The following are President George W. Bush's and Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry's responses to issue questions posed by The Associated Press.
The U.S.A. PATRIOT Act
Q: Should the Patriot Act be changed to strengthen anti-terrorism protections, civil liberties or both? If so, how?
President Bush: "The U.S.A. Patriot Act is a powerful tool in the war on terror. Passed with sweeping bipartisan support in 2001, it provides law enforcement and intelligence communities with some of the same tools used to fight drug kingpins and organized crime, and allows for the enhanced coordination and information-sharing necessary to fight terrorism. The Patriot Act has already been used to help break up terror cells in New York, Oregon and Virginia. Safeguards for civil liberties, including traditional judicial review, are built into the Patriot Act. Not a single civil liberties violation associated with the Patriot Act has been cited by the inspector general. Because it has been used effectively and responsibly, I have called upon the United States Congress to promptly renew the expiring provisions of the Patriot Act."
Kerry: "We're going to crush the terrorists and make sure that here at home and around the world we have every tool to go get them before they get us. As president, I will defend our liberty and our security at home as well as abroad. I will appoint an attorney general who values and protects constitutional freedoms. I believe some provisions of the Patriot Act -- like the money laundering provisions -- must be made stronger. Others -- like the library and 'sneak-and-peek' search provisions -- must be made smarter, to better protect the freedom of law-abiding patriotic Americans while allowing our government to do everything necessary to track down terrorists and defend America. As president, I will ensure that the American government is open and responsive to the needs and inquiries of Congress and the public, offering enough information to hold the government accountable without compromising our security."
TAXES
Q: What further income-tax cuts, if any, do you support?
Bush: "I will make tax reform a key priority in my second term. In my first three years in office, I signed historic and comprehensive tax relief that has reduced the marriage penalty, doubled the child tax credit to $1,000, reduced rates across the board and eliminated the death tax. This relief has reduced the tax burden for 111 million Americans, including 43 million families in 2004. We also quadrupled the amount small businesses can expense to $100,000 in investment each year. And because 90 percent of small businesses pay taxes at individual rates, the across-the-board income tax cuts have extended relief to more than 25 million small business owners and entrepreneurs. This tax relief should be made permanent; otherwise, starting next year, 37 million families with children, 11 million seniors and 23 million small business owners will see their taxes increase. In addition, I have proposed to create new American Opportunity Zones so that communities going through an economic transition can get the help they need to regain their prosperity."
Kerry: "Under George Bush, the tax burden in America has been shifted from the wealthy to the middle class. That's wrong. To get our economy moving, we need to provide middle-class tax relief for families trying to afford college and all Americans and small businesses struggling with the cost of health care. We should cut taxes for businesses that create jobs here in the United States and stop using the tax code so American workers subsidize shipping their own jobs overseas. We should provide tax credits to help create manufacturing jobs here at home. It's right to protect middle-class income tax cuts, and it's also right to roll back George Bush's unaffordable giveaways to individuals making over $200,000 so we can invest in jobs, health care and education, and restore fiscal responsibility"
