President and Sen. John Kerry Respond To National Voter Issues Paper from WWE League of Women Voters Harvard and others

Candidates Share Views on Jobs the Economy Terrorism and College Loans Among Other Topics of  Interest to 18-to 30-year-olds

STAMFORD Conn. – June 21 2004 – President George W. Bush and Sen. John F. Kerry have responded to The 18-30 VIP a national voter issues paper for 18-to 30-year-olds issued by Smackdown Your Vote!® a national effort to encourage young Americans to become active participants in their democracy and vote.  The response was issued today by World Wrestling Entertainment which has played a leadership role in Smackdown Your Vote!

The 18-30 VIP which covers issues important to younger voters as determined by research conducted by various organizations including Harvard University was submitted to both major political party campaigns. Other organizations that participated in preparing or have endorsed the VIP are the Harvard Institute of Politics MTV’s Choose or Lose the League of Women Voters Rock The Vote New Voters Project Hip-Hop Team Vote 18to35 Declare Yourself Youth Vote Coalition and the University of Virginia Center for Politics.

“We greatly appreciate President Bush and Senator Kerry taking the time to respond to the very legitimate and credible issues of young Americans of voting age ” said Linda McMahon CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. “Our goal is to increase voter participation among 18-to 30-year-olds by two million in this year’s elections in order to get 20 million young voters to the polls.  The candidates by formally responding to the issues that are of greatest concern to young Americans have demonstrated their interest in these potential voters.  This should encourage 18-to 30-year-olds that their votes will count in November.”

The 18-30 VIP covers issues of the economy Iraq education and how candidates relate to younger voters. Responding to the VIP is an opportunity for candidates running for political office – from the federal to local levels – to speak directly to younger constituents of voting age on the issues that are important to them.

The candidates’ full responses to the questions are posted at smackdownyourvote.com and attached to this release. They will also be posted on the League of Women Voters DNet website and on 18to35’s Online Policy Center (18to35.org/policy/policy.html).  The candidates have been invited to update their responses to The 18-30 VIP as their respective campaigns continue.

Smackdown Your Vote! founded in July 2000 is a non-partisan approach to getting young people involved in the political process and voting. Through Smackdown Your Vote! WWE® has collaborated with many non-profit non-partisan organizations to engage 18-to 30-year-olds in the political process including the League of Women Voters Youth Vote Coalition Rock The Vote Harvard Institute of Politics MTV’s Choose or Lose New Voters Project 18to35 the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network Close Up and the University of Virginia Center for Politics. The collaborative program’s goal is to get 20 million 18-to 30-year-olds to the polls in 2004 an increase of two million over the election turnout in 2000. In addition to conducting voter registration at WWE live events Smackdown Your Vote! visits high schools and colleges across the country conducting voter registration rallies. For more information go to smackdownyourvote.com.

Media Contact:  Gary Davis Executive Director WWE Smackdown Your Vote!

203-353-5066

Trademarks:  The names of all World Wrestling Entertainment televised and live programming talent names images likenesses slogans and wrestling moves and all World Wrestling Entertainment logos are trademarks which are the exclusive property of World Wrestling Entertainment Inc.

Young people rank the creation of well-paying jobs as the number one issue when deciding how they might vote. That issue is followed closely by access to affordable healthcare. Today 40% of young adults are uninsured the largest percentage of uninsured across any age group. They are also concerned about debt and trying to make ends meet. With all of these financial hurdles saving for emergencies or for the future is difficult if not impossible.

1. In the current job market young people perceive that desirable jobs are scarcer than in years past.  What specific economic policies are you going to champion to promote the creation of jobs for people starting out in their careers that pay well and keep the economy strong? 

GB: Our economy is strong and getting stronger and the job outlook for young Americans entering the workforce is more positive than it’s been in years.  There is overwhelming evidence that my Administration’s jobs and growth plan is working.  We have added1.4 million jobs since August 2003.  The unemployment rate in May (5.6%) was below the average unemployment rate of the 1970s the 1980s and the 1990s.  And the unemployment rate has fallen in 46 states during the past year.  The tax relief I signed into law came at the right time to help turn a fragile recovery into strong and robust economic growth.

Over the last year all 11 sectors of the economy including manufacturing have experienced payroll job growth.  We’ve seen across-the-board growth including in traditionally high-paying sectors such as information construction financial activities and professional and business services.  America’s economy is growing faster than the economy of any major industrialized nation.  Real GDP has grown at the fastest annual rate in almost 20 years.  Inflation interest rates and mortgage rates are near historic lows.  Home ownership is at a near-record level..  Last year the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 25% and the NASDAQ rose 50%.  And real after-tax income in America has increased 11% since the end of 2000.

While the economy is strong there is still more to do.  I will not be satisfied until every American who wants to work can find a job including young people just starting their careers.  My six-point plan to strengthen the economy will make health care more affordable and accessible; reform the legal system to prevent frivolous lawsuits that increase the cost of doing business; promote energy independence; streamline government regulations especially for small businesses; pursue free and fair trade agreements that create jobs; and make tax relief for families and small businesses permanent.  Taken together these policies will free entrepreneurs and business owners to create even more jobs and raise salaries for workers.

2.  How will you tackle the challenge of providing all young adults with access to affordable health-care coverage?  

GB: America has the best most advanced health care system in the world.  Our health professionals are outstanding and our health care system like the rest of our society promotes innovation and competition.  We must work to expand access to market-based health care rather than shift control over health care decisions to the government.  I have taken a specific approach to health care that focuses on improving the quality of care lowering costs and making more health insurance coverage options available to Americans – including Health Savings Accounts and Association Health Plans.

Young people are uninsured for many reasons including the very high cost of comprehensive health insurance that does not meet their needs.  What most young people need is coverage of preventive care combined with affordable protection against major medical expenses.  Our Health Savings Accounts established by the Medicare Modernization Act I signed in December provide exactly that combining a low-cost high-deductible policy with tax-free contributions to the HSA by individuals and their employers.  These accounts allow young people to save money tax-free to meet routine medical expenses and to cover future out-of-pocket costs.   By keeping patients more involved in purchasing decisions we can give them more control over how their health care dollars are spent – and in the process help assure that health care dollars are spent wisely.  Best of all HSAs have a good track record of expanding coverage to the uninsured.  In 2001 25% of people who purchased an early version of HSAs were previously uninsured for six months or more.

For low-to middle-income individuals and families I’ve also proposed a health insurance tax credit payable in advance that will cover much of the cost of this low-cost high-deductible policy for most young people with low incomes.

I have also proposed Association Health Plans (AHPs) to expand insurance coverage options for workers.  AHPs would make it easier for small businesses to save on health care costs by negotiating together with other small businesses on behalf of their employees and their families.  We would also help small businesses and employees obtain health insurance at an affordable price much like larger employers.  Small businesses create the majority of our Nation’s jobs.  By allowing small businesses to pool their insurance risk these association plans can gain the kind of purchasing power that large businesses have and make health insurance more affordable for both employer and employee.

And access to health care has been extended to 3 million additional Americans – part of my five-year plan to fund 1 200 new or expanded community health centers to serve an additional 6.1 million people.  Today there are more than 600 new or expanded health centers delivering preventive and primary care to patients in medically underserved communities across America.

In addition to lowering the cost of insurance and making it more available we must also act to reduce the cost of health care.  In addition to the positive effects of Health Savings Accounts in encouraging wise health care spending two of my other health care initiatives take on health care costs.  Health care is the only industry that has not been transformed by information technology.  We have 21st century diagnosis and treatment with 18th century paper-based records and outmoded communications.  By computerizing medical records by assuring that the right information is available at the right time and place to guide medical decisions and by making prescriptions and other communications electronic and secure we can dramatically improve the quality of our health care prevent medical errors and eliminate wasteful health care expenditures.

Finally medical liability reform is another key to lowering the cost of health care in America.  Frivolous and junk lawsuits make health care more expensive by forcing doctors to perform unnecessary tests and procedures.  They also drive up the cost of insurance for doctors forcing many to leave their practices which limits the choices available to patients.  And perhaps worst of all they impeded efforts to improve the quality of health care and cut down on medical errors.

Through these measures to lower health care costs and expand coverage options we can help millions more Americans gain affordable access to the best medical care in the world.

3.  What policies will you promote to help young adults achieve greater financial planning and security and to help those who are living paycheck to paycheck to get out of that cycle? 

GB: When Americans have more control over their own money they make decisions that fuel economic growth and create prosperity throughout the economy.  They also have more money to save and invest as they see fit.  That’s why I worked so hard to pass tax relief and why I continue to support efforts to allow young Americans to voluntarily invest part of their Social Security taxes in personal accounts.

Thanks to the tax relief of the last three years more than 111 million Americans are paying less in taxes.  They have more of their own money to meet current expenses to save for short-term goals or to invest for long-term planning.  And thanks to lower taxes on capital gains and dividends investors are now keeping more of their returns.  Our next step must be to make tax relief permanent so that workers of all ages can plan for the future with confidence knowing that the tax relief they enjoy today won’t disappear tomorrow.

I have also proposed giving younger workers an opportunity to invest part of their Social Security taxes in voluntary personal savings accounts.  These accounts would be individually owned and controlled and would allow individuals to seek a higher rate of return on their investment in Social Security.  For many Americans it would be their first opportunity to build assets that could be passed on to their children.  For all Americans who participate it would offer an opportunity to be part of an ownership society and exercise more control over their own money.

Iraq and National Security  

Second only to economic concerns the war in Iraq and safety from terrorism ranked as the most important issues young people consider when deciding which candidate to support. For young Latinos the war in Iraq ties with the economy as an issue of primary concern. With 70% of enlisted personnel ages 30 or younger and a majority of them leaving spouses behind the U.S. military decisions significantly affect young adults.

4.  What should America’s long-term role be in Iraq? 

GB: Because America and our allies acted one of the most evil brutal regimes in history is gone forever.  This was a regime that tortured children in front of their parents.  This was a regime that used chemical weapons against whole villages; gave cash rewards to the families of suicide bombers; and sheltered terrorist groups.  Iraq was a country in which millions of people lived in fear and many thousands disappeared into mass graves.  That was the life in Iraq for more than a generation until we arrived.  Because America and our allies acted an aggressive threat to the security of the Middle East and to the peace of the world is now gone.  And America is safer because Saddam Hussein sits in a prison cell.

Our agenda in Iraq is freedom independence security and prosperity for the Iraqi people.  Our coalition has clear goals: to stop terrorism wherever it exists and to see the Iraqi people in charge of Iraq for the first time in generations.  America’s task in Iraq is not only to defeat an enemy but also to give strength to a friend.  And the sooner this goal is achieved the sooner our job will be done.

In June U.N. Special Envoy Lakhdar Brahimi and Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi announced the members of Iraq’s new interim government.  The naming of the new interim government brings us one step closer to realizing the dream of millions of Iraqis – a fully sovereign nation with a representative government that protects their rights and serves their needs.  Along with a president and two deputy presidents Prime Minister Allawi will lead a government of 33 ministers and begin preparing for the transfer of full sovereignty by June 30th.  The United Nations Security Council unanimously passed a resolution that supports the interim government free elections and a multinational force in Iraq.

Like every nation that has made the journey to democracy Iraqis will raise up a government that reflects their own culture and values.  I sent American troops to Iraq to defend our security not to stay as an occupying power.  Our work there has been hard and required great sacrifice.  But it was necessary for the security of our country and the world.  Iraqis will write their own history and find their own way.  As they do Iraqis can be certain that a free Iraq will always have a friend in the United States.

5.  How will you balance the costs of America’s foreign policy agenda with the costs of domestic policy needs? 

GB: Our Nation has three great priorities: protecting the American people promoting economic growth and creating jobs for Americans and winning the global war on terror.

Prosperity and security go hand-in-hand.  When I first came to office the economy was entering a recession and the stock market was falling.  As we started to come out of the recession our country was attacked by terrorists.  We lost one million jobs in three months following the September 11th attacks.

I addressed these challenges with a comprehensive agenda.  To promote economic growth and job creation I began with a clear understanding of the role of government.  America’s economy is sustained by the free enterprise system and by the hard work of the Nation’s entrepreneurs and workers.  Government spends a lot of money but it doesn’t build factories or meet company payrolls or do all the work that makes the economy go.  The Federal government’s job is not to manage or control the economy but to remove obstacles standing in the way of faster growth.  Through broad-based tax relief I trusted the American people to make the best decisions with their money.  Today America’s economy is the fastest-growing economy in the industrialized world creating over 1.4 million jobs since last August.

To accomplish our goals at home and abroad we must set clear priorities and stick to them.  A period of war and recession-induced deficits imposes the need for extra care in our spending priorities and discipline that fits the times.  The budgets I have presented to Congress proposed moderate increases in government funding based on the premise that government spending should grow no faster than the average increase in American family incomes.  Some priorities – like defense homeland security veterans’ services education and job training – require larger increases.  Other parts of government need less.  By establishing our priorities – winning the war on terror and ensuring that America is on the path for strong long-term economic growth and job creation – we are meeting unprecedented challenges and making America stronger.

6.  What is your plan for protecting America from terrorism?   

GB: America will continue to pursue terrorists abroad and enhance our security at home.  Fighting terrorism requires us to use all the tools at our disposal – military intelligence law enforcement financial and diplomatic.

A good defense is not enough.  We will go on the offense and we will take the fight to terrorists wherever they plot and plan and hide.  By defeating the terrorists in Baghdad and Kabul we are safer and more secure in Boston and Kansas City.  The first to see our determination were the Taliban who allowed al Qaeda’s killers to make Afghanistan their primary training base.  We freed the Afghan people from the oppressive Taliban regime and ended al Qaeda’s safe haven.  To date almost two-thirds of the known al Qaeda leaders have been captured or killed.  In Iraq we deposed a tyrant who supported terrorists and freed an oppressed people.  The whole world now knows that supporting and providing sanctuary to terrorists will carry with it enormous costs.

We are dismantling disrupting and destroying terrorists and their organizations.  We are holding the sponsors of terror accountable for the acts of terrorists they supported.  We are using all elements of our national power to deny terrorists the chemical biological and nuclear weapons they seek.  We are working to strengthen international institutions charged with opposing proliferation and to enhance international cooperation in disrupting efforts to sell or transfer mass destruction weapons and capabilities to terrorists.  And finally we are denying terrorists the ideological victories they seek by working for freedom and reform in the broader Middle East.  A sovereign independent Iraq in the heart of the Middle East is a key element of this strategy.

As we pursue terrorists abroad we are also taking decisive action to defend our homeland.  We created the Department of Homeland Security merging 22 separate governmental entities into a cohesive new department with the primary mission of safeguarding our homeland.  Including the request for FY 2005 we have increased funding for the FBI by 60% since 2001 and it is now focused on preventing terrorist attacks.  We passed the USA PATRIOT Act the bipartisan legislation that equips law enforcement and intelligence agencies with many of the tools they need to track down and thwart terrorists.  We have provided unprecedented levels of funding to support police fire-fighters and medical workers who are the first to respond to emergencies providing more than $13 billion since FY 2002 for training and equipment.  We have significantly enhanced security at the Nation’s ports.  And we are supporting bio-terrorism research to develop and stockpile antidotes and vaccines to potential chemical threats.

My Fiscal Year 2005 budget reflects my Administration’s ongoing commitment to America’s security.  Since 2001 funding for homeland security has nearly tripled and next year it will increase another 10%.  Compared to 2004 I have proposed an increase of $900 million for airport security an increase of $450 million for border security and an increase of $490 million for port security.

Our mission is not complete.  There are still terrorists who want to harm our country.  However thanks to our aggressive pursuit of terrorists and our national commitment to defend the homeland America is more secure than we were three years ago.

7.  How do we safeguard our civil liberties and promote tolerance in America while protecting our homeland? 

GB: Immediately after September 11th I made clear that our current conflict is with extremists who commit acts of evil not against law-abiding people of any faith or nationality.  There are thousands of Muslims who proudly call themselves Americans and theirs is a faith of peace love and compassion.  This is the exact opposite of the teachings of al Qaeda an organization driven by evil hate and destruction.

In 2001 the United States Congress passed into law the PATRIOT Act to help track down terrorists and prevent terrorist attacks.  The PATRIOT Act is proving to be a powerful tool in the fight against terror.  It has removed the barriers between law enforcement and intelligence communities that once prevented them from sharing crucial information about terrorist plots.  The PATRIOT Act has also extended to terrorism investigations the same tools that have been used for years to fight organized crime drug kingpins and child molesters.  Virtually all of these investigative tools require the approval of a judge before they can be carried out.  And similar statutes have been tested in the courts and found to be constitutional.  Because it has been used effectively and responsibly I have called on the United States Congress to promptly renew the PATRIOT Act and to make all of its provisions permanent.

 

Education

Another issue that young people are concerned about is access to affordable college and higher education. Some young adults find it difficult for individuals and families to pay for a college education. College costs continue to increase. The result is a greater reliance on student loans (and credit cards) and an accumulation of unmanageable higher-education debt. The debt burden becomes substantially greater for those continuing to graduate school.

8.  Do you believe that college can be made affordable and accessible for all qualified young adults?  How will you make college more affordable and accessible?   

GB: Our goal for American education must be that every student finishes high school well-prepared to go on to college or enter the workforce.  For students who choose to attend college we are making it easier to meet the rising cost of higher education.

Overall my 2005 budget requests a record $73.1 billion in financial aid for higher education which will help nearly 10 million students.  My tax relief package passed in 2001 improved Education Savings Accounts by increasingthe annual contribution limits from $500 to $2 000 and allowing for contributions by individuals corporations and other organizations.  As a result families have greater opportunities to set aside money in tax-free savings for their children’s elementary secondary and college education expenses.

My 2005 budget requests $33 million for enhanced Pell Grants for State Scholars to provide low-income students up to an additional $1 000 in grant aid for their first two years in college.  This aid can be used to meet college expenses and doesn’t have to be repaid.  My budget also includes $12 million to expand the State Scholars Program to all 50 states.  Students who complete a rigorous program like the State Scholars Program gain academic skills that make them more likely to succeed in college.  During my Administration we have increased Pell awards from $3 750 in 2001 to $4 050 in 2005.  We are also providing them to an additional one million students.

We want graduates to be prepared for the 21st century workforce and many new economy jobs require strong math and science skills.  My Presidential Math and Science Scholars Fund would beginning in 2005 provide $50 million of Federal money matched by $50 million in the private sector for students who concentrate in math and science in college.

We have also made grant money available for students who answer the call to service and participate in the AmeriCorps program.  My budget includes a total of $442 million to support 75 000 AmeriCorps members and finance their education awards.  At the end of a successful full-time term of service AmeriCorps members earn an education award of $4 725 that they can use to pay for college or to pay back qualified student loans.

My Administration has made an unprecedented commitment to helping students afford higher education and I am confident that the investments in education we make today will yield tremendous benefits for our economy and our society well into the future.

9.  In light of the struggle to pay for college what will you do to make it easier for young adults to attend college or graduate school without accumulating unmanageable debt?  

GB: I believe every student who wants to attend college should have the opportunity to do so and my education budget reflects this commitment.

To support the Pell Grant program my Fiscal Year 2005 budget will provide grants to an estimated 5.3 million low-income undergraduate students.  Since 2001 the number of Pell recipients has increased by more than one million and my budget will increase funding by $4.1 billion or 47% over 2001.  During my Administration the Pell Grant maximum award has also risen from $3 750 (in 2001) to $4 050.  And larger Pell Grants will be available under my 2005 budget – up to an additional $1 000 per year for the first two years for students who prepare for college with demanding courses in high school through the State Scholars curriculum.  Pell Grants offer valuable help to students and parents and we ought to use the Pell Grant system to encourage young people to raise their sights.

Currently teachers willing to teach in high-need classrooms for five consecutive years can receive up to $5 000 in student loan forgiveness.  My budget proposes to more than triple this loan forgiveness from $5 000 to $17 500 for high-qualified math science and special education teachers who serve low-income communities.

My budget will also expand overall student financial aid available to $73.1 billion an increase of $24.8 billion or 51% over the 2001 level.  As a result the number of recipients of grant loan and work-study assistance will grow by 426 000 over last year to 10 million students and parents.

10.  What policies will you promote to help better prepare high school students for college or for entering the work force? 

GB: Every high school graduate should be capable of finding a job or going on to college.  To make that goal a reality we must set high standards for teachers and students hold schools accountable for results and use proven research-based programs to give children the math science and reading skills they need to fill the jobs of the 21st century.  We must also give low-income schools and students the resources they need to meet state standards so that we can close the gap in educational achievement and help every child reach his or her full potential.

The historic No Child Left Behind Act which I signed into law in January 2002 puts us on the path to achieving these goals.  Elementary and middle schools are now held accountable for making sure students are able to read and do math at grade level.  When we discover that children are falling behind and not meeting standards schools get extra help to meet the standards and students get new options like tutoring to help them keep pace.

Job creation is important and so is job training.  My Jobs for the 21st Century initiative includes over $500 million in funding for education and job training programs.  This includes $250 million in funding for America’s community colleges so they can train workers for industries that are creating the most new jobs.

Jobs for the 21st Century will better prepare students for success in higher education and the job market – including $100 million to help middle and high school students striving to read; $120 million to improve math education; $40 million to bring professionals with subject-matter knowledge such as scientists and software engineers into the classroom; and $12 million to expand the State Scholars program to all 50 states to encourage high school students to take a rigorous academic curriculum.

I have also proposed strengthening and modernizing vocational education by spending $1 billion a year on a new Secondary and Technical Education program – “Sec Tech” – that would provide traditional vocational education combined with a stronger focus on academic achievement.  High schools participating in the program would offer 4 years of English 3 years of math and science and 3½ years of social studies as part of their vocational education curriculum.

We are backing these education reforms with historic levels of Federal funding.  Under my 2005 Budget I have increased elementary and secondary education by 49% Title I funding for low-income students by 52% and special education fundin