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McCain Facts

Civil Rights

McCain Opposed A Bill To Expand Federal Jurisdiction For Hate Crimes. McCain voted against closing debate on the Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act (S. 625). The bill would add "gender," "sexual orientation," and "disability" as protected classes under Federal law and would expand Federal jurisdiction for the prosecution of people who commit "hate crimes" against federally protected classes. The cloture motion was rejected, 54-43.

Ethics

McCain Fought Ethics Reform and Benefited from Cozy Relationships With Lobbyists. As of January 2007, 14 members of Senator McCain staff had passed through the revolving door into the lobbying industry. In addition, McCain voted against lobbying reform legislation in 2006, instead choosing to intensify his K Stree fundraising. In 2005, McCain's 501(c)3 Took $200,000 in donations from Cablevision while McCain pushed legislation in its favor, and during the 2000 presidential campaign, McCain tapped corporations and donors for use of planes. Earlier in his career, McCain came under fire when he accepted thousands of dollars worth of free trips from friend and contributor Charles Keating, and failed to disclose the travel in his official filings. Making it worse, McCain exercised influence on his behalf.

Environment

McCain Voted To Pave The Way For Oil Drilling In The Artic Wildlife National Refuge. In 2006, McCain voted for the creation of a reserve fund to collect receipts from lease sales in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and direct $150 million a year from the fund for five years to pay for programs under the Energy Policy Act. This proposal paves the way for drilling approval in ANWR drilling.

Health Care

1998: McCain Voted Against a PatientsBill of Rights. McCain voted to kill an amendment to the Budget Resolution that would express the sense of the Senate that the Federal Government will pass a patientsbill of rights. The bill of rights would guarantee access to coverage, prohibit so-called gag clauses, and establish a procedure to provide for an independent, impartial entity to review appeals when a health plan decides to deny care.

Immigration

"New" McCain Abandoning Immigration Reform With Ted Kennedy Because Of Conservative Pressure. "McCain's hesitancy about joining [Senator] Kennedy on the same issue they worked together on in the previous Congress," the Boston Globe reported, "speaks to an emerging dynamic in the Republican presidential race. McCain has encountered anger from hard-line immigration foes on the campaign trail, particularly over an aspect in last year's bill that would have allowed most undocumented immigrants to work toward citizenship."

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Iraq

McCain Focuses On The Bright Side Of The Iraq War, Saying We're On The Right Track.On March 1, 2006, McCain played down the increasing civil violence in Iraq. When host Don Imus remarked that Iraq already looks like a civil war,McCain responded, saying, "I keep trying to look at the bright side of this because we have to because the consequences of failure are catastrophic. McCain added, I think, at least we're on the right track here"

Social Security

McCain Voted Against Protecting Social Security Over Several Years. In 2003 Senator McCain voted to use Social Security to pay off federal debt. In 2001, McCain opposed a move that would reduce upper-bracket tax cuts and create a strategic reserve for Social Security. In the same year, McCain voted against a proposal that would have created lockboxes to protect Social Security.

Taxes and Deficit

2003: McCain Was Against Tax Cuts Because It Will Worsen the Deficit Before It Ever Helps the Economy. Senator McCain rejected Bush's tax cuts, especially the $1.37 trillion blockbuster Bush pushed through Congress in 2001, criticizing its economic premises and its likely impact. At best, it's a long-term economic stimulus, not the immediate boost the economy needs, McCain said. All the predicates for the 2001 tax cuts and all the predictions for its results were absolutely, completely wrong, he said. And it will worsen the deficit before it ever helps the economy, he added.

Veterans

McCain Says No To GI Bill. It's bipartisan legislation that would "greatly expand educational benefits for members of the military returning from Iraq and Afghanistan." But that didn't stop John McCain from coming out against the bill.