Change We Can Believe In. Barack Obama,
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The health insurance coverage will be portable among jobs, easy to enroll in and use, and of high quality. Finally, to provide an incentive for small businesses to provide health insurance, Barack Obama will provide a refundable tax credit worth up to 50 percent on premiums paid to these companies.
Bring Down the Costs of Prescription Drugs.
The second-fastest growing type of health expense is the cost of prescription drugs. Americans should be able to afford the cutting-edge cures that our pharmaceutical industry develops. To bring down the costs of prescription drugs, an Obama Administration will:
Allow Americans to import inexpensive and safe prescription drugs from countries where the same medicines are cheaper.
Increase the use of generic drugs in all public health plans, stop large drug companies from paying to keep generics out of markets to preserve their profits, and create a pathway to bring generic vaccines and other biologic medicines to the market.
Allow Medicare to negotiate for better prices.
Promote Prevention.
In the absence of a dramatic shift toward preventing illness and promoting public health, we will not be successful in containing medical costs or improving the health of the American people. Obesity is an epidemic that is seriously impacting the health of millions of Americans—especially children—and one-third of all Americans are living with a chronic condition. If we put more of our health care funds into prevention, we could save tens of millions of dollars and improve millions of people’s lives. As President, Barack Obama will work with every sector of society—employers, school systems, community groups, and families—to ensure that Americans have access to preventive care. He will require that all federally supported health care plans cover these services, and will support efforts to promote healthy habits, lifestyles, and environments.
It’s not enough to just get families back on their feet. To get our economic engine humming again and to grow the middle class, we need to expand opportunity for all Americans. We need to make it easier for families to get an education, put away a nest egg, own a home, start a business, and provide a better life for their children. And we need to discard the outdated policies that don’t work and invest in what works—what actually expands opportunity and enables America to compete globally. To empower American families to succeed, Barack Obama will:
Ensure That Every Child Gets a World-Class Education.
Now more than ever, success in the world economy begins at the schoolhouse door. A good education is critical for being able to live one’s dreams. Moreover, attracting and growing good jobs here at home relies on having a highly educated, skilled workforce. That’s why we must start investing in our people as soon as we can by giving every child a world-class education—in science, math, English, history, civics, and the arts. As President, Barack Obama will make a historic commitment to our children’s education. He will set high standards and improve accountability—and give our schools the resources they need to meet those standards. He will recruit, prepare, retain, and reward a generation of new teachers. An Obama Administration will encourage additional learning time in schools and double funding for after-school programs to serve one million more kids. And Barack Obama will invest in zero-to-five early childhood education so that more children will have the best start they can at learning and life.
Make College Affordable for Everyone.
The cost of going to college has grown nearly 40 percent in the past five years. If we do not act now, by 2010, it’s estimated that over the previous ten years, two million academically qualified students will not go to college because they can’t afford it. Opening the doors of colleges to all who want to enter them is an investment in America worth making. As President, Barack Obama will create a new $4,000 American Opportunity Tax Credit to make community college completely free and cover two-thirds of the cost of tuition at the typical public university. Recipients of this credit will be required to conduct 100 hours of public service a year. He will simplify and streamline the financial aid application process, increase the maximum limit for Pell Grants, and eliminate federal subsidies to private student loan companies.
Create Automatic Workplace Pensions.
Currently, seventy-five million working Americans—roughly half the workforce—lack employer-based retirement plans. Even when workers are given the option of joining employer-based plans, many do not take up the option because it requires considerable work to research plans and investment portfolios as well as enroll. Barack Obama wants to change that by automatically enrolling workers in a workplace pension plan. Under his proposal, employers who do not currently offer a retirement plan will be required to enroll their employees in a direct-deposit IRA account that is compatible to existing direct-deposit payroll systems, and any employee is allowed to opt out if they do not want to participate. Under the Obama plan, when employees change jobs, their savings will be automatically rolled over into the new employer’s system to ensure continued savings. Experts estimate that this program will more than quadruple the savings participation rate for low- and middle-income workers to as much as 80 percent. Over a lifetime, a typical worker using the Obama plan could add hundreds of thousands of dollars to his or her retirement savings.
Expand the Savers’ Tax Credit for Working Families.
As President, Barack Obama will help working families save for retirement by expanding the existing Savers’ Tax Credit to match 50 percent of the first $1,000 of savings for families that earn under $75,000, and he will make the tax credit refundable. The savings match will be automatically deposited into designated personal accounts by using the account information listed on IRS tax filings.
Preserve Social Security.
Barack Obama believes that Social Security is indispensable to workers and seniors, and he is committed to ensuring Social Security is solvent and viable for the American people, now and in the future. Although the underlying Social Security system remains strong, the program faces a challenge driven by our changing demographics. Barack Obama believes that we owe it to working families and retirees to guarantee Social Security for generations to come without undermining what makes it the most important public program in the first place: a solid, guaranteed bedrock of retirement security for hardworking families. He does not believe we need to raise the retirement age; will oppose any attempt to privatize Social Security, which would reduce benefits and explode the national debt; and believes it is critical that middle-class families are protected from tax increases or benefit cuts. Instead, Barack Obama would work with members of both parties to ensure that people making over $250,000 would pay a little more to help strengthen this program.
Protect Workers’ Pensions.
Barack Obama believes we must ensure that private companies properly fund their pension plans so workers have the retirement security they earned and taxpayers do not end up footing the bill. Workers deserve to know where their money is going; this information also serves as a check on imprudent or fraudulent investments by fund managers. As President, Barack Obama will ensure that all employees who have company pensions receive annual disclosures about their pension fund’s investments, including full details about where their savings have been invested, the performance of those investments, and appropriate details about probable future investments strategies. He also will reform corporate bankruptcy laws so that workers’ retirements are one of the most important priorities for funding and workers aren’t left with a bunch of worthless IOU’s after years of service.
Secure Homeownership for American Families.
Owning one’s home