Tom Vilsack on Abortion

• A Catholic who supports abortion rights. (Jul 2004)

Tom Vilsack on Budget & Economy

• Support the extension of unemployment benefits. (Jan 2004)
• Let state meat inspection suffice for interstate shipments. (Jul 2000)
• Bankruptcy reform: limit Chapter 7; protect states' role. (Feb 2001)
• Uphold commitments to states before other spending. (Sep 2001)
• Foster dairy production that is market driven. (Feb 1998)

Tom Vilsack on Civil Rights

• Rated “B” by National Review on pro-gay issues. (Jan 2007)
• Hosted Governor’s Conference on LGBT Youth. (Feb 2006)
• Declared English as Iowa’s official language. (Jun 2004)
• Demand full funding to help Americans vote. (Jan 2004)
• Shift from group preferences to economic empowerment of all. (Aug 2000)
• Support principles embodied in the Equal Rights Amendment. (Feb 2001)

Tom Vilsack on Corporations

Tom Vilsack on Crime

• Against the death penalty. (Nov 2006)
• Opposes death penalty in Iowa. (Dec 2005)
• Supports flexible federal block grants for crime programs. (Sep 2001)

Tom Vilsack on Drugs

• Reduced supply of dangerous drugs. (Jan 2001)
• More federal funding for all aspects of Drug War. (Aug 2000)

Tom Vilsack on Education

• We need educational revolution, NOT “No Child Left Behind”. (Jun 2006)
• Support a funded No Child Left Behind program. (Jan 2004)
• Demand funding for disabled learning. (Jan 2004)
• More pay for teachers, with merit pay. (Jan 2001)
• Offer every parent Charter Schools and public school choice. (Aug 2000)
• Improve and invest in public schools. (Aug 2001)

Tom Vilsack on Energy & Oil

• Need an energy policy tied to environmental conservation. (Jun 2006)
• Supports tradable emissions permits for greenhouse gases. (Aug 2000)
• Voluntary partnerships reduce greenhouse gases economically. (Aug 2000)
• Kyoto Treaty must include reductions by all countries. (Aug 2000)
• Set goal of 25% renewable energy by 2025. (Jan 2007)

Tom Vilsack on Environment

• Vetoed a bill that failed to adequately protect health. (Apr 2004)
• Burn waste oat hulls to save energy costs. (Apr 2004)
• Vetoed a bill without adequate environmental safeguards. (Mar 2004)
• Fund solutions for runoff contaminating waterways. (Jan 2004)
• Replace MTBE in gasoline with cleaner ethanol. (May 2000)
• More state autonomy on brownfields & Superfund cleanups. (Aug 2001)
• Support State Revolving Loan Fund for flexible Clean Water. (Aug 2001)
• More EPA flexibility on interstate ozone. (May 1998)
• Maintain joint EPA-state authority over nuclear waste. (Oct 1999)

Tom Vilsack on Families & Children

• Give parents tools to balance work and family. (Aug 2000)
• Encourage fathers' participation in child-raising. (Sep 2001)
• Federal funds & state involvement in fatherhood initiatives. (Aug 2001)

Tom Vilsack on Foreign Policy

• America’s real war on terror is fighting poverty & ignorance. (Jun 2006)
• Progressive Internationalism: globalize with US pre-eminence. (Aug 2000)

Tom Vilsack on Free Trade

• Build a rule-based global trading system. (Aug 2000)
• Ease Canadian border-crossing rules. (May 1998)
• Grant fast-track authority to the President. (Nov 1999)

Tom Vilsack on Government Reform

• Made Iowa government more transparent and smaller. (Dec 2006)
• Voluntary public financing for all general elections. (Aug 2000)
• Reforms must respect state's rights to select electors. (Aug 2001)

Tom Vilsack on Gun Control

• Prevent unauthorized firearm use with "smart gun" technology. (Aug 2000)

Tom Vilsack on Health Care

• Focus on curing incurable diseases that drive up health cost. (Feb 2007)
• Focus on wellness to improve healthcare without tax increase. (Feb 2007)
• Help Medicare by sharing data & providing long-term homecare. (Feb 2007)
• Disapprove inefficient uses of tobacco prevention dollars. (May 2004)
• Supports changes to the new Medicare law. (Jan 2004)
• Establish "report cards" on HMO quality of care. (Aug 2000)
• No federal pre-emption of employee health plan regulation. (Oct 2001)
• Maintain Medicare funding of HMO benefits. (Oct 1999)
• Protect state tobacco settlement funds from federal seizure. (Apr 1999)

Tom Vilsack on Homeland Security

• Pay salary differentials for active duty employees. (Feb 2004)
• Support continued funding for First Responders. (Jan 2004)

Tom Vilsack on Immigration

• Diversity adds to our economic wealth. (Jan 2001)
• Share costs of legal immigration between states & federal. (Feb 2001)
• Federal government should deal with criminal repatriation. (Feb 2001)
• Ease Canadian border-crossing rules. (Oct 1999)

Tom Vilsack on Jobs

• Launched plant construction projects to create jobs. (Feb 2004)
• University R&D will find new uses for crops. (Jan 2001)
• Full review of farm policy; more state flexibility. (May 2001)
• State instead of federal rules for animal operations. (Nov 1999)
• Immediate federal assistance for farm crisis. (Sep 1999)

Tom Vilsack on Principles & Values

• Heartland PAC supports 22 statewide candidates plus IA & NH. (Dec 2006)
• Launches presidential bid; files FEC paperwork. (Nov 2006)
• Religious affiliation: Catholic. (Nov 2000)
• Supports Hyde Park Declaration of "Third Way" centrism. (Aug 2000)
• Member of Democratic Governors Association. (Aug 2001)
• Member of Midwestern Governors' Association. (Sep 2001)
• Member, National Governors Association/Economic Development. (Jan 2001)

Tom Vilsack on Social Security

• If US gov’t were a business, balance sheet looks mismanaged. (Feb 2007)
• Index by prices instead of wages, to maintain stability. (Feb 2007)
• Create Retirement Savings Accounts. (Aug 2000)
• Maintain long-term solvency of Social Security and Medicare. (Aug 2001)

Tom Vilsack on Tax Reform

• Embraces middle-class tax cuts. (Nov 2006)
• Support growth measure but not accompanying tax cuts. (Jun 2004)
• No national sales tax or VAT. (Feb 2000)
• Let states independently determine estate taxes. (May 2001)

Tom Vilsack on War & Peace

• National Guard too busy in Iraq handle natural disasters. (Feb 2007)
• The war needs to be ended now, not in 6 months or 6 years. (Feb 2007)
• Congress should remove funding for the war. (Feb 2007)
• Get troops out of harm’s way in Iraq. (Nov 2006)
• Deal with terrorism as a joint federal-state responsibility. (Feb 2001)
• Include states in anti-terrorism planning. (Sep 2001)

Tom Vilsack on Welfare & Poverty

• Provide heating and energy assistance for poor families. (Jan 2004)
• Finish welfare reform by moving able recipients into jobs. (Aug 2000)
• Support LIHEAP, low-income heating assistance. (May 2000)
• Promote the next generation of welfare reform. (Aug 2001)
• Maintain federal Social Services Block Grant funding. (Sep 2001)
• Maintain flexibility & funding levels for TANF block grants. (Sep 2001)