Barack Obama (Democrat)
This page represents President-Elect Obama's platform as a presidential candidate. For information on his current activities and the transition to a new administration, visit the official website of the President-Elect.
Senator Barack Obama's science and technology (S&T) platform concentrates on improving U.S. competitiveness. Key factors on his agenda include improving science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and workforce. He also focuses on increasing research and development (R&D) in energy and mitigating global warming.
Competitiveness & Innovation
Senator Obama's competitiveness and innovation platform concentrates on improving the S&T workforce. He also focuses on improving information technology to encourage faster exchange of ideas and increase transparency in the government.
Specifically, Senator Obama's platform includes:
- Creating a newly appointed Chief Technology Officer (CTO) to ensure that the government has the most updated infrastructure and technology services available.
- Doubling federal funding for basic research
- Investing $150 billion over ten years in the next-generation of biofuels and fuel infrastructure, commercialization of plug-in hybrids, commercial-scale renewable energy, and transition to a new digital electricity grid
- Making the R&D tax credit permanent
- Making skilled labor a top priority
- Improving the H-1B visa program to attract highly skilled talent from abroad to enhance U.S. competitiveness.
- Reforming the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
STEM Education & Workforce
Senator Obama's platform concentrates on enhancing STEM education as a key component of U.S. competitiveness. He has proposed an $18 billion increase in spending for all federal education programs.
Specifically, Senator Obama's platform includes:
- Increasing the number of graduates and undergraduates pursuing degrees in STEM fields
- Establishing a Teaching Service Scholarship program for recruiting math, science and technology degree graduates
- Expanding access to computers and broadband connections in public schools
- Investing in science education R&D to determine what types of curriculum and instruction work best
- Additional Sources
Better Health for Americans
Senator Obama has said that he supports increasing funding for medical research and supports stem cell research. In 2007, Senator Obama voted in favor of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act (S.5).
Specifically, Senator Obama's platform includes:
- Creating an independent institute to guide reviews and research on comparative effectiveness of treatments
- Investing in biomedical research, as well as medical education and training in health-related fields
- Providing more than $1 billion in federal funding for autism research
- Increasing funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
- Investing $10 billion a year over the next five years to move the U.S. health care system to broad adoption of standards-based electronic health information systems, including electronic health records, and phasing in requirements for full implementation of health IT
Energy & Environment
Senator Obama has laid out a plan for addressing energy and climate change that focuses on increasing investment in alternative energy, reducing dependence on foreign oil, and implementing a cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Specifically, Senator Obama's platform includes:
- Establishing market-based cap-and-trade system to reduce carbon emissions by 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050
- Auctioning off 100 percent of the emission allowances and investing $15 billion in auction proceeds per year in developing alternative energy sources
- Creating a National Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) that will spur low-carbon alternative fuels and reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions 10 percent by 2020
- Establishing a Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) that will require renewable energy sources to represent 10 percent of electricity consumed in the U.S by 2012
- Extending the federal renewable energy production tax credit (PTC) for 5 years
- Requiring that renewable energy make up 30 percent of the federal government's electricity by 2020
- Setting a national goal of reducing 50% of the economy's energy intensity by 2030
- Increasing vehicle fuel economy standards by 4% each year
- Investing in development of advanced fuel vehicles and putting 1 million plug-in electric vehicles on the road by 2015
- Investing $150 billion over 10 years in next-generation biofuels and fuel infrastructure, commercialization of plug-in hybrids, commercial-scale renewable energy, low-emissions coal plants, and a new digital electricity grid
- Increasing the renewable fuel standard (RFS) to produce at least 60 billion gallons of biofuels by 2030
- Developing and deploying clean coal technology
- Setting new efficiency standards with the goal of reducing electricity demand by 15% from DOE's projected levels for 2020 and making all new buildings carbon-neutral or zero emissions by 2030
- Investing in a smart grid
- Re-establishing U.S. leadership in international climate agreements
- Restoring federal financing for water and wastewater treatment infrastructure and protecting the Great Lakes from industrial pollution, water diversion, and invasive species
National & Homeland Security
Senator Obama has said that preventing an avian flu pandemic is one of his national security priorities. He refers to his work with other Senators to provide $4 billion to the Centers for Disease Control to combat avian flu and to build a stockpile of antiviral drugs that had been in short supply.
On the topic of nuclear weapons, Senator Obama refers to legislation he has introduced in the U.S. Senate that would establish guidelines for tracking, controlling, and accounting for spent fuel at nuclear power plants and requiring plants to report radioactive leakage.
Governance
Senator Obama has stated that he wants to improve openness and transparency in government with the help of technology and innovation.
Specifically, Senator Obama's platform includes:
- The use of current technology to promote citizen participation in government decision-making
- Greater public access to government information, including environmental data
- The development of a national, interoperable wireless network for local, state and federal first responders as recommended by the 9/11 commission
Link to Candidate's Official Site
Link to Site of the President-Elect
