John Kerry Right for Catholics on USCCB Voting Guide

In their brochure, "The Challenge of Faithful Citzenship, A Call To Political Responsibility", the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops posed 10 questions to the Campaigns. It is evident that upon review and deep reflection as Catholics that we have found that John Kerry is Right for Catholics on these issues that have been raised by our Bishops. Right not only as a Catholic, but as a compassionate human being.

(PRWEB) October 8, 2004 -- 1. After September 11, 2001 how can we build not only a safer world but a better world, more just, more secure, more peaceful, more respectful of human life and dignity?

RIGHT: John Kerry voted for a comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.
RIGHT: John Kerry cosponsored landmine elimination and victim assistance bill in 2001.
RIGHT: John Kerry cosponsored the U.S. code of conduct on arms transfers.
RIGHT: John Kerry supports preemptive war only when the U.S. is so threatened.

2. How will we protect the innocent in our midst~innocent unborn children? How can our nation not turn to violence to solve some of it's more difficult problems~abortion to deal with difficult pregnancies; the death penalty to combat crime; euthanasia and assisted suicide to deal with the burdens of age, illness, and disability, and war to address international disputes?

RIGHT: Kerry opposes the use of the death penalty in all cases except convicted terrorists.
RIGHT: Kerry supports preemptive war only when the U.S. is so threatened

3. How will we address the tragic fact that more than 30,000 children die every day as a result of hunger, international debt, and lack of development around the world?

RIGHT: John Kerry supports hunger policy that sets a goal of eliminating hunger among children and the elderly. Supported a policy of universal free meals in schools.
RIGHT: John Kerry supported the 2002 Farm bill that provides commodity payments and price supports for major export crops.
RIGHT: John Kerry sponsored Hunger to Harvest Bill-focused on reducing hunger in Sub-Saharan Africa, providing food and medicine and committing U.S. resources to global health, AIDS, education, agriculture, free market, and debt relief (House Resolution Sponsorship 01-HCR102 April 4, 2001).
RIGHT: John Kerry opposed to capping foreign aid at only $12.7B (0.7% of federal budget) in 1999 (H.R.2606 Conference Report, Bill HR2606).

4. How can our nation help parents raise their children with respect for life, sound moral values, a sense of hope, and an ethic of stewardship and responsibility? How can our society defend the central institution of marriage and better support families in their moral responsibilities?

RIGHT: John Kerry supports raising the federal minimum wage and indexing the minimum wage to inflation.
RIGHT: John Kerry supports expanding public school choice programs to provide parents and students more educational options.
RIGHT: John Kerry voted for the Broadcast Indecency Act of 2004.
RIGHT: John Kerry supports the creation of an Education Trust Fund to fund education as an automatic budget transfer.

5. How will we address the growing number of people without affordable and accessible health care? How can health care better protect human life and respect human dignity?

RIGHT: John Kerry supports buy-in to health insurance through creating a federally subsidized plan.
RIGHT: John Kerry supports creating a group option to buy into the federal employee benefits program with a tax credit for uninsured individuals.
RIGHT: John Kerry supports limiting premiums to expand state programs for low- and moderate-income families, and provide a tax credit for small firms.

6. How will our society combat continuing prejudice, overcome hostility toward immigrants and refugees, and heal the wounds of racism, religious bigotry, and discrimination?

RIGHT: John Kerry in the Senate, cosponsored the Fair Pay Act, which would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to require employers to provide equal pay for work in jobs that are comparable in skill, effort, responsibility and working conditions.
RIGHT: John Kerry cosponsored the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would provide remedies to victims of discrimination in the payment of wages on the basis of sex.
RIGHT: John Kerry supports the full restoration of benefits for legal immigrants
RIGHT: John Kerry supports a proposal to allow undocumented immigrants to legalize their status if they have been in the United States for a certain amount of time, have been working, and can pass a background check.

7. How will our nation pursue the values of justice and peace in a world where injustice is common, desperate poverty widespread, and peace too often overwhelmed by violence?

RIGHT: John Kerry Sponsored Hunger to Harvest Bill-focused on reducing hunger in Sub-Saharan Africa, providing food and medicine and committing U.S. resources to global health, AIDS, education, agriculture, free market, and debt relief (House Resolution Sponsorship 01-HCR102 April 4, 2001). Sponsored Vaccines for New Millenium Act-focused on boosting contributions to the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative.
RIGHT: John Kerry opposes the Central American Free Trade Agreement, about which the Bishops in the US and Central America have expressed concerns.
RIGHT: John Kerry advocates more cooperation with U.N. and other international bodies as essential elements for bringing peace to Iraq.
RIGHT: John Kerry supports U.S. participation in the International Criminal Court, an effort to create an international body to try human rights abuses.

8. What are the responsibilities and limitations of families, community organizations, markets, and government? How can these elements of society work together to overcome poverty, pursue the common good, and care for creation?

RIGHT: John Kerry favors allowing faith based community organizations to provide federally funded social services. Does not support their exemption from federal anti-discrimination safeguards. These safeguards do not allow funding to organizations that discriminate based on race, faith, gender, or sexual orientation.

9. When should our nation use or avoid the use of military force for
    what purpose, under what authority, and at what human cost?

RIGHT: John Kerry Supports preemptive war only when the U.S. is so threatened that it is required for the security of our country or for the accomplishment of some extraordinary humanitarian goal

10. How can we join with other nations to lead the world to a greater respect for human life and dignity, religious freedom and democracy, economic justice and care for God's creation?

RIGHT: John Kerry advocates more cooperation with U.N. and other international bodies as essential elements for bringing peace to Iraq.
RIGHT: John Kerry voted to strengthen enforcement of the Safe Drinking Water Act. Supports reducing automobile emissions by increasing the production of renewable energy like wind and solar power.
RIGHT: John Kerry supports a repeal of the tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans but supports middle class tax cuts and low income tax credits such as the child credit and the elimination of the marriage penalty.
RIGHT: John Kerry supports increasing tax revenues to provide additional funding for health and education programs.
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