Care Act passed by the Congress in 2010 and recently upheld as constitutional by the Supreme Court is the centerpiece of Obama’s position. That law extends health insurance to 32 million more Americans, although still leaving 18 million without insurance. It prohibits a lifetime limit on health insurance coverage and provides that people applying for health insurance can no longer be rejected because of pre-existing conditions. The Congressional Budget Office says that this bill will reduce the federal deficit by more than $150 billion over 10 years and that repealing it would increase it by more than $250 billion. Romney promises to repeal Obama’s Affordable Care Act (modeled on legislation Romney supported as governor), saying that states rather than the federal government should be responsible for healthcare policy for the uninsured. Romney would restrict medical malpractice awards for non-economic damages and would turn Medicaid over to the states and cap its growth at inflation plus 1 percent. (Since that is well below the ongoing increase in healthcare costs, it would mean deep cuts in the program and loss of health coverage for millions). On many issues of religious freedom, Obama and Romney largely agree, but there are some important differences. During the 2008 election, Senator Obama promised some of us in private conversations that he would
late the use of carbon. Romney favors the Keystone XL Pipeline. Romney used to accept the scientific consensus that humans are causing climate change but now says,”My view is that we don’t know what’s causing climate change.” Obama and Romney also differ sharply on immigration. In 2007 Romney supported legislation that would have offered a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants but now opposes it. He wants to complete a high-tech fence on our southern border and expand border patrol. He opposes the Dream Act and promises to develop a tamper-proof verification system to make sure undocumented immigrants cannot get jobs. The result, Romney says, is “self deportation.” Obama favors additional personnel and technology to support the integrity of the border. Unable to persuade Republicans in Congress to pass the Dream Act, Obama used his executive power to accomplish largely the same thing for two years. Obama wants to increase the number of legal immigrants to keep families together and favors a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who have not committed crimes. Both want to expand the number of visas for highly skilled workers and grant permanent residency to graduates with advanced degrees in math, science, and engineering.
vote for the person you think will be at least a little better in moving our nation and the world a bit closer to the shalom God wills. maintain the right of religious organizations to hire on the basis of their religious beliefs. In spite of major pressure from secular groups, President Obama has kept his promise. In early 2012, the Obama administration raised a major issue of religious freedom as it developed federal regulations for implementing the Affordable Care Act. The regulations specified that nearly all organizations, including religious ones, must provide health insurance coverage that includes contraceptives (including some that are probably abortive) even if the organizations have religious convictions against them. Obama has promised some modification of this regulation but has not yet done that. Romney has condemned this violation of religious freedom and would clearly change it. In 2008 Senator Obama said he did not favor legalizing “gay marriage,” but in the spring of 2012 he called for its legalization. Obama favors repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act and has refused to defend it in court. Romney supports it and promises to propose a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman. Romany also opposes civil unions if they offer the same privileges as a legal marriage and differ only in name. Obama and Romney also disagree sharply on environmental issues. Obama has worked with auto manufacturers to essentially double the fuel efficiency standards for cars and light trucks by 2025. His administration has sought to use the authority of the Clean Air Act to regulate (and reduce) carbon emissions. Obama has a 10-year goal to develop cost-effective clean coal technology and plans to spend $150 billion over 10 years to develop a “green economy.” Obama refused to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline. Romney would reverse Obama’s regulations designed to reduce carbon use and would amend the Clean Air Act so it cannot be used to regu-
There are some differences as well as major agreement in foreign policy. Both strongly support Israel and favor expanding full trade agreements with other countries. Obama has significantly reversed President Bush’s tendency toward a unilateral foreign policy and has articulated and implemented a vision of dialogue and cooperation where possible. Obama kept his promise to end American military involvements in Iraq and has stated a clear date (2014) for ending major American military presence in Afghanistan. Obama has continued Bush’s large expansion of US economic foreign aid to reduce poverty and improve health in poor nations. He embraces the Millennium Development Goals and has continued large US foreign assistance. Romney has criticized Obama for setting a date for withdrawal from Afghanistan and would support substantial cuts in US foreign economic aid as proposed by the Republican majority in the House. He says Russia is “our number-one geopolitical foe.” That in brief is my best effort to spell out the positions of the two presidential candidates on many of the most important issues. So who does God want us to vote for? I honestly do not know. I urge you to do what I plan for myself. Follow the debates. Keep learning about each candidate and his polices as they are stated, attacked, defended, and developed. Talk to others. Pray fervently that God will guide in this election. And then vote for the person you think will be at least a little better in moving our nation and the world a bit closer to the shalom God wills.
Ron Sider is president of ESA and professor of theology/public policy at Palmer Seminary of Eastern University.
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