Energy

Senator Clinton introduced her energy policy in a speech to the National Press Club on May 23, 2006. The agenda calls for an increase in Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards to 55 mpg by 2030 and creating a renewable energy portfolio standard that would require power companies to obtain 20% of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020. In the Senate, Clinton voted for the Renewable Fuels, Consumer Protection, and Energy Efficiency Act of 2007 (H.R. 6), which passed with a vote of 65-27. This legislation would require fuel standards for automobiles to reach 35 mpg by 2020. Clinton, as Presidential candidate, has proposed a Strategic Energy Fund that would invest $50 million dollars into clean and renewable energy research and development. Under the plan, oil companies would either have to pay money to the fund or invest in renewable energy.

Clinton would aurthorize $20 billion low-interest 'Green Vehicle Bonds' to help retool old car manufacturing plants to meet the strong efficiency standards she supports.

Senator Clinton has also proposed creating a Green Building Fund through which the federal government that would allocate $1 billion to the states annually for grants and low-interests loans to promote energy efficiency in public buildings. Senator Clinton claimed that the fund would also create as many as 50,000 “green collar jobs.” In the Senate she introduced the Zero-Emissions Building Act of 2007 (S. 1059) with Senator John Kerry, which would require new federal buildings to be carbon neutral by 2030.

In addition to the Green Building Fund, Senator Clinton announced a $50 Billion Energy Fund "to jumpstart investments in clean energy technologies^[1]." The program would be centered around a cap and trade system for carbon emissions, aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80% from 1990 by 2050^[2].

Energy Grid

Clinton has proposed funding 10 "Smart Grid Cities" with public-and-private partnerships to deploy smart grid technology and plug-in hybrid vehicles on a large scale to allow plug-in hybrids to sell power to utilities during peak load times.

Increasing Energy Prices

On April 28, 2008, the Clinton campaign released a plan to combat rising energy costs. The plan includes:

• Enacting a windfall profits tax on oil companies and using the revenue to suspend the 18.4 cent per gallon federal gas tax and the 24.4 cent per gallon diesel tax during the summer months.
• Closing the regulatory loophole that exempts electronic trading of energy commodities by large traders, which should decrease financial speculation on these markets.
• Calling on the Federal Trade Commission to propose regulations to prevent the manipulation of oil markets.
• Using the WTO to challenge OPEC's production quotas.
• Suspend filling the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) and release some oil when necessary.
• Raising fuel economy standards to 55 mpg by 2030.
• Providing $1.5 billion per year in funding for public transportation.
• Investing $150 billion in the research, development, and commercialization of renewable and alternative energy.

Evolution/Intelligent Design

Following a speech critiquing the Bush administration’s science policies, Clinton said the following in response to a question on evolution from The New York Times: “I believe in evolution, and I am shocked at some of the things that people in public life have been saying. I believe that our founders had faith in reason and they also had faith in God, and one of our gifts from God is the ability to reason.”

Environment

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

Senator Clinton is against drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). In a letter to constituents she writes "Drilling for oil in the Arctic Refuge is bad environmental policy, and it is bad energy policy. It would take ten years of drilling in the Arctic Refuge to produce oil. We do not need to despoil an environmental treasure on a gamble for oil where the odds of finding significant supplies are remote. We instead need to provide the appropriate incentives for the development and use of energy efficient products, alternative and renewable fuels, and improved conservation measures." ^[3]

Climate Change

Clinton is a cosponsor of the Sanders-Boxer Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act (S. 309) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 80% of the 1990 levels by 2050 and has co-sponsored other legislation for a cap-and-trade system to reduce carbon emissions. Clinton’s campaign has released a factsheet more fully describing her position on global warming and climate change.

On April 15, 2008, climate change advisers to Clinton, McCain, and Obama spoke at a panel hosted by the Society of Environmental Journalists on what their candidates would do to fight global climate change.

Health Care

Clinton's proposed healthcare plan, the American Health Choices Plan, seeks to provide universal, affordable coverage to all Americans by allowing people to either stick with their current insurance, choose from the variety of plans that are available to Members of Congress, or join a public plan such as Medicare. The plan includes an individual mandate but also provides working families and small businesses with tax credits to pay for their insurance costs, and works to lower premiums and increase the quality of care through modernization of the healthcare system.

In the Senate, Clinton introduced the Coordinated Environmental Public Health Network Act of 2007 (S. 2082) with Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Harry Reid (D-NV), which proposes the creation of a national public health tracking system to help researchers study the adverse health effects of pollution. The legislation would also help fund locally based environmental health projects and increase funding for biomonitoring within the Center for Disease Control (CDC).

A February 4, 2008 article in The New York Times detailed the policy differences between Clinton's and Obama's health care plans, coming to the conclusion that Clinton's plan, while more expensive, would cover more people and cost less per person covered.

In a March 2008 interview with The New York Times, Clinton talked in detail about her health care plan, including placing a cap on the amount of money a family could spend on health care at five to ten percent of income, the possibility of increasing the tobacco tax to pay for universal health care, and perhaps requiring insurance companies to spend a certain percentage of premium dollars on health care.

Breast Cancer

In April 2008, during an appearance on The Ellen Degeneres Show, Clinton announced a plan to increase funding by $300 million a year for breast cancer research. The plan includes:

• Doubling the budget for the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and establishing a Best Practices Institute.
• Enacting the Breast Cancer Environmental Research Act to build research centers for investigating links between environmental pollution and toxins and breast cancer.
• Removing the Medicare co-pay for mammograms.
• Doubling the Department of Defense budget for Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs.
• Establishing a Racial Disparities Research Project to look into how breast cancer disproportionately effects women of different races.

Emergency Contraception

In 2004, Senator Clinton and her Senate colleagues called for an investigation into the denial of a license by the F.D.A. from Barr Laboratory to distribute Plan B (a type of emergency contraception) over-the-counter, even after the F.D.A.'s own Advisory Board had determined that the drug was safe and effective. At the time, Clinton said "This appears to be an unfortunate triumph of politics over science...a sad example of the Administration pandering to its conservative base at the expense of women's health."^[4]

HIV/AIDS

In October of 2007 Senator Clinton signed a pledge to increase funding for fighting global AIDS by $50 billion by 2013 if she becomes President.^[5]

The Clinton campaign's national AIDS plan includes:

• Guaranteeing health insurance for those living with AIDS through the American Health Choices Plan.
• Increase the funding for AIDS research at the National Institute of Health (NIH) to $5.2 billion annually.
• Supporting federal funding for needle exchange programs.
• Increase funding for the Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS (HOPWA) program to serve about 90,000 households.

For global AIDS, Clinton will support the reauthorization and expansion of President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and increase funding to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Clinton also promises to "work with institutions that receive federal funding to ensure that drugs developed with taxpayer resources are made available off-patent in developing countries."^[6]

Needle Exchange

In response to a question on needle exchange at a July 2007 AIDSVote event, Senator Clinton replied, "I want to look on the evidence on this, and if the evidence supports that it will prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS then I think states and localities should have the option of doing it." She later continued, saying "You have to look at these things [national funding for needle exchange programs] from a realistic perspective about whether or not you can get it done. If you have a fight over needle exchange, which affects how much money you can get in care and treatment, you may have to make some tough choices. I wish life and politics were easier so we can do everything we know we should do, but we are going to keep working on it."^[7]

Space

In her October 4, 2007 speech on science integrity, Clinton briefly outlined her plans for space, which include reversing the Bush era research and development budget cuts for NASA and the FAA, fully funding NASA's earth sciences project, and initiating a space-based climate change study. The Clinton campaign's scientific innovation agenda includes a strategy for balancing human and robotic space flight in the "next generation" of space flight and completing the International Space Station.

Stem Cell Research

In a campaign press release on June 15, 2007, Clinton said "It's time to unlock the potential of stem cell research and put an end to the backwards and restrictive policies of this administration. Our scientists have been set back years in the race for life-saving cures because they've been held back by a narrow ideology that rejects sound science. As President, I will lift the ban on ethical embryonic stem cell research and allow our scientists to pursue treatments that could help millions of Americans."

Clinton voted for the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007 (S. 5) which would have allowed federal funding of research for the development of new embryonic stem cell lines. In her plan to promote scientific integrity and innovation, Clinton announced that as President she would issue an executive order that would rescind President Bush’s ban on federal funding for stem cell lines and promote stem cell research that complies with ethical standards.

Speeches on Science and Health Policy Issues

November 5, 2007 Energy and Climate Change

October 4, 2007 Scientific Integrity and Innovation

September 17, 2007 Healthcare—Remarks on the American Health Choices Plan

August 23, 2007 Healthcare Quality

May 24, 2007 Healthcare

May 23, 2006 Energy Policy

SCIENCE IN THE DEBATES:

MSNBC Debate, February 26, 2008

Question:And I was reminded of your campaign in 2000 in Buffalo, my hometown, just three hours down Route 90, where you pledged 200,000 new jobs for upstate New York. There's been a net loss of 30,000 jobs. And when you were asked about your pledge, your commitment, you told The Buffalo News, "I might have been a little exuberant." Tonight will you say that the pledge of 5 million jobs might be a little exuberant?

Clinton:No, because what happened in 2000 is that I thought Al Gore was going to be president....We can create at least 5 million new jobs. I'm not just talking about it. I helped to pass legislation to begin a training program for green collar jobs. I want to see people throughout Ohio being trained to do the work that will put solar panels on roofs, install wind turbines, do geothermal, take advantage of biofuels, and I know that if we had put $5 billion into the stimulus package to really invest in the training and the tax incentives that would have created those jobs as the Democrats wanted, as I originally proposed, we would be on the way to creating those. You know, take a country like Germany. They made a big bet on solar power. They have a smaller economy and population than ours. They've created several hundred thousand new jobs, and these are jobs that can't be outsourced.

View Transcript

CNN Democratic Debate, February 21, 2008

Question:What would you do differently on day one than a President Obama would when it comes to managing the nation's economy?

Clinton:...Now, in addition, there are three ways we need to jump start the economy. Clean green jobs; I've been promoting this. I wanted it to be part of the stimulus package. I thought a $5 billion investment in clean green jobs would put hundreds of thousands of Americans to work helping to create our future.We also need to invest in our infrastructure. We don't have enough roads to take care of the congestion, we have crumbling bridges and tunnels. We need to rebuild America, and that will also put people to work. And, finally, we need to end George Bush's war on science, which has been waged against scientists and researchers...This is about how we fund the future. We've got to get back to being the innovation nation. Think of everything that goes on at this great university to create the new economy...

Question: Senator Clinton, yesterday you said, and I'm quoting, "One of us is ready to be commander in chief." Are you saying that Senator Obama is not ready and not qualified to be commander in chief?

Clinton: Well, I believe that I am ready and I am prepared. And I will leave that to the voters to decide. But I want to get back to health care, because I didn't get a chance to respond after Senator Obama finished. No, let me finish, Jorge...This is a significant difference. You know, Senator Obama has said it's a philosophical difference. I think it's a substantive difference. He has a mandate for parents to be sure to ensure their children. I agree with that. I just know that if we don't go and require everyone to have health insurance, the health insurance industry will still game the system. Everyone of us with insurance will pay the hidden tax of approximately $900 a year to make up for the lack of insurance. And you know, in one of our earlier debates, John Edwards made a great point. It would be as though Social Security were voluntary. Medicare, one of the great accomplishments of President Johnson, was voluntary. I do not believe that is going to work. So it's not just a philosophical difference. You look at what will work and what will not work. If you do not have a plan that starts out attempting to achieve universal health care, you will be nibbled to death, and we will be back here with more and more people uninsured and rising costs.

View Transcript

CNN Democratic Debate, January 21, 2008

Question:The number one issue for Americans of both parties is the economy, and today the news is simply not good. Markets around the world are in a tailspin because of fears of a U.S. recession. So far this year, the Dow has lost nearly 9 percent. How much money would your stimulus plan put in the pockets of the average South Carolinian?

Clinton:...We need to make sure that we start jump-starting the jobs in this country again. That's why I want to put money into clean energy jobs, green-collar jobs, and also make sure we have a fund that will help communities deal with the consequences of the home foreclosure crisis and make sure the unemployment system is up to the task....

View Transcript

PBS Democratic Debate, December 13, 2007

Question: Most of you have laid out plans to move toward energy independence. Those plans have costs attached and potential negative impacts, at least in the short term. For example, maybe more expensive cars, more expensive feed for livestock, impacts on coal-producing states. So what would you do to turn it into a net benefit for the American economy, and how long might that take?

Clinton: I think it's imperative we address this issue, and I think your question was will how we do it affect the average American? Yes, it will. That's part of what we're going to have to tell people. I advocate a cap and trade system. What I want to do with the auction of pollution permits is take that money and invest in new technologies, new ways of getting to our objectives that I’ve outline inside my energy plan. I want to use some of it to cushion the costs that will come on to the American consumer. It's not just enough to tackle global warming, we've got to enlist the help of the next generation….

View Transcript

MSNBC Democratic Debate, September 26, 2007

Question: Senator Clinton, would you rule out expanding nuclear power?

Clinton: No, but it would not be one of the options that I favor, unless, number one, the cost can get down for the construction and operation; number two, that we have a viable solution for the nuclear waste. I voted against Yucca Mountain. I've spoken out against Yucca Mountain. I think that recently the discovery -- there's an earthquake fault going under the proposed site at Yucca Mountain – certainly validates my opposition.

So there are a lot of very difficult questions. But we're going to have to look at the entire energy profile, in order to determine how we're going to move away from our dependence upon carbon-based fuels. And I will look at everything, but there are some tough questions you'd have to answer with respect to nuclear.

View Transcript

Endnote

1. ↑ Hillary Clinton. ECONOMY: Solutions for the American Economy, January 24http://www.hillaryclinton.com/news/speech/view/?id=5466
2. ↑ Hillary Clinton. Clinton Unveils Bold Plan to Tackle Energy and Climate Crisis. November 5, 2007 http://www.hillaryclinton.com/news/release/view/?id=4057
3. ↑ Hillary Clinton, Letter to constituents on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, 2008. http://www.clinton.senate.gov/issues/environment/index.cfm?topic=anwr.
4. ↑ Senator Clinton, Colleagues Call for “Plan B” Probe. June 16, 2004. http://clinton.senate.gov/~clinton/news/2004/2004618858.html
5. ↑ Clinton Signs AIDS Financing Pledge. Seelye, Katharine Q. October 26, 2007. The New York Times. http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/10/26/clinton-signs-aids-funding-pledge/
6. ↑ Clinton Announces Plan to Fight HIV/AIDS At Home And Abroad. October 27, 2007. http://www.hillaryclinton.com/news/release/view/?id=4392
7. ↑ Hillary on needle exchange: "As much spine as we possibly can". Ben Smith. July 31, 2007. The Politico.http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0707/A_needle_exchange.

   Contents 1 Sex Education 2 Innovation 2.1 "Insourcing" Agenda 3 Science 3.1 Role in the Government 3.2 Integrity

   Sex Education

   Clinton has supported comprehensive sex education. She says that she would "provide funding for medically accurate, age appropriate, comprehensive sex education programs." She 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.

   Innovation

   Clinton's innovation plan calls for doubling the research budgets of the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF). Details include:

   • Require federal agencies to set aside 8% of their research and development budgets for high-risk research.
   • Triple the number of National Science Foundation fellowships and increase funding for each award by 33%.
   • Provide federal tax incentives to spread access to broadband.
   • Make the R&D tax credit permanent.
   • Provide adequate funding for e-science.
   • Create a $50 billion Strategic Energy Fund to expand research on energy alternatives, provide tax incentives for commercial investment into energy research, and give tax credits to gas station owners for the installation of E85 ethanol pumps.

   Tom Kalil, an aide who represented Clinton at a debate during the February 2008 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) meeting, said that Clinton would double the federal research budget over the course of 10 years, make tax credits for research permanent, and expand tuition tax credits, and triple the number of graduate student fellowships.

   "Insourcing" Agenda

   During an April 2, 2008 speech at the "21st Century Jobs Summit" in Pittsburgh, PA, Clinton announced an "insourcing" agenda to incentivize firms to stop outsourcing jobs. The plan includes:

   • Creating 15 innovation and research clusters across the country: the federal government will provide $500 million worth of competitive matching "cluster innovation grants" for state and local governments to stimulate their economies. The plan also includes tax exempt bonds for state and local governments to build research parks.
   • Expanding the R&D tax credit: increasing the current R&D tax credit from 20% to 30% and creating a new 40% incremental credit for "qualified investments" in basic research.
   • Catalyzing a high-tech manufacturing sector: creating a annual $500 million "Made in Green America" fund towards help manufacturers move to infrastructure to create clean energy technologies, doubling the G-MEP (Green-Manufacturing Extension Partnership), and creating a Manufacturing Advanced Research Projects Agency (MARPA).
   • Creating a $5 billion ""Insourcing" Markets Tax Credit."
   • Closing loopholes in our tax system that make it easy for corporations to move jobs overseas.

   Science

   Role in the Government

   Senator Clinton's Agenda to Reclaim Scientific Innovation includes re-installing the position of the Assistant to the President on Science and Technology, which is a senior advisor role that reports directly to the the President. She also promises to fully fund the Office of Science and Technology Policy as well as work to reinstall the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment (OTA).

   Integrity

   A Clinton administration will "ban political appointees from altering or removing scientific conclusions in government publications without any legitimate basis for doing so, and prohibit unwarranted suppression of public statements by government scientists." <ref>Ending the War on Science. October 4, 2007. http://www.hillaryclinton.com/news/release/view/?id=3566</li></ol></ref>