Bob Dole vs. Bill Clinton: science showdown - views on the science issues

Science World, Oct 4, 1996 by Pamela Tan

Whom do you want as the President of the United States? Use the candidates' records on major science issues to help you decide!

When Americans choose the President of the United States next month, they'll also be deciding the fate of endangered species, space exploration, and people with AIDS. That's because the President makes decisions that affect all of these science issues--and many more.

The current President, Democrat Bill Clinton, is campaigning for a second term. Meanwhile, Republican Bob Dole, who has more than 25 years of Senate experience, believes he's the man for the job. Although voters will weigh many issues, science-related topics like the Internet and smoking affect the adults a who vote--and you. With science in mind, which candidate do you think should lead the United States into the 21st century? To decide, read about each issue and check off the opinions you prefer. When you're finished, tally your results. When it comes to science, with whom do you see eye-to-eye: Clinton or Dole?

AIDS

Since 1983, the year scientists identified human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) as the cause of AIDS, 320,000 people in the United States have died of AIDS-related complications. Each year, more than 40,000 Americans are infected with HIV.

DOLE:

* Voted "yes" on the Ryan White Act, which provides grants to cities and states for treatment and support of people with HIV.

* Voted for a law that forbids people with HIV from immigrating to the United States. The law is intended to slow the spread of AIDS.

* In 1995, voted to make AIDS-awareness training for federal employees voluntary, not mandatory.

CLINTON:

* Supports the Ryan White Act.

* Signed a bill that included a law to ban HIV-infected people from immigrating to the United States, but stated his opposition to this ban.

* In 1993, required federal employees to attend workshops to increase AIDS awareness.

* Banned federal funding for drug-needle-exchange programs, fearing that they promote drug use. The programs reduce the spread of HIV by giving away clean needles to illegal drug users, who often spread HIV by sharing contaminated needles.

THE INTERNET

The Internet connects computer users around the world so they can transmit and access a wide variety of information.

DOLE:

* Voted to cut federal funds for the National Information Infrastructure program, which helps connect schools and libraries to the Internet.

* Campaigned and voted for a bill that would prohibit material that is "offensive to minors" on the Internet.

CLINTON:

* Launched a plan to help connect every classroom in the United States to the Internet and provide all students with access to computers by the year 2000.

* Signed the bill that would prohibit material that is "offensive to minors" on the Internet.

SPACE STATION

Sponsored by the U.S., Russian, Japanese, Canadian, and European space agencies, the International Space Station would allow people to live and work in space for months at a time.

DOLE:

* Voted to continue the U.S. government's participation in the $17.4-billion program to create the space station.

CLINTON:

* Ordered the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to redesign the $3.1-billion space station to save more than $13 billion.

HABITAT PROTECTION

Mining, oil-drilling, crop-growing, and construction have been proposed in wildlife areas as a way to improve the economy, even though these activities may harm the land.

DOLE:

* Voted against a bill that would make 7.5 million acres of the California desert into national parks, arguing it would force some people to surrender their private property.

* Voted to permit exploratory oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, a 20-million acre area in Alaska that is home to caribou, wolves, and sea lions.

* Supported a $300-million plan to restore the Florida Everglades, which has been damaged by water drainage and pollution from farm chemicals.

* Believes the federal government should pay back citizens when laws such as the Endangered Species Act limit the ways they may use their Private land.

CLINTON:

* Supported a bill to create national parks in the California desert to limit construction and mining there.

* Vetoed a bill that would allow oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

* Supported the federal plan to restore the Florida Everglades.

* Advocated changing the endangered-species program to reduce restrictions on private land owners.

TOXIC WASTE

The Superfund program forces polluters to clean up poisonous or cancer-causing waste that hasn't been disposed of properly. The law applies even if polluters discarded the dangerous wastes before the law was passed.

DOLE:

* Voted to increase federal funding for the Superfund program to track down polluters.

* Believes it is unfair to make businesses responsible for waste discarded legally before the Superfund program began in 1980.

CLINTON:

* Wants all polluters involved to share the responsibility for cleaning toxic sites. The existing law can place blame on only one company.

SMOKING/TOBACCO