Political positions of Chris Dodd
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During his years in the House and Senate, Chris Dodd has built a long record of political positions on important issues to the citizens of the United States. His views became of national interest during Dodd's 2008 presidential campaign.
Dodd favors a one year troop withdrawal timetable to end the Iraq War[1] and is against warrantless surveillance.[2] Dodd has supported amending the Family Medical Leave Act to include paid leave, [3] restoring the rule of law to the U.S. immigration system,[4] and a corporate carbon tax to combat global warming.[5]
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[edit] Rankings by voter groups
Dodd's rankings from Americans for Democratic Action have been 95 percent and above since 2000.[6] Similarly, Dodd receives low ratings from conservative groups, such as the John Birch Society, the American Conservative Union, and the Christian Coalition of America.[7]
[edit] Foreign policy
[edit] The Iraq War
Dodd voted in favor of the Iraq War Resolution in 2002 but has since become an opponent of the war.[8] Dodd has said the Iraq War has been waged “for all the wrong reasons” and that it is eroding both the nation's security and its moral leadership.[9]
Dodd has criticized his congressional colleagues for failing to be more forceful penetrating President George W. Bush's Iraq War troop surge of 2007. "This was debating about debating. This was the House and the Senate at some of its worst. ... I think we missed an opportunity to put our foot down and stop [the surge]."[10]
In May 2007, he voted in the Senate against continued funding for the Iraq war.[9]
Of the 2008 presidential candidates, he was the only one to co-sponsor the Democrats' most aggressive anti-war bill.[9]
On 16 November, he was the only Democrat in the Senate to vote against a bill which would have funded the war while requiring the beginning of troops withdrawals, because, he said, the bill did not go far enough to end the war.[11]
[edit] Trade policy
Dodd voted for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and said in 2003 that such trade agreements have "...brought increased cooperation and communication. They have been positive forces that promote political and economic stability, as well as growth and democracy."[12] He believed then that "successful efforts to achieve a Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), and eventually in 2005, a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), will help further these goals. As well, the United States stands to benefit along with our neighbors from increased trade relations throughout the hemisphere."
However, on 9 November 2007, he came out against the Peru Free Trade Agreement, saying "Americans are looking for change - but there's nothing new in supporting the failed trade policy of the last six years, which is partially responsible for the loss of 3 million manufacturing jobs. It's disappointing that Senators Clinton and Obama, in supporting this agreement, would support more of the same, which will only add to our deficit, taking jobs away from hardworking Americans and shipping them elsewhere."[13]
He continued that the U.S. "must take a 'strategic pause' and not sign any new trade agreements until we have a model for trade that raises -- not lowers -- living standards for the vast majority of Americans and the people in countries with which we trade."[13]
[edit] Africa
In June 2007, Dodd expressed his support for unilateral military intervention in Darfur to help put an end to the genocide.
[edit] Domestic policy
[edit] Civil liberties
Dodd supported the interests of the American Civil Liberties Union between 60 and 80 percent of the time from 2000 to 2006.[14]
In 2004, he introduced a bill to enact a Federal Shield law.[15]
Dodd, along with Senators Patrick Leahy, Russ Feingold, and Robert Menendez introduced the "Restoring the Constitution Act of 2007", which he claims "restores Habeas Corpus rights, bars evidence gained through torture or coercion and reinstates U.S. adherence to the Geneva Conventions in order to protect the nation’s military personnel abroad." The bill is supported by the ACLU, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Human Rights First, The Center for Victims of Torture, Open Society Institute, and Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition International.[16]
[edit] Warrantless surveillance
- See also: NSA warrantless surveillance controversy
On 18 October 2007, he placed a hold on a Senate bill revamping the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a procedural move that denies the party leadership the unanimous consent they need to bring a bill to the Senate floor.[17] He objected to the bill's grant of amnesty to telecom companies who spied on their customers on behalf of the executive branch without a judicial warrant.[17] "By granting immunity to telecommunications companies that participated in the President's terrorist surveillance program, even though such participation may have been illegal, the FISA reform bill sets a dangerous precedent by giving the President sweeping authorization to neglect the right to privacy that Americans are entitled to under the Constitution," Dodd explained in a statement outlining his concerns.[18]
[edit] Civil rights
Chris Dodd was rated 60% by the ACLU, indicating a mixed civil rights voting record. He voted for expanding hate crimes to include sexual orientation but voted for prohibiting same-sex marriage in 1996. He voted against an Amendment to prohibit flag burning and legislation banning affirmative action hiring with federal funds. As of 2007, he supports civil unions for gays and lesbians, but still opposes same-sex marriage.
[edit] Energy and environmental issues
Dodd has pointed out that the U.S. borrows $1 billion per day to buy foreign oil, and has said that using nonrenewable energy sources such as oil "is an insane status quo policy... we will be indicted by history for this."[19] Dodd has proposed a carbon tax on corporations as a measure to reduced carbon dioxide emissions and reduce global warming.[20] Dodd believes the tax could provide about $50 billion in revenue annually and be used to develop renewable energy sources.[19]
He also advocates increasing the fuel efficiency requirements for vehicles to 50 miles per gallon by 2017, and has noted that requirements were previously higher from 1983-1984.[19]
Dodd supported the interests of the League of Conservation Voters between 80 and 100 percent of the time from 1999 to 2006.[21] Senator Dodd's record on environmental issues was rated 80 and 100% of the time from 1999 to 2006 by the League of Conservation Voters, indicating environmental-friendly views[1].
In April 2004, the Senator stated that the "EPA must do better on mercury clean-up"[2].
[edit] National service
Dodd has proposed mandatory community service for all high school students.[22] Dodd, a former Peace Corps volunteer who served in the Dominican Republic, has also proposed doubling the size of the Peace Corps to 15,000 volunteers by 2011 and expanding AmeriCorps to 1 million participants by the end of his presidency.[22] Dodd says his goal is to see 40 million people volunteering in some form by 2020.[22] [23]
[edit] Child care
Dodd is perhaps best known for bringing attention to children’s issues. He formed the first children’s caucus in the Senate and spent almost a decade fighting to enact the Family and Medical Leave Act.
He also authored legislation aimed at providing better access to safe and affordable child care.[24] Dodd has received a 100 percent rating from the Children's Defense Fund each year since 2000.[25]
[edit] Gun issues
Dodd was one of 16 senators who voted against the Vitter Amendment, which prohibits federal funding of the confiscation of legally owned firearms during a disaster.
[edit] Health care
As a senior member of the Senate committee responsible for health care, Dodd extended health insurance to 5 to 7 hundred uninsured children and has consistently supported community health centers and initiatives aimed at child nutrition, maternal and child health, and infant mortality prevention. He successfully led the effort to modernize the Food and Drug Administration approval process for drugs and medical devices. He authored legislation to protect the mentally ill from abusive and deadly restraint and seclusion practices in mental hospitals. He continues to push for a patient’s bill of rights.[26] Dodd supports extending Medicaid to poorer families. He was rated 100% by APHA, indicating a pro-public health record and he opposes the privatization of Social Security.
[edit] Marijuana decriminalization
During the HuffPo/Yahoo!/Slate Candidate Mashup (September 2007), Dodd responded to a surprise question regarding the legalization of marijuana. He stated "We're cluttering up our prisons, frankly, when we draw distinctions" between alcohol and marijuana, Dodd said. "So I would decriminalize, or certainly advocate as president, the decriminalization of statutes that would incarcerate or severely penalize people for using marijuana." [27] Dodd does not support full legalization of marijuana, however. "I want to be careful, and I know there are a lot of people across the political spectrum who would just totally legalize [Marijuana]," he clarified. "I don't go that far."
However, in contrast to Chris Dodd's relatively liberal position on marijuana, his father, Senator Thomas Dodd, was instrumental in enacting prohibition and criminalization of LSD during the 1960s to counter the hippie movement.[28]
[edit] Tort reform
While Dodd opposes immunity for telecom firms who cooperated in terrorist surveillance programs, he has favored tort reform measures, such as the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995(PSLRA) which he co-sponsored in the Senate. The PSLRA was originally developed as part of Newt Gingrich's Contract With America.
However, in August 2007 he urged the Bush administration not to side with bankers involved in a corporate takeover who were being sued by investors who had lost their life savings in a case related to the collapse of Enron.[29]
[edit] Immigration
On immigration reform policy, Dodd supports the United States–Mexico barrier and improving technology to secure the borders.[19] As President, he would enforce penalties on employers who hire illegal immigrants and work with nations to the south to firm up their economies.[19]
On a December 4, 2006 Democratic Hispanic radio address he said we need to "bring millions of undocumented workers out of the shadows." [30] In May, Dodd expressed support for a version of the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007 and criticized Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain for abandoning the debate.[31] The immigration reform bill ultimately failed a cloture vote on 28 June 2007, despite Dodd's vote to close debate.[32]
In a Democratic presidential debate on 30 October, Dodd expressed opposition to the proposal by New York Governor Eliot Spitzer to allow illegal aliens to obtain driver's licenses, calling a license a "privilege" and contrasting his position to the equivocations of Senator Hillary Clinton,[33] who came out in support of the proposal the following day.[34] Two weeks later, Clinton adopted Dodd's position and came out in opposition to the plan.[35]
[edit] Consumer protection
Dodd has called credit cards "nothing less than wallet-sized predatory loans."[36] He authored the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2005 (S. 409) which would have enacted a variety of consumer protections against predatory lenders,[36] however the bill did not become law.[37]
[edit] Crime
Dodd was rated 75% by CURE, indicating pro-rehabilitation crime votes. He is an opponent of capital punishment and supports a moratorium on the death penalty and more DNA testing. He also voted against rejecting racial statistics in death penalty appeals, limiting death penalty appeals. Dodd supports requiring DNA testing for all federal executions. Dodd voted "no" on criminal penalty for harming unborn fetus during other crime and against increasing penalties for drug offenses.
[edit] Stem-cell research
Senator Dodd voted for expanded embryonic stem-cell research in June 2004 and against banning human cloning in February 1998.
Dodd, with nearly all Senate Democrats, voted for Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act (2005) [3]. Act was passed by House and Senate, but vetoed by President George W. Bush.
Dodd wasn't present during voting on Stem Cell Research Act in 2007 [4], but supported this legislation as he did in 2006.
[edit] Abortion
Senator Dodd, an outspoken advocate of pro-choice causes was rated 100% by NARAL. He voted against the ban on partial birth abortions, against parental notification of children who receive out-of-state abortions and against the maintaining of the ban of abortions on Military Bases.
[edit] Senatorial oversight
[edit] Judicial nominations
Dodd voted in favor of confirmation both President Bill Clinton Supreme Court nominations: Ruth Bader Ginsburg [5] and Stephen Breyer [6].
Dodd voted in favor of confirmation of Justice David Souter [7] and against Clarence Thomas's [8] - both nominated by President George H. W. Bush.
Dodd voted in favor of confirmation of John Roberts (Chief Justice)[9] but voted against Samuel Alito (Associate Justice)[10].
[edit] References
- ^ Help Iraqi government, but exit Iraq by April 1 2008. Chris Dodd on War & Peace. On the Issues (2007-05-20). Retrieved on 2007-12-22.
- ^ Murray, Shailagh (2007-10-18). Dodd Makes Play on FISA Legislation. washingtonpost.com.
- ^ Economic Opportunity. Christopher Dodd Presidential Campaign 2007. Retrieved on 2007-12-17.
- ^ Senator Dodd Delivers Democratic Hispanic Radio Address. Chris Dodd US Senator (2007-12-04). Retrieved on 2007-12-17.
- ^ Chris Dodd Campaign (2007-05-11). Chris Dodd: Dodd Touts Energy Plan At Biodiesel Plant, Kitchen Tables In Southeast Iowa. Retrieved on 2007-05-29.
- ^ Chris Dodd, Liberal Rankings at Project Vote Smart. vote-smart.org. Retrieved on February 25, 2007.
- ^ Chris Dodd, Conservative Rankings at Project Vote Smart. vote-smart.org. Retrieved on February 25, 2007.
- ^ U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes for H.J.Res. 114
- ^ a b c Sen. Dodd Calls For End To Iraq War. Associated Press (2007-05-26).
- ^ Sen. Chris Dodd: House and Senate at Its Worst.. Associated Press. Retrieved on February 21, 2007.
- ^ Flaherty, Anne (2007-11-16). Senate blocks bills to pay for Iraq, Afghanistan. Associated Press.
- ^ Senator Christopher J. Dodd On The Future of Economic Relations in the Western Hemisphere. dodd.senate.gov (2000-05-20). Retrieved on February 25, 2007.
- ^ a b DODD OPPOSES PERU FREE TRADE AGREEMENT: US NEEDS TO TAKE "STRATEGIC PAUSE," NOT SIGN ANY NEW TRADE AGREEMENTS.
- ^ Chris Dodd, Civil Liberties at Project Vote Smart. vote-smart.org. Retrieved on February 25, 2007.
- ^ Thomas, Helen (2006). Watchdogs of Democracy?: The Waning Washington Press Corps and How It Has Failed the Public. Simon and Schuster, 108. ISBN 0743267818.
- ^ Dodd: Restoring Habeas Corpus Rights, Banning Torture, Upholding Geneva Conventions Must Happen Now. dodd.senate.gov. Retrieved on February 26, 2007.
- ^ a b Beam, Christopher; Chadwick Matlin (2007-10-18). Obama, Where Art Thou? Bloggers turn to Chris Dodd for leadership on the FISA bill. Slate Magazine.
- ^ Murray, Shailagh (2007-10-18). Dodd Makes Play on FISA Legislation. washingtonpost.com.
- ^ a b c d e Hayworth, Bret (2007-12-06). Dodd explains plan for health-care reform. Sioux City Journal.
- ^ Chris Dodd Campaign (2007-05-11). Chris Dodd: Dodd Touts Energy Plan At Biodiesel Plant, Kitchen Tables In Southeast Iowa. Retrieved on 2007-05-29.
- ^ Chris Dodd, Environmental Issues at Project Vote Smart. vote-smart.org. Retrieved on February 25, 2007.
- ^ a b c Ramer, Holly (2007-06-23). Dodd urges mandatory community service. Associated Pres.
- ^ Moon, Freda (2007-07-05). I Want You to Pay Attention to Me: Sen. Chris Dodd's Quixotic Quest for the Presidency. The New Haven Advocate.
- ^ Official Senate Biograhy. dodd.senate.gov. Retrieved on February 21, 2007.
- ^ Family and Children Interest Group Ratings. vote-smart.org. Retrieved on February 25, 2007.
- ^ Official Senate Biograhy. dodd.senate.gov. Retrieved on February 21, 2007.
- ^ Dodd Would Decriminalize Pot. Huffington Post. Retrieved on September 15, 2007.
- ^ Stanley, Oswald. The True Reason for Drug Prohibition
- ^ GORDON, MARCY (2007-08-14). Dodd Urges Bush in High Court Case. Associated Press. Retrieved on 2007-10-26.
- ^ Senator Dodd Delivers Democratic Hispanic Radio Address | U.S. Senator Christopher J. Dodd
- ^ Jackson, Henry C. (2007-05-03). Dodd claims McCain has walked away from immigration reform. Associated Pres.
- ^ On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on S.1639. United States Senate (2007-11-16).
- ^ Woodlief, Wayne (2007-11-01). Suddenly it’s a race after all. The Boston Herald.
- ^ Issenberg, Sasha (2007-11-01). Clinton backs N.Y. driver's license plan for illegal immigrants: Tries to steady her stance after debate stumble. The Boston Globe.
- ^ Hillary Clinton is against driver's licenses for illegal immigrants. Associated Press (2007-11-14).
- ^ a b Compton, Nancy (2006). Give Yourself Credit. Lulu.com, 118. ISBN 1411694066.
- ^ S. 499 [109th: Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2005]
[edit] External links
- Chris Dodd On The Issues, ontheissues.org, retrieved on 2007-12-06
