Transition and Administration

Education

• On July 24, 2009, President Obama announced his "Race to the Top" education initiative, in which states and school districts compete for $4.35 billion in federal grants. The money is intended to encourage school districts to reform their approach to education, including by embracing charter schools and allowing performance pay for teachers. Speaking on the initiative on July 21, Obama said,"What we're saying here is, if you can't decide to change these practices, we're not going to use precious dollars that we want to see creating better results; we're not going to send those dollars there. And we're counting on the fact that, ultimately, this is an incentive, this is a challenge for people who do want to change...It's not based on politics, it's not based on who's got more clout, it's not based on what certain constituency groups are looking for, but it's based on what works. Now, what we're also doing, though, is we're saying this is voluntary. If there are states that just don't want to go in this direction, that's their prerogative." The initiative is part of a $100 billion dollar increase in education funding that Obama hopes will help close the achievement gap between American education and education in other developed countries. Obama has called this gap a "slow-rolling crisis" that will take a toll on the US' economic future if it is not properly addressed.^[1]
• According to a December 15, 2008 New York Times article, it has been speculated that Arne Duncan will be chosen as Obama's secretary of education. The Chicago schools superintendent is known for his ability to spark compromise between the polarized sides of politics.

Energy

On June 29, 2009, President Obama, in his statement of prioritizing the energy-efficiency standards of home appliances, stressed the significance of these standards. President Obama said, "Between 2012 and 2042, these new standards will save consumers up to $4 billion a year, conserve enough electricity to power every home in America for 10 months, reduce emissions equal to the amount produced by 166 million cars each year and eliminate the need for as many as 14 coal-fired power plants." ^[2]

Rules that would allow offshore wind turbines to be established on the Atlantic Coast were finalized by the Department of Interior. These rules include guidelines for offshore leases and were announced by President Obama on Earth Day. The guidelines were begun by the Bush administration but were unable to be completed then. These new rules signify the government’s support of alternative energy and reluctance to continue offshore drilling for oil. Offshore wind turbines are favored because there is a steady source of wind at sea and they would be placed in strategic areas that consumer more power. The drawbacks are that offshore turbines are costlier than regular wind turbines and current technology limits their placement to only shallow water, where the wind is less strong. ^[3]

President Obama spoke about his energy policy on Earth day. Obama stated "The nation that leads the world in creating new sources of clean energy will be the nation that leads the 21st century global economy…America can be that nation. America must be that nation.".^[4]

On February 5, 2009, President Obama signed a presidential memorandum telling the Department of Energy to set higher efficiency standards for household appliances. CBS News reported that during a speech that they would spur energy and save "conserve tremendous amounts of energy." AP reported that there already are laws required higher efficiency standards "they have been backlogged in a tangle of missed deadlines, bureaucratic disputes and litigation."

On February 4, 2009 President Obama’s new budget stopped all funding to make the Yucca Mountain a permanent burial site for nuclear waste. This decision was well received but the question of what to do with 57,000 tons of nuclear waste produced by the country. ^[5]

On December 15, 2008 Obama announced Dr. Steven Chu as his Energy Secretary. Dr. Chu won the Nobel prize in Physics in 1997, and currently is the director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Obama said Chu's "appointment should send a signal to all that my administration will value science. We will make decisions based on the facts, and we understand that facts demand bold action." ^[6]

According to Science, Chu is a supporter of the creation of ARPA-E, an unclassified version of the DOD's DARPA, to focus on energy issues.^[7]

In his weekly video address given on December 6, 2008, Obama laid out part of his economic recovery plan, which included making public buildings more energy efficient, creating millions of new jobs by investing in infrastructure, and modernizing and updating the country's schools.

On February 25th, 2009 Presidet Obama stated in his speech that energy, healthcare and education are crucial to our economic success. President Obama stated "It begins with energy," he continued. "We know the country that harnesses the power of clean, renewable energy will lead the 21st century."^[8] The president told Congress he wants a cap placed on carbon pollution. Nobel Prize Winner Rajendra K. Pachauri spoke of the need to curb greenhouse gases. While there was some dissent from different committeess, there is definately a push forward to improving renewable engergy. The stimulus was the largest investment fund for research in American history, and President Obama has made it clear that improving energy is a top priority of his. ^[9]

Environment

April 9 2009 President Obama announces plans to buy 17,600 American made hybrid cars for government use. This is an attempt to stimulate the industry after reaching it’s lowest sales in years. “By June 1, the government plans to spend $285 million in stimulus funds to buy fuel-efficient vehicles from General Motors, Ford and Chrysler.” ^[10] These purchases may also help reduce oil dependence. The government is also setting aside $15 million to invest and research new automotive technologies. ^[11]

Tom Vilsack, of Iowa, has been chosen to be Obama's secretary of agriculture. Vilsack is a supporter of ethanol and other bio-fuels as alternative forms of energy, which has received some criticism from sustainable agriculturists. ^[12]

Carol Browner will be an assistant for energy and climate change, this is a new position created by President-elect Obama, during an interview with the Washington Post, she said that the job would be to coordinate federal agencies and programs that deal with energy and climate change. Previously, Browner served as the administrator of the EPA under President Bill Clinton.

Obama announced on December 16, 2008 another appointment, naming Sen. Ken Salazar of Colorado the Secretary of the Interior. He will be in charge of managing the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and overseeing national parks and public lands as well as the Bureau of Land Management. This Bureau influences policies regarding mining or drilling for oil or gas, among other resources, from public land. Salazar is described as a centrist who has supported and had disagreements with ideas from each party.

On December 12, 2008, Obama announced Nancy Sutley, Los Angeles's deputy mayor for energy and environment, his chair of the White House's Council on Environmental Quality. This position advises the President on environmental policy and makes sure that agencies are working as they should, under the National Environmental Policy Act. ^[13] He also announced the appointment of Carol M. Browner as the White House coordinator for energy and climate change policy, and Lisa Jackson, former head of New Jersey's environmental agency, as the head of the Environmental Protection Agency.^[14]

On November 14, 2008 New Scientist published an article which looks at how fast Obama could fix US environment policy and the challenges he faces.

Environmentalists are applauding Obama's (indefinite) intentions to reform the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In general, many hope that its scientific findings will be once again considered strongly when making policy, and the EPA's authority will be respected in environmental affairs. The reformed EPA is likely to help work against climate change and reviewing air and water regulations, if its budget and staffing are increased back to pre-Bush levels.

Some goals are to build a team to lead National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and work closely with 13,000 individuals. ^[15]

Experimental testing at the temporal and spatial scales, which would be necessary for testing for mineral starved regions of the oceans that would reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, would cause serious damage. ^[16]

It was also noted that scientists have an obligation to provide information concerning climate changes to Americans as long as it is relevant and credible. ^[17]

Recently - May 13, 2009 - President Obama issued an executive order that gives the Environmental Protection Agency more power to set and enforce a time-line to clean the Chesapeake Bay. The executive order could lead to new requirements and regulations on sewage plants and other utilities in the area, as well.

Health Care

• On August 11, 2009, President Obama appeared at a town hall meeting in Portsmouth, NH, to defend his proposals for health care reform against what he referred to as "wild misrepresentations" by his plan's opponents. Obama emphasized that health care reform would benefit all Americans, including those who already have health insurance. The President said, "For all the chatter and the yelling and the shouting and the noise, what you need to know is this: If you don’t have health insurance, you will finally have quality, affordable options when we pass reform. If you do have health insurance, we will make sure no insurance company or government bureaucracy gets between you and the care you need." Watch the video below.^[18]

• On July 28, 2009, Obama addressed the AARP in an ongoing effort to sell his health care reform agenda to the American people. Speaking on his frustration with the aggressive lobbying and political manuevering that the reform effort has sparked, Obama said, "It's so obvious that the [health-care] system we have isn't working well for too many people and that we could just be doing better." He went on to take a personal tone, saying, "This is something very personal for me. My mother, when she contracted cancer, the insurance companies started suggesting that, well, maybe this was a preexisting condition. Maybe you could have diagnosed it before you actually purchased your insurance. Ultimately, they gave in, but she had to spend weeks fighting with insurance companies while she's in the hospital bed, writing letters back and forth just to get coverage for insurance that she had already paid premiums on. And that happens all across the country. We are going to put a stop to that."^[19] Obama also used his AARP audience to emphasize his support for the public option, saying, "I think that helps keep the insurance companies honest because now they have somebody to compete with." As of July 29, there were two competing bills in the Senate on the subject, the Affordable Health Choices Act, passed by the HELP Committee, and the version being drawn up by the Senate Finance Committee. The Finance Committee, led by Senator Baucus, now seems likely to not include the public option that President Obama has advocated, instead creating federally founded, not-for-profit health care cooperatives to compete with private insurance companies, a compromise pushed by Senator Conrad (D-ND).^[20]

• After the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) threatened to sue to gain access to White House visitor logs, the Obama administration released a list of the health care executives that have visited the White House. Speaking on the matter on July 22, 2009, President Obama said, "On the list of healthcare executives who visited us, most of [the] time you guys have been in there taking pictures, so it hasn't been a secret, and my understanding is we just sent a letter out providing a full list of all the executives." CREW has said that they will continue to pursue the release of the full visitor logs as part of their mission to ensure transparency in government.^[21]

• On the evening of July 22, 2009, President Obama held an hour-long press conference to rally public support for his health care reform legislation. The full transcript is available online.

• On July 22, 2009, President Obama called for public support for the Health Care Reform legislation, which is facing oppositions demanding delays. “I understand that some will try to delay action until the special interests can kill it, while others will simply focus on scoring political points, We’ve done that before,” said President Obama. “We can choose action over inaction, We can choose progress over the politics of the moment. We can build on the extraordinary common ground that’s been forged.” ^[22]

• On July 16, 2009, when the American Medical Association supported the Health Care reform bill, President Obama commended the organization's decision, saying "These doctors are joining the chorus of Americans who know that the time to reform what is broken about the healthcare system is now.” ^[23]

Link to the full transcript: Obama's Press Conference

• On June 23, 2009, President Obama delivered a speech in which he addressed health policies and then answered questions on the subjects of current issues including health care. Regarding health care, Obama emphasized the urgency of change in the health care system, pointing out the ominous increase in premiums and the expanding pool of the uninsured. In his response to the question that public health insurance will immensely affect the already existing private insurance companies, President Obama said that the public plan is an “important tool to discipline insurance companies,” and reaffirmed that the public plan will simply add to the list of insurance options – instead of replacing the private plans.

Link to the full transcript: President Obama's speech on Prescription of Drugs

• On June 22, 2009, President Obama praised a drug company agreement on Medicare prescription drug prices reached last week, calling the change “a significant breakthrough on the road to health care reform, one that will make the difference in the lives of many older Americans.”
  • While yearly prescription costs for seniors under $2700 or over $6100 qualify for coverage, costs between these two figures are excluded, creating a “donut hole.” Seniors whose costs fall within this range and could not afford to pay for their medications often forego it. Seniors with annual medication costs between $2700 and $6100 can now receive a discount of at least 50% off the cost of medicine. Noting that this move creates momentum in the movement for a comprehensive healthcare bill, Obama addressed critics saying, “For those here in Washington who have grown accustomed to sky-is-falling prognosis and the certainties that we cannot get this done, I have to repeat – you know, revive – an old saying we had from the campaign: Yes we can. We are going to get this done.”. ^[24]

Link to the full transcript: Remarks by the President at the Annual Conference of the American Medical Association

• On June 15, 2009, at the Annual Conference of the American Medical Association (AMA), President Obama took on the current inefficiencies embedded in the health care system and put forth proposals to address the high cost and low quality of health care, which he described as a considerable threat that requires immediate action. In his hour-long speech, President Obama emphasized that the current health care system contains serious setbacks, including high premium costs, ill-conceived medical lawsuits, and incentives for doctors to give unnecessary prescriptions. President Obama proposed upgrading the record keeping system from paper-based to electronic, more investment in preventive care, and revising the Medicare program in order to reduce inefficiency. Concluding the speech, President Obama described the new health care system that he aims for.

“I want [Americans] to benefit from a health care system that works for all of us; where families can open a doctor’s bill without dreading what’s inside; where parents are talking to their kids and getting them to get regular checkups, and testing themselves for preventable ailments; where parents are feeding their kids healthier food and kids are exercising more; where patients are spending more time with their doctors, and doctors can pull up on a computer all the medical information and last research they’ll ever want to know to meet patients’ needs; where orthopedists and nephrologists and oncologists are all working together to treat a single human being; where what’s best about America’s health care system has become the hallmark of America’s health care system.”^[25]

• On May 11 2009, President Obama took an important step forward in his health care goals this past week when drug companies, heath insurance companies, hospitals and doctors agreed to 2 billion dollars in cost-cutting measures over the next ten years. Consensus building and cooperation among these industry leaders is a major achievement for the Obama administration, but critics remain skeptical that the savings will materialize.

• On March 2, 2009, Obama appointed Gov. Kathleen Sebelius as the Secretary of Health and Human Services. She was chosen after Tom Daschle withdrew as the nominee.

• On February 4, 2009, Obama signed the SCHIP reauthorization bill into law.

• On December 11, 2008, Obama announced former Senator Tom Daschle as his choice for the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS).^[26] Obama and Daschle vowed to work in conjunction with Congress to form a new healthcare bill, rather than keeping the White House and Congress as separate entities as the Clinton administration did. ^[27]

• On January 13, 2009, Obama announced that the Number 2 official (the deputy secretary) at the Department of Health and Human Services would be the anti-tobacco advocate William V. Corr. Obama said, "Reforming our health care system will be a top priority of my administration and key to putting our economy back on track. Under the leadership of Tom Daschle and Bill Corr, I am confident that my Department of Health and Human Services will bring people together to reach consensus on how to move forward with health care reform." ^[28]

• In his Presidential Inaugural Address on January 20, 2009, Obama pledged to "wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost."

National Security

The Obama Administration's National Security Team was announced on Change.gov Dec 1st, with nominations and appointments including:

• Senator Hillary Clinton - Secretary of State (nomination)
• Defense Secretary Robert Gates - remain Secretary of Defense
• Eric Holder - Attorney General (nomination)
• Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano - Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (nomination)
• Susan Rice - Ambassador to the United Nations (nomination)
• General Jim Jones, USMC (Ret) - National Security Adviser

A November 2008 article in Science lauded Obama's decision to keep on Robert Gates as Secretary of Defense as being good for research funding. According to the article, in 2007 Gates asked one of his top aids to write a memo showing how the Pentagon can grow its basic research funding from $1.5 billion to $2 billion and also oversaw an increase in basic research funding to $1.7 billion in 2009.

According to a December 24, 2008 Houston Chronicle article, General Jim Jones, Obama's National Security Adviser, is an expert on certain energy issues. Jones supports a balanced approach to energy, with an emphasis on offshore drilling, as well as nuclear energy, alternative energy, and conservation. ^[29]

Cybersecurity

• In July 2009, President Obama commented on cybersecurity, calling it "one of the most serious economic and national security challenges we face as a nation" and saying that "we're not as prepared as we should be, as a government or as a country."^[30]

Research and Research Management

In his written statement acclaiming Dr. Francis Collins’ nomination to head the National Institutes of Health, President Obama said, "My administration is committed to promoting scientific integrity and pioneering scientific research, and I am confident that Dr. Francis Collins will lead the NIH to achieve these goals… Dr. Collins is one of the top scientists in the world, and his groundbreaking work has changed the very ways we consider our health and examine disease" According to the Los Angeles Times, Dr. Francis Collins is a geneticist who played a crucial role in unraveling the map of the human genetic code and wrote a book about religion and science. ^[31]

Because the truth is that promoting science isn’t just about providing resources – it’s about protecting free and open inquiry. It’s about ensuring that facts and evidence are never twisted or obscured by politics or ideology. It’s about listening to what our scientists have to say, even when it’s inconvenient – especially when it’s inconvenient. Because the highest purpose of science is the search for knowledge, truth and a greater understanding of the world around us. -Barack Obama, Weekly Radio Address, December 20, 2008

Regulation of Substances

According to an November 6, 2008 article in the Associated Press, the Food and Drug Administration predicted there would be expanded powers under the Obama administration, including the ability to control tobacco and nicotine substances and biologic drugs. The article noted that the Obama administration is expected to work with the FDA to create a legal framework to deal with the review and approval of these drugs, which are made from living cells.

According to a May 11th San Francisco Chronicle article, the proposed needle-exchange program which would allow drug addicts access to clean needles to help assuage the spread of transmittable diseases - such as HIV - failed to receive the necessary funding in the new budget.

Science

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of our economy calls for action, bold and swift... We'll restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. -Barack Obama, Inaugural Address, January 20, 2009

According to his weekly radio address, Obama's science team for his administration will include:

• Dr. John Holdren, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology; Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy; Co-Chair of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). He was confirmed on March 19, 2009.
• Dr. Harold Varmus, Co-Chair of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST)
• Dr. Eric Lander, Co-Chair of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). Lander helped map the human genome which has allowed us to better focus on medical issues and cures. He said, "I can't think of a time when the problems and challenges facing the country - environment and energy, healthcare, education - had more to do with science and technology than they do today." ^[32]
• Dr. Jane Lubchenco, Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). She was confirmed on March 19, 2009.

According to an article in The Politico, Obama's science transition team includes:

• Tom Wheeler, former President of the National Cable & Telecommunications Association
• Don Beyer, former Virginia Lt. Gov.
• Ralph Everett, president and CEO of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
• Susan Crawford, a telecommunications law professor at the University of Michigan
• Ken Werbach, an assistant professor of legal studies at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School
• Lori Garver, a former NASA official who's now president of Capital Space
• Roderic ("Roddy") Olvera Young, a former NASA official who's now senior vice president of TMG Strategies
• Bill Ivey, former chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts during the Clinton administration
• Anne Luzzatto, a former Clinton White House aide
• Clement Price, director of the Institute on Ethnicity, Culture and the Modern Experience at Rutgers University
• Jim Kohlenberger, a private consultant who was a top domestic policy aide to Al Gore when he was vice president
• Henry Rivera, a partner in the law firm Wiley Rein

On November 7, 2008, AIP published a letter to President-Elect Obama, urging him to promptly name his White House Science Advisor.

On January 20, 2009, President Obama stated the importance of science and technology in his administration during his inaugural address.

Technology

Obama has announced that his Chief Technology Officer will be Aneesh Chopra, and his Chief Performance Officer will be Jeffrey Zients.

A March 4, 2009 article in the Washington Post said that Julius Genachowski who has been one of Obama's technology advisors would become the chair of the FCC.

On March 5 2009 President Barack Obama named Vivek Kundra as the Chief Information Officer. He will be responsible for determining how government agencies use informational technology, with over 70 billion dollars to spend a year on federal technology. Kundra in the past has promoted YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter to bring the most innovative forms of technology into the White House. ^[33]

According to a November 19, 2008 article in CNET, Obama's choices for his technology transition team include Julius Genachowski, the founder of LaunchBox, Blair Levin, a former FCC staff member, and Sonal Shah, the head of Google.org.

A recent NextGov article posted on May 12, 2009 discusses the Obama administrations proposal to do away with the Loran C navigational system. The Loran C is a predecessor to GPS, and is currently a backup system. Without Loran C, according to the article, GPS could be more vulnerable to jamming and other threats because of a lack of a sufficient backup system. For more information, the article can be found here

Broadband Access

On January 7, 2009, Business Week reported that Obama was considering a $20 billion to $30 billion in tax credits for companies that expanded broadband availability or increase the speed of service.

A followup article on InformationWeek from December 1, 2008 establishes this committee as the "Technology, Innovation, and Government Reform Policy Working Group," which will work to improve government technology to be more open, efficient, and economically stimulating, as well as satisfy Obama's campaign promise to use tech versus the nation's most important problems. The four sub-groups, consisting of a total of 35 top tech names, are designated: innovation and government; innovation and national priorities; innovation and science; and innovation and civil society.

Net Neutrality

One of the key hopes for this administration will be the nation's Internet infrastructure and its role in Obama's presidential legacy. As the US currently ranks only 15th in access to high-speed Internet, an ambitious agenda of improvements will lay the foundations for widespread connectivity, especially in schools and libraries, and net neutrality.

Climate Change

Global warming is real, is happening now and is the result of human activities. The number of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes has almost doubled in the last 30 years. Glaciers are melting faster; the polar ice caps are shrinking; trees are blooming earlier; oceans are becoming more acidic, threatening marine life; people are dying in heat waves; species are migrating, and eventually many will become extinct. Scientists predict that absent major emission reductions, climate change will worsen famine and drought in some of the poorest places in the world and wreak havoc across the globe. In the U.S., sea-level rise threatens to cause massive economic and ecological damage to our populated coastal areas. -Barack Obama^[34]

Many had qualms when President Obama appointed Carol Browner as White House aide on climate and energy issues. Hoewever, she has not been as controversial as many had expected. Ms. Bronwer has cuttently been reviewing data on climate change and running meetings concerning energy policies. In the upocoming week Congress is expected to begin legislation that would require business to buy permits to release greenhouse gases. Ms. Browner’s role in all of this is getting all of the agencies to agree with the new legislation. She was unable to give a date for a bill to reduce geenhouse gas emissions to date. ^[35]

Reducing greenhouse gases is a priority for the Obama administration and they are calling for an immediate reduction. White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, John Holdren, stated that there needs to be further research in climate and climate changes as well as significant reduction in emissions. The effects of these emissions are evidence by rising heat waves. The world’s temperature has risen 1.4 degrees in over a century, however with the effect of current greenhouse gases and emissions; the temperature is expected to rise another degree in the coming years. ^[36]

During a November 18, 2008 pre-recorded speech to the Bi-partisan Governors Climate Summit, Obama made it clear that climate change was still a top priority for his administration despite the flagging economy. He reaffirmed his promise to invest $15 billion every year in alternative energy. He said:

Now is the time to confront this challenge once and for all. Delay is no longer an option. Denial is no longer an acceptable response. The stakes are too high. The consequences, too serious. Stopping climate change won’t be easy. It won’t happen overnight. But I promise you this: When I am President, any governor who’s willing to promote clean energy will have a partner in the White House. Any company that’s willing to invest in clean energy will have an ally in Washington. And any nation that’s willing to join the cause of combating climate change will have an ally in the United States of America.

On July 15, 2008, Barack Obama’s campaign launched the New Energy Plan for America. The proposal detailed plans to provide both short-term and long-term plans for decreasing the United States’ dependence on foreign oil as well as to combat global climate change. Specifically, it calls for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050. This will be achieved by the establishment of an economy wide cap-and-trade plan to auction emissions permits with the proceeds of the auction going to investments in clean energy, assistance to families, and habitat protection.

On April 20, 2007, Obama’s campaign announced a plan to combat global warming by setting a National Standard for Low Carbon Fuels (NSLCF) to reduce gasoline consumption and the emission of greenhouse gases. Senator Obama also supports a 100% auction cap-and-trade program to provide incentives for corporations to develop clean energy. Obama would use some of the revenue from the cap-and-trade system to "invest in climate-friendly energy development^[37]"

Obama would also reengage with the U.N. climate process and create a new international forum. In an interview with Nature Magazine, Obama said "I will seek to engage China and India in global climate-change reduction efforts, and I will create a 'global energy forum' - a body that will include the world's highest emitters from the developed and developing world to apply pressure to developed and developing nations alike to meaningfully reduce their carbon emissions."

In the Senate, he co-sponsored the Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act of 2007 (S. 309), which calls for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 80% of 1990 levels by 2050. He also co-introduced, with Senator Bunning (R-KY), the Coal-To-Liquid Fuel Promotion Act of 2007 (S. 155), which provides tax incentives for coal-to–liquid technology research and the construction of plants. Even though the legislation has yet to be voted on, environmentalists are concerned about his support of coal as a fuel source.

Education

Affirmative Action

In response to a question from the Association of Women in Science and the Society of Women Engineers on what his position is on anti-affirmative action initiatives, Obama said "we oppose these ballot initiatives, which would roll back opportunity for millions of Americans and cripple efforts to break down historic barriers to the progress of qualified women and minorities. We recognize the need to maximize the talent pool that the United States brings to the Science and Engineering enterprise. It would be unfortunate if antiaffirmative action initiatives distracted us from the pressing need to develop and exploit the talent of all of our citizens, including women, minorities, persons with disabilities, English language learners, and students from low income families. . . . And while Joe Biden and I support affirmative action, we also support efforts to increase opportunities for qualified men and women from low income backgrounds to attend colleges and universities – regardless of their race or gender."

Early Education

Senator Obama's Zero-to-Five Plan involves emphasizing infant education to ensure that they would be ready for kindergarten. Obama also plans to expand the Head Start Program by providing more funding.

Elementary & Secondary Education

According to his website, Obama hopes to reform the No Child Left Behind Act by supporting schools that need additional resources rather than the current policy of punishing them. Obama vows to support after school programs, summer learning opportunities, and college outreach programs. Senator Obama also says he wants to make Math and Science education a priority. He also hopes to address the drop-out crisis by passing legislation to intervene during the middle school years. Barack Obama advocated early childhood education by helping to create Illinois's Early Learning Council.^[38]

Higher Education

• President Obama
  • On July 14, 2009, President Obama announced his American Graduation Initiative, a plan to provide $12 billion in federal money to community colleges. The money is intended primarily to increase enrollment, with the goal of having 5 million new graduates by 2020. The $12 billion figure includes $500 million for expanded online courses, $2.5 billion for renovation and new construction, and $9 billion for "challenge grants," intended to challenge community colleges across the nation to innovate by creating new programs and curricula. In announcing the plan in Warren, Michigan, Obama emphasized the role of education in revitalizing the American economy, saying, "Time and again, when we have placed our bet for the future on education, we have prospered as a result -- by tapping the incredible innovative and generative potential of a skilled American workforce."^[39]
• Senator & Presidential Candidate Obama
  • Senator Obama plans to propose the American Opportunity Tax Credit. This would provide a $4,000 tax credit for higher education, ensuring that the first $4,000 of a college education is free for most Americans. This would be paid for by increasing taxes for those who make over $250,000 a year.
  • According to his education plan, Obama also hopes to simplify the process for applying for financial aid by "enabling families to apply simply by checking a box on their tax form, authorizing their tax information to be used, and eliminating the need for a separate application."
  • Senator Obama co-sponsored the new GI Billwould cover the full educational costs of post 9/11 veterans who served at least 90 days. The bill provides upfront tuition payments, $1000 yearly stipend for books and supplies, and a monthly living stipend.
  • Obama stated the following on his website: "One of his first bills sought to increase the Pell Grant to $5100 for low income students. Obama passed legislation to improve the Higher Education Act through his membership on the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions committee as well."

Evolution/Intelligent Design

Obama has expressed his belief in evolution stating, in an interview with The New Yorker editor David Remnick, “[e]volution is more grounded in my experience than angels.”^[40]

In an interview with the York Daily Record in March 2008, Obama addressed the topic of science and religion, saying:

"I'm a Christian, and I believe in parents being able to provide children with religious instruction without interference from the state. But I also believe our schools are there to teach worldly knowledge and science. I believe in evolution, and I believe there's a difference between science and faith. That doesn't make faith any less important than science. It just means they're two different things. And I think it's a mistake to try to cloud the teaching of science with theories that frankly don't hold up to scientific inquiry."^[41]

Teachers

According to his website, Senator Obama wants to recruit new teachers by creating the Teacher Service Scholarships, which would cover four years of undergraduate tuition, and two years of graduate teacher education for those who want to pursue a career in teaching. He hopes to retain and support these teachers by pairing them with mentors and providing paid collaborating time to share ideas. Obama also hopes to promote innovative ways to increase teacher salary that are developed by teachers themselves.

Women in Science and Engineering

In response to a question from the Association for Women in Science and the Society of Women Engineers on the equality of Title IX funding in regards to academics and athletics, Obama gave his full support to funding Title IX, saying "Title IX, though, does not even mention sports. It applies to all educational programs that receive federal funding. If pursued with the necessary attention and enforcement, Title IX has the potential to make similar, striking advances in the opportunities that girls have in the STEM disciplines. For 35 years, Title IX has been a bulwark against sex discrimination against students and employees at all levels of education. Joe Biden and I will fight to make sure women have equal opportunities and access from prekindergarten through graduate school."

Energy

Energy Proposals

Upon the passage of the Waxman-Markey bill by the House of Representatives, President Obama expressed his view toward the bill. "I think that finding the right balance between providing new incentives to businesses, but not giving away the store, is always an art; it’s not a science because it’s never precise" ^[42]

Link to the full transcript: Obama's Press Conference

On June 23, 2009, President Obama delivered a speech concerning energy and answered questions on the subjects of current issues. Reiterating the importance of building a clean energy economy, President Obama expressed his support for the Climate Bill - the new legislation proposed by the House of Representatives - that has been wading its way through the Congress, and stressed that this bill will further bolster the United States’ independence from foreign oil and help reduce its carbon emissions. “The nation that leads in the creation of a clean energy economy will be the nation that leads the 21st century’s global economy,” said Obama.

The Obama administration fell short in supporting a new energy bill proposed by Democrats in the House of Representatives. The bill, introduced by Representatives Edward J. Markey and Henry A. Waxman, would reduce greenhouse emissions and create jobs, as well as regulating climate change and help reduce our dependence on foreign oil. This legislation would alter the how “the United States generates electricity, manufactures products, heats and lights its homes and offices, and moves people and good.” ^[43] . It is one of the most drastic measures introduced in years. Representatives Waxman and Markey are working to have the legislation passed by May, but are facing opposition. Some are worried that the bill would drive up the costs of energy and other financial issues. ^[44]

The White House announced that it is open to compromise on its new climate and energy change policies, which concern a cap-and-trade system. Obama originally pushed for a 100% auction for emissions backed down in the past month to make the bill more realistic. While the bill is not beginning at 100%, it is hoped to reach that over time. Many argued that having a 100% auction would be too costly for companies to maintain. “In the president's fiscal 2010 budget, the administration proposed cutting greenhouse-gas emissions 83% from 2005 levels by 2050, and auctioning off all of the credits that give the holder the right to emit gases such as carbon dioxide.”^{[45] [46]}

In his Inaugural Address on Tuesday, January 20th, 2009, Obama promised a rational approach to an alternative energy policy. Making a clear break with his predecessor George W. Bush, Obama repeated his campaign promises to "restore science to its rightful place." Obama suggested further pursuit into alternative energy as he said "we will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories."

In a speech on January 9, 2009, Obama released his American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan for economic recovery through energy investments. He said:

To finally spark the creation of a clean energy economy, we will double the production of alternative energy in the next three years. We will modernize more than 75% of federal buildings and improve the energy efficiency of two million American homes, saving consumers and taxpayers billions on our energy bills. In the process, we will put Americans to work in new jobs that pay well and can’t be outsourced – jobs building solar panels and wind turbines; constructing fuel-efficient cars and buildings; and developing the new energy technologies that will lead to even more jobs, more savings, and a cleaner, safer planet in the bargain.

On August 5th, 2008, Obama’s campaign released a new energy plan, the New Energy for America, which included both short and long term solutions to America’s energy needs. The plan includes:

• Providing $500 for individuals and $1000 for married couples for immediate relief from high gas prices through a windfall profits tax on oil companies.
• Using revenue from the cap and trade permitting auction to make investments in basic research, technology demonstration, and the commercial deployment of low-carbon technologies.
• Investing $150 billion over 10 years to transition to a new electricity grid, advancing the next generation of biofuels, investing in low emission coal plants, promoting renewable energy, and accelerating the commercialization of plug-in hybrids.
• Training veterans to enter the new energy economy as well as creating new job training programs for clean technologies.
• Providing a $7,000 tax credit for the purchase of advanced technology vehicles and mandating that half of the cars purchased by the federal government after 2012 be plug-in hybrids or all-electric vehicles.
• Reducing federal energy consumption by 15% by 2015.

He also wants to "generate 10 percent of the nation’s electricity with renewable sources by 2012; 25 percent by 2025." ^[47]

On June 25, 2008, CNN reported that Obama has launched a new website, [www.newenergyforamerica.com], focused on his energy proposals. His plan includes a cap-and-trade program intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050 and doubling fuel economy standards over the next 18 years, while ridding energy markets of speculative activity that affect prices.

According to a June 22nd, 2008 article from the Associated Press, Senator Obama believes that strengthening government oversight of energy traders would help counteract the artificial rise in oil prices. He also vowed to close the "Enron Loophole," which was formed, according to the Obama campaign, by former Senator Phil Graham during late 2000. This loophole allowed for certain energy traders to be exempt from government oversight.

In an article on October 24, 2008, Daniel Kammen, one of Obama's advisors on energy and environmental policy, wrote that Obama would commit to "rapid deployment of 1 million plug-in hybrid vehicles, a 4 percent annual increase in vehicle efficiency standards" as well as redirecting the EPA to "support states that innovate to achieve greenhouse gas reductions" which was lacking in the current administration. ^[48]

According to a December 2, 2008 article in the Houston Chronicle, Obama quietly removed his proposal regarding a windfall profits tax on his transition website. This change came because of the drastic drop in price of oil between the time of his campaign and the months after his election, which lessened the need for such a rescue plan. ^[49]

In his interview with the San Francisco Chronicle in January 2008, then-candidate Obama said, "Under my plan of a cap and trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket. Even regardless of what I say about whether coal is good or bad. Because I’m capping greenhouse gases, coal power plants, you know, natural gas, you name it — whatever the plants were, whatever the industry was, uh, they would have to retrofit their operations. That will cost money. They will pass that money on to consumers." ^[50]

Clean Coal

According to a July 15, 2008 news article from RRT News, senior aides to Obama outlined the presidential candidate's position on energy policy. In seeking to reduce America's dependence on foreign oil, Obama would adopt a cap-and-trade system, uphold alternative energy research, and endorse both coal and nuclear power as part of the energy solution. Furthermore, he would focus on conservation and increase the use of natural gas in the short- to medium-term without availing to coal. According to his energy policy advisor, Obama would not support new coal-fired power plants until new technology is in place to prevent carbon emissions from escaping into the atmosphere. However, he would likely allow construction of new plants if they were retrofitted for carbon capture and sequestration.

In a Nature Magazine interview, he said he will increase resources for the commercialization and deployment of low-carbon coal technologies. He wants to commercialize clean-coal technology and will use many mechanisms to accomplish this. He said, "I will direct my Secretary of Energy to enter into public-private partnerships to develop five 'first-of-a-kind' commercial-scale coal-fired plants with carbon capture and sequestration."

Ethanol

According to The New York Times, Senator Obama’s endorsement of ethanol as an alternative fuel has been his strategy for solving the energy problem. He had commented at the VeraSun Energy inauguration of a new ethanol processing plant last summer that adopting ethanol, “ultimately helps our national security, because right now we’re sending billions of dollars to some of the most hostile nations on earth.” Questions have been raised regarding the bias he would have brought to the ethanol debate because he represents a corn-growing state that stands to benefit from the ethanol boom. However, his advisors remarked that Obama’s policies are based on what is best for the U.S. as a whole. Furthermore, according to his advisors, Obama favors initiatives aimed at “diversification across countries and sources of energy to reduce overall demand through conservation, new technology and improved efficiency.” Obama showed his support for the agriculture bill approved by Congress in 2008 that extended the subsidies for corn ethanol.

Senator Obama's energy proposal includes doubling federal research funding for clean energy projects, investing in clean-coal technologies, and developing “safe and secure” nuclear energy. The plan sets a goal of having 25% of electricity come from renewable sources by 2025. It also calls on the federal government to be more energy efficient and to increase fuel standards, including annual increases in Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) targets.^[51]

Energy Grid

The United State’s electrical grid was recently infiltrated by cyberspies. The spies are believed to be from Russia, China, and other countries. Software was left behind which could disrupt the electrical grid and give others the ability to operate it. The intrusion does not target any particular area, they are spread out across the county. No damage to the power grid has occurred yet, but it is possible for infrastructure components to be destroyed at a later time. This is a large concern because it would be a large blow to the United States in a future war with either country. Protecting the electrical grid is a priority of the Obama administration. ^[52]

Obama states that "...our energy grid is outdated and inefficient, resulting in $50-$100 billion losses to the U.S. economy each year." He says that he will invest in installing a smart grid which would "help consumers produce electricity at home through solar panels or wind turbines, and be able to sell electricity back through the grid for other consumers" to help reduce demand on the grid during peak usage times.

Increasing Energy Prices

On April 25, 2008, Obama released a plan to fight raising energy prices. Details of the plan include:

• Imposing a windfall profit penalty for oil companies selling oil at prices of over $80 per barrel.
• Providing tax cuts for workers and families, including a "Making Work Pay" tax credit of $500 per person or $1000 per working family for 150 million workers.
• Temporarily suspending purchases for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SRV) until prices decrease.
• Reinstating federal supervision of the energy futures market.
• Providing tax credits and loans for domestic auto-makers to improve the fuel-efficiency of cars built domestically.
• Doubling fuel economy standards by 2030.
• Lifting the 60,000-per-manufacturer cap on buyer tax credits for energy efficient vehicles.
• Investing $150 billion over 10 years to advance clean energy technology.
• Establishing a National Low Carbon Fuel Standard that will require fuels suppliers to reduce the lifecycle carbon of their fuels by 10% by 2020.
• Requiring state governors and mayors to make "energy conservation" a part of their federal transportation funding plans.

Senator Obama has also mentioned what he will not do. According to the National Ledger, Obama will not support domestic drilling, increasing refinery capacity, or developing more nuclear power.

Nuclear Energy

Obama's proposed budget basically removed the Yucca Mountain project, where the US currently stores our nuclear waste. As he said during his campaign, Obama is not sure about the safety of such a project and thus does not support it.

According to Obama’s energy policy, Obama thinks it is “unlikely that we can meet our aggressive climate goals if we eliminate nuclear power from the table. However, there is no future for expanded nuclear without first addressing four key issues: public right-to-know, security of nuclear fuel and waste, waste storage, and proliferation."

In his September 24, 2008 interview with "Nature Magazine," Obama points specifically to the failures of the nuclear waste disposal efforts at Yucca Mountain, in Nevada. He believes the expensive project should be abandoned, and instead he will work to find a way to more safely store nuclear waste while investing in long-term solutions.

While in the Senate, Obama, along with Senator Richard Lugar, introduced the Cooperative Proliferation Detection, Interdiction Assistance, and Conventional Threat Reduction Act of 2006 (S. 2566), which called for tracking and accounting for spent fuel from nuclear power plants.

Drilling

During the midst of rising gas prices, the then presidential Candidate Barack Obama agreed to some expansion of offshore drilling, although he still endorsed renewable energy. Now, as president, Obama must incorporate his campaign promise into the new energy plan. Currently the administration is planning to auction off leases in the Gulf of Mexico that have been off limits since 1988.^[53] There is a struggle between environemtalists and other groups trying to protect offshore drilling, yet there may be valuable unexplored resources there that would lift our dependency on foreign oil.

^[54]

According to the Washington Post from August 2, 2008, Obama suggested that he could support wider offshore drilling so long as it could help overcome the impasse on energy bills in Congress. He stated, "My interest is in making sure we've got the kind of comprehensive energy policy that can bring down gas prices... If, in order to get that passed, we have to compromise in terms of a careful, well-thought-out drilling strategy that was carefully circumscribed to avoid significant environmental damage - I don't want to be so rigid that we can't get something done."

In an interview with Nature Magazine, Obama clarified that there are many opportunities to increase US oil and gas production that do not open up currently protected areas. He said, "Increasing domestic oil and gas production in the ways I propose in no way lessens my commitment to combating climate change, one of the great challenges of our time."

In a speech on energy given on June 24, 2008, Obama addressed his willingness to tax oil companies on offshore lands they are leasing but are not under development, saying, "I will charge those companies a fee for every acre that they currently lease but don't drill on. If that compels them to drill, we'll get more oil. If it doesn't, the fees will go toward more investment in renewable sources of energy."

Environment

March 2009, President Obama stated that there is $2.4 billion available to fund the production of the next generation of “Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles”. ^[55] This project will create thousands of employment oppurtunites for Americans and reduce dependance on foreign oil. The Department of Energy stated that it will help in creating upgraded battery manufacturing and recycling plants for the new batteries to be used. They will also aid in marketing the new cars and educating the public about them. President Obama stated:

• • The Department of Energy is offering up to $1.5 billion in grants to U.S. based manufacturers to produce these highly efficient batteries and their components.
  • The Department of Energy is offering up to $500 million in grants to U.S. based manufacturers to produce other components needed for electric vehicles, such as electric motors and other components.
  • The Department of Energy is offering up to $400 million to demonstrate and evaluate Plug-In Hybrids and other electric infrastructure concepts -- like truck stop charging station, electric rail, and training for technicians to build and repair electric vehicles.

^[56]

On January 26, 2009, Obama ordered that the Transportation Department must set new standards for fuel economy by March of 2009. This order begins the implementation of a 2007 energy law. "The law requires the fleetwide average fuel economy standard to rise to 35 miles per gallon by 2020, a 40 percent increase over current levels." ^[57]

Also on January 26, 2009, Obama directed the EPA to look over the 2007 denial from the Bush administration for California to set their own standard for vehicle emissions. Thirteen other states similarly want to follow California's lead and cut harmful emissions. ^[58]

Obama has promised to make the restoration of the Great Lakes of Michigan one of the priorities of his administration, by fighting for a $5 billion trust fund over 10 years (though rolling back tax cuts and incentives to gas and oil companies). He says he will establish a Great Lakes czar in the Environmental Protection Agency as well as fighting pollution and stopping sewage overflows into the lakes.

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

In 2005, Senator Obama voted to ban drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. ^[59]

Healthcare

March 2009, President Obama announced that he wants to update food safety laws and is creating a Food Safety Working Group to accomplish this. He is also asking Congress fro $1 billion to “add inspectors and modernize laboratories, and announced that the Agriculture Department is moving ahead with a rule change banning all sick or disabled cattle from entering the food supply.” ^[60] Obama stated that policies during the Bush administration were an issue to public health. President Obama plans to such large outbreaks of illnesses caused by contaminated foods. ^[61]

Obama has named Gil Kerlikowske as his drug czar (director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy), though this position has been removed from a Cabinet designation under Obama.

An article in the New Scientist notes that Obama's 2010 budget includes $1.1 billion for researching comparative effectiveness of different medical treatments.

A September 22, 2008 article in MSNBC characterizes Barack Obama's healthcare plan as "rooted in the notion that the health care market cannot work without government regulation, that substantial federal oversight and investment are required."

According to a July 23, 2008 news article in The New York Times, Obama's health plan has attracted scrutiny from analysts on how healthcare savings would materialize. The Congressional Budget Office issued a report examining the amount to be saved from the computerization of healthcare system, which found that the 2005 RAND Corporation study that Obama relied on for estimating potential savings was "not an appropriate guide." However, Obama's health policy advisors stated that while not all of the savings would translate into lower premiums, employers could benefit from increased savings passed along as higher wages, and savings to the government would mean lower taxes or added benefits.

In response to a new poll citing an increase in medical debt among the general population, the Obama campaign sent out a press release on August 20, 2008 that quantified the savings of the Obama health care plan as approximately $2500 for a "typical" family.

In a July 14, 2008 news article in The New York Times, Obama was reported to have proposed offering tax breaks to small businesses to incentivize them to provide healthcare insurance to their employees. He credited the idea to his former rival, Sen. Hilary Clinton. His plan would provide small businesses a refundable credit of up to 50% on premiums for employees, which would cost $6 billion a year.

Obama’s Plan for a Healthy America, introduced on May 29, 2007, seeks to create a new national health plan that would allow individuals to buy coverage similar to that is offered to members of Congress. It would also create a National Health Insurance Exchange to help individuals purchase private insurance and serve as a watch dog to promote fairness and affordability among insurance providers. The plan would expand Medicaid and SCHIP and requires children to have health insurance. Adults would not be required to have health insurance.

Obama's technology plan also calls $10 billion dollars for the next five years for the adoption of a "standards-based" electronic health information system, which would include the adoption of electronic medical records.

In the Senate, Obama voted to replenish Medicare and Medicaid funding and to expand funding for SCHIP. In 2006, Obama introduced the Genomics and Personal Medicine Act (S. 3822), which would increase funding for genomics research.

A February 4, 2008 article in The New York Times, which detailed the differences between Obama's and Clinton's health care plans, concluded that because Obama's plan lacked a mandate it would be unable to achieve universal coverage if enacted.

A preliminary estimate by the Tax Policy Center stated that Obama's plan would cost $1.6 trillion over 10 years and would eventually add coverage to 34 more million people than are currently covered.

On October 15, 2008 the McCain and Obama campaigns took part in a candidate forum on health care held be the New England Journal of Medicine. Watch a video of the forum here.

Stem Cell Research

April 17, 2009 A compromise was reached concerning stem cell research. It was agreed that “government-sponsored embryonic stem cell research to cells taken from excess fertility clinic embryo” ^[62] would be limited. The decision was based largely on public opinion and support, rather than a more controversial decision supported by some scientists and patient advocates. The NIH arranged its guidelines by this new policy in favor of public support as well. Other more aggressive researchers are disappointed by this. However the decision to go along with a more popular public opionion on the subject was influenced by the fact that the NIH would be spending $10 billion from the stimulus which is funded by tax payers. ^[63]

On March 9, 2009, President Obama signed an Executive Order repealing embryonic stem cell research restrictions. The Order does not affect the prohibition on using federal funding for creating destroying, or discarding human embryos. This prohibition first became law in 1996 and is known as the Dickey-Wicker amendment. Subsequent laws appropriating money for the Department of Health and Human Services all carry this prohibition.

Obama supports expanding federal funding for embryonic stem cell research and voted for the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act (S. 5), which was later vetoed by President Bush.

In an interview with Nature Magazine, Obama said, "As president, I will lift the current administration's ban on federal funding of research on embryonic stem-cell lines created after 9 August 2001 through executive order, and I will ensure that all research on stem cells is conducted ethically and with rigorous oversight." He explains that a large number of embryos stored for in vitro fertilization will eventually be unused and destroyed, and thus using them for research when they are freely donated for such purpose could save lives and not interfere with moral concerns.

Adult Stem Cells

In his Nature Magazine interview, Obama also says that adult stem cell research cannot replace embryonic stem cell research, even though it has made some progress in disease treatment. He said, "Recent discoveries indicate that adult skin cells can be reprogrammed to behave like stem cells; these are exciting findings that might in the future lead to an alternate source of highly versatile stem cells. However, embryonic stem cells remain the 'gold standard' and studies of all types of stem cells should continue in parallel for the forseeable future. Rather than restrict the funding of such research, I favour responsible oversight of it."

Sex Education

Obama supports comprehensive sex education, in an December 2007 interview, Obama's aides said that Obama "believes that we should not continue to fund abstinence-only programs...While abstinence is one approach to reducing unintended pregnancies and STDs, Obama believes we should also support comprehensive and age-appropriate sex education." He is also an original cosponsor of the Prevention First Act which would ensure that all taxpayer-funded federal programs are medically accurate and include information about contraception.

HIV/AIDS

A March 16, 2009 Reuters article reports that Obama supports federally funded needle exchanges to help stop the spread of HIV/AIDS and other blood-borne diseases. The Bush Administration opposed needle exchanges as a part of its focus on prohibition and punishment.

In a speech on World AIDS Day in December 2006, Senator Obama suggested actions to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS which included repairing the "the relationship between men and women, between sexuality and spirituality", increasing the use of condoms and possibly microbicides, and eliminating the stigma around getting tested for HIV.^[64]

As a presidential candidate, he pledged in November 2007 to increase the spending for global HIV/AIDS by $50 billion from 2009 to 2013 in an effort to help fight AIDS overseas.^[65]

The Obama campaign's HIV/AIDS plan includes:

• Lifting the ban on federal funding for needle exchange program to reduce AIDS transmission among drug users.
• Reauthorizing and increasing the funding by $1 billion per year for the next five years for the President’s Emergency Program for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
• Increasing donations to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis.
• Develop a comprehensive strategy to fights HIV/AIDS in America within his first year in office.
• Age appropriate sex education programs.
• Increasing federal funding for "science-based HIV prevention programs."

He also wants to promote increased HIV testing among minority communities, and plans to accomplish all of these goals by involving all federal agencies in the solution. ^[66]

Infrastructure

A February 17, 2009 article in the National Journal reported that Obama wants to find "some long-term reforms in how transportation dollars flow." He says that the infrastructure bank he wants to create would make "rational decisions" about what transportation infrastructure projects need funds the most.

To improve the nation's system of infrastructure, Barack Obama plans to create a National Infrastructure Reinvestment Bank "to expand and enhance, not supplant, existing federal transportation investments." By investing $60 billion in transportation infrastructure, he believes this entity will create "up to two million new direct and indirect jobs per year and stimulate approximately $35 billion per year in new economic activity." ^[67]

In order to defend against natural disasters, Obama has proposed for New Orleans "a levee and pumping system to protect the city against a 100-year storm by 2011, with the ultimate goal of protecting the entire city from a Category 5 storm." Additionally, he wants to preserve the country's wetlands, which can absorb almost a foot of a hurricane's water. ^[68]

National Security

According to a July 2nd, 2008 New York Times article, Senator Obama now supports the Federal Intelligence Surveillance Act (H.R. 6304). During the primary season, Obama vowed to filibuster such a bill, but now supports the controversial bill that provides retroactive immunity to telecommunications industries that provided information to the government. Greg Craig, an adviser for the Obama Campaign, said that the bill was not ideal, but it was the best compromise plausible.

Cyber Security

On February 9, 2009, Obama called for a review of all federal agencies that work on our nation's cyber security system. He wants to evaluate how the past administration handled cyber problems and reshape any inefficiencies. ^[69]

Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons

On April 25, 2008, Obama released a statement on the proliferation of North Korean nuclear technology to Syria:

I am deeply disturbed by the evidence of North Korea's assistance to an illicit nuclear program in Syria. This represents a dangerous and completely unacceptable development. Unfortunately, it comes after nearly eight years of a failed policy that has been long on tough talk and short on results, as North Korea has withdrawn from the Nuclear Nonproliferation treaty, quadrupled its stockpile of plutonium, resumed testing of long range missiles, detonated a nuclear weapon, and exported nuclear technology to Syria. It's time for aggressive diplomacy that verifiably ends North Korea's nuclear programs and accounts for all its proliferation activities. Until we are able to confirm that North Korea is no longer in the nuclear proliferation business, the United States should not lift sanctions on Pyongyang. When I am President, we will turn the page on yet another failed Bush policy with direct and tough diplomacy as part of the multilateral talks to hold North Korea accountable.^[70]

In an interview with Nature Magazine, Obama clearly states his view on America's possession of nuclear weapons: "I've made it clear that America will not disarm unilaterally. Indeed, as long as states retain nuclear weapons, the United States will maintain a nuclear deterrent that is strong, safe, secure and reliable. But I will not authorize the development of new nuclear weapons. And I will make the goal of eliminating nuclear weapons worldwide a central element of US nuclear policy."

Bio-terrorism

To tackle bioterror, Obama plans to invest $5 billion over 3 years to establish a Shared Security Partnership to create an infrastructure of international intelligence and law enforcement to defeat terrorist networks. He wants to catch would-be bioterrorists before they attack through increased intelligence and expand bioforensic programs to increase the capability of tracking the sources of biological weapons. ^[71]

To respond to the health issues that could come with bioterrorism, Obama plans to invest money in new vaccines and electronic health information systems to quickly provide information to officials and deploy any needed resources in an emergency. He has introduced legislation that would have provided funding for emergency care systems throughout America. ^[72] In an interview with Nature Magazine, Obama said "I will help hospitals form collaborative networks to deal with sudden surges in patients and will ensure that the United States has adequate supplies of medicines, vaccines and diagnostic tests and can get these vital products into the hands of those who need them." He also stresses the importance of broad-gauged vaccines and more responsive development of drugs, which would create new high-paying jobs and strengthen our biotech and pharmaceutical industries.

Space

In March of 2009, several letters were written by Congresspeople to Obama regarding NASA. One from Sens. Rockefeller, McCaskill, and Grassley asked Obama to remove NASA Inspector Robert Cobb. Another, from Rep. Kosmas encouraged Obama to pick a NASA chief soon.

According to a January 3, 2009 CNET article, Obama is considering linking NASA with the Department of Defense to accelerate America's progress in returning to space. They may share resources, and NASA might even use some of the Pentagon's rockets instead of NASA-designed ones. ^[73]

MIT's Technology Review published an article detailing the immediate challenges that Obama will face in relation to the space program. "By April 30, 2009, the new president must decide whether to shut down the Space Shuttle program--currently the United States' only way to get humans into space and to service the International Space Station (ISS)--or extend the program at no small cost."

On October 29, 2008 former astronaut Sally Ride endorsed Obama - Space Politics. Part of her reasoning as stated in the story is as follows:

Obama also has impressed me with his grasp of the challenges our space program faces and his agenda for where we go from here. Obama clearly understands the importance of human spaceflight and exploration. That is why he supports increasing NASA’s budget to close the gap in American spaceflight capability. However, he also sees the potential for NASA to expand its research capabilities to study things like global warming and aeronautics. And most important to me, he has included plans to integrate our space program into educational curricula around the country so students can experience the thrill of science through remotely controlling cameras on the international space station or, perhaps one day, rovers on the moon.

On Wednesday, October 8, 2008, the NASA Chief thanked Obama [1] for allowing them to purchase Russan Soyoz flights to help with the astronaut's goals onboard the International Space Station.

On September 23, 2008 Obama "has asked his party's congressional leadership to extend NASA's authority to buy seats on the Russian Soyuz vehicle, while holding open the possibility of flying the space shuttle beyond its planned 2010 retirement date", as reported in Aviation Week.

On September 22, 2008, Senator Obama wrote a letter to Speaker Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid saying that the Bush Administration's policies had "left Americans without access to space or the ability to support its astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) without paying Russia for transportation." and that Congress should:

• Extenda NASA's waiver of the Iran-North Korea-Syria Non-proliferation Act to allow US astronauts to continue use the International Space Station
• Do nothing and abandon American commitments to the International Space Station between 2012 and 2015,
• Demand that NASA take no further action that would make it more difficult or expensive to fly the Shuttle beyond 2010, and
• Provide additional funding to NASA to allow for planned flights.

For more information on the Presidential Transition and NASA, there is a presentation by Philip McAlister, Office of Program Analysis and Evaluation.

Proposals

In mid-August 2008, the Obama campaign released its space policy proposal. Details of the plan include:

• Re-establishing the National Aeronautics and Space Council.
• Minimizing the gap between the retirement of the current shuttle and the Constellation program.
• Supporting Congressional efforts to add an additional shuttle mission before retirement.
• Completing the International Space Station and using it for scientific and technological research.
• Supporting human space flight, including a mission to the Moon by 2020 and missions to further destinations such as Mars.
• Exploring the role of the private sector in fulfilling some of NASA's lower orbit cargo transportation needs and encouraging commercial access to space.

Furthermore, according to an article in The Houston Chronicle, the Obama campaign made it clear it the staff of Florida Senator Bill Nelson (who supports Obama's plan) that it also supports an additional $2 billion in Congressional funding for NASA that would allow the agency to decrease the gap between the retirement of the shuttle and its replacement vessel^[74].

Contrastingly, the last sentence of Obama's education plan states that his education plan will be paid for in part by a five year delay in the implementation of NASA's Constellation program. That sentence has been deleted from subsequent education plans. However, an August 13, 2008 article in The Orlando Sentinel notes that at an appearance in Brevard County, he promised he would not cut NASA's budget to fund school programs. He said he was committed to an additional shuttle mission, closing the gap between the end of the space shuttle and the next human space launch, and sustaining America's leadership in space. ^[75]

According to an August 4, 2008 news article from Space Travel, Obama spoke near the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral on his position on NASA. He said, "Under my watch, NASA will inspire the world once again and is going to help grow the economy right here in Brevard County." During the speech he also called for the re-establishment of the National Aeronautics and Space Council in order to "develop a plan to explore the solar system - a plan that involves both human and robotic missions, and enlists both international partners and the private sector." Obama also mentioned using NASA to study our planet so we can combat climate change.

In January 2008, the Obama campaign released their first space policy plan, which calls for the completion of the International Space Station, entering into serious negotiations with Russia and China to prevent the weaponization of space, continuing unmanned missions, and supporting the development of the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicles (CEV).

In part one of Obama's 2008 book "Change We Can Believe In", he discusses wanting to "make America the undisputed leader in science and technology."

On October 21st, Obama released a statement following India's first lunar launch concerning America's space policy and its need for improvement.

Science

A group of 61 Nobel Laureates in science endorsed Barack Obama saying that they "support the measures he plans to take – through new initiatives in education and training, expanded research funding, an unbiased process for obtaining scientific advice, and an appropriate balance of basic and applied research – to meet the nation’s and the world’s most urgent needs."

• President Obama stated that he plans to “raise the level of scientific integrity in policymaking”. Obama stated that supporting science isn’t simply passing policy, it requires allowing research to be done without interference and accepting information, regardless of its inconvenience. Over the next 120 days, the director White House’s Office of Science and Technology is expected to make a plan to ensure that “officials who deal with science and technology policy are selected because of their expertise rather than their politics” ^[76]

. The plan also would require that information on policy decisions are available to the public. ^[77]

Proposals

In late September 2008, the Obama-Biden campaign released their plan for science and innovation. The 12 page document focused on scientific integrity, research and development, STEM education, innovation, and 21st century challenges. Details of the plan include:

• eliminating the capital gains tax on start-ups and small businesses
• doubling funding for key science agencies including NIST, DOE, NIH, and NSF
• making a national commitment to STEM education
• creating a $500 million matching fund for educational technology
• triple the number of NSF's Graduate research Fellowships
• increase the number of employee-based visas
• increase support for DARPA in its long-term research activities
• increase support for defense manufacturing,including the DOD's Mantech program

In late 2007, Obama's campaign released a fact sheet touting his support of science as an Illinois state Senator and a U.S. Senator. It also included proposals for supporting scientific research, including:

• making the R&D tax credit permanent
• increasing funding for successful STEM education programs for public schools
• increasing funding for biomedical research
• updating our patent and copyright system at home and abroad
• doubling federal funding for basic research
• augmenting tax and patent laws to facilitate research and innovation

Biomedical Research

In a September 24, 2008 interview with Nature Magazine, Obama outlined his views on how science can be used to improve health. He said he will "encourage the development of biological markers of disease that might simplify the evaluation of new therapies, the use of genetic information to select patients most likely to benefit from new treatments, and the multi-disciplinary efforts that are now possible at many research centres."

Scientific Integrity

In Obama's interview with Nature Magazine, he states, "I will restore the basic principle that government decisions should be based on the best-available, scientifically valid evidence and not on the ideological predispositions of agency officials or political appointees." He believes there needs to be an increased level of transparency and accountability within the government, as well as open debate.

Obama has established his group of science advisers to help in science policy decision-making and to ensure a high level of scientific integrity, including "Harold Varmus, a Nobel laureate and former head of the National Institutes of Health; Gilbert Ommen, a former president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science; Peter Agre, a Nobel laureate and ardent critic of the Bush administration; NASA researcher Donald Lamb; and Stanford University plant biologist Sharon Long."

He also plans to:

• " Appoint individuals with strong science and technology backgrounds and reputations for integrity and objectivity to the growing number of senior management positions in which decisions must incorporate science and technology advice. These positions will be filled promptly with ethical, highly qualified individuals on a non-partisan basis."
• Strengthen the position of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) by including experts who will give independent advice on important science and technology issues.
• Executive Order to establish clear guidelines for government publications to ensure that results are issued promptly and in an unbiased fashion.

During a 2006 genetics conference by the Genetics & Public Policy Center at John Hopkins University, Obama said that "science was made subservient to ideology" and "that it is absolutely imperative for those grounded in science...to make their voices heard."

Public/Private Partnerships

To further the swift advancement and application of scientific research, Obama believes we need to remove barriers that exist "both between federal agencies and across public, private and nonprofit organizations to ensure better and more efficient collaboration on new innovations." ^[79]

Research Funding

In a speech given on March 19, 2009, at Southern California Edison Electric Vehicle Technical Center, Obama said "the Department of Energy is launching a $2 billion competitive grant program under the Recovery Act that will spark the manufacturing of the batteries and parts that run these cars, build or upgrade the factories that will produce them."

In Obama's Plan for Science and Innovation, he promises to "double budgets of key science agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology over the next ten years."

Obama acience advisor Sharon Long implied that Obama would stand by the doubling, even in the current economic downturn. Wired reported on October 28, 2008, that at a talk delivered to the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing, Long was asked whether Obama would stand by the promise. "The answer is, how can we afford not to?" Long responded, noting that the root of scientific advancement is basic research.

Alec Ross, an aide who represented Senator Obama during the February 2008 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) meeting, said that Obama's plans included investing $10 billion a year to computerize medical records, and $150 billion over 10 years to develop biofuels, hybrid vehicles, and an updated electrical grid. He also said that Obama wants to increase foreign students in US graduate schools and "give them a path to citizenship."

On March 5, 2007, Obama became a co-sponsor of the America COMPETES Act, which is "a bill to invest in innovation and education to improve the competitiveness of the United States in the global economy." ^[80] The America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science (COMPETES) Act aims to increase the participation of women and minorities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Barack Obama was one of 69 co-sponsors of the bill, and passed three amendments to it. Full details of this act can be found on The White House website.

International Research

Additionally, Obama is encouraging collaboration with international research efforts, particularly for medical issues. He said in an interview with Nature Magazine, "I will work hard to ensure that we leverage federal research dollars by engaging international partners in projects, including technologies such as carbon capture and sequestration."

Science Adviser

When asked whether he would restore the position of presidential science adviser to be a special assistant to the president, at the Cabinet level (in an interview with Nature Magazine), Obama said, "I am committed to restoring government reliance on sound, non-ideological advice at the highest levels of government and all my appointees will be instructed to make decisions in a manner that respects available scientific evidence."

His science plan, which was released in late September, however, clarified that Obama will appoint an Assistant to the President on Sceince and Technology who will serve as the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy and report directly to the President.

April 2009 President Obama announced that his Chief Performance Officer will be Jeffrey Zients and his Chief Tehcnology Officer will be Aneesh Chopra. It was also announced that Zients will serve as Deputy Director for Management at the Office of Management and Budget. Nancy Killefer was the President’s first pick for Zients’ position but she withdrew. Jeffrey Zients has 20 years of businees experience and is expected to cut costs for the government. ^[81]

Technology

The Obama Administration stated on March 9, 2009 that it plans to spend $8 billion on building new broadband Internet networks throughout the country. President Obama views this as an immediate way to generate jobs since people will need to be hired to lay wires and build reception towers. The president hopes it will also create high paying jobs in the future as well. The chairman of Federal Commissions Communication sees this plan as a necessary tool to compete in the 21st century. Grants for this bill could be given as early as next month. Before then, several public hearings will be held by agencies to get feedback on how to best utilize the funding. ^[82]

To continue his promise of using technology and transparency in his administration, Obama has created a website, Recovery.org, that allows the public to track the money allotted in the February 2009 stimulus bill.

Computer World reports that during his December 6 video address, Obama announced that he would invest in new computers for schools, expanded broadband access -- particularly in rural areas -- and funding on technologies to reduce medical costs as part of his stimulus package.

According to a July 14, 2008 news article in Bloomberg, Obama wanted the government to take an active role in reducing poverty and rural isolation with the Web, which would be in line with Google Inc.'s agenda. In the article, it is said that Obama had co-sponsored legislation that would prevent cable and telephone companies from using ownership of the Internet to sell owners of sites' premium service on their network. In November 2007, Obama held a meeting with Google employees to outline his plan to subsidize $5 billion to rural and low-income households for high-speed internet access.

Obama's plan for technological development focuses on expanding broadband coverage and speed, ensuring network neutrality, and investing in medical technologies, environment-friendly energy innovations, and improving science education while also increasing funding for scientific research. Details of the plan include:

• Making the tax credit for R&D permanent.
• Appointing a Chief Technology Officer (CTO)to ensure the safety and transparency of our networks, expand the communications infrastructure, and use technology to increase the communication of citizens with the government.
• Increase the Federal Trade Commissions budget to track cyber-crime.
• Give U.S. citizens five days to review and comment via the White House website on any non-emergency legislation before signing it.
• Make a multi-year plan for the Universal Service Fund for communications with a specified date switching the program from supporting voice communications to supporting affordable broadband.
• Create a Technologies Deployment Venture Capital Fund, which would be appropriated $10 billion annually, to expedite the commercialization of promising technologies.
• Ensure net neutrality by prohibiting broadband providers from

Transparency in the Government

March 2009 President Obama is criticized for using the presidential signing statement, overturning 5 provisions in a recently passed $410 billion budget bill. Provisions that were vetoed including one that would “would bar funding for the deployment of U.S. troops to United Nations peacekeeping missions under foreign command without the president's advice that such involvement is in the national interest” ^[83] and “cut the salary of any federal officials who interfere with a whistleblower's communications with Congress” ^[84]. ^[85]

In March of 2008, Obama released a list of all the earmarks he had requested in the two years he served in the U.S. Senate. This move was part of his campaign's promise to restore openness to the government.^[86]

Speeches on Science and Health Policy Issues

April 27, 2009 Remarks by the President at the National Academy of Science Annual Meeting

February 5, 2009 Remarks by the President to Department of Energy Staff

January 26, 2009 Remarks by the President on Jobs, Energy Independence, and Climate Change

January 20, 2009 Obama's Inaugural Address

January 8, 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan

December 20, 2008 Obama's Science Team Rollout Radio Address

December 15, 2008 Announcement of Energy and Environment Team

December 11, 2008 President-elect Obama nominates Senator Daschle as Secretary of HHS

November 18, 2008 Bi-partisan Governors Climate Summit

June 24, 2008 A Serious Energy Policy for Our Future

June 16th, 2008 Remarks of Senator Barack Obama: Renewing American Competitiveness

April 25, 2008 Remarks of Senator Barack Obama: Press Avail on Energy Plan

October 8, 2007 Real Leadership for a Clean Energy Future

May 29, 2007 Cutting Costs and Covering America; A 21st Century Health Care System

December 1, 2006 World AIDS Day Speech: Race Against Time

September 20, 2006 Energy Independence: A Call for Leadership

April 03, 2006 Energy Independence and the Safety of Our Planet

February 28, 2006 Energy Security is National Security

October 18, 2005 Avian Flu

September 15, 2005 Securing Our Energy Future

March 11, 2005 CURE Keynote Address

March 08, 2005 Remarks of Senator Obama at Technet

SCIENCE IN THE DEBATES:

General Presidential Debate at Hofstra University, October 15, 2008

Moderator:The question is this: the U.S. spends more per capita than any other country on education. Yet, by every international measurement, in math and science competence, from kindergarten through the 12th grade, we trail most of the countries of the world. The implications of this are clearly obvious. Some even say it poses a threat to our national security. Do you feel that way and what do you intend to do about it?

Obama: This probably has more to do with our economic future than anything and that means it also has a national security implication, because there's never been a nation on earth that saw its economy decline and continued to maintain its primacy as a military power. So we've got to get our education system right. Now, typically, what's happened is that there's been a debate between more money or reform, and I think we need both.

In some cases, we are going to have to invest. Early childhood education, which closes the achievement gap, so that every child is prepared for school, every dollar we invest in that, we end up getting huge benefits with improved reading scores, reduced dropout rates, reduced delinquency rates. I think it's going to be critically important for us to recruit a generation of new teachers, an army of new teachers, especially in math and science, give them higher pay, give them more professional development and support in exchange for higher standards and accountability.

And I think it's important for us to make college affordable. Right now, I meet young people all across the country who either have decided not to go to college or if they're going to college, they are taking on $20,000, $30,000, $50,000, $60,000 worth of debt, and it's very difficult for them to go into some fields, like basic research in science, for example, thinking to themselves that they're going to have a mortgage before they even buy a house.

And that's why I've proposed a $4,000 tuition credit, every student, every year, in exchange for some form of community service, whether it's military service, whether it's Peace Corps, whether it's working in a community. If we do those things, then I believe that we can create a better school system. But there's one last ingredient that I just want to mention, and that's parents. We can't do it just in the schools. Parents are going to have to show more responsibility. They've got to turn off the TV set, put away the video games, and, finally, start instilling that thirst for knowledge that our students need.

View Transcript

General Presidential Debate at Belmont University, October 7, 2008

Moderator:Privilege, right or responsibility. Let's start with that. [on health care]

Obama: Well, I think it should be a right for every American. In a country as wealthy as ours, for us to have people who are going bankrupt because they can't pay their medical bills -- for my mother to die of cancer at the age of 53 and have to spend the last months of her life in the hospital room arguing with insurance companies because they're saying that this may be a pre-existing condition and they don't have to pay her treatment, there's something fundamentally wrong about that.

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General Election Debate at the University of Mississippi, September 26, 2008

Question: What are you going to have to give up, in terms of the priorities that you would bring as president of the United States, as a result of having to pay for the financial rescue plan?

Obama:. . .[W]e've got to make sure that we're competing in education. We've got to invest in science and technology. China had a space launch and a space walk. We've got to make sure that our children are keeping pace in math and in science. And one of the things I think we have to do is make sure that college is affordable for every young person in America. And I also think that we're going to have to rebuild our infrastructure, which is falling behind, our roads, our bridges, but also broadband lines that reach into rural communities. Also, making sure that we have a new electricity grid to get the alternative energy to population centers that are using them. . ."

Moderator: Senator Obama, you have a question for Senator McCain on that? [the question was regarding John McCain's tax cuts]

Obama:. . . Just one last point I want to make, since Senator McCain talked about providing a $5,000 health credit. Now, what he doesn't tell you is that he intends to, for the first time in history, tax health benefits. So you may end up getting a $5,000 tax credit. Here's the only problem: Your employer now has to pay taxes on the health care that you're getting from your employer. And if you end up losing your health care from your employer, you've got to go out on the open market and try to buy it. It is not a good deal for the American people. But it's an example of this notion that the market can always solve everything and that the less regulation we have, the better off we're going to be. . .

Moderator: Do you see any -- do you have a major difference with what he just said? [in regards to McCain's response to a question on Russia]

Obama:. . . That means that we, as one of the biggest consumers of oil -- 25 percent of the world's oil -- have to have an energy strategy not just to deal with Russia, but to deal with many of the rogue states we've talked about, Iran, Venezuela.And that means, yes, increasing domestic production and off-shore drilling, but we only have 3 percent of the world's oil supplies and we use 25 percent of the world's oil. So we can't simply drill our way out of the problem. What we're going to have to do is to approach it through alternative energy, like solar, and wind, and biodiesel, and, yes, nuclear energy, clean-coal technology. And, you know, I've got a plan for us to make a significant investment over the next 10 years to do that. And I have to say, Senator McCain and I, I think agree on the importance of energy, but Senator McCain mentioned earlier the importance of looking at a record. Over 26 years, Senator McCain voted 23 times against alternative energy, like solar, and wind, and biodiesel. . .

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ABC News Democratic Debate, April 16, 2008

Question: But we've heard from politicians for a long time we're going to end dependence on foreign oil. I just have a quote: "The generation-long growth in our dependence on foreign oil will be stopped dead in its tracks right now." That was Jimmy Carter in 1979. And it's gotten a whole lot worse since then.

Obama: .... And so the long-term trajectory is that we're going to have to get serious about increasing our fuel efficiency standards and investing in new technologies. That's something I'm committed to doing. I've talked about spending $150 billion over 10 years in an Apollo Project, a Manhattan Project to create the alternative energy strategies that will work not only for this generation but for the next.

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Democratic Candidates Compassion Forum, April 13, 2008

Question: ...we also are involved in a ministry called True Love Waits [an abstinence and faith-based program], which has been credited by the government of Uganda from lowering the AIDS infection rate there dramatically from 30 percent to 6 percent. But we also teach a part of that, that faith has a role in the issue of HIV/AIDS. Do you concur with that and would you elaborate on that, please.

Obama: My view is, is that we should use whatever the best approaches are, the scientifically sound approaches are, to reduce this devastating disease all across the world.

And part of that, I think, should be a strong education component and I think abstinence education is important. I also think that contraception is important; I also think that treatment is important; I also think that we have to do more to make antiviral drugs available to people who are in extreme poverty....I do think that -- and I've said this when I was in Kenya -- that there is a behavioral element to AIDS that has to be addressed. And if there is -- if there's promiscuity and we are pretending that that's not an issue in spreading AIDS, then we're missing part of the answer.

But I also think that -- keep in mind, women are far more likely to be infected now between the ages of 18 and 25 than are men. And that's why focusing, for example, on the status of women, empowering women, giving them microbicides, or other strategies that would allow them to protect themselves when they sometimes in certain situations may not be able to protect themselves from having unprotected sex, all those things are going to be just as important, as well.

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CNN Democratic Debate, February 22, 2008

Responding to Senator Clinton on health care:

Obama: Number one, understand that when Senator Clinton says a mandate, it's not a mandate on government to provide health insurance, it's a mandate on individuals to purchase it. And Senator Clinton is right; we have to find out what works. Now, Massachusetts has a mandate right now. They have exempted 20 percent of the uninsured because they have concluded that that 20 percent can't afford it. In some cases, there are people who are paying fines and still can't afford it, so now they're worse off than they were. They don't have health insurance and they're paying a fine.In order for you to force people to get health insurance, you've got to have a very harsh penalty, and Senator Clinton has said that we won't go after their wages. Now, this is a substantive difference. But understand that both of us seek to get universal health care. I have a substantive difference with Senator Clinton on how to get there.

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MSNBC Democratic Debate, January 15th, 2008

Question: Anyone willing to pledge here tonight, beginning with you, Senator Obama, to kill the notion of Yucca Mountain?

Obama: I will end the notion of Yucca Mountain because it has not been based on the sort of sound science that can assure the people of Nevada that they're going to be safe. And that, I think, was a mistake.

Now, you hate to see billions of dollars having already been spent on a mistake, but what I don't want to do is spend additional billions of dollars and potentially create a situation that is not safe for the people of Nevada.

So I've already -- I've been clear from the start that Yucca, I think, was a misconceived project. We are going to have to figure out how we store nuclear waste. And what I want to do is to get the best experts around the table and make a determination, what are our options based on the best science available?

And you know, I think there's a solution that can be had that's good for the country but also good for the people of Nevada.

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ABC Democratic Debate, January 5th, 2008

Question: On the day after a nuclear weapon goes off in an American city, what would we wish we had done to prevent it? And what will we actually do on the day after?

Obama: Well, as I said, I've already been working on this, and I think this is the most significant foreign policy issue that we confront. We would obviously have to retaliate against anybody who struck American soil, whether it was nuclear or not. It would be a much more profound issue if it were nuclear weapons.

That's why it's so important for us to rebuild the nuclear proliferation -- nonproliferation treaty that has fallen apart under this administration. We have not made a commitment to work with the Russians to reduce our own nuclear stockpiles. That has weakened our capacity to pressure other countries to give up nuclear technology.

We have not locked down the loose nuclear weapons that are out there right now. These are all things that we should be taking leadership on.

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Huffington Post/Slate/Yahoo Candidate Mash-up, September 13, 2007

Question: You make the valid point there, in fact, how well we educate, that people who are at the core of American productivity is crucial to our future. And Don Oral, a user question from Bayside, N.Y., says how would you change the system to make American students competitive on the world scene?

Obama: …On K through 12 across the board we've got improved math and science instruction. And that means focusing on recruiting more math and science teachers, emphasizing math and science instruction, finding innovative ways to make it interesting for students. And I have to say this is an area where the president has the power to use the bully pulpit and to make math and science interesting and vibrant again. One of the things that I'm always struck by when I talk to engineers and scientists who are in their 50s and 60s is how many say they were inspired by JFK and the space program for going into science and math. And one area where I think we could actually do that is to really make a huge effort around energy independence. And if a president is talking about the importance of us engaging in research and development, doubling the amount of research dollars that are being put into basic science and basic research, all that can help lift up the importance of these areas of study for young people who basically take their cues from the larger culture….

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CNN Democratic Debate, November 15, 2007

Question: Senator Obama, the price of oil is flirting with $100-a-barrel- mark right now, making all the more urgent the need for alternate fuel sources. You support nuclear energy as a part of the plan for the future, but there is an issue of what to do with the waste. You are opposed to the Yucca Mountain Nuclear Repository about 90 miles from here. Your state uses about -- gets about 48 percent of its power from nuclear compared to 20 percent for most other states, yet you are opposed to bringing nuclear waste from other states and keeping it in Illinois. The question is, if not in your backyard, who's?

Obama:Well, as I've said, I don't think it's fair to send it to Nevada...because we're producing it. So what have to do is we've got to develop the storage capacity based on sound science. Now, laboratories like Argonne in my own home state are trying to develop ways to safely store nuclear waste without having to ship it across the country and put it in somebody else's backward. But keep in mind that I don't think nuclear power is necessarily our best option. It has to be part of our energy mix. We have a genuine crisis that has to be addressed. And as president, I intend to address it. And here's what we have to do.

We have to, first of all, cap greenhouse gases, because climate change is real and it's going to impact Nevada, and it's impacting the entire planet. That means that we're going to have to tell polluters: We're going to charge you money when you send pollution into the air that's creating climate change. That money we can then reinvest in solar, in wind, in biodiesel, in clean coal technology, and in superior nuclear technology.

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Endnotes

1. ↑ Shear, Michael D. and Nick Anderson. "A $4 Billion Push for Better Schools." Washington Post 24 July 2009. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/23/AR2009072303881.html
2. ↑ http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/obama-prioritizes-energy-efficiency-standards-2009-06-29.html
3. ↑ Tankersley, Jim. "U.S. to clear way for offshore wind farms." Washington Bureau. 22 Apr. 2009. Chicago Tribune. 28 Apr. 2009 <http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-windfarm_wedapr22,0,7616411.story>.
4. ↑ Montopoli, Brian. "Day 93: Obama Lauds Energy Plan On Earth Day." Political Hotsheet. 22 Apr. 2009. CBS News. 28 Apr. 2009 <http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/04/22/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry4962434.shtml>.
5. ↑ Vogel, Steve. "Controversy Over Yucca Mountain May Be Ending." The Washington Post 4 Mar. 2009. 12 Mar. 2009 <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/03/AR2009030303638_pf.html>.
6. ↑ http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1866682,00.html
7. ↑ Eli Kintisch, "Putting the E back into DOE: Three Ways Chu Could Energize Energy,"Science Insider,December 11, 2008, http://blogs.sciencemag.org/scienceinsider/2008/12/what-chu-means.html
8. ↑ Johnson, Jeff, and Cheryl Hughes. "Climate Change, Energy Priorities | Chemical & Engineering News: Latest News." Chemical and Engineering News. 2 Mar. 2009. 04 Mar. 2009 <http://pubs.acs.org/cen/news/87/i09/8709notw1.html>.
9. ↑ Johnson, Jeff, and Cheryl Hughes. "Climate Change, Energy Priorities | Chemical & Engineering News: Latest News." Chemical and Engineering News. 2 Mar. 2009. 04 Mar. 2009 <http://pubs.acs.org/cen/news/87/i09/8709notw1.html>.
10. ↑ Marr, Kendra. "In Boost for Detroit, Obama to Buy Fuel-Efficient Fleet for Uncle Sam." A12. The Washington Post. 10 Apr. 2009. 13 Apr. 2009 <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/09/AR2009040904319.html>.
11. ↑ Marr, Kendra. "In Boost for Detroit, Obama to Buy Fuel-Efficient Fleet for Uncle Sam." A12. The Washington Post. 10 Apr. 2009. 13 Apr. 2009 <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/09/AR2009040904319.html>.
12. ↑ Tom Philpott. "More on Vilsack." Gristmill. December 17, 2008. http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2008/12/17/131450/84
13. ↑ Jake Tapper. "Nancy Sutley to Head White House Council on Environmental Quality." ABC News. December 10 2008. http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/12/nancy-sutley-to.html
14. ↑ David A. Fahrenthold,"Seasoned Regulators to Lead Obama Environment Program," The Washington Post, December 12, 2008, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/11/AR2008121103669.html?hpid=topnews
15. ↑ Revkin, Andrew C. "Lubchenco's Goals on Oceans and Climate." The New York Times 20 Mar. 2009. 23 Mar. 2009 <http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/20/lubchencos-goals-on-oceans-climate/?hp>.
16. ↑ Revkin, Andrew C. "Lubchenco's Goals on Oceans and Climate." The New York Times 20 Mar. 2009. 23 Mar. 2009 <http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/20/lubchencos-goals-on-oceans-climate/?hp>.
17. ↑ Revkin, Andrew C. "Lubchenco's Goals on Oceans and Climate." The New York Times 20 Mar. 2009. 23 Mar. 2009 <http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/20/lubchencos-goals-on-oceans-climate/?hp>.
18. ↑ Wangsness, Lisa and Nandina Jayakrishna. "At N.H. forum, Obama hits back at ‘wild’ criticism of health bill." Boston Globe 12 August 2009. http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2009/08/12/at_nh_forum_obama_hits_wild_criticism_of_healthcare_overhaul/
19. ↑ Connolly, Ceci. "President Gets Personal At Forum on Health Care." Washington Post 29 July 2009. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/28/AR2009072801785.html
20. ↑ Bolton, Alexander and Jeffrey Young. "Dem healthcare infighting intensifies." The Hill 28 July 2009. http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/infighting-intensifies-2009-07-28.html
21. ↑ Associated Press. "White House releases list of health executive visitors." Los Angeles Times 23 July 2009. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-healthcare-talks23-2009jul23,0,220833.story
22. ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/22/us/politics/22health.html
23. ↑ http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/doctors-lift-healthcare-2009-07-16.html
24. ↑ The New York Times http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct2=us%2F0_0_s_1_0_t&usg=AFQjCNEwifdAhINgqZD1_cA2e_8RWAvqKg&cid=1265321413&ei=6eY_SoCOJeOqmQe99q2GAw&rt=SEARCH&vm=STANDARD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com%2F2009%2F06%2F22%2Fobama-reverts-to-campaign-motto-for-health-care-agenda%2F%3Fref%3Dbusiness
25. ↑ Remarks by the President at the Annual Conference of the American Medical Association. http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-by-the-President-to-the-Annual-Conference-of-the-American-Medical-Association/
26. ↑ Robert Pear. "Daschle Will Lead Health Care Overhaul." The New York Times. December 11, 2008. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/12/us/politics/w11health.html?_r=1&ref=policy
27. ↑ Lisa Wangsness. "Health reform a joint mission." The Boston Globe. December 26, 2008. http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2008/12/26/health_reform_a_joint_mission/?page=1
28. ↑ Robert Pear. "Anti-Smoking Advocate Is Named to Health Post." New York Times. January 13, 2009. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/14/us/politics/14appoint.html?ref=politics
29. ↑ Richard S. Dunham. "Security adviser a hawk on energy." Houston Chronicle. December 24, 2008. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/energy/6181292.html
30. ↑ Davidson, Joe. "Government Is Falling Behind on Cybersecurity, Report Finds." Washington Post 23 July 2009. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/22/AR2009072203698.html
31. ↑ http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-sci-collins9-2009jul09,0,7642590.story
32. ↑ Carolyn Y. Johnson. "Genome mapper picked for presidential council." Boston Globe. December 21, 2008. http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/12/21/genome_mapper_picked_for_presidential_council/
33. ↑ AFP. "Obama Names Government IT Chief." 5 Mar. 2009. Google News. 11 Mar. 2009.<http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hoB6IUs9i43FMlVAHz2ihq7jk1ug>
34. ↑ Obama, Barack. Obama '08: BARACK OBAMA’S PLAN TO MAKE AMERICA A GLOBAL ENERGY LEADER. 2008. <http://obama.3cdn.net/4465b108758abf7a42_a3jmvyfa5.pdf>
35. ↑ Power, Stephen. "Tricky Course Lies Ahead for Browner on the Environment." The Wall Street Journal 16 Apr. 2009. 20 Apr. 2009 <http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123984208049523297.html>.
36. ↑ Kay, Jane. "Greenhouse gases must be cut, Obama aide says." San Francisco Chronicle 9 Apr. 2009. 13 Apr. 2009 <http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/04/08/MN2416V8Q9.DTL>.
37. ↑ Barack Obama. Barack Obama's plan to make America a global energy leader.
38. ↑ http://www.barackobama.com/issues/education/
39. ↑ Shear, Michael D., and Daniel de Vise. "Obama Announces Community College Plan." Washington Post 14 Jul. 2009. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/14/AR2009071400819.html
40. ↑ Barack Obama, interview by David Remnick. The New Yorker. October 23, 2006. http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlny/magazines/barack_obama_i_inhaled_that_was_the_point_46068.asp
41. ↑ Joyce, Tom. "Obama Talks to York." York Daily Record.March 30 2008.http://ydr.inyork.com/ci_8744384
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45. ↑ Talley, Ian. "White House Flexibility Signaled on Climate Bill." The Wall Street Journal 9 Apr. 2009. 13 Apr. 2009 <http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123922598643102605.html>.
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47. ↑ Erika Lovley. Obama's, McCain's differing proposals. October 14, 2008. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1008/14546.html
48. ↑ Daniel Kammen. Read the fine print on presidential energy plans. October 24, 2008. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/10/23/EDV213N2H3.DTL
49. ↑ David Ivanovich. "Obama quietly drops windfall tax proposal." Houston Chronicle. December 2, 2008. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/biz/6143968.html
50. ↑ http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/TapscottsCopyDesk/Obama_Under_my_Plan__Electricity_Rates_Would_Necessarily_Skyrocket_.html
51. ↑ Barack Obama, Barak Obama's Plan to Make America a Global Energy Leader http://www.barackobama.com/2007/10/08/obama_to_announce_new_plan_to.php
52. ↑ Beech, Eric. "Cyberspies penetrate electrical grid: report." Reuters. 8 Apr. 2009. 13 Apr. 2009 <http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE53729120090408>.
53. ↑ Mouawad, Jad. "Obama Tries to Draw Up an Inclusive Energy Plan." The New York Times 17 Mar. 2009. Energy & Environment. 23 Mar. 2009 <http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/18/business/energy-environment/18offshore.html>.
54. ↑ Mouawad, Jad. "Obama Tries to Draw Up an Inclusive Energy Plan." The New York Times 17 Mar. 2009. Energy & Environment. 23 Mar. 2009 <http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/18/business/energy-environment/18offshore.html>.
55. ↑ DOE. "President Obama Announces $2.4 Billion in Funding to Support Next Generation Electric Vehicles." U.S. Department of Energy. 19 Mar. 2009. 23 Mar. 2009.
56. ↑ DOE. "President Obama Announces $2.4 Billion in Funding to Support Next Generation Electric Vehicles." U.S. Department of Energy. 19 Mar. 2009. 23 Mar. 2009.
57. ↑ Adriel Bettelheim and Avery Palmer. "Obama Orders Regulators to Press Ahead With Efforts to Address Global Warming." CQToday." January 27, 2009.
58. ↑ Adriel Bettelheim and Avery Palmer. "Obama Orders Regulators to Press Ahead With Efforts to Address Global Warming." CQToday." January 27, 2009.
59. ↑ S AMDT 168 to S.Con.Res. 18 http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:s.con.res.00018:
60. ↑ Eggen, Dan. "Obama Targets Food Safety." The Washington Post 15 Mar. 2009. 19 Mar. 2009 <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/14/AR2009031401600.html>.
61. ↑ Eggen, Dan. "Obama Targets Food Safety." The Washington Post 15 Mar. 2009. 19 Mar. 2009 <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/14/AR2009031401600.html>.
62. ↑ Connolly, Ceci. "Compromise Rules Issued on Embryonic Stem Cells." The Washington Post 18 Apr. 2009. 22 Apr. 2009 <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/17/AR2009041701880_2.html?sid=ST2009041800145>.
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64. ↑ Race Against Time, World AIDS Day Speech. December 1, 2006. http://obama.senate.gov/speech/061201-race_against_ti/
65. ↑ Barack Obama pledges to increase spending on global HIV/AIDS to $50 billion. November 1, 2007. http://www.news-medical.net/?id=32046
66. ↑ How Obama, McCain Differ On HIV/Aids. October 14, 2008. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/10/14/eveningnews/main4522423.shtml
67. ↑ Urban Policy. Barack Obama for President. October 27, 2008. http://origin.barackobama.com/issues/urban_policy/
68. ↑ "BARACK OBAMA: REBUILDING THE GULF COAST AND PREVENTING FUTURE CATASTROPHES." October 27, 2008. http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/KatrinaFactSheetFinal.pdf
69. ↑ Declan McCullagh. "Obama hints at cybersecurity shake-up with review." CNet. February 9, 2009. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10159975-38.html
70. ↑ "Sen. Obama's Statement on North Korea's proliferation of nuclear technology to Syria," Obama News and Speeches, http://www.barackobama.com/2008/04/25/sen_obamas_statement_on_north.php
71. ↑ Alexandra Witze. September 24, 2008. http://www.nature.com/news/2008/080923/full/news.2008.1125.html
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73. ↑ Jennifer Guevin. "Obama considers linking Defense Dept. with NASA." CNET News. January 3, 2009. http://news.cnet.com/8301-11386_3-10130563-76.html
74. ↑ Richard S. Dunham, "Evolving Obama now supports $2 billion more for NASA," The Houston Chronicle," August 18, 2008, http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/space/5949605.html
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82. ↑ Kang, Cecilia. "Obama Broadband Internet Plan Short on Details, First Wave of Grants In April." The Washington Post 10 Mar. 2009. 16 Mar. 2009 <http://voices.washingtonpost.com/posttech/2009/03/obama_broadband_internet_plan.html?wprss=posttech?hpid=sec-tech>.
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86. ↑ Matthew Mosk. Obama Lists Requests for Pet-Project Funding. March 14, 2008. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/13/AR2008031303826.html?nav=rss_politics/congress