McCain Q&A

Q: A new farm bill will be implemented over the next four years during a time of change for agriculture in the U.S. and the world. What policies do you propose to keep U.S. agriculture a profitable and viable industry?

First, I will bring the agriculture community together to develop a market-driven risk management system for farmers and ranchers to sustain them during natural disasters. I will challenge America to enact fundamental reforms to our crop insurance program and other agricultural policies. Rapidly rising input costs and fluctuating commodity prices pose real threats to the financial stability of American agriculture. The global market is too complex for American farmers and ranchers to rely on an outmoded system that assumes a narrow trading band for these input costs and commodity prices. A market-based system of risk management will eliminate the influence of special interests on America's agricultural policy and allow individual farmers and ranchers to determine for themselves the scale and structure of their operations.

Second, I will engage the agricultural community and international leaders to move forward a trade agenda that expands access to overseas markets and promotes American agricultural exports. Expanding our farmers' and ranchers' access to foreign markets will provide an immense long-term benefit for our agricultural sector. As president, I will work to ratify multilateral, regional and bilateral trade deals. In particular, I will provide strong leadership to get the global talks back on track. In addition, I will work tirelessly to ensure that our farmers and ranchers receive fair prices for their products. I will uphold our obligations under bilateral and WTO agreements, and I will demand the same of other nations.

Third, I will work to ignite a 21st Century Green Revolution. I will direct the Department of Agriculture to launch a comprehensive research agenda to help develop more stress-resistant, higher-yielding crops to increase production per acre. This will enable American farmers and ranchers to optimize their use of land, water and other resources to meet the needs of an expanding world population.

Q: American farmers and ranchers utilize energy for production, processing and transportation. Agriculture is also a growing provider of renewable energy. With energy costs rising sharply, how do you propose to change energy policy to meet our country's short- and long-term energy needs, and strengthen our energy security?

All across this nation, people are hurting. Farmers and ranchers are unable to cover the costs of production and transportation, and small business owners are struggling to meet payroll. All of this, in large part, is because the price of oil is too high, and the supply of oil is too uncertain. The next president must be willing to break with the energy policies not just of the current administration, but the administrations that preceded it, and lead a great national campaign to achieve energy security for America.

In the short term, this requires more domestic production, especially in the Outer Continental Shelf. As a matter of fairness to the American people, we must assure affordable fuel for America by increasing domestic production of a variety of energy sources, which will reduce our dependence on foreign oil and lower the prices we pay at the pump.

In the long term, solving our energy crisis requires an "all of the above" approach. It will require aggressive development of alternative energies like wind, solar, tidal and biofuels. It will also require expanding traditional sources of energy by developing clean-coal technologies, promoting nuclear power and permitting offshore drilling. This nation cannot afford to put off serious energy reform any longer. For the sake of our economy, for the sake of our environment and for the sake of our national security, we need to get it done and get it right.

Q: Expanded opportunities for international trade have boosted export sales of U.S. agricultural exports to over $108 billion annually. What are your views on maintaining current trade agreements and continuing to pursue further agreements such as the World Trade Organization's Doha Round and bilateral trade agreements? Will you support the renewal of Trade Promotion Authority?

A central focus of my agriculture policy is to expand international trade, bringing American products to more foreign markets and boosting the profitability of American farms. I believe that we must uphold our current international commitments, such as NAFTA, while looking for new opportunities, which is why I support ratifying pending trade deals with countries like Colombia, Panama and South Korea. As president, I will pursue multilateral, regional and bilateral efforts to reduce trade barriers, level the global playing field and build effective enforcement of global trading rules. I will provide energetic leadership to get our global trade negotiations back on track. Trade Promotion Authority is essential to making progress toward these important goals.

Q: Without comprehensive immigration reform that provides a stable, legal workforce, U.S. agriculture risks losing up to $9 billion a year in production to other countries. What reforms do you propose to ensure that agriculture has an adequate and legal workforce?

I reached across the aisle twice to bring about comprehensive immigration reform, working with Democrats to strike the proper balance between border security and the growth of our workforce. Unfortunately, partisans from both sides of the political spectrum stood in the way of reform, such as when Senator Obama five times proposed poison-pill amendments. As president, I will be committed to finally achieving the immigration reform our country so desperately needs. I will first convince Americans that we can secure the border and follow through on my commitment to do so. I will then work to enact a practical and fair immigration policy, one that ensures respect for the laws of this country, recognizes the important economic contribution of immigrant laborers, apprehends those who came here illegally to commit crimes and deals practically and humanely with those who came here to build a better, safer life for their families, without excusing the fact that they came here illegally.

I will reform the H-2A visa program to provide a non-bureaucratic, adaptable, useable program that is reflective of market needs and protects both the immigrant and U.S. workers. I will also implement a secure, accurate and reliable electronic employment verification system to ensure that individuals are screened for work eligibility in a real-time fashion and provide responses to employer inquiries in a prompt and timely manner to give both the employer and employee security in their hiring decisions.

Q: Farm Bureau supports the repeal of the death tax and reform of the capital gains tax. What changes in these taxes do you support in order to reduce the burden on farm and ranch families and small business owners?

This election presents a stark choice on these important issues of taxation. I will lower the estate tax to 15 percent and raise the exemption to estates valued at $10 million. I will keep capital gains and dividend taxes at the current low levels. Senator Obama will raise them. My policies will help small businesses thrive and keep farms within the family. Senator Obama's policies are a recipe for economic stagnation.

Q: What policies do you support to address the issue of climate change while maintaining economic growth?

Global climate change demands our urgent attention, especially in Washington. To dramatically reduce carbon emissions, I have proposed a new cap-and-trade system that over time will change the dynamic of our energy economy. We will cap emissions according to specific goals, measuring progress by reference to past carbon emissions. By the year 2050, we would achieve an emissions reduction of 60 percent below 1990 levels.

Under my cap-and-trade proposal, we will transition into a low-carbon energy future while staying on a course of economic growth. As part of my plan, the agricultural community would not be subject to greenhouse gas emissions caps, but would be able to develop verifiable carbon credits to sell to other sectors subject to the caps. As never before, the market would reward any person or company that seeks to invent, improve or acquire alternatives to carbon-based energy. As president, I will turn all the apparatus of government in the direction of combating climate change and achieving energy independence for our country-authorizing new production, building nuclear plants, perfecting clean coal, improving our electricity grid and supporting all the new technologies that one day will put the age of fossil fuels behind us.

Q: Farmers and ranchers are impacted by environmental regulation because they depend on our natural resources to produce food and regulatory costs often cannot be recouped. What is your perspective on environmental regulation as it affects farmers and ranchers?

As I have said, as president I will launch an ambitious research agenda-a 21st Century Green Revolution-to enable farmers and ranchers to make better use of natural resources, cutting costs and making farms more productive, while promoting responsible stewardship of our environment. By developing new agricultural techniques and technologies, we can rejuvenate America's agricultural industry while conserving our natural resources and combating climate change.

In addition, my comprehensive cap-and-trade plan to halt climate change exempts agriculture and small businesses, while providing the agricultural sector the opportunity to develop carbon credits to trade to other sectors subject to the emissions caps. This practical approach ensures the continuing viability of our agriculture industry while cutting greenhouse gas emissions 60 percent by 2050.

I will also promote conservation programs that encourage maximum environmental protection of America's farmlands, which will assist farmers and ranchers in the protection of wildlife and rivers.

Q: Regulations governing water quality frequently have unintended consequences at the farm level. How would your administration protect our water resources while taking into account the diverse business concerns of livestock and crop producers, as well as their contributions to a cleaner environment?

I am a strong believer that decisions about environmental safety and conservation should be made with the input of all stakeholders and that the views of local communities should be given great weight in decision-making. We all know that decisions about natural resources can be divisive and, if not carefully thought out, can result in tension between resource users and conservationists. We must strive toward a fair and sensible balance.

As a Westerner, I am deeply aware of the significance of water, a precious commodity. Ensuring an ample and clean supply for municipal, agricultural, industrial, tribal and conservation purposes is one of our most essential but difficult tasks. I have several principles I would apply. First, existing water rights, compacts and agreements should be respected and protected. Second, any modifications to the allocation of water supply should be negotiated among the affected stakeholders to ensure just and proper outcomes. Third, to the maximum extent possible, water rights disputes should be resolved in state and local courts that can recognize and protect all legitimate claims, rights and authorities. Fourth, any necessary mediation of water rights disputes must recognize applicable law, involve all affected local communities and ensure that water is used responsibly, sustainably and for maximum public benefit.

Q: A modern transportation and communications infrastructure is vital to food and energy production. What ideas will you propose to address highway, rail, waterway and port needs? How will you deal with the need for greater access to high-speed Internet infrastructure in rural America?

Advances in agriculture and information technology will allow rural Americans to create their own economic opportunities that are the key to expanding economic prosperity throughout rural America. I support improving the flow of private capital, broadening the availability of technology, supporting the rapid evolution of technology into a sustainable industry and strengthening the infrastructure necessary to deliver the economic output of rural America to the global market.

Our transportation infrastructure is vital to our economy and to our agricultural sector in particular. As president, I will ensure that our infrastructure meets the requirements of a 21st century economy. I will work to find solutions to reduce congestion at our inland port facilities and to improve our ability to identify cargo at its point of origin. I will make sure that the federal government provides all necessary funding for our roads and rail facilities.

I will also work to allow a serious investment to upgrade our national electricity grid to meet the demands of the 21st century. Rural America can play a leading role in generating electricity from biofuel, biomass, geothermal, solar and wind sources. I believe that America must reduce the barriers to developing energy generation facilities and transmitting the energy necessary to meet the goal of national energy security.

Expanding Internet access to rural communities will be a priority in my administration. I have long believed that all Americans should have access to high-speed Internet services and receive the economic opportunities derived from technology. Access to high-speed Internet services facilitates interstate commerce, drives innovation, promotes educational achievements, allows access to health services and literally has the potential to change lives. As president, I would continue to encourage private investment to facilitate the build-out of infrastructure to provide high-speed Internet connectivity all over America. However, where private industry does not answer the call because of market failures or other obstacles, I believe that people acting through their local governments should be able to invest in their own future by building out infrastructure to provide high-speed Internet services. That is why I introduced the "Community Broadband Bill," which would allow local governments to offer such services, particularly when private industry fails to do so.

I have proposed a "People Connect Program," which will reward companies that offer high-speed Internet access to underserved, low-income customers by allowing those companies to write off the cost of that service. I will also work to enable communities to build information infrastructure when private companies will not by offering government-backed loans or by issuing bonds with low interest rates.

Q: Why should farmers and ranchers vote for you?

The continuing success of American agriculture and the health of America's rural heartland require leadership that understands that productivity and innovation are created by the effort, ingenuity and investment of individual Americans. Our nation's security depends on the health of American agriculture and I will promote agricultural policies that help America's farmers and ranchers thrive in the 21st century. As president, I will work to develop all of America's domestic energy resources, reduce taxes and government regulation, preserve property rights, provide a sustainable, market-driven risk management system for farmers and ranchers, improve incentives to invest in technology and rural infrastructure, reduce trade barriers, secure our borders while providing a fair and practical temporary labor program and strengthen the American economy by eliminating wasteful government spending.

Obama Q&A

Q: A new farm bill will be implemented over the next four years during a time of change for agriculture in the U.S. and the world. What policies do you propose to keep U.S. agriculture a profitable and viable industry?

I support a robust safety net that targets assistance appropriately and provides farmers with risk mitigation tools that protect them from weather and market conditions that are beyond their control. This includes traditional farm programs, crop insurance and disaster assistance. I supported the 2008 farm bill and both the bill's permanent disaster program and ad hoc disaster assistance when farmers in Illinois and around the country have needed it.

It's important to implement the 2008 farm bill in keeping with the intent of Congress. The legislation is the product of more than 18 months of negotiations that attempted to satisfy a complex set of competing priorities. If particular provisions are difficult to administer or present technical challenges to the Department of Agriculture, I will work with leaders from both parties in Congress and relevant stakeholders to make appropriate adjustments that are acceptable to the key stakeholders involved.

As president, I will work to ensure that the protections in the bill against gaming the system are properly enforced, and I will work with Congress to push for stronger payment limitations.

Q: American farmers and ranchers utilize energy for production, processing and transportation. Agriculture is also a growing provider of renewable energy. With energy costs rising sharply, how do you propose to change energy policy to meet our country's short- and long-term energy needs, and strengthen our energy security?

Farmers are pinched by record energy prices and feel firsthand the effects of our energy crisis, yet farmers also know that rural communities are on the cutting edge of efforts to end it, and it's time Washington stepped up to help. That's why I have established a goal to have 60 billion gallons of our fuel come from sustainable, affordable biofuels by 2022, and I'll invest $150 billion over the next 10 years in our green energy sector, creating up to 5 million new jobs in the process-jobs that pay well and can't be outsourced. In the interim, I also recognize that continued support for responsible development of domestic oil and gas resources must also be a priority as we work to diversify our nation's energy supply.

Q: Expanded opportunities for international trade have boosted export sales of U.S. agricultural exports to over $108 billion annually. What are your views on maintaining current trade agreements and continuing to pursue further agreements such as the World Trade Organization's Doha Round and bilateral trade agreements? Will you support the renewal of Trade Promotion Authority?

Trade is vital to our agriculture sector. About 50 percent of the wheat, 20 percent of the corn and 35 percent of the soybeans we grow in the United States are exported. These markets increase demand for our homegrown products and provide American farmers with additional revenue. Our farmers are among the most efficient in the world and, if given a level playing field, can compete effectively with anyone in the world.

There are several steps we must take to remain competitive and expand our access to markets. I support providing full funding to vital market promotion programs that enhance our access to important international markets. I have fought to break down trade and investment barriers that restrict our access to markets and will continue to do so. I supported bipartisan efforts to lift Korea's and Japan's bans on American beef.

It's also important that we ensure that our trade agreements create a level playing field for American businesses and workers, and that our farmers and businesses secure robust market access as a result of these agreements. Trade agreements must contain strong and enforceable labor and environmental standards so that American farmers are able to compete on a level playing field. I will also continue to support providing resources to research and technology that enhances the productivity and profitability of our farmers.

Q: Without comprehensive immigration reform that provides a stable, legal workforce, U.S. agriculture risks losing up to $9 billion a year in production to other countries. What reforms do you propose to ensure that agriculture has an adequate and legal workforce?

The agriculture industry relies heavily on seasonal and migrant labor. I helped lead the fight for comprehensive immigration reform in the Senate, and I will make it a priority as president. We need comprehensive reform that secures our borders, fixes our broken immigration bureaucracy and puts the 12 million undocumented immigrants on a responsible path to citizenship. At the workplace, we need a simple, but mandatory electronic system that enables employers to verify the legal status of the people they hire. We need to make sure we allocate visas in a way that honors America's commitment to family unity and hard work while also leaving room to bring people that America needs to compete in a global economy. We must also ensure that immigrant workers have full rights and responsibilities, like any other worker in our labor market.

Q: Farm Bureau supports the repeal of the death tax and reform of the capital gains tax. What changes in these taxes do you support in order to reduce the burden on farm and ranch families and small business owners?

I have a comprehensive plan that would provide a tax cut for 95 percent of households and simplify the tax code. I support a reasonable estate tax policy that would effectively repeal the estate tax for 99.7 percent of estates. For the remaining 0.3 percent of estates that have more than $7 million per couple, I will retain a rate of 45 percent. This policy would cut the number of estates touched by the tax by 84 percent relative to 2000.

My plan for capital gains is to maintain the current rate for families with incomes below $250,000. Those in the top two income brackets would pay a new rate of 20 percent, which is equal to the lowest rate that existed in the 1990s and the rate that President Bush proposed in 2001.

Q: What policies do you support to address the issue of climate change while maintaining economic growth?

I support implementation of an economy-wide cap-and-trade system to reduce carbon emissions by the amount scientists say is necessary: 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. This market mechanism has worked before and will give all American consumers and businesses the incentives to use their ingenuity to develop economically effective solutions to climate change.

I will use some of the revenue generated from this cap-and-trade permit auction to invest in climate-friendly energy development and deployment. This will transform the economy, especially in rural America, which is poised to produce more renewable energy than ever before, creating millions of new jobs across the country. I will also develop domestic incentives that reward forest owners, farmers and ranchers when they plant trees, restore grasslands or undertake farming practices that capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, creating new opportunities for rural America to help solve the climate crisis.

Q: Farmers and ranchers are impacted by environmental regulation because they depend on our natural resources to produce food and regulatory costs often cannot be recouped. What is your perspective on environmental regulation as it affects farmers and ranchers?

As president, I will support balanced policies to encourage responsible stewardship of our natural treasures and reverse the Bush administration's attempts to chip away at our nation's clean air and water standards.

Q: Regulations governing water quality frequently have unintended consequences at the farm level. How would your administration protect our water resources while taking into account the diverse business concerns of livestock and crop producers, as well as their contributions to a cleaner environment?

The federal government has an important role in the process of tackling water management issues-to help local communities manage scarce water resources. The federal government has to be an honest broker between competing interests, but shouldn't decide water policy in a heavy-handed, top-down way.

Q: A modern transportation and communications infrastructure is vital to food and energy production. What ideas will you propose to address highway, rail, waterway and port needs? How will you deal with the need for greater access to high-speed Internet infrastructure in rural America?

One of the hurdles farmers and those in rural America face is the creation of a modern transportation system. As president, I will increase funding so that we can upgrade and maintain our waterways as they are a vital component of our rural infrastructure and enhance the competitiveness of our homegrown products. In addition, I supported the Water Resources Development Act, which authorized major upgrades to our waterways infrastructure, including the Upper Mississippi River and Illinois Waterway System, and will work to provide the funding necessary to advance these new projects. I will also invest in rural communities by improving rural transportation infrastructure, increasing the availability of high-speed Internet access and cell phone service.

Q: Why should farmers and ranchers vote for you?

During my time in the Illinois Senate and in the U.S. Senate, I've had the great privilege of representing some of America's hardest working and most productive farmers. And farmers have helped teach me how important this sector is to the nation. We depend on agriculture to provide food, feed, fiber and fuel, and it's vital that federal policies help our farmers make a living and contribute to our nation's food security.

This election is our chance to bring about the change our farms and rural areas so desperately need. We cannot afford four more years of the Bush rural agenda, and that's what Sen. McCain is offering. Like President Bush, he opposed a farm bill that is helping many family farmers. And he has a long history of opposing renewable fuels. It's time to make the rural agenda America's agenda. That's the kind of leadership you deserve-and if you stand with me in November, that's the kind of leadership I will offer as president.

9/29/08
4 Star NE\10-B

Date: 9/24/08