Have a question about Barack’s policies?

This campaign is about the issues that matter to voters like you. Barack believes government should answer to you, not the lobbyists and special interests that have run Washington the last eight years. If you have a question about Barack’s policies that is not answered in the pages below, you should send a question to our policy team at virginia@barackobama.com . We’ll get back to you with the information you need as soon as possible.

Economy & Jobs

In Virginia, the unemployment rate this August reached its highest level in over a dozen years. Today, there are more than twice as many Virginians looking for employment as there were at the start of the Bush administration. Barack Obama will cut taxes for ordinary Americans and small businesses, create jobs by investing in our nation's infrastructure, extend unemployment insurance, and enact broad new financial market regulations to help ensure we never face this type of economic crisis again.

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Taxes

Barack Obama will create jobs and jump start the economy by providing needed tax cuts for 95 percent of Virginia's working families and small businesses. He will not raise any taxes on any family making less than $250,000. In fact, the Obama plan provides three times as much tax relief for middle class families as the McCain plan.

Health Care

Today, there are 328,000 more uninsured Virginians than at the start of the Bush Administration. The cost of health care has almost doubled the past six years. Barack Obama has a comprehensive health plan that will cover the 46 million Americans and the 1.1 million Virginians who do not have health insurance by offering them the same health insurance that all Members of Congress have and saving a typical American family up to $2,500 per year.

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National Security

As President, Obama will restore America’s moral leadership in the world and return us to the tradition of smart, principled, and tough foreign policy. Obama’s new foreign policy will use all available military, diplomatic and economic tools to rebuild our alliances to fight terrorism, achieve energy independence and responsibly end the war in Iraq.

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Veterans

There are more than 807,000 veterans in Virginia and Virginia currently has more than 6,800 brave men and women serving in Iraq or Afghanistan who will be returning home in the next few years. As President, Barack Obama will fully fund the VA, fix the VA bureaucracy and hire additional claims staff to end the claims backlog, and implement a “zero tolerance” policy for veterans falling into homelessness.

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Rural

For the past decade, rural America has not been well-served by federal policies. Improving the situation and taking advantage of the opportunities will depend on electing a President who understands that rural America is important and is willing to provide the leadership and prioritize policies to improve the quality of life in rural America. As President, Barack Obama will improve education and access to health care, invest in rural communities and infrastructure as well as supporting small businesses and farms.

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Gun Rights

Barack Obama’s words and his actions are clear. During his career in the Illinois Senate and the United States Senate, he proudly stood to defend the rights of hunters and sportsmen. As President, he will protect your gun rights, he will support an individual's right to bear arms, and he will stand against the confiscation of legally acquired firearms.

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Energy

Today, Virginians are paying $2.50 for gas – twice as much as we did at the start of the Bush administration. Barack Obama has proposed a comprehensive energy plan that not only provides immediate relief to struggling families but it also decreases our reliance on foreign oil and increases domestic oil and gas production while investing $150 billion over 10 years transition to a green economy.

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Education

In Virginia, the cost of a public 4-year university has almost doubled under the Bush administration. The cost of a 4-year private university has increased by 50% over that period of time. The average debt of a graduating senior in Virginia for 2006 was more than $18,000. As President, Barack Obama will continue to be a leader in working to make college more affordable.

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Women & Families

Unfortunately, under George Bush’s presidency, working women have faced stagnating wages, declining health care coverage, erosion of pension protections, rising personal debt, and have been hard hit by the housing crisis. Barack Obama will continue to be a strong supporter of women and women’s rights by supporting pay equity, women-owned small businesses, and equal access to education and health care.

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