Budget & Spending

Overall positions on balancing the budget, prioritizing spending, generating revenue, and reducing the national debt. Other sections can be explored for a fuller picture - Corporations/Regulation, Jobs & Unemployment, Tax Policy, and Trade & Globalization, for example - though funding figures in almost every issue.

McCain on the Budget & Spending

John McCainWords: McCain believes we should drastically cut government spending and eliminate all pork-barrel bills. He supports a Balanced Budget Amendment.

Actions: McCain voted FOR a balanced budget (more…)

Obama on the Budget & Spending

Barack ObamaWords: Obama feels that the Bush administration’s policies are not working and opposes raising the national debt limit.

Actions: Obama voted AGAINST a $40 billion reduction (more…)

Romney on the Budget & Spending

Mitt RomneyWords: Romney advocates cutting expenses and increasing revenue to balance the budget. He believes that the budget can be cut largely through eliminating waste.
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Withdrawn / Biden on the Budget & Spending

Joe BidenWords: Biden supports a balanced budget amendment. He believes we should invest in new programs by ending the war in Iraq and eliminating the Bush administration tax cuts. He also feels there should be more transparency for hedge funds and private equity funds. He feels the Federal Reserve (more…)

Withdrawn / Clinton on the Budget & Spending

Hillary ClintonWords: Clinton feels we should “pay down the national debt, save Social Security, modernize Medicare with a prescription drug benefit, and provide targeted tax cuts to the families who need them most.” She also believes in a balanced budget. (more…)

Withdrawn / Edwards on the Budget & Spending

John EdwardsWords: Edwards believes that the federal budget is “a moral document” that demonstrates our level of concern for poverty. He feels there should be more funds for education, health care, and defense. He argues that there is an asset gap in America (more…)

Withdrawn / Giuliani on the Budget & Spending

Rudy GiulianiWords: Giuliani advocates measurable accountability in Washington and proposes creating statistical programs to monitor agencies’ efficiency. He is a strong proponent of tax cuts, but feels that economic development requires maintenance of the infrastructure. (more…)

Withdrawn / Huckabee on the Budget & Spending

Mike HuckabeeWords: Huckabee feels we should rein in spending and balance the budget. He believes we must uphold commitments to the states before addressing other spending and advocates bankruptcy reform, limiting Chapter 7 use, protecting domestic support payments (more…)

Withdrawn / Kucinich on the Budget & Spending

Dennis KucinichWords: Kucinich advocates cutting Pentagon spending to balance the budget. He feels that WPA type programs would create jobs and help rebuild America’s infrastructure.
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Withdrawn / Paul on the Budget & Spending

Ron PaulWords: Paul believes that one can’t legislate economic fairness (and that it is not the government’s job to “regulate the economy”), therefore government should be kept small. He feels spending should be reduced and based on constitutional priorities (more…)

Withdrawn / Richardson on the Budget & Spending

Bill RichardsonWords: Richardson supports a Balanced Budget Amendment. He feels we should grow our trade with Latin America. He also argues that the mortgage industry needs more transparency.
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Withdrawn / Thompson on the Budget & Spending

Fred ThompsonWords: Thompson believes in reducing the national debt through serious budgetary reform. “We need market-based approaches to budgetary reform that guarantee benefits for those who need them and embrace personal responsibility and cost-effectiveness without raising taxes.” (more…)