The side-by-side comparison below focuses on important health care issues not necessarily addressed in the candidates' health care reform proposals. It was prepared by the Kaiser Family Foundation with the assistance of Health Policy Alternatives, Inc. The comparisons are based on information compiled from the candidates' Web sites, speeches and campaign debates.
John McCain
Barack Obama
Women's Health
Reproductive Health
Contraception
- Campaign has not addressed.
Abortion
- Advocates Roe v. Wade be overturned and the issue returned to the states.
- Supports government actions to empower and strengthen pro-life organizations and efforts.
- Supports a complete ban on “partial-birth” abortions.
International Issues
- Campaign has not addressed.
Sex Education
- Campaign has not addressed.
Adoption
- Would promote adoption as a first option in crisis pregnancies
Contraception
- Would work to reduce unintended pregnancy by guaranteeing equity in contraceptive coverage, providing sex education, increasing funding for Title X, and offering rape victims accurate information about emergency contraception.
Abortion
- Would make preserving a women's right to choose under Roe v. Wade a priority and would oppose any constitutional amendment to overturn that decision.
- Believes state-level “partial-birth” abortion bans should include an exception for cases where the pregnant woman's health is in jeopardy.
- Does not believe mental stress qualifies as an exception to the prohibition on late-term abortion.
- Does not support current ban on use of federal funds for abortion.
International Issues
- Would overturn “Mexico City” policy barring federal funding assistance to non-governmental organizations that perform abortions or provide abortion counseling.
- Would reinstate funding for United Nations Family Planning Agency.
Sex Education
- Supports comprehensive sex education programs that teaches about abstinence and contraception.
Adoption
- Supports encouraging adoptions as a proper role of government.
Women's Health Research
- Campaign has not addressed.
- Would invest in research to examine gender and health disparities.
Caregiving and Leave Policies
- Would not expand the Family and Medical Leave Act.
- Believes that sick days should be negotiated between management and labor.
- Would consider tax credits or other financial incentives to assist family caregivers.
- Would expand the Family and Medical Leave Act to cover businesses with 25 or more employees (compared with 50 or more employees as required under current law) and to cover more purposes including allowing workers to take leave for elder care needs; allowing parents up to 24 hours of leave each year to participate in their children's academic activities; allowing leave to be taken for purposes of caring for individuals who reside in their home for 6 months or more; and covering leave for employees to address domestic violence and sexual assault.
- Would require employers to provide seven paid sick days per year.
