Candidate Side-by-Side Comparison
This table provides a comparison of the candidates' positions on general S&T issues.
| Obama | McCain | |
|---|---|---|
Energy and Climate Change |
||
Car and truck fuel economy (CAFE) standards |
Double standards within 18 years |
Supports CAFE, no specific numbers |
| Electric/Hybrid Vehicles | Wants 1million on the road by 2015. Will invest in R&D for advanced battery technology and provide $7,000 tax credit for advanced tech vechicles. | Will offer $5,000 tax credit for purchases of zero-emissions cars and a $300 million prize for development of advanced hybrid plug-in battery. |
| Renewable energy | 10% by 2012, 25% by 2025 and invest $150 billion over 10 years in clean energy | Supports expansion of renewables, no specific numbers |
| Greenhouse Gas Reduction | Reduce by 80% from 1990 levels by 2050 | Reduce by 60% from 1990 levels by 2050 |
| Cap and Trade for Carbon Emissions (see examples) | Yes, auction 100% of permits | Yes, start with some permits allocated for free, % to be determined |
| Biofuel Mandates | 60 billion gallons of advanced biofuels (cellulosic ethanol, biobutanol, and synthetic petroleum from sustainable feedstocks) annually by 2030. | Expand availability and types of alcohol-based fuels but eliminate mandate and subsidies solely for corn-based ethanol. |
| Domestic Oil Drilling | Opposes drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and supported the 2000 ban on offshore drilling | Opposes drilling in the ANWR. Supported the offshore ban in 2000, now wants to lift it |
| Clean Coal (or coal-to-liquid) | Increase resources devoted to developing low carbon coal technology and retrofitting old facilities, supports coal-to-liquid fuels if they emit 20% less carbon than conventional gas | Invest $2 billion annually in development of clean coal technology |
Health Care S&T |
||
| Stem Cell Research | Allow federal funding for research on embryos used for in vitro fertilization | Supports federal funding, but only with prohibition on embryo harvesting |
| More federally funded research | More federally funded research | |
| IT in Health Care | Invest $10 billion over the next 5 years in adoption of standards-based health care IT | Promote deployment of 21st century information systems and technology that permit doctors to practice across state lines |
Competitiveness and Innovation |
||
| R&D Tax Credit (more information) | Make permanent | Make permanent, equal to 10% of wages spent on R&D, allow first year "expensing" of new technology for businesses |
| Immigration Reform | Reform H-1B visa program to attract more talent and allow skilled workers educated in U.S. to stay and work. Examine ability to increase number of permanent visas for skilled workers. | Ensure high-skill workers educated in U.S. can stay after graduation. Tie H-1B visa caps to market conditions and allow visa holders to renew while waiting for green cards. |