Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), a Navy veteran and the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, has been an independent policy voice for many of his twenty-five years in office. McCain served in the Vietnam War, during which he spent five and a half years as a prisoner of war and was subjected to torture. Some forty years later, he led the fight in Congress to ban the use of torture by U.S. troops, even when leaders in his party, including the president, initially opposed such a measure. He also broke with much of his party in backing the 2007 Senate immigration reform bill, which other Republican leaders criticized as essentially granting mass amnesty to illegal immigrants. In 1997, McCain allied with liberal Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) to introduce controversial legislation for sweeping campaign finance reform, a version: of which passed in 2001. Since that bill’s passage, McCain has faced strong resentment within his own party.

McCain ran against George W. Bush for the Republican nomination in the 2000 elections. In the 2007 presidential campaign, McCain has aligned himself with key aspects of the Bush administration’s broader foreign policy agenda. McCain opposes any troop withdrawal measures and supports the troop surge in Iraq.

If elected, McCain, 71, will be the oldest person to win the presidency.

Campaign 08 YouTube Introduction

Campaign Issues

U.S. Policy toward Africa

Sen. McCain (R-AZ) says the United States should promote democracy in Africa. In a May 2007 speech before the Hoover Institution, McCain called for the United States to join in a “League of Democracies” to help regions in Africa and elsewhere beset by humanitarian crises. He also said the United States should support those in Africa “who favor open economies and democratic government against populist demagogues who are dragging their nations back to the failed socialist policies of the past.”

Like many of the other candidates, McCain advocates a NATO-enforced no-fly zone over Darfur. In a 2006 op-ed, McCain said the United States should pressure the European Union and UN Security Council to impose sanctions (WashPost) on the Sudanese government. He also said the United States should “publicly remind Khartoum that the International Criminal Court has jurisdiction to prosecute war crimes in Darfur and that Sudanese leaders will be held personally accountable for attacks on civilians.”

U.S. Policy toward India

Sen. McCain (R-AZ), has noted India’s potential to be one of the “natural allies” of the United States. He stresses the “importance of securing greater U.S. market access to [India’s] economy of a billion consumers.”

McCain voted for the United States-India Energy Security Cooperation Act of 2006.

Military Tribunals and Guantanamo Bay

Sen. McCain (R-AZ), himself a former longtime prisoner of war, is one of just two Republican candidates who say Guantanamo should be shut down. He thinks the prisoners should be moved to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

McCain sponsored anti-torture legislation, the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005, and was a primary backer of the Military Commissions Act of 2006.

Domestic Intelligence

Sen. McCain (R-AZ) has said that he does not think that Bush had the legal authority to employ the intelligence-gathering tactics used by the NSA. McCain voted to confirm former NSA chief Michael Hayden as director of the CIA.

War on Terror

Though McCain has criticized the mismanagement of the war in Iraq, he employs much of the Bush administration’s rhetoric about terrorism, often arguing that if the United States pulls out of Iraq, the terrorists “will follow us home.” (AP) McCain, a vocal supporter of the troop surge in Iraq, has also called for permanent U.S. military bases (AP) in Afghanistan.

Democracy Promotion in the Arab World

Sen. McCain (R-AZ) believes in the importance of democratic development in the Middle East. “The promotion of democracy and freedom is simply inseparable from the long-term security of the United States,” he said in 2005. At a speech before the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs, McCain expressed support for democracy promotion in the Middle East saying: “If the alternative to our democracy promotion efforts is a return to the days in which we simply supported pro-American dictators throughout the Middle East, I say this cost is too high. We have learned the dangers in such approach, and the lessons have been painful.”

McCain is the chairman of the Board of Directors of the International Republican Institute (IRI), a U.S.-funded NGO that is “committed to advancing freedom and democracy worldwide by developing political parties, civic institutions, open elections, good governance and the rule of law.” McCain cosponsored the ADVANCE Democracy Act of 2005.

He also cosponsored the 2006 Iran Freedom Support Act.

Energy Policy

Sen. McCain (R-AZ), alongside Joe Lieberman (I-CT), proposed the Lieberman-McCain Climate Stewardship Act in 2005. The act, which would have established a “market-driven system of greenhouse gas tradeable allowances,” aimed to limit emissions and reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil. That act was never passed. In early 2007, McCain and Lieberman reintroduced the act (BosGlobe), saying that it would “harness the power of the free market and the engine of American innovation to reduce the nation's greenhouse gas emissions substantially enough and quickly enough to forestall catastrophic global warming." McCain also said in a Foreign Affairs article that he would “greatly increase the use of nuclear power.”

McCain did not attend the vote on the Renewable Fuels, Consumer Protection, and Energy Efficiency Act of 2007. That bill passed.

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Sen. McCain (R-AZ) has described himself as “proudly pro-Israel.” Like Giuliani and Hunter, McCain argues that there can be no peace process “until the Palestinians recognize Israel, forswear forever the use of violence, recognize their previous agreements, and reform their internal institutions." McCain says he would be willing to use military force against Iran if it attains a nuclear weapon and poses a “real threat” to Israel.

He also believes the United States should continue to provide Israel with “whatever military equipment and technology she needs to defend herself.” He has said that if elected president, he would “work to further isolate the enemies of Israel” like Syria, Hamas and Hezbollah, and he would “never pressure Israel to make concessions to states or movements committed to its destruction.” (JPost)

McCain said Israel’s military action in Lebanon in 2006 was justified. (Arizona Daily Star)

McCain cosponsored the Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act of 2006.

North Korea Policy

Sen. McCain (R-AZ), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has been highly critical of the Agreed Framework negotiated with North Korea during the Clinton administration. In the wake of the North Korean nuclear test, he called the pact a “failure” (AP) that allowed money for food assistance to be siphoned into funds for Pyongyang’s weapons program. In 2003, he cosponsored an amendment to an appropriations bill stating that the Senate considered the Agreed Framework void because of North Korea’s nuclear weapons development. The amendment was approved.

During a February 2007 speech to the Seattle World Affairs Council, McCain expressed concern that North Korea would not meet the denuclearization requirements set out in that month’s Six-Party Talks deal. He also described North Korea as the “foremost security challenge” in Asia.

In a recent article in Foreign Affairs he wrote, "It is unclear today whether North Korea is truly committed to verifiable denuclearization and a full accounting of all its nuclear materials and facilities, two steps that are necessary before any lasting diplomatic agreement can be reached. Future talks must take into account North Korea's ballistic missile programs, its abduction of Japanese citizens, and its support for terrorism and proliferation."

Cuba Policy

Sen. McCain (R-AZ) has typically voted in support of sanctions on Cuba. In 1992, he cosponsored the Cuban Democracy Act.

McCain’s campaign has been endorsed (AP) by three Cuban-American Republican representatives from Florida, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Lincoln Diaz-Balart, and Mario Diaz-Balart.

In an interview with the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, McCain said that upon Castro’s death, the United States should “offer a package of trade, of assistance, of economic development, of assistance in democratization—and tell them we will give them all of those things and in return we are asking them to embark on the path to democracy. Including setting a date for free and fair elections.”

U.S. Policy toward China

Sen. McCain (R-AZ) has supported a U.S. policy that will “hedge” against China’s growing global influence. “That doesn’t imply an effort to oppose China’s emergence as an influential power, but it does mean maintaining our military presence in East Asia, strengthening our alliance with Japan and our relations with other Asian countries, and working through groups like the APEC forum to further American interests and values,” McCain said in a 2005 speech to the Committee of 100, a nonpartisan organization of Chinese Americans.

In 2000, McCain voted for the U.S.-China Trade Relations Act.

In a recent article in Foreign Affairs, he wrote China could bolster its claim that it is "peacefully rising" by being more transparent about its significant military buildup and United States must legitimately question the intent of such provocative acts. "Until China moves toward political liberalization, our relationship will be based on periodically shared interests rather than the bedrock of shared values."

Defense Policy

Sen. McCain (R-AZ), a former navy pilot, has been one of the most outspoken voices in Congress on defense issues. McCain favors an increase in the size of the U.S. military, especially the Army and Marine Corps. McCain also says the United States needs “a new mix of military forces, including civil affairs, special operations, and highly mobile forces capable of fighting and prevailing in the conflicts America faces.”

McCain has also backed national missile defense program development. He has generally supported “modernizing” the armed forces and U.S. weapons technology.

McCain voted in favor of the 1999 Kosovo Resolution authorizing air and missile strikes on Serbia and Montenegro.

McCain has expressed support for the provision in the 2007 Defense Appropriations Act that would “require regular budgeting for the ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan,” as opposed to the supplemental funding bills that have characterized the war on terror. He voted in favor of the Military Construction Fiscal Year 2005 Authorization Bill, which granted hundreds of billions of dollars to the Department of Defense for military and national security operations. At the time, he said that the funding was necessary to increase force levels of the military, not only in Iraq and Afghanistan, but on the whole.

Iraq

Sen. McCain (R-AZ) continues to support the war effort, and is one of the most outspoken proponents of Bush’s surge strategy, even arguing that the escalation does not go far enough. He supported the president’s efforts to increase the size of the U.S. standing military by 92,000 soldiers and Marines. On improving Iraqi security, McCain cautions that regional talks with Iran and Syria may not prove effective. “Our interests in Iraq diverge significantly from those of Damascus and Tehran, and this is unlikely to change under the current regimes,” he says.

In a recent press appearance, McCain tripped up by referring to U.S. soldiers’ lives “wasted” in Iraq, but followed up that he had meant to say “sacrificed.” In February 2007, McCain coauthored a resolution calling on Congress to provide the U.S. forces with the “necessary support.” The resolution also calls for the Iraqi government to meet eleven benchmarks on issues of security, economic performance, and governance.

In 2002, McCain voted in favor of the invasion of Iraq.

Trade

Sen. McCain (R-AZ), a free trade advocate, sees trade as especially important as a means to open “closed societies” in the Middle East. “It’s past time for nations of the Middle East to join the global economy, and for rulers to lead increasingly restive populations in the direction of democracy and free markets,” he said in 2003. McCain supported Bush’s plan to build a free trade area in the Middle East by 2013.

McCain has been a consistent supporter of free trade legislation, achieving a top rating by the pro-trade Cato Institute. He voted in favor of free trade acts with Oman, Australia, Chile, and Singapore. He also voted to approve both NAFTA and CAFTA.

Homeland Security

Sen. McCain (R-AZ) has generally supported the Bush administration’s homeland security initiatives. McCain voted in favor of the Patriot Act in 2001 and for its reauthorization in 2006. McCain voted in favor of the Homeland Security Department FY 2006 Appropriations Act, which allotted $34.55 billion for DHS. McCain has been a leading Republican voice in Washington seeking to ban the CIA from engaging in “cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment of prisoners.” McCain, who was tortured himself during his time as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, pushed an amendment in 2005 banning such treatment. That bill passed after extensive debate in Washington. McCain also voted for the National Intelligence Reform Act of 2004.

Iran

Sen. McCain (R-AZ) has repeatedly said that an Iran with nuclear weapons poses an “unacceptable risk” to regional and global stability. His refrain: “There is only one thing worse than military action, and that is a nuclear armed Iran.” McCain drew criticism for joking (AP) about bombing Iran at an April 2007 campaign stop. He has generally said that use of military force in Iran should be “the last option (PDF) but cannot be taken off the table.”

Climate Change

Sen. McCain (R-AZ) has been one of the most outspoken members of Congress on the issue of climate change. With Sen. Joe Lieberman (ID-CT), McCain introduced the Climate Stewardship Act in 2003, which failed. Still, climate change expert Bill McKibben said this act was crucial (OnEarth Magazine) in that McCain “managed to force the first real Senate vote on actually doing something about the largest environmental peril our species has yet faced.” In 2007 he reintroduced the act, with bipartisan cosponsorship. The bill, McCain and Lieberman wrote in a February 2007 editorial, “would harness the power of the free market and the engine of American innovation to reduce the nation's greenhouse gas emissions substantially enough and quickly enough to forestall catastrophic global warming.” (BosGlobe)

Immigration

Sen. McCain (R-AZ) has been a moderate voice who supports both increased border security and a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. McCain was the only GOP candidate (FOX) to support the recent immigration reform bill.

He was also a co-sponsor of the Senate Immigration Reform Act of 2006, which called for establishing a guest-worker program as well as setting up a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. At a May 2007 debate with Republican presidential candidates, McCain defended his position in this way: “(W)e've got to enforce our border. That's our first and foremost priority. But we also have to have a comprehensive solution and it has to be bipartisan. And I believe we're close to reaching that, and that's what the American people expect us to do.”

McCain voted for the Secure Fence Act of 2006. With John Edwards, among others, McCain co-sponsored the Save Summer Act of 2004, which would have increased the legal limit on H-2B visas for seasonal nonagricultural laborers by forty thousand.

United Nations

Sen. McCain (R-AZ) has generally supported U.S. engagement with the United Nations but has noted the recent oil-for-food scandal and faulty human rights institutions demonstrate a “crying need for reform.”

In a 1999 lecture at Kansas State University, McCain said, “The United Nations, although many of its founding principles were borrowed from our own, can never be an adequate substitute for American leadership. It has its uses, but to confer on that diverse organization, the leading responsibility for international stability, freedom and justice, will quickly render it incapable of any task whatsoever.” On the 2004 Congressional National Political Awareness Test, McCain said the United States should continue its financial support for the United Nations, and should contribute troops to UN peacekeeping missions.

U.S. Policy toward Russia

Sen. McCain (R-AZ) has strongly criticized Putin, whom he has called “a dangerous person.” In an October 2007 Republican debate, McCain expressed support for President Bush’s plan to build a missile defense shield in Eastern Europe. “I don't care what [Putin’s] objections are to it,” he said.

In a November 2007 Foreign Affairs article, McCain called for a new approach to what he called a “revanchist” Russia. In that piece, he advocated Russian exclusion from the G-8, and said the West should send a message to Russia that NATO “is indivisible and that the organization's doors remain open to all democracies committed to the defense of freedom.” He also said the United States should promote democracy in Russia.

U.S. Policy toward Pakistan

Sen. McCain (R-AZ) has advocated continued U.S. cooperation with Musharraf to “dismantle the cells and camps that the Taliban and al-Qaeda maintain in his country.” In a November 2007 Foreign Affairs essay, he warned that the “Talibanization of Pakistani society is advancing,” and said the United States should make “a long-term commitment to the country.” This would include bolstering Pakistan’s security capabilities to enhance “Pakistan's ability to act against insurgent safe havens.” He also said the United States should “bring children into schools and out of extremist madrassas,” though he did not specify how the United States should approach that task.

After Bhutto’s assassination, McCain said as president he would immediately meet with the National Security Council to find “maintain order, or restore order, whichever is the case in Pakistan” (CBS).

McCain criticized the Pakistani government’s peace agreement with Islamic militants in the Waziristan province in December 2006. “The attacks from that area have increased, and we think that unless there is some dramatic change, that we will continue to see those increases,” McCain said (AP).

In 2001, McCain cosponsored the Pakistan Emergency Economic Development and Trade Support Act. The bill, which never passed, was aimed at easing textile trade with Pakistan as a means of bolstering its economy and government.