McCain opposes a universal health care system such as those in Canada or Europe, arguing the idea was rejected in the early 1990s. He also opposes raising taxes to pay for better health care opposes requiring everyone to purchase health insurance. Among some of the ideas he supports:

• expand community health centers and the S-chip program,


• offer tax incentives for poor people,


• put health care online,


• medical malpractice reform


• promote health savings accounts.

I think that we can make health care affordable and available without a mandate. Six of the eight million children that haven’t taken advantage of the S-CHIP is because they just haven’t signed up. Community health centers need to be expanded. There’s a whole variety of things that we can do before we mandate health care for every American. One of the problems we have is that there’s a lot of healthy Americans that say, ‘I just don’t want health insurance.’

Climate Change

McCain has stood out from his fellow GOP candidates by taking on climate change. He has spoken often on the issue arguing it is time to take action on the issue. out on the issue

McCain and Senator Joe Lieberman carried the McCain-Lieberman Climate Stewardship Act of 2003. In January of 2007, he again teamed with Lieberman and other co-sponsors for The Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act of 2007.

ANWR

McCain has also stated opposition to drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and his voting record generally reflects this. McCain has also sided with the Bush Administration at times, including a vote in favor of confirming Gale Norton as Secretary of Interior, a vote in favor of preserving the budget for ANWR oil drilling, and a vote in favor of reducing funding of renewable and solar energy.

Carbon Fuel Standards

McCain joined Gov. Schwarzenegger in a call for a nationwide roll-out of California's new low carbon fuel standard.

Nuclear Energy

McCain supports the increased use of nuclear energy in the US to become more energy independent.

Official campaign video of McCain on the environment:

Vouchers

McCain has long supported vouchers for private schools as well as education savings accounts.

Separation of Church and State

McCain has announced that he supports the inclusion of intelligent design teaching in schools. In 2005, McCain told the Arizona Daily Star that he believes "all points of view" should be available to students.

McCain on education at NH townhall

Taxes

McCain has emphasized deficit reduction over tax cutting. The contrast with George Bush's preference for tax cuts was prominent during the 2000 presidential campaign, and after Bush became president McCain opposed his tax cut proposals. McCain has been a strong supporter of Private Social Security accounts and is against “socialized” health care.

McCain has been one of the Senate's most outspoken critics of pork barrel spending.

Directly from the candidate:

Congress spends money like a drunken sailor:

We lost the election in 2006 because we lost our way. We began to value principle over power, and spending got out of control. Spending lurched completely out of control. Ronald Reagan used to say, we spend money like a drunken sailor. I never knew a sailor, drunk or sober, with the imagination of the Congress. I received an e-mail recently from a guy who said, "As a former drunken sailor, I resent being compared to members of Congress." (2007 GOP primary debate, at Reagan library, hosted by MSNBC May 3, 2007)

On how he differs from Bush on “pork-barrel” spending:

I would have vetoed spending bill after spending bill after pork-barrel project after pork-barrel project, in the tradition of President Reagan. The first pork-barrel bill that crosses my desk, I'm going to veto it and make the authors of those pork-barrel items famous all over America. We're going to stop it. (2007 GOP primary debate, at Reagan library, hosted by MSNBC May 3, 2007)

Economic Security & Good Jobs
McCain has emphasized deficit reduction over tax cutting. The contrast with George Bush's preference for tax cuts was prominent during the 2000 presidential campaign, and after Bush became president McCain opposed his tax cut proposals. McCain has been a strong supporter of Private Social Security accounts and is against “socialized” health care.
>>read more

Quality education
McCain has long supported vouchers for private schools as well as education savings accounts. >>read more

Environment, Energy & Sustainability
McCain has stood out from his fellow GOP candidates by taking on climate change. He has spoken often on the issue arguing it is time to take action on the issue. He has opposed drilling in ANWR and approves of using California's low carbon fuel restrictions as a nationwide standard. >>read more

Health Care
McCain opposes a universal health care system such as those in Canada or Europe, arguing the idea was rejected in the early 1990s. He also opposes raising taxes to pay for better health care opposes requiring everyone to purchase health insurance. >>read more