*EPF405 10/14/2004
Bush, Kerry Meet in Final Presidential Debate as Election Nears
(Health care, taxes, jobs, homeland security dominate third debate) (760)

By Carrie Lee
Washington File Staff Writer

President Bush and Senator John Kerry faced off on a wide range of issues from homeland security and troop strength to wages and education in the third and final presidential debate October 13 in Tempe, Arizona.

With both candidates running statistically even in recent national polls, the debate was the public's last chance to see the two contenders go head to head.

Although the 90-minute debate centered on domestic concerns, foreign policy issues played a significant role as the candidates referenced the fight against terrorism and Iraq.

The first of moderator Bob Schieffer's 20 questions focused on homeland security. Kerry said that America "absolutely" must be made safe again. He said that he planned to "build the strongest alliances, where the world joins together, where we have the best intelligence and where we are able, ultimately, to be more safe and secure."

Bush said that the best way to protect homeland security is to "stay on the offense against the terrorists" and to "spread freedom and liberty around the world." He cited the elimination of key members of al-Qaida's leadership and the recent elections in Afghanistan as important progress.

The candidates also discussed Iraq in response to a question about U.S. troop strength. Bush said that "the best way to take the pressure off our troops is to succeed in Iraq, is to train Iraqis so they can do the hard work of democracy, is to give them a chance to defend their country, which is precisely what we're doing."

Kerry said that "the most important thing to relieve the pressure on all of the armed forces is frankly to run a foreign policy that recognizes that America is strongest when we are working with real alliances, when we are sharing the burdens of the world by working through our statesmanship at the highest levels and our diplomacy to bring other nations to our side."

Despite the foreign policy references, health care, taxes and the economy dominated the debate. In response to a question on the current flu vaccine shortage, Kerry said that this lack of vaccine showed that the American health care system is "not working." He added that he is proposing a health plan "to cover all Americans. We're going to make it affordable and accessible."

Bush said that rising health care costs are a "systemic problem" because "consumers are not involved in the decision making process." He expressed support for health savings accounts, or low premium catastrophic plans, as a "way to make sure people are actually involved with the decision making process on health care."

On taxes and the national debt, Bush said he had a plan to cut the deficit in half in five years through "pro-growth policies that grow our economy and fiscal sanity in the halls of Congress." He cited his record on tax cuts. "If you pay any tax at all, you got tax relief," he said.

Kerry countered that his budget plan would seek to "restore the fiscal discipline we had in the 1990s." In response to Bush's statement that his programs were too expensive, Kerry said, "Every plan that I have laid out ... I've shown exactly how I'm going to pay for those."

On jobs and outsourcing, Bush focused on the need for education reform to create jobs. "The best way to keep jobs here in America and to keep this economy growing is to make sure our education system works."

Kerry said that the current tax system rewards companies for outsourcing American jobs. "I will make the playing field as fair as possible ... I will, for instance, make certain that with respect to the tax system that you as a worker in America are not subsidizing the loss of your job," he said.

The debate covered a variety of other issues including Social Security, same-sex marriage, abortion, stem cell research, minimum wage reform, gun control and affirmative action. In addition, both candidates spoke on personal matters such as the role of religious faith in their lives and their families.

With less than three weeks remaining until the November 2 elections, both candidates will return to the campaign trail. Bush is scheduled to visit the key swing states of Nevada, Iowa and Florida, while Kerry plans to visit Nevada, Iowa, Wisconsin and Ohio.

The transcript of the debate is available at http://www.debates.org/pages/trans2004d.html

(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

Return to Public File Main Page

Return to Public Table of Contents