John Kerry is Wrong for Americans with Disabilities
John Kerry copies President Bush?s proposals for Americans with Disabilities. John Kerry?s Policy Platform regarding Americans with disabilities copies current Bush policy on how to address the needs of Americans with disabilities. Kerry?s proposals include implementing the Olmstead Supreme Court decision, but President Bush already issued an executive order in June 2001 committing the federal government to swift implementation of the Olmstead decision. Kerry's platform also includes his support for the Money Follows the Individual Act, a commitment already made by President Bush to re-balance states' long-term care systems so that there are more cost-effective choices between institutional and community options.
Kerry continues to demonstrate he is making empty promises. As Kerry argues for what he says would ?strengthen? the Medicaid system, he fails to show up to vote on it. Kerry?s vote, in fact, could have made a difference in the creation of a Medicaid program for the disabled. According to the Boston Herald, ?U.S. Sen. John F. Kerry could have altered the outcome of two Senate votes last year, but he missed the roll calls because he was away from Washington, DC, campaigning for president. The two missed votes ? on privatization of federal government jobs and the creation of a Medicaid program for people with disabilities ? undermine the Kerry campaign?s claim ? that the senator has missed no roll call votes in which his vote would have altered the outcome.? (Jonathan Wells, ?Missed Votes Sway Outcome,? Boston Herald, 3/2/04)
Disabilities Amendment Was Killed By Two Votes. Kerry missed a vote on a motion to table the amendment to establish a demonstration project under the Medicaid program to encourage the provision of community-based services to individuals with disabilities, and the amendment was ultimately defeated by just two votes. (S. 1, CQ Vote #247: Motion Agreed To 50-48: R 48-3; D 2-44; I 0-1, 6/26/03, Kerry Did Not Vote)
John Kerry is Wrong for Volunteerism
Kerry makes large spending proposals he cannot fulfill. Kerry proposed a $3.5 billion per-year plan to enlist 1 million Americans in community service, which he would pay for by raising taxes. Kerry later changed his proposal and plans to cut back his ?Service-For College? Initiative. ?At least one of Kerry's own proposals to encourage young Americans to make a difference ? a $3.5 billion ?service-for-college? initiative that would offer students the equivalent of their state?s four-year public college tuition in exchange for two years of service ? will be scaled back because of the ballooning federal budget deficit.? (Patricia Wilson, ?Kerry: Peace Corps Can Help Heal Iraqi Abuse Damage,? Reuters, 5/8/04)
Kerry makes service to community a graduation requirement and no longer a personal obligation. According to Kerry?s plan for his first 100 days of office, entitled "100 Days to Change America," he would mandate that every high school student in America fulfill community service requirements to graduate. He would alter the President?s call to service in a way that renders a commitment to service into a mandatory requirement, rather than a personal moral obligation to ourselves and our country. His plan would also require that every high school in America be funded to cover all costs for this initiative. Kerry wants to increase bureaucracy and federalize service. This contrasts with the President?s current model of service ? which is to make initial investments that will promote volunteerism in our country, thus conserving government money for other needed areas.
John Kerry Wants to Reverse President Bush's Efforts to Protect Faith-Based Organizations
Kerry Opposed Faith-Based Funding. John Kerry believes President Bush?s faith-based initiative has ?reached too far.? (
http://www.interfaithalliance.org)
John Kerry has flip-flopped on faith-based. John Kerry voted in 1996 to protect the right of a religious charity to hire based on faith while receiving Federal funds (so called ?Charitable Choice?), but he and the democratic leadership in the Senate have blocked President Bush?s efforts to expand Charitable Choice to additional programs.
John Kerry is Wrong for Minority Homeownership
Kerry votes against legislation encouraging homeownership. Kerry voted against $500 million in funding for the Home Investment Partnerships Program and against $165 million for the Homeownership Opportunity Program. He also voted against amendments that would allow first-time homebuyers to be eligible for tax credits worth up to $5,000 on the purchase of their primary residence.
Kerry is Wrong on Families and Welfare
While Senator Kerry now embraces welfare reform as a success, he changed his vote back and forth in 1996. Although Senator Kerry touts his vote for overhauling welfare in 1996, he does not mention that he first voted numerous times to gut key provisions of the bill and has a history of voting against work requirements for welfare recipients.
Now that the welfare program is up for reauthorization, Senator Kerry voted to gut the bill that would provide funding for healthy marriage programs, encouraging responsible fatherhood, and supporting self-sufficiency.
In addition, Senator Kerry says abstinence education funding marginalizes lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth. According to information on Senator Kerry's website, the increase in abstinence-only education harms lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth by teaching abstinence until marriage and not providing Federal funding for information on safe sex, HIV and AIDS, and LGBT issues. (Kerry website: Fact sheet; ?Bush Administration Does Not Extend to GLBT Americans?)