STRENGTHENING AMERICA | IRAQ | HONEST GOVERNMENT | ENERGY | VETERANS | SCHOOLS | HEALTH CARE
HOMELAND SECURITY | FAMILY | MORTGAGE FRAUD | VOTING | FAITH AND POLITICS

STRENGTHENING AMERICA

As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Obama has fought to strengthen America's position in the world. Reaching across the aisle, Obama has tackled problems such as preventing the spread of weapons of mass destruction and stopping the genocide in Darfur.

Taking Weapons Out of Terrorists' Hands

In 2005, Senator Obama traveled to the former Soviet Union with Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN) to investigate the dangers posed by unsecured weapons. The two senators returned from the trip and introduced legislation to establish the next generation of the Nunn-Lugar initiative. Senator Obama helped shepherd this legislation through Congress and it was signed into law in January 2007.

The Lugar-Obama initiative cracks down on conventional weapon caches by building on the Nunn-Lugar program, which has secured nearly 7,000 Soviet nuclear warheads, in order to find and destroy conventional arms.

Stopping Nuclear Terrorism

• Senator Obama passed legislation with Senator Lugar to prevent weapons of mass destruction from being smuggled across the globe. Signed into law in January 2007, the Lugar-Obama initiative will help other nations detect and secure weapons of mass destruction before they ever leave their borders. Senator Obama also worked with Senator Lugar to successfully restore $8 million in budget cuts to the original Nunn-Lugar Initiative.

Preventing an Avian Flu Pandemic

Senator Obama was one of the first legislators to recognize the dangers of a potential avian influenza pandemic, and was successful in securing $25 million that U.S. agencies in Southeast Asia are currently using to combat and contain widespread outbreaks of avian flu.

He also worked with other Senators to provide $4 billion in funding to the Centers for Disease Control to combat avian flu which included more than $3 billion to build a stockpile of antiviral drugs that had been in short supply.

Ending the Conflict in Congo

• Senator Obama wrote and passed legislation to build on this historic election and promote stability in the country. Senator Obama revamped U.S. policy in the Congo to include a commitment to help rebuild the country, develop lasting political structures, hold accountable destabilizing foreign governments, crack down on corrupt politicians, and professionalize the military.

The bill also authorizes $52 million in U.S. assistance for the Congo, calls for a Special U.S. Envoy to resolve ongoing violence, and urges the administration to strengthen the U.N. peacekeeping force.

Stopping the Genocide in Darfur

Senator Obama has been a leading voice in Washington urging the end of genocide in Sudan. He worked with Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS) on the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act, a version of which was signed into law.

Senator Obama has traveled to the United Nations to meet with Sudanese officials and visited refugee camps on the Chad-Sudan border to raise international awareness of the ongoing humanitarian disaster there.

He also worked with Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) to secure $20 million for the African Union peacekeeping mission.

Bringing a Brutal Warlord to Justice

On July 19, 2005, Senator Obama passed a bipartisan amendment, along with Senators Chuck Hagel (R-NE), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and Judd Gregg (R-NH) to provide $13 million for the Special Court for Sierra Leone. Signed into law in November 2005, the Obama amendment provides critical funding to keep the Court up and running and dramatically enhances efforts to bring Charles Taylor to justice. Taylor was arrested in 2006 and awaits trial in April 2007.

THE WAR IN IRAQ

Before the war in Iraq ever started, Senator Obama said that it was wrong in its conception. In 2002, then Illinois State Senator Obama said Saddam Hussein posed no imminent threat to the United States and that invasion would lead to an occupation of undetermined length, at undetermined cost, with undetermined consequences. Since then, Senator Obama has laid out a plan on the way forward in Iraq that has largely been affirmed by the bipartisan Iraq Study Group led by James Baker and Lee Hamilton.

• At the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations in November 2005, Senator Obama called for:

(1) a reduction in the number of U.S. troops;

(2) a time frame for a phased withdrawal;

(3) the Iraqi government to make progress on forming a political solution;

(4) improved reconstruction efforts to restore basic services in Iraq; and

(5) Engaging the international community, particularly key neighboring states and Arab nations, to become more involved in Iraq.

In January 2006 he traveled to Iraq and met with senior U.S. military commanders, Iraqi officials and U.S. troops in Baghdad and Fallujah.

• Senator Obama introduced legislation in January 2007 to offer a responsible alternative to President Bush's failed escalation policy. The legislation commences:

(1) Redeployment of U.S. forces no later than May 1, 2007 with the goal of removing all combat brigades from Iraq by March 31, 2008 -- a date consistent with the bipartisan Iraq Study Group's expectations.

(2) The plan allows for a limited number of U.S. troops to remain in Iraq as basic force protection, to engage in counter-terrorism and to continue the training of Iraqi security forces. If the Iraqis are successful in meeting the 13 benchmarks for progress laid out by the Bush Administration, this plan also allows for the temporary suspension of the redeployment, provided Congress agrees that the benchmarks have been met.

HONEST GOVERNMENT

Throughout his political career, Barack Obama has been a leader in the fight for open and honest government. As a U.S. Senator, he spearheaded the effort to clean up Washington in the wake of the Jack Abramoff scandal. In a politically charged election year, Obama acknowledged that corruption was a problem that plagued both political parties. He subsequently enlisted the help of Republican allies to limit lobbyist influence, shine sunlight into the earmarks process and promote open government.

The American people are tired of a Washington that's only open to those with the most cash and the right connections. Senator Obama has been a strong and consistent advocate of ethics and lobbying reform.

Promoting Open Government

Last year, he was one of only 8 Senators to vote against reform legislation taken up in the Senate because he thought the bill was too weak. That legislation did not address some of the largest ethics loopholes, such as the ability of lawmakers to accept subsidized flights on corporate jets, or the ability of lobbyists to curry influence by "bundling" large groups of contributions for lawmakers.

In the 110th Congress, Obama worked with Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) to introduce legislation described as the "gold standard for reform."

He then worked with the Senate Leadership to craft strong ethics reform legislation to help restore the public trust in the institution.

• The final package that passed the Senate includes a number of Obama/Feingold provisions:

(1) A full ban on gifts and meals from lobbyists; an end to subsidized travel on corporate jets;

(2) Full disclosure of who is sponsoring earmarks; additional restrictions to close the revolving door between public service and lobbying shops;

(3) Tighter disclosure requirements for political contributions that lobbyists "bundle."

"The final package is the strongest ethics legislation to emerge from Congress yet...Mr. Reid, along with Sens. Russell Feingold (D-Wis.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.), deserves credit for assembling and passing this package."

-Washington Post, Editorial , January 20, 2007

Empowering Citizens to Crack Down on Government Waste

Every American has the right to know how the government spends their tax dollars, but for too long that information has been largely hidden from public view. Senator Obama and Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) teamed up to pass a law that will lift the veil of secrecy in Washington by creating a Google-like search engine that will allow regular people to track approximately $1 trillion in federal grants, contracts, earmarks and loans online.

More than 100 organizations across the political spectrum praised this legislation.

Fighting Wasteful No-Bid Contracts in Wake of Hurricane Katrina

After Hurricane Katrina, the Federal Emergency Management Agency used emergency authority to enter into open-ended, no-bid contracts. What was meant to be a temporary stop-gap ballooned into wasteful contracts that lasted many months and wasted more than $2 billion in taxpayer dollars, according to the Government Accountability Office.

• Obama teamed up with Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) to pass legislation to fight this practice by restricting the use of emergency contracting only to urgent needs in the immediate response to emergencies.

The two senators have introduced legislation to establish better oversight of Katrina reconstruction funds and have placed consistent pressure on FEMA to reduce wasteful contracting practices.

Putting Teeth into Congressional Ethics Rules

Congress can pass all the ethics rules it wants, but without meaningful independent enforcement, these new rules are less effective.

• Senator Obama introduced legislation to create an independent ethics commission to receive complaints from the public on alleged ethics violations by members of Congress, staff, and lobbyists.

(1) The commission would have the authority to investigate complaints and present public findings of fact about possible violations to the House and Senate Ethics Committee and Justice Department.

(2) By taking the initial fact finding out of the hands of members of Congress, who are often reluctant to investigate their colleagues, the bill ensures prompt and fair treatment of public complaints.

"This legislation would do more to reform ethics and lobbying than any other piece of legislation introduced thus far because it goes to the heart of the problem: enforcement."

-Common Cause

Shining Light on Earmarks and Pet Projects

Over the past 12 years, the number of earmarks (pet projects promoted by individual legislators) in the federal budget has tripled to 16,000, totaling $64 billion a year. Many of these projects are important, but many are wasteful and only benefit special interests.

• Senator Obama introduced the Transparency and Integrity in Earmarks Act

(1) To shed light on all earmarks, by disclosing the name of the legislator who asked for the earmark and a written justification for each, 72 hours before the earmarks can be approved by the full Senate.

(2) Senators would be prohibited from advocating for an earmark if they have a financial interest in the project.

(3) Finally, earmark recipients would have to disclose to an Office of Public Integrity the amount that they have spent on registered lobbyists and the names of those lobbyists.

Parts of this legislation were passed by the Senate in January 2007.

• Senator Obama also introduced the Curtailing Lobbyist Effectiveness through Advance Notification, Updates, and Posting Act (The CLEAN UP Act).

(1) The bill aims to improve public access to information about all legislation, including conference reports and appropriations legislation, in particular after hurried, end-of-session negotiations.

(2) Conference committee meetings and deliberations would have to be open to the public or televised

(3) And conference reports would have to identify changes made to the bill from the House and Senate versions.

(4) No bill could be considered by the full Senate unless the measure has been made available to all Senators and the general public on the Internet for at least 72 hours.

ENERGY

For all of our military might and economic dominance, America's Achilles heel is the oil we cannot live without. Oil fuels 96 percent of our transportation needs, and it is critical to the manufacture of millions of goods and products in this country. The interruption of even a small amount of oil for just a few days could cause economic panic and soaring prices. A serious embargo could cause untold disaster. Senator Obama has been a Senate leader in pushing for a comprehensive national energy policy and has introduced a number of bills to get us closer to the goal of energy independence. By putting aside partisan battles, he has found common ground on fuel economy standards, renewable fuels, and clean coal. Breaking the Fuel Efficiency Logjam.

Senator Obama led a bipartisan effort to raise CAFE fuel economy standards, which have remained frozen for 20 years because of congressional gridlock. He developed an innovative approach to gradually increase CAFE standards while protecting the financial future of American automakers. The resulting Obama-Lugar-Biden bill would establish concrete targets for annual CAFE increases while giving industry the flexibility to meet those targets.

• The Obama-Lugar-Biden Fuel Economy Reform Act has gained the support of Senators who had never supported CAFE increases before, and the basic concept of the legislation was endorsed by President Bush in his 2007 State of the Union address.

Making a Deal With Detroit: Health for Hybrids

• Senator Obama introduced legislation encouraging automakers to make fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles by helping the companies shoulder the health care costs of their retirees.

(1) Domestic automakers would get health care assistance in exchange for their investing 50 percent of the savings into technology to produce more fuel-efficient vehicles.

Expanding the Use of E85 and Other Renewable Fuels

While there are more than 180,000 gas stations all over America, there are only about 400 that offer E85 -- a blend of 85 percent clean-burning, domestically grown ethanol and 15 percent petroleum gasoline.

• Gas stations will now be eligible for generous tax credits for installing E85 ethanol refueling pumps, thanks to a law advocated by Senator Obama and Senator Jim Talent (R-MO). The tax credit covers 30 percent of the costs of switching one or more traditional petroleum pumps to E85.

• Obama's legislation will help create the infrastructure to support more flexible-fuel vehicles (cars that run on both E85 and regular gasoline).

• Senator Obama also sponsored an amendment that became law providing $40 million for commercialization of a combined flexible fuel vehicle/hybrid car within five years.

• Obama introduced legislation with Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS) to require 2 billion gallons of alternative diesels, such as biodiesel, to be produced domestically by 2015.

• He sponsored legislation requiring oil companies, that made at least $1 billion in profits in the first quarter of 2006 to invest at least 1 percent of the their total reported first quarter 2006 profits into installing E85 pumps.

• Senator Obama worked with Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN) to introduce the American Fuels Act that would increase the domestic production, distribution, and use of biofuels, including expanded manufacture of flexible fuel vehicles, tax credits for biofuels, and a nationwide distribution infrastructure.

• Senator Obama and Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA), launched a Government Accountability Office investigation of large oil companies to see if they are fighting the installation of alternative fuel pumps. That investigation will be completed in April 2007. Increasing the Clean Use of Illinois Coal

• Senator Obama worked with Senator Jim Bunning (R-KY) to secure $85 million for research into a process that will turn Illinois-basin coal into clean-burning fuel for cars and trucks (Fischer-Tropsch fuels). Coal fuel has powered all of South Africa's cars and trucks for the last 50 years. The research could help us one day satisfy our energy needs from Illinois' coal mines instead of Saudi Arabia's oil fields.

VETERANS

As a member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, Senator Obama is committed to helping the heroes who defend our nation today and the veterans who fought in years past. A grandson of a World War II veteran who went to college on the G.I. Bill, Senator Obama has reached out to Republicans and Democrats in order to honor our commitment to America's veterans.

Sheltering and Rehabilitating Homeless Veterans

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) estimates that one in three homeless adult males is a veteran. A total of 400,000 vets experience homelessness over the course of the year.

• Senator Obama authored legislation to extend and expand critically important programs to stop homelessness among American veterans. Working with Senators Daniel Akaka (D-HI) and Larry Craig (R-ID), he passed legislation to provide comprehensive services and affordable housing options to veterans through the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Housing and Urban Development and community organizations.

Fighting for Illinois Veterans' Fair Share of Disability Benefits.

Following reports that veterans in Illinois were receiving less in disability benefits than those nearly anywhere else in the country, Senator Obama led efforts to correct the problems that created these disparities. As a result of his efforts, VA opened an investigation into the matter, agreed to hire more disability claims specialists for the Chicago regional office, and agreed to re-examine the claims of Illinois veterans who felt they had been treated unfairly.

• Senator Obama worked with Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) to force the VA to notify veterans in Illinois and other states traditionally underserved about their right to seek a review of their past claims. The resulting outreach led to significant numbers of Illinois veterans getting the benefits they deserve.

Feeding Recovering Wounded Veterans.

• Senator Obama introduced an amendment that became law providing food services to wounded service members receiving physical therapy or rehabilitation services at military hospitals.

• Previously, service members recovering in a military hospital for more than 90 days were required to pay for their own meals. Treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

In 2005, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced it would contact veterans with severe PTSD and ask them to prove that they deserved their disability payments. This review of disability claims was highly disruptive to veterans still suffering serious health effects from their military service

• Senator Obama and Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) passed legislation to limit it and helped publicly pressure the agency to finally abandon the effort in November of 2005.

• Senator Obama also worked with Senator Bill Frist (R-TN) to pass an amendment ensuring that all service members returning from Iraq are properly screened for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

TBI is being called the signature injury of the Iraq war. The blast from improvised explosive devices can jar the brain, causing bruising or permanent damage. Concussions can have huge health effects including slowed thinking, headaches, memory loss, sleep disturbance, attention and concentration deficits, and irritability.

Easing the Transition of New Veterans into Society

• In September 2006, Senator Obama introduced the Lane Evans Veterans Health and Benefits Improvement Act: (1) Helps veterans transition from the Pentagon health system to the VA system by extending the window in which new veterans can get mental health care from two years to five years.

(2) Improves transition services for members of the National Guard and Reserves.

(3) Requires the VA and the Department of Defense to work together to track new veterans entering the VA for better budget planning and monitoring of emerging health trends.

(4) Senator Obama passed an amendment that became law requiring the Defense Department to report to Congress on the delayed development of an electronic medical records system compatible with the VA's electronic medical records system. DOD's delay in developing such a system has created obstacles for service members transitioning into the VA health care system.

SCHOOLS

We are failing too many of our children in public schools. Right now, six million middle and high school students read at levels significantly below their grade level. Unfortunately, the debate in Washington has been narrowed: either we need to pour more money into the system, or we need to reform it with more tests and standards. As a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Senator Obama has introduced bills that cut through this false choice and recognize that good schools will require both structural reform and resources.

Innovating Teacher Pay

• Obama introduced the Innovation Districts for School Improvement Act:

(1) To award grants to school districts that try new methods to improve student achievement and reward effective teachers. Under this initiative, 20 districts across the country would get grants to develop innovative plans in consultation with their teacher unions.

(2) High-performing teachers would be eligible for pay increases of 10 to 20 percent of their base salary. These innovation districts would be required to implement systemic reforms and show convincing results.

Expanding Summer Learning Opportunities

• Differences in learning opportunities during the summer contribute to the achievement gaps that separate struggling poor and minority students from their middle-class peers.

• Senator Obama worked with Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) to introduce the Summer Term Education Programs for Upward Progress (STEP UP) Act to address the achievement gaps among grade-school children.

(1) STEP UP establishes a grant program to support summer learning opportunities for disadvantaged children through local schools or community organizations.

Increasing Federal College Loans

Across the country, 5.3 million students use Pell Grants to finance their college educations. Not long ago, financial aid was primarily in the form of grants. Unfortunately, this is no longer the case, and graduates now have more and more difficulty keeping up with loan payments.

• The first bill Senator Obama introduced in the U.S. Senate was the HOPE Act, which would help make college more affordable for many Americans.

(1) The bill would increase the maximum Pell Grant from the current limit of $4,050 to a new maximum of $5,100.

HEALTHCARE

The United States is one of the wealthiest nations in the world, yet more than 46 million Americans have no health insurance. Too many hard-working Americans cannot afford their medical bills, and health-related issues are the number one cause for personal bankruptcy. Promoting affordable, accessible, and high-quality health care is a priority for Senator Obama, who is a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Fighting AIDS Worldwide

There are 40 million people across the planet infected with HIV/AIDS. Every day, AIDS kills 8,000 and HIV infects 6,000 more people. The disease is set to become the third-leading cause of death worldwide in the coming years. Senator Obama has been a global leader in the fight against AIDS. He traveled to Kenya and took a public HIV test to encourage testing and reduce the stigma of the disease.

The Senator joined Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS) at a large California evangelical church to promote greater investment in the global AIDS battle. At this conservative Christian event, Obama pushed a balanced approach to fighting the disease that includes condom distribution. • Senator Obama also worked with Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and others to introduce the Microbicide Development Act, which will accelerate the development of products that empower women in the battle against AIDS. Microbicides are a class of products currently under development that women apply topically to prevent transmission of HIV and other infections.

Encouraging Medical Information Technology

Every transaction consumers make at banks across the country costs them less than a penny. Yet, because we have not updated technology in the health care industry, a single transaction at a hospital still costs up to $25--not one dime of which goes toward improving care. The lack of modern, interoperable information technology at our hospitals costs in time, money, and medical errors.

• Senator Obama worked with Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) to introduce the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program Efficiency Act:

(1) To leverage the federal government's purchasing power to encourage the development of health information technology.

(2) Requires medical insurance companies that deal with the federal government to implement an electronic system for efficient and effective settlement of medical claims.

Fostering Healthy Communities

How a community is designed -- including the layout of its roads, buildings and parks -- can have a huge impact on the health of its residents. For instance, nearly one-third of Americans live in neighborhoods without sidewalks and less than half of our country's children have a playground within walking distance of their homes. This lack of a safe place to walk and play is a major contributor to the growing numbers of overweight children.

• Senator Obama introduced the Healthy Places Act:

(1) To help state and local governments assess the health impact of new policies or projects,

(2) The bill gives grant funding and technical assistance to help address potential health problems.

Empowering Health Care Consumers with Hospital Report Cards

Consumers do not have enough information to make good choices about their health care.

• Senator Obama introduced the Hospital Quality Report Card Act:

(1) Require hospitals to report on the effectiveness, safety and timeliness of the care they provide.

(2) Help patients make healthcare decisions

(3) Help providers and insurers get the right information to improve quality and contain costs.

Harnessing the Power of Genetic Medicine

Genomics has the potential to revolutionize the practice of medicine, but despite significant scientific advances, very few genomics-based tests or treatments have reached consumers. Genomics could eventually help predict which Americans will get sick, diagnose illness earlier, and screen patients to determine which drugs will be effective and safe.

• Senator Obama introduced the Genomics and Personalized Medicine Act to overcome the scientific barriers, adverse market pressures, and outdated federal regulations that have stood in the way of better medicine.

Protecting Our Children from Lead Poisoning

More than 430,000 children in America have dangerously high levels of lead in their blood. Lead can cause irreversible brain damage, learning disabilities, behavioral problems, and, at very high levels, seizures, coma and death. An estimated 14,200 (14 percent) of licensed child care centers nationwide are contaminated with hazardous levels of lead-based paint. Many toys on store shelves have unsafe levels of lead. A study commissioned by Senator Obama even found deadly levels of lead in some products sold at congressional gift shops.

• Senator Obama introduced the Lead Poisoning Reduction Act:

(1) Helps protect children from lead poisoning by requiring that child care facilities, including Head Start programs and kindergartens, be lead-safe within five years.

(2) Senator Obama also introduced the Lead Free Toys Act:

(3) Sets strict regulations on lead in toys. Any product marketed or used by children under age six that contains more than trace amounts of lead would be banned under the Hazardous Substance Act.

(4) Senator Obama has also pressured the EPA to publish long-delayed regulations for mitigating lead hazards during home renovations.

HOMELAND SECURITY

Five years after 9/11, our country is still unprepared for a terrorist attack. From improving security for our transit systems and chemical plants, to increasing cargo screening in our airports and seaports, the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission have been underfunded and ignored. The 9/11 Commission gave the government five F's and 12 D's on the implementation of its recommendations.

Senator Obama is a member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and has supported efforts to base homeland security spending on risk rather than pork-barrel politics.

• He has also introduced legislation to strength chemical plant and drinking water security and to enhance disaster preparedness.

Protecting Our Chemical Plants

Chemical plants are attractive terrorist targets because they are often located near cities, are relatively easy to attack, and contain multi-ton quantities of hazardous chemicals. While a number of plants have taken voluntary steps to improve security, there are still major gaps; and the federal government has never established meaningful, permanent security regulations.

• Senator Obama worked with Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) to introduce comprehensive chemical plant security legislation that would establish a clear set of federal regulations that all plants must follow.

(1) The bill requires chemical facilities to enhance security, including improving barriers, containment, mitigation, and safety training, and, where possible, using safer technology, such as less toxic chemicals.

Keeping Track of Spent Nuclear Fuel

The nation has 103 operating nuclear power plants which annually produce over 2,000 metric tons of spent fuel that remains highly radioactive for many years. A report by the Government Accountability Office found inadequate tracking and security for spent nuclear fuel rods. Nuclear plants in Connecticut, Vermont and California have reported missing spent fuel in the last five years.

• Senator Obama introduced legislation to establish guidelines for tracking, controlling, and accounting for spent fuel at nuclear power plants. Evacuating Special Needs Population in Emergencies

One of the most devastating aspects of Hurricane Katrina is that most of the stranded victims were society's most vulnerable members - low-income families, the elderly, the homeless, and disabled Americans. Too many states and cities do not have adequate plans in place to care for special-needs populations. • Senator Obama introduced and passed legislation to require mandatory planning for evacuating people with special needs.

Reuniting Families After Emergencies

After Hurricane Katrina, thousands of people struggled to contact family and friends following evacuation. Evacuees were forced to comb through dozens of databases in an effort to reconnect with loved ones.

• Senator Obama introduced and passed legislation to create a centralized, federal database to allow individuals displaced by an emergency to call one phone number or go to one website and post their location and condition.

• Family members and law enforcement officials would be able to use this same secure, centralized system to check the status of missing loved ones. Keeping Our Drinking Water Safe

There are almost 170,000 public water systems in the United States. An attack on a drinking water system could contaminate or disrupt water service, thereby disrupting society, impacting human health and compromising critical activities such as fire protection.

• Senator Obama introduced legislation to provide $37.5 million over 5 years for drinking water systems to upgrade their monitoring and security efforts.

Protecting the Public from Radioactive Releases

Following reports that nuclear power plants in Illinois did not promptly notify local communities that tritium -- a byproduct of nuclear generation -- had leaked into the groundwater,

• Senator Obama introduced legislation to require nuclear plants to inform state and local officials if there is an unintentional leak of a radioactive substance.

• Chronic exposure to high levels of tritium can increase the risk of cancer, birth defects and genetic damage.

FAMILY

Strong families raise successful children and keep communities together. While Senator Obama does not believe that we can simply legislate healthy families, good parenting skills or economic success, he does believe we can eliminate roadblocks that parents face and provide tools to help them succeed. A husband and father of two, Senator Obama has promoted strong families in the Senate.

Promoting Responsible Fatherhood

Since 1960, the number of American children without fathers has quadrupled, from 6 million to more than 24 million. A healthy relationship between children and their fathers is important to good development. Children without fathers in their lives are five times more likely to live in poverty and commit crime, nine times more likely to drop out of school, and 20 times more likely to end up in prison.

• Senator Obama with Senator Evan Bayh (D-IN) introduced the Responsible Fatherhood and Healthy Families Act:

(1) Removes some of the government penalties on married families and support fathers already trying to do the right thing

(2) Simultaneously cracking down on men trying to avoid their parental responsibilities.

(3) Provides fathers with an expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit.

(4) Increases child support enforcement and strengthen domestic violence prevention services.

Helping Low-Income Workers Climb the Job Market

Transitional jobs are a promising way to help chronically unemployed people break into the workplace. This approach places participants into temporary, subsidized wage-paying jobs. It also offers mentoring and social services designed to address work-blocking problems like personal and family conflicts. Once they find entry-level work, low-income workers often are unable to break into middle-class jobs.

Bridge programs can help by partnering the federal government with employers and community-based organizations to identify job opportunities, develop customized training programs, and place low-income employees in better jobs.

• Senator Obama introduced legislation to devote $50 million for transitional and bridge employment programs for hard-to-employ groups like homeless veterans, children aging out of foster care, and people returning to communities after a time in prison.

Supporting Low-Income Families

The Child Tax Credit allows parents to receive $1,000 per child and has been an important financial resource for working families. Unfortunately, the credit is skewed so that many families who need it the most cannot get it. Because of artificially high income limits that are indexed to inflation every year, parents that work full time at minimum wage are not eligible for the credit. As a result, nearly 17 million low-income children get less than the full credit.

• Senator Obama worked with Senator Olympia Snowe (R-WA) to introduce legislation lowering the income limit so that 600,000 more families can benefit.

• Obama also introduced legislation to temporarily expand the Child Tax Credit for low-income parents affected by Hurricane Katrina.

• Senator Obama succeeded in passing legislation to extend tax credits for military families by allowing service members deployed to war zones to apply their non-taxable combat pay toward the Earned Income Tax Credit.

MORTGAGE FRAUD

The FBI is predicting that mortgage fraud may become a criminal epidemic. In these elaborate schemes, criminals use identity theft or face-to-face scams to gain control of victims' homes. The offenders then apply for hefty mortgage loans, take the cash, then disappear, robbing homeowners of their property and threatening the financial health of the most vulnerable members of society.

• Senator Obama introduced the first federal bill to combat mortgage fraud. The STOP FRAUD Act criminalizes mortgage fraud:

(1) Authorizes $10 million more for anti-mortgage fraud programs and requires the FBI to update bankers on fraudulent activity in a formal, systematic way.

(2) Authorizes increased federal funding for mortgage counseling.

VOTING

There is no more fundamental American right than the right to vote. Before the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act, barriers such as literacy tests, poll taxes and property requirements disenfranchised many Americans, especially minorities. More than 40 years later, there are still numerous obstacles to ensuring that every citizen has the ability to vote. A recent study discovered numerous organized efforts to intimidate and mislead voters and suppress voter turnout in minority communities.

Few states have enacted clear and effective prohibitions against these abuses.

• Senator Obama introduced the Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act:

(1) Enables investigations into deceptive practices.

(2) Establishes significant harsh penalties for those who have engaged in fraud and it provides voters who have been misinformed with accurate and full information so they can vote.

Senator Obama also worked with civil rights leaders in the House of Representatives to help secure the reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act.

FAITH & POLITICS

In June of 2006, Senator Obama delivered what was called the most important speech on religion and politics in 40 years. Speaking before an evangelical audience, Senator Obama candidly discussed his own religious conversion and doubts, and the need for a deeper, more substantive discussion about the role of faith in American life.

Senator Obama also laid down principles for how to discuss faith in a pluralistic society, including the need for religious people to translate their concerns into universal, rather than religion-specific, values during public debate. In December, 2006, Senator Obama discussed the importance of faith in the global battle against AIDS.