally disabled children¹⁸⁴, extend SSI to refugees and asylum-seekers¹⁸⁵, improve long-term care for Medicaid patients^{186 187}, improve education for at-risk students¹⁸⁸, provide additional assistance to premature births¹⁸⁹, provide support services for the homeless^{190 191}, provide paid sick leave for all families¹⁹², reduce hunger in America¹⁹³, assist banks in developing countries¹⁹⁴, improve mental health provision under Medicaid¹⁹⁵, extend services for homeless veterans¹⁹⁶, provide mentoring for children in foster care¹⁹⁷, promote peace in Sudan^{198 198a}, improve health care for minorities¹⁹⁹, provide relief to Katrina victims^{200 201}, establish an office in charge of Katrina relief²⁰², improve health care for Katrina victims²⁰³, reconstruct the Gulf Coast^{204 205}, protecting communities (especially disadvantaged ones) affected by environmental health issues^{206 207}, setting foreign policy goals and providing aid to Congo²⁰⁸, increase coal mine safety²⁰⁹, provide for low-income energy assistance²¹⁰, make drugs affordable to Medicare recipients²¹¹, provide international aid for tuberculosis treatment²¹², improve nutrition for low-income children²¹³, improve newborn care²¹⁴, provide development assistance in the Appalachians²¹⁵, provide assistance to combat AIDS in youth²¹⁶ and extend kindergarten for low-income families²¹⁷. The bills providing additional assistance for premature births, providing aid to Congo, promoting peace in Sudan, and providing low-income energy assistance became law.
• Also cosponsored amendments to increase the minimum wage^{218 219 220}, increase funding for veteran's medical care²²¹, impose sanctions against those perpetuating crimes in Darfur²²², provide legal services for those affected by Katrina²²³, provide emergency funds, health care, and educational assistance for those affected by Katrina^{224 225 226}, provide low-income energy assistance^{227 228 229}, improve Pell Grants and other student aid^{230 231}, prevent high school dropouts²³², increase funding for Head Start²³³, provide funds to improve Hispanic education²³⁴, add additional Title 1 funding²³⁵, provide Medicaid assistance for low-income HIV patients²³⁶, contribute additional money to the Global Fund²³⁷, increase disaster assistance²³⁸. The amendments sanctioning and promoting peace in Sudan, providing legal services for Katrina victims, preventing dropouts, improving Hispanic education, contributing extra to the Global Fund, and one amendment increasing low-income energy funds passed the Senate.

110^th Congress: 2007-present

The 110th Congress only started a few months ago. So far, Hillary Clinton has:
• Sponsored bills to establish a national infoline for social services²³⁹ and provide benefits for relatives who care for foster children²⁴⁰.
• Also cosponsored bills to increase the minimum wage²⁴¹, increase student aid²⁴², improve the work situation of migrant laborers²⁴³, extend development in the Appalachians²⁴⁴, improve coverage for mental health benefits²⁴⁵ and improve the care of newborns²⁴⁶.

Statements About the Poor

"It is time for us to say here in Beijing, and the world to hear, that it is no longer acceptable to discuss women's rights as separate from human rights. It is a violation of human rights when babies are denied food, or drowned, or suffocated, or their spines broken, simply because they are born girls, or when women and girls are sold into slavery or prostitution for human greed. It is a violation of human rights when women are doused with gasoline, set on fire and burned to death because their marriage dowries are deemed too small, or when thousands of women are raped in their own communities and when thousands of women are subjected to rape as a tactic or prize of war."²⁴⁷

"People can talk all they want about how they want to be part of ending poverty, but if they don't see with their own eyes and hear with their own ears the stories of millions of Americans and their children who are not able to be lifted out of poverty, because the minimum wage doesn't pay enough. Don't let people get away with nice words."²⁴⁸

"This entire legislative season has been about the misplaced priorities of the White House and the Republican Majority in Congress who are unable or unwilling to recognize the realities facing America’s families. Washington Republicans seem oblivious to the fact that 1.1 million more Americans fell into poverty last year, for a total of 37 million of our fellow citizens, including 13 million children. In New York City, one in five residents lives below the poverty line. They have turned a blind eye to the fact that 45 million Americans are without health insurance, including almost three million New Yorkers. They have ignored the devastating effects of the job losses that workers at GM, Ford, and Delphi face. And our huge and growing national debt, now $8.1 trillion, threatens the future of our children.
The Republican budget lays bare the priorities of Washington Republicans: loopholes for oil companies instead of student loans for middle-class families. Irresponsible tax breaks instead of affordable health care for the working poor. Now, these are choices that would even give Ebenezer Scrooge pause, choices that not only ignore the challenges facing American families but make those challenges more difficult to overcome."²⁴⁹

"You know, I’ve spent many years working on behalf of children in foster care. They are probably the most vulnerable of all of our children. The poorest of the poor, abused, neglected—children who get taken away from their families because their families are unable or unwilling to care for them. And when they're taken away by the police or by a court or social worker, maybe they're turned in by a neighbor or relative, they become our children. They become the responsibility of every single one of us. And we have to work very hard to try to get them reunited with families, to try to find a relative who will love and care for them. And absent that, try to make sure they're safe and secure in foster care while hopefully we try to find a permanent, loving family for them. It's going to be a lot harder because the Republicans are choosing corporate tax breaks instead of foster care. They're going to slash $600 million from foster care support.
You know, I grew up loving the Christmas season. You know, telling the story over and over again about how Mary and Joseph found themselves with no place to stay and how Jesus was born in the manger. And you know, many people say, look, ‘They were really shut out, left behind.’ Well, we're shutting out and leaving behind a lot of our children with these budget decisions. It's wrong."²⁵⁰

"Extending unemployment insurance would put money into the hands of the very people who will turn right around and put it back into our economy. In 1999, the Department of Labor found that when unemployment insurance is extended, every dollar in benefits generates $2.15 in gross domestic product. Giving more purchasing power to the more than 8 million Americans who are currently unemployed would be a powerful stimulus for our economy." ²⁵¹

"You know, we find it in our scriptures when we ask, what are we to do? You know the answer, do justice, love mercy, walk humbly with your God. We find it in our Constitution, we find it in our laws. Two months before he died, Dr. Martin Luther King gave a speech at Ebenezer Baptist church in Atlanta. And he talked about how when the roll was called up yonder he wanted to answer and say, I was a drum major for justice. He may no longer be with us, and others who led the march toward justice may be gone, but we have all of you. We have a great band. We have legions who will be drum majors for justice. And so when that role is called, ACORN can answer, we were drum majors for justice, we looked out for the vulnerable, we worked to give people fair pay for the work they did, we took in the stranger, we tried to fulfill the responsibilities as Americans we were called to meet."²⁵²

"Let me be absolutely clear. Breaking up families that are homeless is wrong. Criminalizing the homeless with mass arrests for those whose only offense is that they have no home is wrong. Locking people up for a day will not take a single homeless person off the streets."²⁵³

"Although it is called microcredit, this is a big idea with vast potential whether we are talking about a rural area in South Asia or the inner city. It's an invaluable tool in alleviating poverty, promoting self-sufficiency and stimulating the economy. Microcredit projects can create a ripple effect- not only in lifting individuals out of poverty and moving mothers from welfare to work, but in creating jobs, promoting businesses and building capital in depressed areas."²⁵⁴

"In East Timor in 1999, when a U.N. peacekeeping force would have taken months to assemble, the Security Council authorized an Australian-led multi-lateral force to go to East Timor. 96 hours later they were in Dili, and the massacre of innocent Timorese stopped immediately, never to resume. These are real success stories, to be balanced against the tragic failures in Rwanda, early Bosnia, and up to now, the inadequate response in Darfur.
What can we learn from this decade of successes and failures? For me, the first lesson is the U.N. Security Council must meet its obligations. It did not do so, for example, in Rwanda."²⁵⁵

Private Life

• Has net worth of between $10 million and $50 million. Most came in last decade from Bill Clinton’s speeches and from their books. Between 2001 and 2005, the Clintons put $5.16 million to a private foundation that Hillary runs. The foundation has so far given away $1.25 million of that money, mostly to colleges they attended, landmarks in their home state, their church, and tsunami relief in Asia.
• During her second year in law school, Hillary Clinton volunteered at Yale's Child Study Center, learning about new research on early childhood brain development, as well as New Haven Hospital, where she took on cases of child abuse, and the city Legal Services, where she provided free legal service to the poor.²⁵⁶
• After graduating from college, served as an attorney at the Children’s Defense Fund. Continued pro bono work in child advocacy when she moved on to Rose Law Firm.
• Co-wrote Witness to Genocide: The Children of Rwanda: Drawings by Child Survivors of the Rwandan Genocide of 1994.
• Clinton’s husband, Bill, founded the William J. Clinton foundation to address world health, economic improvement, leadership development, and racial reconciliation. He also took on a position as president for a few years back in the '90s.

Anyone get through that? I'll admit that trying to read and record thousands of bills took a lot of time, and a result there are probably more omissions and summarizations in her bill record than anyone else's. But trust me, I'm sure I got over 90% of them, and all the important ones are there. Of course, as always if you know of anything I left out that's important, please post it. Or if you've picked up any sort of ideological bias in any of this, offer a counter. I want the full picture to be out there of each candidate, so we can form the best opinions possible. Does Hillary Clinton hear the cry of the poor?


^[1]Biography of Hillary Clinton, www.whitehouse.gov
^[2]Hillary Rodham Clinton Biography, www.notablebiographies.com
^[3]Adoption and Safe Families Act
^[4]First Lady Biography: Hillary Clinton, www.firstladies.org
^[5]Foster Care Independence Act
^[6]First Lady Biography: Hillary Clinton, www.firstladies.org
^[7]"Is Sharpton Protecting Hillary?", The Village Voice, May 24, 2000.
^[8]First Lady Biography: Hillary Clinton, www.firstladies.org
^[9]SCHIP Enhancement Act of 2001
^[10]To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act...
^[11]To extend the period of availability of unemployment assistance...
^[12]International Disability and Victims of Landmines, Civil Strife and Warfare Assistance Act of 2001
^[13]Opportunity Passport Act of 2002
^[14]To extend and expand the Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 2002
^[15]To amend title XVI of the Social Security Act to provide that annuities paid by States...
^[16]Senate Amendment 516
^[17]Senate Amendment 2066
^[18]Expressing the sense of Congress that reducing crime in public housing should be a priority...
^[19]Expressing the sense of the Congress that all workers deserve fair treatment and safe working conditions...
^[20]Whereas the international AIDS pandemic is of grave proportions and is growing;
^[21]Whereas the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide confirms...
^[22]Enhancing Economic Security for America's Working Families Act
^[23]Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2001
^[24]Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2002
^[25]Right Start Act of 2001
^[26]WISEWOMAN Expansion Act of 2001
^[27]Bipartisan Patient Protection Act of 2001--Part II
^[28]Dylan Lee James Act
^[29]FamilyCare Act of 2001
^[30]Energy Emergency Response Act of 2001
^[31]Low-Income Energy Assistance Reinvestment Act
^[32]Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001
^[33]Social Services Block Grant Restoration Act of 2001
^[34]Indian and Alaska Native Foster Care and Adoption Services Amendments of 2001
^[35]Immigrant Children's Health Improvement Act of 2001
^[36]Nutrition Assistance for Working Families and Seniors Act of 2001
^[37]Senior Nutrition Act of 2002
^[38]Strengthening Working Families Act of 2001
^[39]Younger Americans Act
^[40]School Service Act of 2002
^[41]George McGovern-Robert Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Act of 2001
^[42]Trade Adjustment Assistance for Workers, Farmers, Communities, and Firms Act of 2001
^[43]GLIDER Act
^[44]International AIDS Treatment and Prevention Act of 2002
^[45]National Affordable Housing Trust Fund Act of 2001
^[46]Victims' Economic Security and Safety Act
^[47]Afghan Women and Children Relief Act of 2001
^[48]September 11 Surviving Spouse Student Loan Relief Act
^[49]Medicare+Choice Consumer Protection Act of 2001
^[50]To temporarily increase the Federal medical assistance percentage for the medicaid program.
^[51]CARE Act of 2002
^[52]To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for additional designations of renewal communities.
^[53]To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow for the expansion of areas...
^[54]Welfare Reform and Housing Act
^[55]SMART Mom Act
^[56]Work and Family Act of 2002
^[57]Community Partnership to End Homelessness Act of 2002
^[58]To amend title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs...
^[59]Economic Security Act of 2002
^[60]Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act of 2002
^[61]To amend the Microenterprise for Self-Reliance Act of 2000 and the Foreign Assistance Act...
^[62]Senate Amendment 28
^[63]Senate Amendment 172
^[64]Senate Amendment 317
^[65]Senate Amendment 2020
^[66]Expressing the Sense of the Senate that Congress should expand the supports...
^[67]Kosovar-American Enterprise Fund Act of 2003
^[68]Access to Employment and English Acquisition Act of 2003
^[69]Calling for 2-1-1 Act of 2003
^[70]Positive Aging Act of 2004
^[71]To establish a grant program to support cluster-based economic development efforts.
^[72]To establish a grant program to support broadband-based economic development efforts.
^[73]Kinship Caregiver Support Act
^[74]Education for All Act of 2004
^[75]Senate Amendment 652
^[76]Senate Amendment 2780
^[77]Whereas the United States has the most expensive health care system in the world...
^[78]Whereas Article 1 of the 1948 United Nations Convention on the Prevention...
^[79]Whereas in 1948, in the shadow of the Holocaust, the international community...
^[80]Whereas it has been nearly 2 centuries since the abolition of the transatlantic...
^[81]Health Care Coverage Expansion and Quality Improvement Act of 2003
^[82]To temporarily increase the Federal medical assistance percentage for the medicaid program.
^[83]Dylan Lee James Act
^[84]Medicare Safety Net Access Act of 2003
^[85]Immigrant Children's Health Improvement Act of 2003
^[86]Early Treatment for HIV Act of 2003
^[87]Start Healthy, Stay Healthy Act of 2003
^[88]Right Start Act of 2003
^[89]Head Start Coordination and School Readiness Act
^[90]Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2003
^[91]Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2004
^[92]A bill to provide for a 5-month extension of the Temporary Extended Unemployment...
^[93]Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act of 2003
^[94]Economic Security Act of 2003
^[95]Unemployment Compensation Extension Act
^[96]Veterans Health Care Funding Guarantee Act of 2003
^[97]Children First Act of 2003
^[98]Elder Justice Act
^[99]LEGACY Act of 2003
^[100]To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow for the expansion...
^[101]Patient Navigator, Outreach, and Chronic Disease Prevention Act of 2003
^[102]Healthcare Equality and Accountability Act
^[103]Senior Nutrition Act of 2003
^[104]Senator Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act of 2003
^[105]International Disability and Victims of Warfare and Civil Strife Assistance Act of 2003
^[106]Business Links Act of 2003
^[107]Trade Adjustment Assistance Equity for Service Workers Act of 2004
^[108]Adoption Equality Act of 2003
^[109]Women and Children in Conflict Protection Act of 2003
^[110]To amend title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs...
^[111]Children's Dental Health Improvement Act of 2003
^[112]School Service Act of 2003
^[113]National Affordable Housing Trust Fund Act of 2003
^[114]Foster Care Mentoring Act of 2003
^[115]Overtime Compensation Protection Act of 2003
^[116]Improving Education for Homeless and Foster Children with Disabilities Act of 2003
^[117]Agricultural Job Opportunity, Benefits, and Security Act of 2003
^[118]Adoption Promotion Act of 2003
^[119]Keeping Families Together Act
^[120]PREEMIE Act
^[121]Poverty Reduction and Prevention Act
^[122]United States-Africa Partnership Act of 2003
^[123]AGOA Acceleration Act of 2004
^[124]SSI Extension for Elderly and Disabled Refugees Act
^[125]Microenterprise Results and Accountability Act of 2004
^[126]Senate Amendment 27
^[127]Senate Amendment 1595
^[128]Senate Amendment 40
^[129]Senate Amendment 315
^[130]Senate Amendment 544
^[131]Senate Amendment 832
^[132]Senate Amendment 1170
^[133]Senate Amendment 2617
^[134]Senate Amendment 127
^[135]Senate Amendment 1174
^[136]Senate Amendment 1283
^[137]Senate Amendment 1966
^[138]Senate Amendment 294
^[139]Senate Amendment 349
^[140]Senate Amendment 407
^[141]Senate Amendment 459
^[142]Senate Amendment 931
^[143]Senate Amendment 1543
^[144]Senate Amendment 1580
^[145]Senate Amendment 1597
^[146]Senate Amendment 2183
^[147]Senate Amendment 2725
^[148]Senate Amendment 2937
^[149]Senate Amendment 3493
^[150]Senate Resolution 566
^[151]Calling for 2-1-1 Act of 2005
^[152]Kinship Caregiver Support Act
^[153]Positive Aging Act of 2005
^[154]Housing America's Workforce Act
^[155]To establish a congressional commission to examine the Federal...
^[156]To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to make residents of Puerto Rico...
^[157]Patients Before Profits Act of 2006
^[158]Community-Based Choices for Older Americans Act of 2006
^[159]Standing with Minimum Wage Earners Act of 2006
^[160]Education for All Act of 2006
^[161]Senate Amendment 1660
^[162]Senate Amendment 4072
^[163]Calling on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to assess the potential effectiveness...
^[164]To express the sense of Congress concerning the provision of health insurance coverage to all Americans.
^[165]Expressing the sense of the Congress with respect to the importance of Medicaid...
^[166]To express the sense of the Senate regarding the impact of medicaid...
^[167]To express support for the goals of National Adoption Month...
^[168]Commending relief efforts in response to the earthquake in South Asia...
^[169]Calling on the President to take immediate steps to help improve the security situation in Darfur...
^[170]Calling on the United States Government and the international community...
^[171]Whereas Congress declared on July 22, 2004 that the atrocities in Darfur...
^[172]Fulfilling Our Duty to America's Veterans Act of 2005
^[173]To appropriate $1,975,183,000 for medical care for veterans.
^[174]Veterans Long-Term Care Security Act of 2006
^[175]Fair Wage, Competition, and Investment Act of 2005
^[176]Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2005
^[177]Tax Relief and Minimum Wage Act of 2006
^[178]Meeting Our Responsibility to Medicare Beneficiaries Act of 2005
^[179]Ending the Medicare Disability Waiting Period Act of 2005
^[180]Medicare Beneficiary Assistance Improvement Act
^[181]Dylan Lee James Act
^[182]Early Treatment for HIV Act of 2005
^[183]Agricultural Job Opportunities, Benefits, and Security Act of 2005
^[184]Keeping Families Together Act
^[185]SSI Extension for Elderly and Disabled Refugees Act
^[186]Money Follows the Person Act of 2005
^[187]Improving Long-Term Care Choices Act of 2005
^[188]GRAD Act
^[189]PREEMIE Act
^[190]Services for Ending Long-Term Homelessness Act
^[191]Community Partnership to End Homelessness Act of 2005
^[192]Healthy Families Act
^[193]Hunger-Free Communities Act of 2005
^[194]Development Bank Reform and Authorization Act of 2005
^[195]Medicare Mental Health Copayment Equity Act of 2005
^[196]SAVE Reauthorization Act of 2005
^[197]Foster Care Mentoring Act of 2005
^[198]Darfur Peace and Accountability Act of 2005
^[198a]Senate Amendment 4912
^[199]Healthcare Equality and Accountability Act
^[200]Katrina Emergency Relief Act of 2005
^[201]Hurricane Katrina Bankruptcy Relief and Community Protection Act of 2005
^[202]Oversight of Vital Emergency Recovery Spending Enhancement and Enforcement Act of 2005
^[203]Public Health and Health Insurance Emergency Response Act of 2005
^[204]Gulf Coast Infrastructure Redevelopment and Recovery Act of 2005
^[205]Hurricane Katrina Response Act
^[206]Healthy Communities Act of 2005
^[207]Healthy Places Act of 2006
^[208]Democratic Republic of the Congo Relief, Security, and Democracy Promotion Act of 2006
^[209]Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 2006
^[210]To make available funds included in the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 for the Low-Income...
^[211]Medicare-Guaranteed Prescription Drug Act of 2006
^[212]Stop Tuberculosis (TB) Now Act of 2006
^[213]Child Nutrition Promotion and School Lunch Protection Act of 2006
^[214]Appalachian Regional Development Act Amendments of 2006
^[216]HIV Prevention for Youth Act
^[217]Kindergarten Plus Act of 2006
^[218]Senate Amendment 44
^[219]Senate Amendment 2063
^[220]Senate Amendment 4322
^[221]Senate Amendment 149
^[222]Senate Amendment 517
^[223]Senate Amendment 1659
^[224]Senate Amendment 1661
^[225]Senate Amendment 2356
^[226]Senate Amendment 1706
^[227]Senate Amendment 2033
^[228]Senate Amendment 2194
^[229]Senate Amendment 3074
^[230]Senate Amendment 2213
^[231]Senate Amendment 3028
^[232]Senate Amendment 2219
^[233]Senate Amendment 2254
^[234]Senate Amendment 2262
^[235]Senate Amendment 2275
^[236]Senate Amendment 2390
^[237]Senate Amendment 3052
^[238]Senate Amendment 4600
^[239]Calling for 2-1-1 Act of 2007
^[240]Kinship Caregiver Support Act
^[241]Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007
^[242]College Opportunity Act of 2007
^[243]AgJOBS Act of 2007
^[244]Appalachian Regional Development Act Amendments of 2007
^[245]Mental Health Parity Act of 2007
^[246]Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act of 2007
^[247]"Hillary Clinton, in China, Details Abuse of Women", The New York Times, Sept 6, 1995.
^[248]"Hillary Clinton talks religion", cnn.com, June 29, 2006.
^[249]Remarks of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton on the Senate Floor About Misplaced Budget Priorities, Dec 14, 2005.
^[250]Remarks of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton on the Senate Floor About Misplaced Budget Priorities, Dec 14, 2005.
^[251]"Helping the Jobless", New York Times, Sept 20, 2002.
^[252]Remarks of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton at ACORN’s 2006 National Convention, July 10, 2006.
^[253]"Hillary Clinton Attacks Arrests of the Homeless", The New York Times, Dec 1, 1999.
^[254]"'Microcredit Summit' Gets Macro Attention In Capital", CNN News Briefs, Feb 3, 1997.
^[255]"Future Role of United Nations within the Framework of Global Security", World Security Network, Feb 13, 2005.
^[256]First Lady Biography: Hillary Clinton, www.firstladies.org.

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Summary only...

John McCain

McCain has a longer record of government service than the other candidates - in fact, he's spent more time in national office than all of the other candidates combined. Because of this lengthy record, I summarized his first 18 years of service into two groups. Since he has not sponsored quite as many bills relating to the poor as some other candidates, I was still able to convey the extent to which he has worked for the poor in his service. I then detailed his most recent record in the same manner as the recent record of the other candidates.

I'll let his actions speak for themselves from there.

What does John McCain think about helping the poor?

Political History

John McCain was a U.S. Representative from Arizona from 1983-1986 and the U.S. Senator from Arizona from 1987 until present.

U.S. Representative 1983-1986

• Sponsored bills to create rehab programs for American Indian youth¹ and stimulate economic development for American Indians².

U.S. Senator 1987-2000

• Sponsored many bills related to American Indian issues, including bills to improve economic development^{3 4 5 6 7 8 9}, AIDS programs^{10 11}, mental health programs¹², housing programs^{13 14 15}, substance abuse programs^{16 17}, health services¹⁸, social service grants¹⁹, and many other types of assistance to American Indians.
• Also sponsored bills to extend states' ability to apply for aid for abused children²⁰, expand telecommunications for the deaf^{21 22}, encourage volunteer service²³, provide hospice care for veterans²⁴, increase funding for AIDS programs²⁵, remove barriers to interethnic adoptions²⁶, encourage economic development in depressed communities²⁷, increase the accessibility of Medicaid for children²⁸, increase the number of people who qualify as refugees^{29 30}, require that homeless shelters identify and provide specific services to veterans^{31 32}, and provide educational opportunities for disadvantaged children^{33 34}.

U.S. Senator, 107^th Congress 2001-2002

• Sponsored bills that provided incentives for companies to expand health care coverage³⁵ and encouraged economic development for American Indians³⁶. Also sponsored a resolution to call for human rights in Central Asia³⁷. None of them became law.
• Also cosponsored bills to revise and extend the Indian Health Care Act³⁸, provide equal access for Indians to adoption and foster care services³⁹, expand immigrant families' access to health insurance⁴⁰, make generic drugs more available and affordable⁴¹, improve health care access for low-income women and children⁴², and continue housing assistance to American Indians⁴³. Only the bill continuing housing assistance became law.

U.S. Senator, 108^th Congress 2003-2004

• Sponsored a resolution to call for human rights in Central Asia⁴⁴. The resolution did not pass.
• Also cosponsored resolutions to condemn the government of Iran for its oppression of those of Baha'i faith⁴⁵, condemn the government of Sudan for its attacks on civilians and genocide in Darfur^{46 47}, and call on the UN Security Council to condemn and sanction Burma for its oppression⁴⁸. All of the resolutions except one to declare genocide in Sudan were passed by the Senate.
• Cosponsored bills to provide equal access to foster care and adoption for American Indian children⁴⁹, increase affordable housing and economic opportunity along the US/Mexico border⁵⁰, improve health care for American Indians^{51 52}, improve families' access to health care⁵³, improve immigrant families' access to health insurance⁵⁴, provide support for women and children in humanitarian emergencies⁵⁵, improve vision services for Medicare⁵⁶, accelerate an increase in the child tax credit⁵⁷, improve outreach to veterans who need benefits⁵⁸, improve availability and affordability of generic drugs⁵⁹, improve the health of low-income border residents⁶⁰, expand trade benefits to African nations^{61 62}, increase development aid in the Middle East and Central Asia⁶³, and provide assistance for the crisis in Darfur⁶⁴. The second bill concerning African trade and the bill providing assistance for Darfur became law.
• Also cosponsored amendments to improve the affordability of pharmaceuticals^{65 66}. The second amendment increasing affordable pharmaceuticals became law.
• In 2003, McCain signed a letter (along with 42 other senators) urging President Bush to fully fund AmeriCorps⁶⁷.

U.S. Senator, 109^th Congress 2005-2006

• Sponsored bills improving health care for Indians^{68 69}. Neither bill became law.
• Cosponsored resolutions to pledge continued support for international hunger-relief efforts and express need for US leverage in securing more food aid⁷⁰, express the need for humanitarian support for Northern Uganda⁷¹, condemn Burma for its oppression of minorities⁷², urge the president to appoint a special envoy to Sudan⁷³, and call on the president to do something about the violence in Darfur⁷⁴. The resolutions addressing Uganda and Burma and the second resolution addressing Sudan were passed.
• Cosponsored bills to extend trade preference to least-developed countries⁷⁵, provide American Indians with greater access to foster care and adoption⁷⁶, establish a Hurricane Katrina Recovery Chief Financial Officer⁷⁷, expand preferential trade with Haiti⁷⁸, address mental health and suicide for Indian youth⁷⁹, and reduce deaths among immigrants crossing the border⁸⁰. None of the bills became law.
• In 2005, voted against raising the minimum wage to $7.25⁸¹.

US Senator, 110^th Congress: 2007-present

The 110^th Congress only started a few months ago. So far, John McCain has:
• Cosponsored a resolution calling for support for a peace process in Uganda⁸² and bills to address mental health and suicide for Indian youth⁸³ and to provide better job opportunities for immigrants⁸⁴.

Statements About the Poor

"When I drive home at night, I pass people waiting at a bus stop, and imagine their lives. A woman of Hispanic heritage, maybe thirty five, with three kids, is waiting for a bus on a cold street in the middle of the night so she can start her job. While you and I are home relaxing with our families over dinner, she and thousands like her are working late into the night in the offices we left, emptying waste baskets, cleaning up kitchens, scrubbing bathroom floors. She – like first generation Americans before her – is sacrificing so her children can climb the ladder of American opportunity.
When we debate simplifying the tax code – which we must do -- I want us to remember that admirable woman, and ask ourselves have we done all we can to remove obstacles for her and millions like her to climb the next rung on the ladder."⁸⁵

"Mankind has advanced. Human progress is ceaseless. We can look at Bosnia or Zaire or Rwanda and conclude that building just societies is a fool's errand. We are always, despite our advances, only one sin away from slipping into the abyss of terror and ignorance.
But that is not so. Generations upon generations have driven the human race farther and farther from darkness. Past episodes of abominable human cruelty are kept vivid in the memories of succeeding generations. "Never again," is the admonition passed from the survivors of the Holocaust to their descendants and to us all. And although such an important reminder will not always prevent the occurrence of cruelty and violence even at levels approaching genocide, the civilized world is more inclined to organize opposition to such tragedies if not as early as we should, at least sooner than we once would have."⁸⁶

"Over the last two decades, because we have expanded free trade and open markets, the number of people living in extreme poverty dropped by more than 700 million in China and 200 million in India. As their economies grow, developing nations offer not just competition – but vast new consumer markets for American goods and services. And raising hundreds of millions of people from poverty is the best shield against the attraction of extremism."⁸⁷

"There are times when our principles and our values are so offended that we have to do what we can to resolve a terrible situation. If Rwanda again became a scene of horrible genocide, if there was a way that the United States could stop that and beneficially affect the situation... By the way, we couldn't in Haiti. We sent 20,000 troops and spent $2 billion, and Haiti is arguably worse off. Obviously, it's the last resort. But we can never say that a nation driven by Judeo-Christian principles will only intervene where our interests are threatened, because we also have values, and those values are very important."⁸⁸

[answering question about appropriating money to fight AIDS in Africa]:
"If I had confidence that that money would be well-spent, I would do it. But we have corrupt governments. We have organizations that don't treat the people. We have places where that medicine can't get to. So before I spent our taxpayers' money on that, I would have to make sure that it would go to the recipients and go to these poor people who are afflicted with this terrible disease. And very frankly, in a lot of parts of Africa today, I do not have that confidence."⁸⁹

"Another serious issue is 11 million children that are without health insurance, that we’ve got to expand the children’s health insurance program. There’s a variety of areas that we have to work on, because Medicare is probably the most difficult challenge that we face in the next century because it has a lot to do with other things besides money. And I’ll tell you what — I have the guts to take the money where it shouldn’t be spent in Washington and put it where it should be spent, including 10 percent of the surplus."⁹⁰

In responses to vote-smart.com, McCain stated that he supports maintaining current levels of welfare funding, greatly decreasing taxes on low-income people, slightly increasing the child tax credit and earned income tax credit, increasing funding of job-training programs, allowing immigrants access to welfare programs, requiring welfare recipients to work, giving states flexibility in administering welfare programs, using faith-based organizations, providing housing assistance for low-income families, and giving aid to other nations in emergencies. He does not support universal health care or an increase in the minimum wage.⁹¹

Private Life

• Has a net worth of around $30 million. Donated his $250,000 in book proceeds to charity last year, as he had done previously with income from book sales. At a 2000 Republican debate, McCain said that he donates his congressional pay raises to charity. He also contributes significantly to Food for the Hungry.⁹²
• John McCain's wife, Cindy, founded and ran the American Voluntary Medical Team and the Hensley Family Foundation and is on the board of HALO, Operation Smile, and CARE.
• The McCain family strongly supports adoption and adopted one of their children from Bangladesh.

One special difficulty that occurred was assessing McCain's record on health care. He has sponsored many bills throughout his tenure that dealt with health care. Unfortunately, for many of these bills I am not skilled enough to discern whether they help or hurt the poor. Some raise funding, some lower it. Some extend provisions, some delay them. Even the ones that would obviously decrease aid to the poor - is he trying to decrease aid, or is he trying to reach a compromise to avoid an even worse bill? It was hard for me to tell, so I ended up leaving out all of the health care bills that I was unsure of. But I would consider his record on that issue slightly suspect.

It is also significant that he has spent much more time in Congress than the other candidates. He has sponsored many bills, but the number of them that relate to the poor from year-to-year (other than those providing assistance to American Indians) is quite low. And how important is the special concern he has for American Indians? I think that these are issues to consider.

What do you think? Does John McCain hear the cry of the poor?


^[1]A bill to authorize programs for the treatment and prevention...
^[2]Indian Economic Development Act of 1985
^[3]Indian Economic Development Act of 1987
^[4]Indian Economic Development Act of 1989
^[5]Indian Economic Development Act of 1991
^[6]Indian Employment and Investment Act of 1992
^[7]Indian Employment and Investment Act of 1993
^[8]Indian Reservation Jobs and Investment Act of 1995
^[9]Indian Reservation Jobs and Investment Act of 1997
^[10]To provide for the development and implementation of...
^[11]To amend Title II of the Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act of 1990 to ensure that Native Americans...
^[12]To provide an Indian mental health demonstration grant program.
^[13]To increase housing opportunities for Indians.
^[14]Indian Housing Development Act of 1992
^[15]Indian Housing Development and Reform Act of 1994
^[16]To reauthorize certain provisions relating to Indian alcohol and substance abuse...
^[17]Indian Anti-Drug Abuse Amendments of 1991
^[18]Innovative Indian Health Facilities and Delivery System Demonstration Project Act
^[19]To grant authority to provide social services block grants directly to Indian...
^[20]A bill to extend the period for waivers of State eligibility requirements...
^[21]A bill to expand our national telecommunications system...
^[22]COMMUNICATIONS SERVICE FOR HEARING-IMPAIRED AND SPEECH-IMPAIRED INDIVIDUALS
^[23]To establish a foundation to operate a program of voluntary part-time national service...
^[24]Veterans Hospice Benefit Act of 1991
^[25]MCCAIN AMENDMENT NO. 2461
^[26]Adoption Antidiscrimination Act of 1995
^[27]Community Renewal and Economic Opportunity Act
^[28]Children's Health Assurance through the Medicaid Program (CHAMP) Act
^[29]MCCAIN AMENDMENT NO. 409
^[30]MCCAIN (AND KERRY) AMENDMENT NO. 461
^[3l]MCCAIN AMENDMENT NO. 3196
^[32]To require certain entities that operate homeless shelters to identify...
^[33]To provide educational opportunities for disadvantaged children...
^[34]To provide educational opportunities for disadvantaged children...
^[35]Bipartisan Patient Protection Act of 2001
^[36]Indian Reservation Economic Investment Act of 2001
^[37]Expressing the sense of the Senate with respect to human rights in Central Asia.
^[38]Indian Health Care Improvement Act Reauthorization of 2001
^[39]Indian and Alaska Native Foster Care and Adoption Services Amendments of 2001
^[40]Immigrant Children's Health Improvement Act of 2001
^[41]Greater Access to Affordable Pharmaceuticals Act of 2002
^[42]Start Healthy, Stay Healthy Act of 2001
^[43]Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Reauthorization Act of 2001
^[44]Expressing the sense of the Congress with respect to human rights in Central Asia.
^[45]Condemning the repression of the Iranian Bahai community...
^[46]Condemning the Government of the Republic of the Sudan...
^[47]Whereas Article 1 of the 1948 United Nations Convention on the Prevention and...
^[48]Expressing the sense of the Senate that the United Nations Security Council...
^[49]Indian and Alaska Native Foster Care and Adoption Services Amendments of 2003
^[50]Colonias Gateway Initiative Act
^[51]Native American Health and Wellness Foundation Act of 2003
^[52]Indian Health Care Improvement Act Reauthorization of 2003
^[53]Dylan Lee James Act
^[54]Immigrant Children's Health Improvement Act of 2003
^[55]Women and Children in Conflict Protection Act of 2003
^[56]Medicare Vision Rehabilitation Services Act of 2003
^[57]Working Taxpayer Fairness Restoration Act
^[58]Veterans Outreach Improvement Act of 2003
^[59]Greater Access to Affordable Pharmaceuticals Act
^[60]Border Health Security Act of 2003
^[61]United States-Africa Partnership Act of 2003
^[62]AGOA Acceleration Act of 2004
^[63]Greater Middle East and Central Asia Development Act of 2004
^[64]Comprehensive Peace in Sudan Act of 2004
^[65]To provide for the procurement of certain pharmaceuticals at the lowest possible price...
^[66]To ensure that there is competition in the pharmaceutical industry and increased access...
^[67]Letter from 43 senators to the President on June 17, 2003
^[68]Indian Health Care Improvement Act Amendments of 2005
^[69]Indian Health Care Improvement Act Amendments of 2006
^[70]Whereas although there is enough food to feed all of the people in the world...
^[71]Whereas Joseph Kony has led the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) since 1987...
^[72]Expressing the sense of the Senate condemning the military junta in Burma...
^[73]To urge the President to appoint a Presidential Special Envoy for Sudan.
^[74]Calling on the President to take immediate steps to help stop the violence in Darfur
^[75]TRADE Act of 2005
^[76]Indian and Alaska Native Foster Care and Adoption Services Amendments of 2005
^[77]Oversight of Vital Emergency Recovery Spending Enhancement and Enforcement Act of 2005
^[78]Haiti Economic Recovery Opportunity Act
^[79]Indian Youth Telemental Health Demonstration Project Act of 2006
^[80]Border Death Reduction Act of 2006
^[81]Vote to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to provide for an increase in the Federal minimum wage.
^[82]Whereas for nearly two decades, the Government of Uganda has been engaged...
^[83]Indian Youth Telemental Health Demonstration Project Act of 2007
^[84]AgJOBS Act of 2007
^[85]Remarks at GOPAC dinner., Nov. 16, 2006.
^[86]Address at Ohio Wesleyan University, May 11, 1996.
^[87]Remarks at GOPAC dinner., Nov. 16, 2006.
^[88]GOP Debate, Feb. 16, 2000.
^[89]GOP Debate, Jan. 10, 2000.
^[90]GOP Debate, Dec. 13, 1999.
^[91]Project Vote Smart - Senator McCain
^[92]2000 Presidential Candidates' Positions on Charity, GuideStar.org

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Summary only...

Barack Obama

After looking at three straight candidates whose public service only included a single post (and two of the three only serving a single term in that post), a candidate with a long public service record presented a new challenge. While Obama is only in his third year on the national scene, he has been in public office for ten years, which makes quite a few bills to look through. On top of his length of service, Obama sponsored more bills in two years than John Edwards did in six, which made his record that much harder to detail in full. In order to keep myself from going insane referencing bills, I decided to summarize his service before the current term in the US Senate, and if you want a detailed breakdown of his bills before then you can go ahead and look at the links.

That being said, it's time to look at what he's done.

What does Barack Obama think about helping the poor?

Political History

Barack Obama was a State Senator in Illinois from 1997 until 2004 and the U.S. Senator from Illinois from 2005 until now.

Illinois State Senate

• Voted to raise the state minimum wage from $5.15 to $6.50, helped pass a state Earned Income Tax Credit, then worked to make the tax credit permanent, sponsored a successful health care bill that implemented studies on how to make a universal state health care system, sponsored a measure to create an employment program for ex-criminals, and sponsored a bill that protected Illinois workers from federal rules that reduced overtime pay.¹
• Amended state welfare reform bill to include studies that would track families who were on welfare and determine what happened to them when they left welfare.²
• Also was the chief sponsor of bills that created job training programs^{3 4}, facilitated transportation aid for working welfare recipients^{5 6}, required city redevelopment plans to address fair employment and affordable housing impact⁷, expanded health care for families⁸, created community mental health councils across the state⁹, funded college education for low-income parents¹⁰, prevented utility companies from shutting off residents' heating during the winter¹¹, funded AIDS prevention in minority communities¹², and many others^{13 14 15 16}.

109^th Congress: 2005-2006

• Sponsored bills increasing funding and allocations for Pell Grants¹⁷, extending services for homeless veterans¹⁸, increasing the ease with which volunteer medical forces are mobilized in the event of a disaster¹⁹, creating evacuation plans for individuals with special needs in the event of a disaster²⁰, allowing advance payments of the Child Tax Credit for Hurricane Katrina victims²¹, protecting communities (especially disadvantaged ones) adversely affected by environmental health issues^{22 23}, setting forth foreign policy objectives and providing aid for the Democratic Republic of Congo²⁴, increasing the refundable tax credit for people affected by Hurricane Katrina²⁵, relaxing work requirements for two-person families and disabled parents under TANF²⁶, providing comprehensive services for the continued recovery of Hurricane Katrina victims²⁷, establishing a reporting system for quality of care in VA hospitals²⁸ and hospitals in general²⁹, providing housing assistance for low-income veterans³⁰, and improving health and mental health benefits for veterans³¹. Only the bill providing aid for Congo became law.
• Also sponsored amendments providing food and telephone services for veterans recuperating from injuries sustained in current wars³², contributing $13 million to the Special Court for Sierra Leone³³, increasing reintegration and job services for homeless veterans³⁴, guaranteeing wages in the temporary worker program³⁵, improving location services for missing persons in the event of a disaster³⁶, and ensuring the evacuation of persons with special needs in the event of a disaster³⁷. All of these amendments were agreed to in the Senate.
• Cosponsored bills giving trade preferences to underdeveloped nations³⁸, extending health care to low-income HIV patients³⁹, improving conditions for immigrant farm laborers⁴⁰, proposing sanctions against those committing crimes against humanity in Darfur⁴¹, increasing resources to advocate for human rights and democracy in foreign countries⁴², reducing pregnancy-related deaths and infant mortality⁴³, improving emergency medical services for children⁴⁴, promoting financial education under TANF^{45 46}, increasing the minimum wage^{47 48}, reducing hunger in the United States⁴⁹, helping improve banks in developing countries⁵⁰, requiring a report on progress towards the Millennium Goals⁵¹, providing debt cancellation for poor countries⁵², promoting peace and accountability in Sudan⁵³, improving heath care for minorities^{54 55}, establishing a commission to improve response to disasters⁵⁶, providing relief for the immediate needs of Katrina victims^{57 58 59 60}, increasing the number of families who would qualify for the Child Tax Credit⁶¹, protecting Medicare enrollees in the federal drug program⁶², providing for workers for the Katrina recovery⁶³, expanding preferential trade treatment for Haiti⁶⁴, prohibiting racial profiling⁶⁵, making coal mines safer^{66 67}, making all immigrants eligible for Medicaid⁶⁸, establishing a national health program⁶⁹, tying the minimum wage to Congressional pay⁷⁰, improve services for homeless veterans⁷¹, promoting fatherhood and supporting stability in low-income families⁷², adding incentives for the employment of individuals in impoverished areas⁷³, fully funding health insurance programs for children⁷⁴, and creating a new educational grant for low-income high school students⁷⁵. The bills reducing infant mortality, promoting peace in Sudan, and protecting miners became law.
• Also cosponsored resolutions assessing potential of a NATO no-fly zone in Darfur⁷⁶, imploring that Medicaid, Medicare, and federally-qualified health centers be continued and prioritized^{77 78 79}, pledging continued support for international hunger-relief efforts and expressing need for US leverage in securing more food aid⁸⁰, calling on the president to take immediate steps to protect civilians and stop violence in Darfur^{81 82}, and calling on the UN Security Council to condemn and sanction Burma for oppression of minorities ⁸³. The resolutions asking for action in Darfur and Burma were agreed upon in the Senate.
• Also cosponsored amendments increasing medical care for veterans⁸⁴, restoring funding for the community block grants⁸⁵, maintain US support of the Global Fund⁸⁶, protecting Medicaid funding from cuts in impoverished areas⁸⁷, providing additional assistance to Haiti⁸⁸, providing additional assistance in Sudan⁸⁹, supplementing funding for international food assistance⁹⁰, imposing sanctions on those committing crimes against humanity in Sudan⁹¹, funding the Africa Union Mission in Sudan^{9299 93}, providing funds for legal services for Katrina victims⁹⁴, supporting small businesses and homeowners hurt by Katrina^{95 96}, funding low-income energy assistance programs ^{97 98 99}, increasing funding for educational programs for Hispanic students¹⁰⁰, providing tax relief for low-income families^{101 102 103}, establishing a congressional committee to examine the response to Katrina^{104 105}, proving tax incentives to increase miner safety¹⁰⁶, increasing funding for health, education, and low-income programs¹⁰⁷, increasing funding for health care for veterans^{108 109}, funding a UN peacekeeping force in Darfur¹¹⁰, funding the provision of health care to noncitizens¹¹¹, and requiring the president to develop a comprehensive strategy towards Somalia¹¹². The amendments supporting the Global Fund, protecting Medicaid from cuts, providing assistance to Haiti, providing assistance to Sudan, supplementing international food assistance, imposing sanctions against human rights violators in Sudan, funding the Africa Union Mission, funding legal services for Katrina victims, supporting small businesses hurt by Katrina, funding educational programs for Hispanic students, increasing miner safety, increasing funding for low-income programs, increasing outpatient care for veterans, and funding a UN peacekeeping force in Darfur were agreed to in the Senate.
  
  

110^th Congress: 2007-present

The 110^th Congress only started a few months ago. So far, Barack Obama has:
• Sponsored bills improving medical and mental health services for veterans of current wars¹¹³ and overseeing and improving health care in VA hospitals^{114 115}. He has also sponsored bills involving services for legal immigrants and funding for AIDS research that are not yet available online.
• Also cosponsored bills increasing the minimum wage¹¹⁶, allowing more families to be eligible for the child tax credit¹¹⁷, improving agricultural jobs and benefits for immigrants¹¹⁸, extending and increasing Pell grants¹¹⁹, eliminating funding gaps in children's health insurance¹²⁰ and providing funding for local governments hurt by Katrina¹²¹. He has also cosponsored a bill improving education in the area hurt by Katrina that is not yet available online.

Statements About the Poor

"If there's a child on the south side of Chicago who can't read, that matters to me, even if it's not my child. If there's a senior citizen somewhere who can't pay for their prescription and having to choose between medicine and the rent, that makes my life poorer, even if it's not my grandparent. If there's an Arab-American family being rounded up without benefit of an attorney or due process, that threatens my civil liberties.

It is that fundamental belief -- I am my brother's keeper, I am my sisters' keeper -- that makes this country work. It's what allows us to pursue our individual dreams, yet still come together as a single American family: 'E pluribus unum,' out of many, one."¹²²

"I believe that we can give our middle class relief and provide working families with a road to opportunity. I believe we can provide jobs for the jobless, homes to the homeless, and reclaim young people in cities across America from violence and despair. I believe that we have a righteous wind at our backs, and that as we stand on the crossroads of history, we can make the right choices and meet the challenges that face us."¹²³

"[The US should] lead the global fight against the AIDS virus. The US must give its fair share to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria to avoid both a humanitarian and economic crisis. President Bush's budget this year actually cuts the U.S. contribution to the Global Fund by 65 percent. As Senator, I will hold President Bush to his word and fully fund our commitment to the war on AIDS. We must also increase the availability of generic drugs to AIDS victims around the world."¹²⁴

"Work should keep Americans out of poverty. It should make it possible for you to live with dignity and respect, to have a comfortable place to live in a safe neighborhood, to see a doctor, to have a shot at education, to save a little money, to enjoy the opportunities of this great country. But that's out of reach for most people at $5.15 an hour. It is time that we do better by those in our workforce who make the least."¹²⁵

"as you all know, we can affirm the importance of poverty in the Bible; and we can raise up and pass out this Covenant for a New America. We can talk to the press, and we can discuss the religious call to address poverty and environmental stewardship all we want, but it won't have an impact unless we tackle head-on the mutual suspicion that sometimes exists between religious America and secular America."¹²⁶

"After all, the problems of poverty and racism, the uninsured and the unemployed, are not simply technical problems in search of the perfect ten point plan. They are rooted in both societal indifference and individual callousness - in the imperfections of man.
Solving these problems will require changes in government policy, but it will also require changes in hearts and a change in minds. I believe in keeping guns out of our inner cities, and that our leaders must say so in the face of the gun manufacturers' lobby - but I also believe that when a gang-banger shoots indiscriminately into a crowd because he feels somebody disrespected him, we've got a moral problem. There's a hole in that young man's heart - a hole that the government alone cannot fix."¹²⁷

"Earlier this week, President Bush spoke of a ‘social justice' agenda for the Americas. He was right to underscore the importance of addressing the basic needs of millions of our neighbors languishing in poverty. The primary responsibility for doing so, of course, lies with the governments and societies throughout the hemisphere. Yet helping to lift people out of widespread poverty is in our interests, just as it is in accord with our values. When instability spreads to our south, our security and economic interests are at risk. When our neighbors suffer, all of the Americas suffer."¹²⁸

"We have too many children in poverty in this country and everybody should be ashamed, but don't tell me it doesn't have a little to do with the fact that we got too many daddies not acting like daddies. Don’t think that fatherhood ends at conception. I know something about that because my father wasn't around when I was young and I struggled."¹²⁹

"My faith also tells me that - as Pastor Rick has said - it is not a sin to be sick. My Bible tells me that when God sent his only Son to Earth, it was to heal the sick and comfort the weary; to feed the hungry and clothe the naked; to befriend the outcast and redeem those who strayed from righteousness. Living His example is the hardest kind of faith - but it is surely the most rewarding. It is a way of life that can not only light our way as people of faith, but guide us to a new and better politics as Americans."¹³⁰

Private Life

• Has a net worth over $2 million, the majority of which was made in '05/'06 due to proceeds from his books. Donated $77,000 to charity in 2005, mostly to literacy funds, AIDS action funds, and his church.¹³¹ Is writing a children's book with his wife and has pledged the profits to charity.
• From 1985 to 1988, organized and directed a non-profit community development program that raised up local leaders in a low-income community and encouraged job training, college prep, school reform, and hazardous waste cleanup.
• From 1993 until the present, worked as a lawyer specializing in civil rights and the representation of nonprofits in urban redevelopment, including housing developments, community health clinics, social service agencies, and schools.
• While visiting Kenya, publicly took an HIV test to help dispel fears about the danger of such tests.
• Chaired the Chicago Annenberg Challenge, the Woods Fund of Chicago, and the Joyce Foundation, directed the Developing Communities Project, and has been involved with ACORN, the Centers for New Horizons, Leadership for Quality Education, and the Lawyer's Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law. Has also spoken on behalf of "Wake Up Wal-Mart", "Families USA", and the "Global Summit on AIDS and the Church".^{132 133}

It was more difficult to provide balance in this entry, mostly because it was difficult to find people criticizing Obama's commitment to the poor or show evidence that he is lacking in his commitment in one way or another. So if you find anything that I have overlooked, please post it. And even if you don't, share what you think about his record. Does Barack Obama hear the cry of the poor?


^[1]"A look at Obama's record in the Illinois Senate", Chicago Tribune, January 17, 2007.
^[2]"What the Data Actually Show About Welfare Reform", The Chronicle of Higher Education, June 21, 2002.
^[3]CHICAGO COLLEGES-JOB PROGRAM
^[4]DHS-TANF-JOB SKILLS TRAINING
^[5]PUB AID-JOB TRANSPORTATION
^[6]TRANSPORTATION TO WORK ACT
^[7]MUNI CD-TIF-AFFORDABLE HOUSING
^[8]CHILDRENS HLTH INS ADULT
^[9]MENTL HLTH-LOCL PLANNNG COUNCL
^[10]H ED FOR REAL OPPORTUNITIES
^[11]UTILITY NO WINTER TERMINATION
^[12]PUBLIC HLTH-AIDS-MINORITIES
^[13]Bills sponsored by Barack Obama, 90th General Assembly.
^[14]Bills sponsored by Barack Obama, 91st General Assembly.
^[15]Bills sponsored by Barack Obama, 92nd General Assembly.
^[16]Bills Sponsored by Barack Obama, 93rd General Assembly.
^[17]Higher Education Opportunity Through Pell Grant Expansion Act
^[18]SAVE Reauthorization Act of 2005
^[19]Hurricane Katrina Emergency Health Workforce Act of 2005
^[20]To ensure the evacuation of individuals with special needs in times of emergency.
^[21]Hurricane Katrina Fast-Track Refunds for Working Families Act of 2005
^[22]Healthy Communities Act of 2005
^[23]Healthy Places Act of 2006
^[24]Democratic Republic of the Congo Relief, Security, and Democracy Promotion Act of 2006
^[25]Hurricane Katrina Working Family Tax Relief Act of 2006
^[26]Equality for Two-Parent Families Act of 2006
^[27]Hurricane Katrina Recovery Act of 2006
^[28]VA Hospital Quality Report Card Act of 2006
^[29]Hospital Quality Report Card Act of 2006
^[30]Homes for Heroes Act of 2006
^[31]Lane Evans Veterans Health and Benefits Improvement Act of 2006
^[32]Senate Amendment 390
^[33]Senate Amendment 1264
^[34]Senate Amendment 3144
^[35]Senate Amendment 3971
^[36]Senate Amendment 4573
^[37]Senate Amendment 4972
^[38]TRADE act of 2005
^[39]Early Treatment for HIV Act of 2005
^[40]Agricultural Job Opportunities, Benefits, and Security Act of 2005
^[41]Darfur Accountability Act of 2005
^[42]ADVANCE Democracy Act of 2005
^[43]PREEMIE Act
^[44]Wakefield Act
^[45]TANF Financial Education Promotion Act of 2005
^[46]TANF Economic and Financial Education Promotion Act of 2006
^[47]Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2005
^[48]Tax Relief and Minimum Wage Act of 2006
^[49]Hunger-Free Communities Act of 2006
^[50]Development Bank Reform and Authorization Act of 2005
^[51]International Cooperation to Meet the Millennium Development Goals Act of 2005
^[52]Multilateral Debt Relief Act of 2005
^[53]Darfur Peace and Accountability Act of 2005
^[54]Healthcare Equality and Accountability Act
^[55]Minority Health Improvement and Health Disparity Elimination Act
^[56]To establish a congressional commission to examine...
^[57]Katrina Emergency Relief Act of 2005
^[58]Hurricane Katrina Bankruptcy Relief and Community Protection Act of 2005
^[59]Oversight of Vital Emergency Recovery Spending Enhancement and Enforcement Act of 2005
^[60]Gulf Coast Infrastructure Redevelopment and Recovery Act of 2005
^[61]Working Family Child Assistance Act
^[62]The Medicare Informed Choice Act of 2005
^[63]Rebuild With Respect Act
^[64]Haiti Economic Recovery Opportunity Act
^[65]ERPA
^[66]Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 2006
^[67]MINER Act
^[68]To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to repeal the amendments...
^[69]Small Employers Health Benefits Program Act of 2006
^[70]Standing with Minimum Wage Earners Act of 2006
^[71]Comprehensive Homeless Veterans Assistance and Prevention Act of 2006
^[72]Responsible Fatherhood and Healthy Families Act of 2006
^[73]To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to alleviate poverty by encouraging the employment...
^[74]Education Opportunity Act
^[76]Calling on NATO to assess...
^[77]Sense of Congress with respect to MediCaid
^[78]Sense of Congress with respect to MediCare
^[79]Sense of Congress with respect to federally-qualified health centers
^[80]Whereas although there is enough food to feed all of the people in the world
^[81]Calling on the President to take immediate steps to help improve the security situation in Darfur...
^[82]Calling on the President to take immediate steps to help stop the violence in Darfur.
^[83]Sense of Senate regarding military junta in Burma...
^[84]Senate Amendment 149
^[85]Senate Amendment 156
^[86]Senate Amendment 169
^[87]Senate Amendment 204
^[88]Senate Amendment 342
^[89]Senate Amendment 368
^[90]Senate Amendment 380
^[91]Senate Amendment 517
^[92]Senate Amendment 1290
^[93]Senate Amendment 4912
^[94]Senate Amendment 1659
^[95]Senate Amendment 1695
^[96]Senate Amendment 1717
^[97]Senate Amendment 2033
^[98]Senate Amendment 2077
^[99]Senate Amendment 2194
^[100]Senate Amendment 2262
^[101]Senate Amendment 2616
^[102]Senate Amendment 2652
^[103]Senate Amendment 2665
^[104]Senate Amendment 1660
^[105]Senate Amendment 2716
^[106]Senate Amendment 2728
^[107]Senate Amendment 3048
^[108]Senate Amendment 3007
^[109]Senate Amendment 3642
^[110]Senate Amendment 3777
^[111]Senate Amendment 4072
^[112]Senate Amendment 4526
^[113]Lane Evans Veterans Health and Benefits Improvement Act of 2007
^[114]VA Hospital Quality Report Card Act of 2007
^[115]Dignity for Wounded Warriors Act of 2007
^[116]Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007
^[117]Working Family Child Assistance Act
^[118]AgJOBS Act of 2007
^[119]Student Debt Relief Act of 2007
^[120]Keep Children Covered Act of 2007
^[121]Local Government Disaster Relief Act of 2007
^[122]Keynote Address, 2004 Democratic National Convention.
^[123]Keynote Address, 2004 Democratic National Convention.
^[124]"Renewal of American Leadership", July 12, 2004 Press Release.
^[125]"Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007", Speech to Senate, Jan. 30, 2007.
^[126]Keynote Address, "Call to Renewal" conference, June 28, 2006.
^[127]Keynote Address, "Call to Renewal" conference, June 28, 2006.
^[128]"LATIN AMERICA", Speech to Senate, Mar. 8, 2007.
^[129]Selma Voting Rights March Commemoration Speech, March 4, 2007.
^[130]World AIDS Day Speech2006 Global Summit on AIDS and the Church, December 1, 2006.
^[131]"For Obamas, it was a very good year", The Chicago Tribune, Sept. 26, 2006.
^[132]"What Makes Obama Run?", Chicago Reader, Dec. 8, 1995.
^[133]Project Vote Smart Biography.

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Summary only...

Rudy Giuliani

I thought this was going to be a simple one to write. I hadn't heard much about Giuliani and the poor, other than that he is not the most compassionate person and that he instigated a crackdown on crime that included a crackdown on the homeless. When I started doing research, however, I found that there are two sides to the story, and his work in addressing poverty issues while in office was more significant than I had been led to believe. That doesn't mean he did the right thing, or that he even really cares for the poor. Just that I judged quicker than I should have.

But I'll let you decide for yourself.

What does Rudy Giuliani think about helping the poor?

Political History

Rudy Giuliani was Mayor of New York City for two terms, from 1994 to 2001.

• Started a “workfare” program even before national welfare reform was passed. In the first year of reform 20% of welfare recipients were cut off due to fraud. Over the course of reform the number of New Yorkers on welfare was reduced from over 1,100,000 to under 500,000.¹ All welfare offices were converted into job centers and able-bodied recipients were required to work at least 20 hours/week to get benefits. According to some sources, 100,000 welfare recipients are finding jobs every year.² Many opponents saw the improvements as cosmetic and felt that real opportunity did not occur for those in the workfare program. ³
• In 1999, began a crackdown on homelessness, increasing police activity against homeless people who were breaking the law and requiring able-bodied, mentally stable adults in shelters to work. Some activists complained of massive harassment without cause of the homeless population.⁴ Giuliani defended the police work as a compassionate program to address the specific needs of the homeless.⁵ Some sources claimed that homelessness decreased, and gave credit to Giuliani’s reforms in city programs and shelters.⁶ Others claimed that the homeless population in NYC increased by 50% from 1998 to 2002.⁷
• Despite the major downturn in welfare enrollment, the poverty rate did not change significantly while Giuliani was in office. However, certain segments of the population may have become less vulnerable to falling back into poverty.⁸
• Set up Heath*Stat in New York City, a program designed to ensure that everyone who was eligible for health care would actually get it. In the next year, 140,000 New Yorkers were enrolled in health care programs as a result.⁹
• Strongly defended the “zone of protection” for all undocumented immigrants in New York who were seeking the protection of the police, receiving medical care, or trying to enroll their children in school.¹⁰
• Reformed foster care system to increase local control, campaigned for permanent homes for foster kids, and took credit for a 65% increase in adoptions that occurred in his second term.^{11 12}
• Final State of the City address included plans for a new foster parent drive, new adoption goals, several funded initiatives for increasing enrollment in health care plans, subsidized jobs for people whose welfare time was expiring, and a $1.2 billion housing plan.¹³

Statements About the Poor

"When I was running for Mayor of New York City in 1992, thinking about the things that I would do, I remember seeing a report that New York City had 1 million or 1.1 million people on welfare and there was a projection that the number was going to go to 1.5 million people. And here was the answer of the City of New York, there wasn't a single suggestion about what to do about it except one thing, go to the federal government and get more money for it. In other words, let's accept that there will be 1.5 million people on welfare. Let's not consider the damage done to them. Let's not consider the damage done to our society. But let's go get the money and subsidize it and support it. We felt that we had to do something about it, that we had to do something to address the problem and to say, maybe we're doing it because we're so guilty we don't know how to deal compassionately and lovingly as mature adults with a social problem because we need a group of people dependent on us. I really don't know, but there is something perverse about this."¹⁴

"The way we approach welfare reform in New York City has two components…First, we make sure that somebody is actually, honestly qualified for the benefits and isn't cheating or exaggerating. If you are qualified for the benefits, you'll get the benefits. The second thing we do is say, if you are able bodied, and you don't have very young children, and you can't find a job, we will put you to work. We will find work for you."¹⁵

"We've got to re-establish over and over again, the social contract, for every benefit an obligation, that for everything you get there is something you have to give back. We have got to be willing to treat social problems as if everyone is your child, everyone is your relative. You wouldn't just want them to be dependent the rest of their lives. You would want to get them back to work."¹⁶

"Whatever the case, letting people lie there so that they're problems get worse is not the answer. It's not compassionate, and it's not humane. We need to reach out to these people and help them address their problem. That's what a compassionate society does. It doesn't let people lie deteriorating on the streets and say, like we did in the 1980s and much of the 1990s, 'People have a right to sleep on the streets.' Where does the right to sleep on the streets come from? It doesn't come from anywhere. It isn't in the Constitution of the United States. It certainly isn't a right you would invoke if one of your relatives were sleeping on the streets. You wouldn't want your relative to sleep on the streets. If one of your relatives were sleeping on the streets you'd do something about it. But if it's some person you don't know, it's easier to just pass by and think to yourself, 'Well, they have a right to sleep on the streets.'"¹⁷

"But we think differently. When the Police-because they are the people the City has out on the streets every day-see someone lying on the street, they should engage that person and try to help them. Despite the propaganda you've been hearing, that is precisely what they're doing. Your Police Department is doing for homeless people what this City should have been doing for homeless people in the 1980s and in the early 1990s, and for a long time before."¹⁸

"We have limited government in America, we're not supposed to intrude into people's family lives and personal lives, and it's worked really well and we shouldn't change it. But something here has broken down really, really bad. 70 percent of long-term prisoners and 75 percent of adolescents charged with murder grew up without a father. So, I guess if you wanted a social program that would really save these kids, a lot better than the City of New York, the United States Congress, the Social Welfare Agency and Administration for Children Services, I guess the social program would be called fatherhood."¹⁹

Private Life

• In 1982, argued as the Associate Attorney General that there was no political repression in Haiti under their “president-for-life” Jean-Claude Duvalier and that Haitian refugees should be returned to their country.²⁰ Duvalier was overthrown by a popular uprising three years later.
• Most of his wealth is in private holdings that he has not disclosed, so it is unclear what his net worth is. He earned $16 million last year, mostly from speaking fees, his investment firm, and his law and lobbying firm.²¹ He has recently sold his bank, which may have been worth as much as $100 million.²² His charitable giving is unclear. Giuliani critic Wayne Barrett claims that his tax returns from the 80s show almost no charitable deductions,²³ but I haven’t found corroborating evidence (and it’s clear that he has donated to charities on occasion since then).
• In 2005, Giuliani publicly stated that he was donating $20,000 to the South Asian tsunami victims while speaking at a fundraiser for that cause. It was later revealed that he was being paid $100,000 to speak at the fundraiser.²⁴ Under pressure, Giuliani later donated another $60,000 of the money to the charity. Giuliani has often accepted large speaking fees and other perks to speak at charity events, sometimes earning more than the net intake of the event.²⁵
• Supports Tuesday’s Children, runs the Twin Towers fund, works with Changing Our World, Inc. and helps raise support for the St. Vincent’s Medical Centers.²⁶ There has been controversy over his management of the Twin Towers fund.²⁷

Because of the ferocity of opinions of both sides, I suggest you take a look at a few of the sources to see why people are so divided over Giuliani. Is he finding the best solutions to really help people, or destroying their lives? Does Rudy Giuliani hear the cry of the poor?


^[1] "Transforming Welfare and Expanding Opportunity", Mayor's Weekly Column, July 9, 2001.
^[2] "Giuliani the Conservative", Wall Street Journal editorial, Feb. 27, 2007.
^[3] "Workfare and the Nonprofits?", www.sullivan-county.com, Dec. 1997
^[4] "Giuliani's Message To Homeless -- No Room For You On City's Streets
", Pacific News Service, Nov. 23, 1999.
^[5] "Addressing, not Ignoring, Homelessness", Mayor's Message, Dec. 5, 1999.
^[6] "Rudy's right and Rosie's wrong", Salon.com News, Jan. 4, 2000.
^[7] "Homelessness in America", Safety Net, Spring 2002.
^[8] "Poverty in New York, 2002", Community Service Society, September 30, 2003.
^[9] "Building on our Record of Success in Public Health", Mayor's Weekly Column, August 20, 2001.
^[10] "Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity
Reconciliation Act of 1996", Speech delivered on Sep. 11, 1996.
^[11] Biography of
Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, www.nyc.gov.
^[12] "Honoring Our City's Foster Parents", Mayor's Weekly Column, May 22, 2000.
^[13] State of the City Address, Jan. 9, 2001.
^[14] State of the City Address, Jan. 14, 1999.
^[15] "New Urban Agenda", speech delivered on Sep. 29, 1997.
^[16] State of the City Address, Jan. 14, 1999.
^[17] State of the City Address, Jan. 13, 2000.
^[18] State of the City Address, Jan. 13, 2000.
^[19] State of the City Address, Jan. 14, 1999.
^[20] "U.S. Official Finds No Repression in Haiti ", The New York Times, April 3, 1982.
^[21] "Rudy Inc., or Rudy sink?", New York Daily News, Jan. 7, 2007.
^[22] "Giuliani sells bank in presidential campaign move", www.msnbc.msn.com, Mar. 5, 2007
^[23] Rudy!: An Investigative Biography of Rudolph Giuliani, 2000.
^[24] "Giuliani fee for speaking at tsunami charity: $100k, private jet", www.rawstory.com, Feb. 16, 2007.
^[25] "Giuliani speaking fees draw scrutiny", Chicago Tribune, Feb. 7, 2007.
^[26] "Giuliani Town", Manhattan Society Report, Nov. 6, 2005.
^[27] "Giuliani to Give Money Quickly In Shift on Twin Towers Charity ", The New York Times, Feb. 27, 2002.

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Food for the Poor

Future funding levels for food programs are being debated in Congress right now, and there has been a worrisome development.

First of all, the Bush Administration has proposed cutting funding to CSFP, a supplemental food program that provides food for low-income seniors. Just here at St. Margaret's, about 125 seniors are assisted every month through the program.

The Administration actually proposed the cut last year as well, but Congress maintained funding.

The Farm Bill is also being debated in Congress right now. Among other things, the Farm Bill provides funding for food programs like Food Stamps and the Emergency Food Assistance Program (EFAP). The funding level for the next five years is being debated. Food Banks are asking for an increase in funding because the USDA hasn't been supplementing the EFAP program at the level that they used to. There are reports that new policies being debated may cut many people off of food stamps as well.

Our food programs (at the charity I work for) rely heavily on CSFP and EFAP, and many of our clients also rely on food stamps. Please spread the word on the need for these programs, and think about calling your congressman and/or senator to let your voice on the issue be heard.

For more information on CSFP, see this America's Second Harvest press release. For more information on the Farm Bill and how to be active in it, see the FRAC web site.

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Summary only...

John Edwards

As I said in the previous post, comparing candidates is difficult because of their different positions in government. Don't try to understand who has done the most; rather, try to understand whether each candidate has truly done all that they should. Do they appear to really have a concern for the poor, and have they done something about it?

Looking at a senator posed new challenges. Specifically, the challenge of trying to look through hundreds and hundreds of bills and figuring out what each one meant and what happened to it. The Library of Congress is a great resource for that. Knowing how a senator voted is only a small aspect of their term - knowing what bills they sponsored and cosponsored seems to me to be more important. For those of you who never saw Schoolhouse Rock, the sponsor is the senator who introduces the bill, and the cosponsor is someone who formally supports the bill before it is voted on (this is a more formal description). Almost all bills have a single sponsor, but they can have anywhere from zero to ninety-nine cosponsors. And the vast majority of bills seem to die before they ever get voted on. This makes looking at the legislative actions of senators a lot different than the executive actions of governors and mayors. That being said, I feel that we can still get a strong idea of where their heart lies.

So where does Mr. Edwards's heart lie?

What does John Edwards think about helping the poor?

Political History

John Edwards was the senator representing North Carolina from 1999 to 2004, the sole term of public service we have to evaluate him on.

106^th Congress: 1999-2000

• Edwards sponsored a bill promoting the development of low-income housing in rural communities.¹ The bill died in committee.
• Cosponsored bills to increase the minimum wage to $6.15², improve health care access for families of disabled children³, expand health care for AIDS patients⁴, provide economic assistance for communities hurt by US trade⁵, increase low-income individuals’ access to financial services⁶, improve outreach programs for homeless veterans^{7 8}, improve social security benefits for the blind⁹, expand access to health care and work programs for the disabled¹⁰, promote investment in low-income communities¹¹, provide after-school programs by police in low-income communities¹², increase home ownership tax credits for low-income homeowners^{13 14}, and promote marriage and family life among welfare recipients¹⁵. The bills expanding health care for AIDS patients and expanding health care and work programs for the disabled became law.
• Also cosponsored an amendment calling for health care access in underserved areas to be doubled in five years¹⁶, and a resolution calling for decent housing for all Americans¹⁷, that were both passed.
• Voted for an amendment that would require the HHSD to report on the ability of former welfare recipients to achieve self-sufficiency.
• Voted against a $12.7 billion foreign aid package because it capped funding $1.9 billion below what President Clinton had proposed.

107^th Congress: 2001-2002

• Sponsored bills to provide low-income housing in rural areas¹⁸ and increase volunteer programs for youth in low-income areas¹⁹. Both died in committee. Also sponsored an amendment that would help community colleges provide job training for workers adversely affected by a House bill²⁰. That amendment was passed.
• Cosponsored bills improving social security benefits for the blind²¹, improving outreach programs for veterans²², creating a National Center for Social Work²³, increasing the minimum wage to $6.65²⁴, providing incentives for businesses to expand health care^{25 26 27}, increasing TANF funding in certain states²⁸, improving benefits for workers hurt by foreign trade²⁹, increasing health care funding for expectant mothers³⁰, providing assistance to combating AIDS worldwide³¹, providing extra assistance to foster youth^{32 33}, and increasing unemployment benefits³⁴. The bill increasing TANF funds became law.

108^th Congress: 2003-2004

• Sponsored bills to assist communities hurt by foreign trade³⁵, reduce the backlog in claims for veteran’s benefits³⁶, increase volunteer programs for youth in low-income areas³⁷, increase US aid in the reconstruction of countries damaged by armed conflict³⁸, improve the tax credit for low-income families saving for retirement³⁹, and provide increased mental health services for women affected by domestic violence^{40 41 42}. All bills died in committee.
• Cosponsored bills to increase the minimum wage to $7^{43 44}, declare genocide in Darfur⁴⁵, provide MediCaid coverage to certain low-income AIDS patients⁴⁶, expand Head Start⁴⁷, give aid with mortgage payments to unemployed workers⁴⁸, improve health care for minorities⁴⁹, protect union workers⁵⁰, extend Boys and Girls Clubs⁵¹, provide scholarships for low-income students who do significant public service⁵², and amendments to provide additional funding for global AIDS prevention^{53 54}. The bill extending Boys and Girls Clubs and the amendments providing additional funding for global AIDS prevention became law.
• In 2003, Edwards signed a letter (along with 42 other senators) urging President Bush to fully fund AmeriCorps⁵⁵.

Statements About the Poor

"You tell me what it means when you ignore 45 million Americans today, who have no health care coverage. What kind of message does it send to 50 million Americans -- including 25 million children, 8 million disabled, 6 million seniors who depend on Medicaid for their health care -- that we're going to cut Medicaid by $10 billion? What does it say about our country's values when we cut the help and support for those who are most needy and most vulnerable?"⁵⁶

"When I say we believe it's wrong to have 36 million people who wake up in poverty every day, there is actually a document that says something about how we treat and how we care about those who are struggling. There is a document that says what our commitment is to ending poverty in this country. And there is a document that says whether we are honoring our moral test to do unto others. And it's called the budget. You know, others have said this, but the truth is, the budget is a moral document. And this president's budget is not meeting the test."⁵⁷

On the "issues" page of his website, Edwards calls for a national effort to:
"Cut poverty by one third within a decade, lifting 12 million Americans out of poverty by 2016." and "End poverty within 30 years, lifting 37 million Americans out of poverty by 2036."⁵⁸

"The number of Americans living in poverty is increasing. We have more millionaires, but we have more bankruptcies and hunger and homelessness. This is one of the great moral issues of our time…When programs to combat poverty are well run, they can make a difference. In the 1990s, the Earned Income Tax Credit lifted 7 million people out of poverty. Government programs, when they encourage people to take the initiative and improve their lives, can be effective. The EITC is one of the most important anti-poverty tax programs, yet 25% of eligible American taxpayers don't know to apply for it. We need to get the right information in the hands of these workers who need it for themselves and their families."⁵⁹

"I think that Jesus would be disappointed in our ignoring the plight of those around us who are suffering and our focus on our own selfish short-term needs...I think he would be appalled, actually."⁶⁰

"With respect to what's happening in Africa and Russia and in other places around the world, the vice president spoke about the $15 billion for AIDS. John Kerry and I believe that needs to be doubled."⁶¹

"We can also do something about 35 million Americans who live in poverty every day. Here's the reason we should not just talk about it, but do something about millions of Americans who still live in poverty, because it is wrong. We have a moral responsibility to lift those families up. I mean the very idea that in a country of our wealth and our prosperity, we have children going to bed hungry. We have children who don't have the clothes to keep them warm. We have millions of Americans who work full-time every day for minimum wage to support their family and still live in poverty— it’s wrong."⁶²

"Can we still really call America the land of opportunity when hotel workers who work full time for profitable hotel companies cannot afford to make ends meet? This is not just unjust. It is immoral, and we need to do something about it."⁶³

"I have a plan called Cities Rising. The idea is to bring jobs to urban America. Let's create incentives for new businesses, incentives for existing businesses. Second, to do something about public school systems. First, pay teachers better. Second, give bonus pay to teachers who will teach in schools in less-advantaged areas. And create wealth for things like homeownership."⁶⁴

"Also I do think that you can't ignore the societal responsibility part of it. You can't do just one thing; they all need to be done. Teenage pregnancies. All these families I meet with, the kids are having kids. And it just breaks your heart, because you can feel the cycle just repeating itself. Teenage pregnancy. Reaching out to fathers so they support their children. Go to poverty centers and you mostly see women, and they're mostly single mothers. Getting men involved in these kids lives. Those last things aren't necessarily governmental things — charitable groups and faith-based groups."⁶⁵

Private Life

• In 2005, helped found the Center of Poverty, Work, and Opportunity at the Chapel Hill School of Law at the University of North Carolina. Directed the center for the next two years.
• Has a net worth of around $40 million. Earned initial wealth as a personal injury lawyer, but still makes millions of dollars off of investments, speaking fees, and his role as advisor to an investment firm. Reported $1.3 million in itemized deductions from 1998 to 2003.⁶⁶ It is difficult to tell how much of that was charitable donations, or whether he has other charitable donations not reported on his taxes. In 2006, Edwards donated $333,000 in book royalties to charity.
• While a lawyer, set up a tax shelter for himself that enabled him to avoid paying $591,000 in MediCare taxes.⁶⁷
• Gave out $300,000 in scholarships to North Carolina students in 2006 as the pilot program for "College for Everyone". Prospective college students in the program receive a scholarship for their freshman year in exchange for ten hours a week of work.⁶⁸
• In 2005, toured 10 major universities in order to promote "Opportunity Rocks!", a program aimed at getting youth involved in the fight against poverty.
• Is on the board of Urban Ministries, supports ACORN in their campaign to raise the minimum wage, UNITE-HERE and their “Hotel Workers Rising” campaign, and the “Justice for Janitors” campaign.
• There have been several accusations that Edwards did not do pro bono work during his years as a trial lawyer. He does not appear to have ever denied these allegations and no one has offered any evidence to the contrary.^{69 70}

To those of you who got through that, thank you for caring. I have attempted to be as thorough as possible, but please let me know if anything is incorrect or if there is additional information that would be helpful. And let us know what you think. Does John Edwards hear the cry of the poor?


^[1]Rural Rental Housing Act of 2000
^[2]Fair Minimum Wage Act of 1999
^[3]Family Opportunity Act of 2000
^[4]Ryan White CARE Act Amendments of 2000
^[5]AID for Communities Act
^[6]First Accounts Act of 2000
^[7]To require certain entities that operate homeless shelters to identify...
^[8]Veterans' Right to Know Act
^[9]Blind Persons Earnings Equity Act
^[10]Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999
^[11]America's Private Investment Companies Act
^[12]National Police Athletic League Youth Enrichment Act of 1999
^[13]Affordable Housing Opportunity Act of 1999
^[14]Home Ownership Tax Credit Act of 1999
^[15]Responsible Fatherhood Act of 1999
^[16]Senate Amendment 3018
^[17]Senate Resolution 319
^[18]Rural Rental Housing Act of 2001
^[19]School Service Act of 2002
^[20]Senate Amendment 3401
^[21]Blind Persons Earnings Equity Act of 2001
^[22]Veterans' Right to Know Act
^[23]National Center for Social Work Research Act
^[24]Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2001
^[25]Bipartisan Patient Protection Act of 2001
^[26]Dylan Lee James Act
^[27]FamilyCare Act of 2001
^[28]TANF Supplemental Grants Act of 2001
^[29]Trade Adjustment Assistance for Workers, Farmers, Communities, and Firms Act of 2001
^[30]SMART Mom Act
^[31]International AIDS Treatment and Prevention Act of 2002
^[32]Opportunity Passport Act of 2002
^[33]Fostering Service Act of 2002
^[34]Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act of 2002
^[35]Economic Revitalization Act
^[36]Department of Veterans Affairs Claims Backlog Reduction Act of 2003
^[37]School Service Act of 2003
^[38]Winning the Peace Act of 2003
^[39]Better Future for American Families Act
^[40]Counseling in Shelters Act of 2003
^[41]Women in Trauma Act of 2003
^[42]Expanding Research for Women in Trauma Act of 2003
^[43]Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2003
^[44]Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2004
^[45]Senate Concurrent Resolution 124
^[46]Early Treatment for HIV Act of 2003
^[47]Head Start Coordination and School Readiness Act
^[48]Homestead Preservation Act
^[49]Healthcare Equality and Accountability Act
^[50]Employee Free Choice Act
^[51]To revise and extend the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.
^[52]Youth Service Scholarship Act of 2004
^[53]To provide an additional amount for funding global HIV/AIDS programs.
^[54]To increase assistance to combat HIV/AIDS.
^[55]Letter from 43 senators to the President on June 17, 2003
^[56]Speech to "The Campaign for America's Future", June 2, 2005
^[57]Speech to "The Campaign for America's Future", June 2, 2005
^[58]Poverty issues page of johnedwards.com
^[59]"Action", on oneamericacommittee.com (now defunct)
^[60]"Edwards: Jesus would be 'appalled.'", ABC News
^[61]Vice-presidential debate, October 6, 2004
^[62]Speech to the Democratic National Convention accepting the vice-presidential nomination, July 28, 2004
^[63]Remarks to hotel workers in San Francisco, February 15, 2006
^[64]Democratic Presidential Primary Debate, October 27, 2003
^[65]Q&A: John Edwards, TIME
^[66]Tax Returns, 1998-2003
^[67]Campaign Releases Edwards's Earnings, The New York Times
^[68]Originally in "Edwards gives out $300,000 in scholarships at rural N.C. school", The Fayetteville Observer
^[69]"The Science of Malpractice", The Washington Times
^[70]"John Edwards", Fact Monster People

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Mitt Romney

For each candidate, I want to answer three questions. How have they provided for the poor in their public duties? How have they shown that they hear the cry of the poor in their private lives? And what do they say about our responsibility to the poor? Knowing the answers to those questions will put me a long ways towards understanding who I want to support.

I'll note that we're comparing a former governor, a former mayor, and a bunch of senators. Different offices require different roles. So take that into account when you look at what they've done in their positions. Also, I'm going to be writing primarily positive things about each candidate, because most of the negative is in the ommission. So pay a lot of attention to what they failed to do and what they've failed to say. And if you want to rip them apart in the comments, please do.

For no particular reason, let's start with Mr. Romney.

What does Mitt Romney think about helping the poor?

Political History

Mitt Romney was Governor of Massachusetts from 2003-2006, the sole term of public service we have to evaluate him on.

• The first issue addressed when he became governor was balancing a $3 billion budget shortfall. Romney did not cut services to the needy while raising the budget. When the legislature voted to give him increased powers to regulate the budget, one of his first actions was to stop cuts to homelessness programs that had been proposed before he came into office.¹
• At several points during 2003, Romney added additional funding to supplement homeless services, and over the course of his tenure in office he maintained overall funding for homelessness programs.² In 2004, Romney set up a commission to consolidate services for the homeless and determine how they could best be served.
• In his tenure as governor Romney provided incentives for the increased construction of affordable housing and help for first-time homebuyers.
• Romney vetoed many bills that would have provided additional services to the homeless, the poor, and low-income homebuyers. Legislative overrides on his vetos may be one reason that funding levels for homeless services did not drop. Advocates for the poor attacked his vetoes, especially in 2006.³ Romney defended the vetoes throughout his tenure by stating that the programs were inefficient and did not provide the needed assistance.
• After Katrina, Romney signed an emergency bill allocating $25 million to provide housing in Massachusetts for several thousand families who had been forced to leave the Gulf states.
• In 2005, Romney signed a universal health care system into law. The system is a market-based approach that combines public and private systems to ensure universal coverage. In many cases public spending was redirected to individuals in order to enable them to purchase their own private health care.
• In 2005, Romney proposed welfare reform. Massachusetts's policies had been out of line with federal reforms that emphasized a transition from welfare to work. Romney proposed instituting stricter standards regarding who had to transition back to work and the amount of work they were expected to do, in order to double the number of people on welfare who were working. To supplement this he proposed a significant increase in funding for education, training, and childcare for those on welfare. The Massachusetts legislature fought Romney throughout 2005 and 2006 on this issue, arguing that federal standards for who had to work were too strict, though that meant giving up $56 million in federal funding for welfare.
• In 2002, Romney campaigned on indexing the minimum wage to inflation, which would include an immediate 20¢ increase. In 2006, he vetoed an increase in the minimum wage to $8/hour and instead proposed an increase to $7/hour.

Statements About the Poor

"If we are forced to balance this budget on the backs of our seniors and the poor, we will expose the core services of government to disproportionate cuts. That is not fair. The best solution is to spread the burden."⁴

"We will continue to be a generous state when it comes to caring for the poor, the disabled and the elderly. We will be far less generous when it comes to patronage, waste and inefficiencies."⁵

"I felt very strongly that the social programs of the sixties and seventies, the liberal agenda - I’ll call it the Johnson agenda-had hurt working families, had hurt the poor in many instances. And while the liberals had the best of intentions, I felt that the programs themselves had created a permanent underclass and had fostered poverty instead of eliminating it."⁶

"People want a chance to work so they can build self-sustaining lives instead of relying on a welfare check that will keep them trapped in poverty. By providing support services and incentives where necessary, we want to give welfare recipients the opportunity to achieve independent and fulfilling lives."⁷

"Work is an important and necessary part of life for all adults, and every member of our society should contribute to the level of his or her abilities."⁸

"I do not believe that indexing the minimum wage will cost us jobs. I believe it will help us retain jobs."⁹

"With approximately 1,500 Massachusetts families currently living in shelters and motels, it is important that the Commonwealth provide decent and safe temporary housing opportunities to the homeless. But it is equally important that we continue to provide resources and services to assist them in transitioning out of shelters and into permanent, independent housing."¹⁰

You may notice that all of these quotes are at least a year old, and that none of them come from Romney's campaign website. That's because in all the searching I did of issues on his site, and all the searching I did of campaign news, I couldn't find a single mention of the poor outside of the need for universal health care.¹¹

Private Life

• When in charge of Bain Capital, founded and then ran the Bain Capital Children's Charity Ltd., which spends over $1 million a year on children’s causes.
• In 1990, was asked to head Bain & Company, which had major financial issues. He brought the company back to profitability without layoffs.
• In 1999, was chosen to run the Salt Lake City Olympics, which were facing financial issues and several scandals. In the three years that he ran the Games, he put $1,000,000 of his own money into it and donated the $825,000 salary he got to charity.
• Is the honorary Chair of the Points of Light Foundation, serves on the board of City Year, helped found United Way Faith and Action, works with Boston’s Ten Point Coalition, established the Tyler Charitable Foundation, and is active in Boy Scouts.
• Has a net worth of around $300-500 million. IRS records show that in a five-year period from 1999-2004, Romney donated 2.9 million dollars to 40 different charity groups, $2.2 million of it to the Mormon church. Also gave money to colleges, a library fund, AIDS action groups, homeless shelters, and children’s charities. During that time he put another $3.6 million into a charitable foundation that he founded. Stated in a 2002 debate that he gives 13% of his annual income to charity. A significant amount of his giving is reportedly private and not in the IRS reports.¹²

I know that I cannot achieve anything resembling perfection in evaluating what these folks have done. So help me out! If I leave anything out, if you know anything about their commitment and actions (or lack thereof) please shout it out in the comments. I want as much help as I can in this. And I did not frame this as support or condemnation of his policies, but an objective attempt to lay out what he has done. Feel free to be subjective in the comments (and I will join in later). Does Mitt Romney hear the cry of the poor?


^[1] January 17, 2003 press release
^[2] Press releases regarding homelessness
^[3] "Mass. to Mitt: What about us?" Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center
^[4] January 10, 2003 press release
^[5] February 27, 2003 press release
^[6] "The Holy Cow! Candidate", The Atlantic
^[7] January 24, 2005 press release
^[8] March 15, 2006 press release
^[9] "Romney's minimum wage decision could have national implications", www.boston.com
^[10] March 55, 2003 press release
^[11] "Mitt Romney on the Issues", www.mittromney.com
^[12] "Romneys listed as big givers to charity", www.boston.com

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The candidates

I need to state that I don't want to limit this to a political blog. I'm one of those people that believes that most of we're asked to do for the poor falls outside of just voting the right way or advocating specific public policy. But who we vote for is important. And the issues we promote while voting might be even more important. Perhaps "candidate X" will get elected anyway, but if that candidate has to spend the whole campaign pandering to our desires to aid the poor, could that potentially change what they do in office? I want this to be part of the discussion as early as possible. And with as many major contenders as there are, it's going to be important to understand what each one believes as early as possible as well. I'll spend the next week profiling the six candidates who appear to me to be the frontrunners in this election:

Mitt Romney
John Edwards
Rudy Giuliani
Barack Obama
John McCain
Hillary Clinton

Because so much of what is said can be empty words, especially by those trying to win elected office, I want to focus on what these politicians have actually done in their lives. Words are important, but actions are even more so. How have these candidates represented the poor?

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