Rudy Giuliani (Republican)
Giuliani's platform revolves around a list of pledges he calls the "12 commitments." These include policies on economic competitiveness, homeland security, immigration, government spending, education and energy.
Competitiveness & Innovation
Giuliani feels that low taxes stimulate economic growth and foster innovation, and as president he would work to reduce corporate tax rates and regulatory burden. He promises to "protect America's innovations and intellectual property by enforcing our trade agreements aggressively."
On the immigration front, he has pledged to expand the number of H-1B visas for skilled foreign workers. Giuliani would also require non-citizens to carry a tamper-proof biometric ID card and create a single database of foreigners on U.S. soil.
STEM Education & Workforce
Giuliani's education plan does not focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education specifically. The former mayor is a major proponent of school choice and wants to establish federal school voucher programs. He would also expand charter schools and educational opportunities for military families and special education students.
On workforce issues, Giuliani has stated that "American workers must be the best trained and prepared workforce in the world in order to successfully compete in the global economy," he says. Regarding the STEM workforce, Giuliani would promote science and math careers via technical certification or associate degrees. He also has pledged to expand the number of H-1B visas for skilled foreign workers.
Better Health for Americans
In a 3 May 2007 GOP debate, Giuliani said he supports limited federal funding of stem cell research "as long as we're not creating life in order to destroy it [and] as long as we're not having human cloning."
Giuliani's healthcare plan includes streamlining the FDA drug approval process and investing in health IT to prevent medical errors and increase efficiency.
Energy & Environment
To achieve energy independence, Giuliani seeks to:
- Encourage a diverse energy portfolio that includes use of biofuels, renewable energy sources, nuclear power, clean coal, natural gas and oil
- Encourage investment in down-the-road technologies such as hydrogen fuel cells
- Expand and secure U.S. energy infrastructure
- Track key indicators tied to energy use to measure progress toward energy independence.
National & Homeland Security
Giuliani's plans include expanding the U.S. military and NATO and creating a new military-civilian corps to help prevent new terrorist cells from emerging in unstable regions. He would also reform government agencies tasked with protecting the public, including instituting a plan to decentralize the Homeland Security Department and appoint new regional directors to coordinate local responses to threats.
Governance
Giuliani seeks to shrink the federal workforce by 20 percent by reducing the replacement of government retirees. He would also require agency heads to identify 5 to 20 percent in spending reductions as part of their budget requests.
