List of All Issues

As a progressive leader in the Senate, John Kerry holds a leadership role on many key issues. Here are some of the biggest issues of the day, and John Kerry's stances on each of them. Click on each issue to read more about it.

The Senator also want to hear from you. You can vote on which of these issues you think are most important, giving John Kerry a good look and what your priorities are. Simply click your vote for each issue, and we'll rank them in real time based on your feedback. Your top issues will show up on our home page.

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2,261

Climate Change and Energy Security

Climate change and building a new energy economy of clean, American power is one of the defining challenges of our time. I've been working for months with Senators of every party to try to build a coalition to tackle this most important issue. Our planet is warming, and our economy is groaning under the weight of the dirty energy that now powers our country. We need to build a future of clean energy that confronts the climate change crisis and puts Americans back in control of our own power again, instead of sending billions of dollars a day to some of the most oppressive regimes in the world.

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1,964

Jobs And A Stronger Economy

The measure of a strong economy is a growing middle-class where every American has a chance to work and an opportunity to succeed.

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973

Health Care

The benefits of the historic health care reform act are already being felt. Needy Medicare recipients will soon receive checks helping them pay for their prescription drugs. I'm working to make sure the entire reform is implemented fairly and efficiently.

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723

Troops, Veterans, and Military Families

I believe those who serve and their families are among our country's greatest military resources, and I believe our nation has made a solemn promise to the members of our military that we need to fulfill. The first definition of patriotism is keeping faith with those who've worn the uniform of the United States of America.

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709

Supreme Court Nomination

This summer the Senate will undertake one its most important duties: confirming a Supreme Court Justice. I’ve worked closely with Elena Kagan in the past, and I am confident she brings together a remarkable combination of qualities that the Court needs today: a capable mind, a fresh energy, a proven ability to build consensus across ideological lines, and a real-world understanding of how the law and public policy impacts Americans in their daily lives. I’m proud that Massachusetts is her adopted home, I know she’ll be an extraordinary Supreme Court Justice, and I’m looking forward to a swift and fair confirmation process.

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418

Housing

Our nation is facing its greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression. A collapse of the housing market has had far-reaching consequences, putting an already-stressed financial system in peril. The entire system needs to be reformed.

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409

Communication and the New Economy

More than ever before, our economic competitiveness depends on a robust and accessible communications network and assisting our entrepreneurs in developing the technologies of tomorrow.

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373

Civil Rights

Forty years ago, with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, our nation took a great step toward realizing its founding ideal: that all of us should have the opportunity to realize our God-given potential. But as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. told us, the Civil Rights Act was "only the beginning of a new day...not the end of a journey."

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312

Education

Education is at the core of America's basic promise - that all Americans should be able to make the most of their potential. Massachusetts was the home of many of the first public schools in our country, and I believe a strong public education system is the very bedrock of our democracy and our economy.

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254

Protecting Children and Families

As a husband and a father, I understand that strong families are the foundation of a healthy society. Ensuring the health and safety of children, our society's most innocent and vulnerable members, is one of our deepest moral responsibilities, and one of the most important things we can do for our country’s future.

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212

Environment and Animal Rights

Over the years, I have made protecting the welfare of our animals and wildlife a priority. The success of our efforts to build an economy that doesn’t harm our environment can often be seen in the state of the wildlife that lives among us. We need to do all we can to protect them, and give us an environment where plants, animals, and people can thrive.

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139

Public Safety and Crime

As a former prosecutor I know firsthand how important investments in public safety are. Unfortunately investment in public safety slowly dropped off over the last 15 years, and following 9/11 more funding went to national security as opposed to street crime in our cities and towns. We must do more to protect our children and keep our communities safe.

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138

Small Business

Small businesses are an essential component of the American and Massachusetts economy, bringing in over $25 billion in revenue and employing approximately 1.5 million people across the Bay State. That’s why I’ve long fought to ensure that small businesses are able to get the support they need.

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